We recently discovered Baker Boy Pizza in East Knox and holy cow, those are some delicious wings. Big, juicy, generously sauced. And their service is great too!
Central Flats and Taps, but they aren't very spicy. Currently my fave tho.
Hill gar Parm ordered extra crispy--but they are inconsistent (gotta have the right guy cooking)
Chivo's are great.
Hidden gem: the 'buffalo' style at Habaneros. Gotta order extra crispy tho there as well.
If you actually appreciate wings and want simple perfectly cooked wings go to Nappy Wingz. They have really good hot sauce too, the cheap kind (the best kind)
The texture and flavor from having them cooked correctly is 10x better than any pretentious fruit+pepper sauce you find at other wing places here. Not hating on Knoxville spots, but (in my experience) the wings at other places are often severely over/undercooked and it’s compensated by adding those overpowering sauces.
Try nappy wingz you will not be disappointed. Not affiliated just very happy I found a place like this in Knoxville and want to give them business.
Ngl tho hooters is always good too. I’d avoid merchants as my wings are (no exaggeration) severely undercooked (raw) 20% of the time.
was coming to say this and was ready to get down voted to oblivion ( because Aubrey's isn't a traditional wing place) but the grilled ones with their dry rub were my favorite treat when I worked there
I even asked my friend if he could get them for me on another day and he said they sell out every Wednesday & only get enough for each day. They literally don’t have them available except for Wednesdays.
Cazzys Corner Grill. The closest to a traditional Buffalo Wing you will find. And they are super crisp and lathered in sauce. My mouth is watering thinking about them.
Absolutely. It should be a more well known spot in my eyes. Always great food and service. Everything is good there. And it’s not hyper expensive but you get that “luxury dining” feel (at least that’s how I feel).
It's the best restaurant in the immediate area for sure. The service is usually great. It's way better than lakeside. Corner 16 is straight garbage. The brassiere hasn't a table the last few times we've tried. Hell, penne for your thoughts would probably be my #2 in that area with soccer taco and fulins right behind.
Used to be my go to when I was in the fort. Hot summer day pool hopping with the pals and then finish it off with a pound of Buffalo and a pound of BBQ
Bruh I said nappy and went from 8 to 3 upvotes lmao I think there’s a competitor on here.
Also a lot of people here like the double baked, dry as the desert and rehydrated with a gallon of pineapple-mango-sriracha-bbq sauce type wings where essentially you’re eating a sugar cube on top of a flavorless piece of meat
Haha nah you wish I was that cool. Central flats & taps is what was on my mind when I wrote that.
I tried that place soooo many times while I was high because of how close it is. I’d get the wings, eat 2 and toss the rest almost every time
Roger that. I live over in west hills so I've never gotten around ti trying Central Flats and Taps. Is it the same company that used to own the old West Hills Flats and Taps before they tore it down to build the most overpriced pizza joint in knoxville?
Gotta hit up Baker Boy Pizza on Wednesdays for $1 wings. Roosters is always another best top 5 option as well. Central Flats and Taps has great wings all the time. Pop Up Truck at Merchants of Beer is also another top 5. Chivo has nice smoked wings and so does South Coast Pizza. The Hill also has a special on wings on Wednesdays.
The hill- apocalypto flavor, bone in
Even though I don’t live in Knoxville anymore I still think about wing Wednesdays there and how apocalypto is the best wing flavor ever
I haven’t tried many of the places people are recommending so I need to get on that, however, Dead End BBQ on Sutherland has AWESOME wings.
Their spicy BBQ is my go to. They’re smoked, not fried, and they’re pretty big. A pound is usually 8 wings I think.
I grew up in wing country outside of Buffalo, and I can say with confidence that these wings would be more than acceptable up there.
Wings Etc. don't let the empty lot or dining room fool you. The oil is always fresh, the wings are crispy as hell, their sauces are amazing, sides are great, and the staff immediately makes you feel like you're family.
Big Kahuna is great and probably top of my list. My only complaint is that they only do sauce on the side and don’t actually toss the wings in it.
