What are the best restaurants for chicken wings in Marion County? Here are 5 favorites
Naked or dressed with sauce, drum or wing (known as a “flat”,) together or separated, chicken wings are available for almost any taste.
Here are five top places in this area to get a serving of wings. Most offer daily and weekend specials; check the restaurants' websites for details.
Black Sheep on Broadway
![The Black Sheep on Broadway Line Cook Jeremy Holets tosses up some wings with sheep sauce, which is a bacon bourbon marmalade, Tuesday afternoon, July 18, 2023. Their hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11 a..m. to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.. They are closed on Monday. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/gLYg5soLUTEMbXvXI1At4g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTkyOA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/0d8bbc7cce2de0dfe000e23d43ae1a16)
128 SW Broadway St., Ocala; (352) 622-1207; Blacksheeponbroadwayocala.com
Advertised as a “cozy take on a Gastropub,” Black Sheep opened in 2019 and offers “Infamous Wings” with a choice of sauces: mild, Buffalo, hot, roasted garlic parmesan, sweet heat or the house “Sheep Sauce,” which is a sweet blend of bacon and bourbon, according to Meigan Sardinia, who is co-owner along with Amy Cannatella.
“All our chicken is fresh, not frozen, and we marinate the chicken overnight and bake it (before) frying,” Sardinia said.
Diners have called the wings “just right.”
Crunchies & Munchies
![Crunchies and Munchies employee Michael Scott carries a full tray of freshly deep fried wings while making some of the best hot wings in Marion County Thursday morning, July 14, 2023. The wing restaurant has been open since 1984 and goes through 6,000 pounds a week which means they cook over 30,000 chicken wings a week at their two locations according to Vice President Coleson Janey. They also offer up 23 different sauces. Their hours are Monday-Thursday 10:30 am to 9:00 pm, Friday-Saturday - 10:30 am to 9:30 pm and Sunday - noon to 8:00 pm. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sUHnucWVh9RAcbVZsLXchA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEzMDc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/be4bdb255e4c49a84b115f93874fc88f)
529 NE 36th Ave. and 8721 SE 58th Ave. (Baseline Road), Ocala; (352) 622-2963 (36th Avenue) and (352) 693-2742 (Baseline Road); Crunchiesandmunchiesinc.com
This outfit is family owned since 1984. Coleson Janey, overseeing operations recently, said the restaurant typically makes about 30,000 wings each week, with a mix of drums and flats.
Sauces range from mild to “thermal meltdown” and include flavors like garlic parmesan, lemon pepper and dry seasonings like mango habanero.
The crew, including Michael Scott , Melanie Lux and Devin Graham, kept the crispy wings coming on a recent day, pleasing customers like Alex Caraballo, who commented on the popularity of the eatery.
Sammy Toby praised the wings at Crunchies & Munchies as the “best wings ever” and “always on time" and never disappointing.
Dugout Family Sports Bar and Grill
![Cook Beau Ford tosses The MVP wings in their sauce Monday morning, July 17, 2023. They are the most popular at the Dugout Family Sports Bar & Grill in Ocala, Fla. Customers can have their wings deep fried, grilled or both. The MVP are both deep fried and then grilled and topped with the sweet & spicy sauce The restaurant is located at 6833 SE Maricamp, Ocala, Fla. The hours are Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/yRMO3onWGxzM5xbd.LNcqw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTc2NA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/076c0e3d011b6524d338e0f5f4de0e63)
6833 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala; (352) 680-0376; Thedugoutfamily.com
This sports bar offers mixed drums and flats or a choice. Wings can be ordered “naked” or dressed and fried or fried and grilled in amounts from six to 20. They are served with ranch or Bleu cheese. A host of familiar sauces like honey BBQ and teriyaki are available. MVP, a spicy blend, is the signature style.
Eatery manager Michelle Charron said the location has been open about 15 years. Customer Chris Hasselkus likes his wings blackened. “Best wings in the world,” he quipped as he ate a few at the sports bar recently.
Haeorum Korean Foods
![Chef Chris Ahn makes displays the Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken dish for a customer Monday afternoon, June 5, 2023 at Haeorum Foods. The Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken is the most popular fried chicken dish at Haeorum Foods. They also offer a dried (traditional) version. Yelp's Highest ranked Fried Chicken, Haeorum Foods ranks #6. The Restaurant is located at the Sunoco gas station located at 3045A SE 3rd Ave. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qW9_F.ghZh_eDvi6XguSAQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY2Ng--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/d6fb25d920a2f39d86c270a57557d9de)
3045 SE Third Ave.; (352) 622-1899
Wings here are served as a mix of drums and flats. The menu states: “Ain't no shame in plain or go glaze-y with a tasty sweet and spicy house blend.”
The restaurant is operated by the Ahn family. Sophia Ahn said all wings are marinated and breaded and prepared and served as fried or the “Korean style,” which means covered with a glaze that contains red pepper and then a rub of scallions and sesame seeds is added. The restaurant has a five star Yelp rating.
Major development story: Huge restaurant/bar complex being developed in midtown Ocala
Jax Snappers
![The whole wing can be purchased and eaten at Jax Snappers Fish and Chicken located at 2901 NE Jacksonville Rd. In Ocala, Fla. Owner Dan Erbai says that the whole wing is his best seller and that customers love lemon pepper that he sprinkles on all of his wings. The cajun ranch and the mild buffalo are the favorites sauces. The restaurant hours are Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2cQda0HVgGY4fFP5kX52vw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTc0Nw--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/920f428a6093f654f4cf35ef1e4a120c)
2901 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala; (352) 421-9332; Jaxsnappersfishchicken.com
Wings are available in orders up to 50 pieces. Flavored offerings include Cajun Ranch, Sweet Tangy, Buffalo Sauce, BBQ Sauce and mild sauce. Boneless wings are also available.
Manager Dan Erbai explained the restaurant, which recently opened, offers wings “how you like them,” either flavored flats and drums or whole breaded wings.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Best restaurants for chicken wings in Marion County