Where can I get the best wings in Memphis? Here are 5 of our favorites

Come to Memphis for the barbecue, stay for the chicken wings. As much as folks love ribs, Memphis does chicken wings just as well.

Chicken wings, which at one point in time were an undesirable part of the bird, have become a prized menu item.

The National Chicken Council estimates we're eating about 2% more chicken wings each of the last several years. Consumers began preferring boneless-skinless chicken breast meat in the '80s – instead of cooking the entire chicken – wings became an afterthought, said NCC spokesman Tom Super. Chicken producers began selling them to restaurants and bars, which could price the dish relatively cheaply and, because wings were usually salty and spicy, boost beer sales, Super said.

Ching’s Hot Wings: Honey Gold Party Wings

1264 Getwell Road; (901) 743-5545; chingshotwings.com

There is a reason Ching’s Hot Wings has been a Memphis favorite since it opened in 2003. It's a family-run business that focusses on one thing — chicken wings.

These are classic hot wings done right.

The wings are fried to perfection, and then tossed in what I consider the perfect amount of sauce. I prefer my wings to be saucy and well covered in that amazing sauce.

Ching’s makes all its sauces and seasonings from scratch, and you can tell the difference. The flavors are traditional, with only nine from which to choose. Honey Gold is my favorite.

I suggest ordering them with a side of the crinkle fries. A friend recently recommended that I also try the fried okra. Not sure how I missed that all these years, but I’ll be adding that to my next order.

Good Fortune Co.: GFC Wings with Sichuan Honey Butter

361 S. Main St.; (901) 590-3510; goodfortuneco.com

The GFC Wings at Good Fortune Co. are not your ordinary wings. Chef and co-owner Arturo Leighton said the menu name stands for “Good Fortune Company … or Good Freakin’ Chicken.” I called them “finger lickin’ good.”

Leighton explained to me that they brine jumbo wings for 24 hours before hand-dipping them in a batter made from three different gluten-free flours. Next they go into the fryer, then are drained and rest before heading back into the fryer one more time just before being served. Leighton said the crispness of his wings comes from the second frying.

The Sichuan Honey Butter Sauce is made in-house with plant-based butter, a ton of garlic and an Indonesian chili sauce. The wings are tossed in the sauce straight after coming out of the fryer and garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.

The GFC Wings have been the most popular item on Good Fortune Co.’s menu since it opened in 2021. One bite and you will know why.

MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: 'Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives': What restaurants has Guy Fieri visited in Memphis?

Mike’s Hot Wings & Such: Lemon-Pepper Party Wings

Two locations: 7730 Wolf River Blvd., Germantown, and 6825 Winchester Road; germantown.mikeshotwingstogo.com

My husband, Paul, raved about Mike’s Hot Wings & Such for more than a year before I finally popped in to try what he calls “his favorite hot wings in town.” One bite of one of Mike Davis’ wings, and I knew why Mike’s had become one of Paul’s favorite lunch spots.

Davis cooks his party wings until nice and crispy, with tender and juicy meat. He then tosses them in your choice of his signature sauces or dry seasoning blends. His lemon-pepper seasoning has just the right amount of tangy citrus with a mild peppery kick.

He opened his first wings restaurant 10 years ago on Winchester. Then opened a second Germantown location three years ago. He said what makes his wings so good is “lots of love.”

I would be remiss if I also didn’t give a shoutout to his smoked whole wings. Order them with a side of his secret recipe hot barbecue sauce.

New Wing Order: Smokin’ Peach Party Wings

Ghost River Brewing Company Taproom, 341 Beale St., and food truck, location changes daily; newwingorder.com

One of the reasons I love New Wing Order is their creative sauce and dry seasoning flavors — like Grind City Gold and Mud Island Jerk. I also love that each month they feature a seasonal flavor.

July’s seasonal flavor is Smokin’ Peach. Kitchen manager Adrienne Hawkins came up with the flavor after a trip to Jones Orchard’s You-Pick Farm. Ingredients of homemade jam made with peaches from Jones Orchard and Calabrian chiles create a sauce that has peach in the forefront with a lot of smoke and what Hawkins describes as “nice back building heat.”

New Wing Order was started as a competition cooking team in 2013 by a group of hot wing enthusiasts who wanted to create perfect flavors for every appetite — mild to scorching hot, sauced or dry rubbed, local to international favorites, and everything in between. Eventually countless hours in the test kitchen resulted in trophies on the competition circuit, including several Hot Wing Grand Championships and a slew of other awards.

New Wing Order owners Cole Forrest and Jesse McDonald have a restaurant in Ghost River Brewing Co.’s Beale St. taproom as well as a food truck.

BEST THING I ATE THIS WEEK: Baked Oysters, A Crab Salad and Steamed Shrimp

The Wing Guru: Triple J Party Wings

Multiple locations; thewingguru.com

The Wing Guru is owned and operated by former Memphis Tigers basketball player Billy Richmond. So it’s no surprise that one of the hot wing chain’s most popular flavors has a basketball tie.

“The Triple J” is a Honey Gold-based flavor he developed in partnership with Memphis Grizzlies power forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. — hence the name, Triple J.

“We start with Honey Gold and then add our house guru seasoning and our 901 seasoning,” Richmond said of the flavor that has become a customer favorite.

Richmond pays attention to every detail. The boneless chicken served is fresh, never frozen and cut in-house. The Wing Guru uses only premium gluten-free oil in its fryers. Customer service is also a priority. The restaurants are neat and clean with fun branding on the walls.

USA Today contributed to this article.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

If you want to keep up with the tastiest news in the Bluff City — like the story above, sign up for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter for a hearty serving of stories on everything from restaurants to recipes. You can sign up here.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Best wings in Memphis, Tennessee: 5 of our favorite hot wings