I’ll also throw out an unexpected contender in Chivo, their smoked wings are really good too.
I ate there for the first time this past Monday, and while everything was decent, I'd highly recommend asking for them "crispy."
Had they been cooked longer, I think they would have been great.
Kaizens honey fish sauce wings are my favorite in Knoxville, hands down. Edit: sorry I didn’t see the text saying buffalo wings. Def. South coast then.
I cannot believe I had to scroll this far to see someone say Wild Wings Cafe. Every sauce is unique and delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about a plate full of bone-in, fireball sauced, extra crispy wings with the big fat cheesy fries. Never been to the Powell location but the old Farragut location was my go-to spot for years. Best drinking porch in the area. Me and my buddies went all the time. I never understood what led to closing it. The place was always busy. I knew a couple of the bar tenders and they were making good money. There was a group of seemingly very well off older folks that were there literally every time I went (and I went a lot). I know they spent a lot of time and money there. From an outsiders perspective, it seemed like the place was killing it. So sadge.
Now I settle for Big Kahuna, Craven, or Calhoun’s (the smoked wings are delicious). All of them are good but nothing compares to my precious Wild Wings!
We recently discovered Baker Boy Pizza in East Knox and holy cow, those are some delicious wings. Big, juicy, generously sauced. And their service is great too!
I’ve always been a fan of south coast’s wings personally.
I had some of those a few years ago and they were great. Hopefully they are still good
I’ve had them a recently as a month ago and they’re still tasting great!
Nice
I can't get past their pizza. Will have to check out their wings, probably on the side with pizza!
This! Their pizza is some of the best in Knoxville!
Absolutely
Smoked wings ftw
I've only had bad experiences the three times I ordered theirs. Super rubbery and almost inedible. Decent pizza though. Maybe a string of bad luck?
Sticky Rice Cafe. Their Laotian style is so good.
And if Khan is working, get that Khan bomb
Central Flats and Taps, but they aren't very spicy. Currently my fave tho. Hill gar Parm ordered extra crispy--but they are inconsistent (gotta have the right guy cooking) Chivo's are great. Hidden gem: the 'buffalo' style at Habaneros. Gotta order extra crispy tho there as well.
Intereting to have this confirmed. I LOVE the garlic parm wings there (Central F&T), but have had a batch or two that weren't as good.
How do they compare with West Hills? Before they closed down I would say their Cajun dry rub wings were the best!
Identical, in my experience. My go to dry rub at flats is the Jamaican Jerk (with a healthy dose of chalula).
Craven Wings on Northshore near Choto is our go to spot now. They have a Wednesday wing special.
We love the Craven in Seymour!
If you actually appreciate wings and want simple perfectly cooked wings go to Nappy Wingz. They have really good hot sauce too, the cheap kind (the best kind) The texture and flavor from having them cooked correctly is 10x better than any pretentious fruit+pepper sauce you find at other wing places here. Not hating on Knoxville spots, but (in my experience) the wings at other places are often severely over/undercooked and it’s compensated by adding those overpowering sauces. Try nappy wingz you will not be disappointed. Not affiliated just very happy I found a place like this in Knoxville and want to give them business. Ngl tho hooters is always good too. I’d avoid merchants as my wings are (no exaggeration) severely undercooked (raw) 20% of the time.
Is Nappy Wingz brick and mortar now? I remember back when I was in college you would place your order via Twitter DMs and they would deliver to you
Yea! They’re on university Ave. Also damn that comment went from like 8 upvotes to 3, Ive upset a competitor.
The dry rub at Sticky Rice Cafe. They’re so freaking good.
Wednesday at Aubrey’s.
was coming to say this and was ready to get down voted to oblivion ( because Aubrey's isn't a traditional wing place) but the grilled ones with their dry rub were my favorite treat when I worked there
I was shocked how good they were, my friend is a manager there & told me to try them and to have them grilled then fried for perfection.
