A newer restaurant and bar near the University of Arizona that fits right in with the college crowd. With drinks served in plastic cowboy boots and bar food that’s kicked up to the next level, like chicken and waffle sliders, this hang-out reminds me of a college house party. A Coca-Cola brined wing produces a wonderful crispy bark around the edges and fall-off-the-bone meat. The homemade sauces, ranch, and blue cheese make these wings the best by campus.

CP’s Wings is a food truck and catering service with two options: sauce or no sauce. I like to describe their sauce as “a sweet heat.” Keeping it simple goes a long way because these wings are crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.

This Southwest-style steakhouse was established in 1990 and is listed in the book “100 Things To Do In Tucson Before You Die”. They are known for their steaks and ribs — all cooked over their outside open-fire mesquite wood pit. If you’re a grilled wing fan these are the ones for you. Perfectly grilled wings are cooked on the same pit as the steaks and ribs, making for very flavorful and healthier wings. Ask for a side of their housemade barbecue sauce, which has a sweet and spicy kick, and dip it in their housemade ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Family-owned and operated since 1956, this Mexican restaurant will blow your mind with its traditional dishes as well as its wings. Torero’s wings are a hybrid between a sweet chili sauce and a truffalo sauce (truffle and buffalo). Oven-roasted and fried to order, the wings come out garnished with fresh cilantro and green onion, accompanied with fries and a crema dipper. No flavor goes unnoticed. You will taste sweetness and spice from the sweet chili. You will taste acidity and rich earthiness from the truffalo. Dip it in the crema to smooth it all out.

Fresh, never frozen, never fried, jumbo wings are seasoned in a house barbecue rub to marinade. The wings are then placed evenly in the mesquite wood smoker for three hours — a real labor of love. The wings are already full of flavor but my favorite sauce is the sweet Dunkel barbecue sauce. The sauce is made from their own Dunkel beer and is smoked for two hours. The sensational flavors of the wings pair exceptionally well with one of their hand-crafted brewed beers.

This aviation-themed, family-owned restaurant that specializes in pork ribs and chicken wings is sure to delight any food lover with an ever-changing palette. With flavors like chocolate chiltepin, pizza, cinnamon roll, and fresh pineapple al pastor, (yep, these are all wing flavors!) it’s a unique spot for any true foodie! And just like another Tucson staple we all know and love, Flaps and Racks has a new, delicious Flavor of the Month. A must for your restaurant rotation! 

Some of the best traditional Southern-style barbecue found in Tucson, their wings do not fall short of perfection. Smoked then flash fried, KG’s party wings are down-home cooking waiting to be devoured. 10 different sauces and rubs to choose from, including my favorite, Carolina Barbeque. Bring the family and try Grand Pa Robert’s macaroni and cheese, Uncle D’s collard greens, and Aunt Sister Girl’s sweet potato pie.  

(In Bruce Buffer’s Voice) Coming in at 20+ different sauces and rubs all made in-house, fresh never frozen Jumbo wings! They are baked until cooked through and then fried. Some rubs and sauces include their Angry Hummingbird (honey, hibiscus, and Thai bird chil)i, Rock You Like a Hurricane (scorpion pepper, pineapple, and rum notes), and T-Town (chiletepin, chipotle, lime, and smoke cumin) — all are worthy of a championship belt. 

Actively participating in the food scene with their food truck, pop-ups, and locally award-winning wings, Jeremiah of Pacaws is pushing the envelope of what wings and community can be. Basing a lot of his flavors on the local cuisine, some of my favorite rubs and sauces are the Pacaws house wings, michelada wings, and home of the “wing boil” that includes corn on the cob, sausage, potatoes, and a wide range of seasoning. Pacaws is 100% go-out-of-your-way-to-try chicken wings.  

The wings at this upscale steakhouse are not on the regular menu but can be requested under the “Chef’s Trust Me” menu, which is a five- to eight-course dining experience. Trust me, you need to try these bad boys. One of the few times you’ll see me wearing a button-down collared shirt. Chef Ryan Clark, came out with a clean white plate of wings with a whipped cream canister. He made the whipped cream blue cheese in that canister to dip the gourmet wings in. A memory I won’t soon forget. 

Featured on the hit show “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives,” you know this place is doing it right. Having cooked for the legendary Guy Fieri, the show featured his deep-dish pizza and wings. If you’re from the Midwest and missing home, this place is a go-to in Tucson. The wings will leave you completely satisfied — they’re a poster child for what we envision hot wings should be. 

You may have read his Tucson Foodie articles but now it’s time to try his wings. Jackie Tran, owner and chef of Tran’s Fats food truck, parks at Hotel McCoy serving Asian-American-style dishes. The wings stay crispy because the sauce is on the side, encouraging you to go for a big dunk. My favorite is the Gochujang sauce, which is a bold, sweet, spicy, umami flavor. Post up inside the hotel’s lobby and enjoy local drinks with the amazing wings and food from Tran’s Fats.

Chicken wings and hibachi fried rice — a match made in heaven. With an eclectic menu ranging from Buffalo to the Pacific Rim, this place has been wowing people for years. 23 sauces and rubs to choose from, and if you enjoy flavors of the Pacific as well as all your standard rubs and sauces, you should head there soon. My go-to order is the spicy orange sauce and fried rice. 

Having picked up 100 wings for my birthday party in eight different flavors (they have more) my party guests were thrilled with them all. Priding themselves on the science it takes to make a perfectly crispy wing, they aim to be consistent with their food as well as their impeccable customer service. My favorite sauces and rubs include sweet and spicy, garlic parmesan, and chiltepin.

You might assume the local dive bar doesn’t have great food but you’re wrong. Can’t always judge a book by its cover! This is a must-try for chicken wings and cheap drinks. Listed on their menu under “Best Wings in Town,” there’s no-frills when it comes to presentation or flavors. They know what they have, and that’s damn good wings.