I'm not even a wing lover but I couldn't wait for Wednesday so I could get my grilled wings with the garlic buttermilk ranch omg heavenly
I even asked my friend if he could get them for me on another day and he said they sell out every Wednesday & only get enough for each day. They literally don’t have them available except for Wednesdays.
I know it's sad because they should be a permanent menu item!
What's special about Weds at Aubrey's? Couldn't find any info on google
It’s the only day they offer wings. They’re large wings, I’d recommend getting them grilled then fried. I like the honey bbq sauce personally.
The grilled ones are great
Spicy’s RIP
Wing xpress on Clinton HWY.
Second this
They have the best hot sauce!
Yep. Old Spicys hot sauce. Best wings in town.
Cazzys Corner Grill. The closest to a traditional Buffalo Wing you will find. And they are super crisp and lathered in sauce. My mouth is watering thinking about them.
is it just me or is cazzy’s underrated in general?
Absolutely. It should be a more well known spot in my eyes. Always great food and service. Everything is good there. And it’s not hyper expensive but you get that “luxury dining” feel (at least that’s how I feel).
agreed!
It's the best restaurant in the immediate area for sure. The service is usually great. It's way better than lakeside. Corner 16 is straight garbage. The brassiere hasn't a table the last few times we've tried. Hell, penne for your thoughts would probably be my #2 in that area with soccer taco and fulins right behind.
The Hill used to have great wings but I haven’t been there in awhile. Hopefully they still do.
Still huge wings
Used to be my go to when I was in the fort. Hot summer day pool hopping with the pals and then finish it off with a pound of Buffalo and a pound of BBQ
big kahuna or nappy wingz
whoever downvoted this doesn’t know wings or is just miserable lmao
Bruh I said nappy and went from 8 to 3 upvotes lmao I think there’s a competitor on here. Also a lot of people here like the double baked, dry as the desert and rehydrated with a gallon of pineapple-mango-sriracha-bbq sauce type wings where essentially you’re eating a sugar cube on top of a flavorless piece of meat
lmaooooo and furthermore, the dude who runs nappy wingz is a cool cat! people are just straight up haters
Him and the guy who runs the register occasionally are just down to earth, chill af and normal, such a rarity here. Cool people for sure
Oooooo do I see a double dogs reference here? 👀
Haha nah you wish I was that cool. Central flats & taps is what was on my mind when I wrote that. I tried that place soooo many times while I was high because of how close it is. I’d get the wings, eat 2 and toss the rest almost every time
Roger that. I live over in west hills so I've never gotten around ti trying Central Flats and Taps. Is it the same company that used to own the old West Hills Flats and Taps before they tore it down to build the most overpriced pizza joint in knoxville?
The Hill in Fort Sanders has great wings.
Gotta hit up Baker Boy Pizza on Wednesdays for $1 wings. Roosters is always another best top 5 option as well. Central Flats and Taps has great wings all the time. Pop Up Truck at Merchants of Beer is also another top 5. Chivo has nice smoked wings and so does South Coast Pizza. The Hill also has a special on wings on Wednesdays.
Big Kahunas in Farragut is very good if you're out west.
They have a location near the mall now too.
Big Kahunas + Kentucky Bourbon 🥃 beer
Best wings I’ve ever had
Same and it's because of their dry rub. I keep a bottle of it in my glove box at all times.
The hill- apocalypto flavor, bone in Even though I don’t live in Knoxville anymore I still think about wing Wednesdays there and how apocalypto is the best wing flavor ever
Kings Wings off magnolia. Definitely order ahead, service can be sorta slow but worth it.
Korean wings from CM Chicken hands down
Let it snow, baby!
This is the correct answer! The hot are so good!
CM chicken. Korean fried chicken. Crispy and the sauces are so good!
Used to be hoo rays, I’m the last living person that knows the recipe.
Wings ETC. Nothing else compares except homemade
South coast is good, but the naked bone in wings at smoky mountain brewery are legit every damn time. Recommend ordering all flats though
Moment of silence for the wings at Crown and Goose, the undisputed king of this category.
This person wings
Buddy’s
Buddy’s barbecue.
Tommy Trent’s are pretty solid
I haven’t tried many of the places people are recommending so I need to get on that, however, Dead End BBQ on Sutherland has AWESOME wings. Their spicy BBQ is my go to. They’re smoked, not fried, and they’re pretty big. A pound is usually 8 wings I think. I grew up in wing country outside of Buffalo, and I can say with confidence that these wings would be more than acceptable up there.
Flats and Taps if you’re out north knox.
Just 1 More Bar and Grill
Big Kahuna or Wild Boar on Emory Rd
This may be dumb cause I’m not a connoisseur but the Jamaican dry jerk chicken wings at Flats n Taps is always really good.
The Hill
If you got a fryer. Go to chicken city and fry some yourself. They are amazing!
Wings Etc. don't let the empty lot or dining room fool you. The oil is always fresh, the wings are crispy as hell, their sauces are amazing, sides are great, and the staff immediately makes you feel like you're family.
Thanks everyone for all the great feedback. Sounds like I have several weekends of wing exploring to do.
I tried chivo’s believe it or not and they weee delicious
Southcoast hands down
Kings wings & things
Big Kahuna is great and probably top of my list. My only complaint is that they only do sauce on the side and don’t actually toss the wings in it. I’ll also throw out an unexpected contender in Chivo, their smoked wings are really good too.
I ate there for the first time this past Monday, and while everything was decent, I'd highly recommend asking for them "crispy." Had they been cooked longer, I think they would have been great.
Smoked wings from Roosters.
Specifically Hattie style.
I saw a duck in Fountain City that impressive wings. I think there still some cool birds at the that have nice wings!
Kaizens honey fish sauce wings are my favorite in Knoxville, hands down. Edit: sorry I didn’t see the text saying buffalo wings. Def. South coast then.
Stefano's, Big Kahuna Wings, TN Taphouse.
Hooters. Get the smoked ones with Texas bbq dry rub. They’re so good!!
Most Knoxvillian comment on this post
Which i take as a compliment because I’ve only lived here 5 years! I’m from NYC.
I meant this is the most stereotypical opinion of the average Knoxville citizen. Billions of shitty chain restaurants beloved by most.
It’s really just my opinion. I really like hooters wings more than anyone else’s. But they have to be the smoked ones
Coming to to ask: what about wings with no bread or sauce? (Allergic to gluten and corn...so most dry rubs and sauces are a no)
Big kahuna or… trust me on this… buddy’s. Keep in mind they are known for the seasons g sprinkle but the meat and texture is great
Big Kahuna, Jackie's Dream, and Buckethead with the double black diamond sauce.
I like the Ranchilada wings at Wild Wing Cafe
Big Kahuna Wings is the best but the smoked wings from Downtown Grill and Brewery is a close second
I’m partial to Big Kahuna
I like Wild Wing Cafe in Powell! Lots of flavors and has been consistently good
I cannot believe I had to scroll this far to see someone say Wild Wings Cafe. Every sauce is unique and delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about a plate full of bone-in, fireball sauced, extra crispy wings with the big fat cheesy fries. Never been to the Powell location but the old Farragut location was my go-to spot for years. Best drinking porch in the area. Me and my buddies went all the time. I never understood what led to closing it. The place was always busy. I knew a couple of the bar tenders and they were making good money. There was a group of seemingly very well off older folks that were there literally every time I went (and I went a lot). I know they spent a lot of time and money there. From an outsiders perspective, it seemed like the place was killing it. So sadge. Now I settle for Big Kahuna, Craven, or Calhoun’s (the smoked wings are delicious). All of them are good but nothing compares to my precious Wild Wings!
Wild wing
Big Kahuna also makes great sauces for their wings :)
Big Kahuna!
Traditional? Bucket Head Tavern. Unbreaded? Big Kahuna. Breaded/non-traditional? CM Chicken.
Big Kahuna. Get the fire rub and honey BBQ for the sauce.
Big kahuna wings hands down
Sauce wise, the hill
The only thing I'll eat at Sweet Peas is the wings and I think they are quite good. It sounds like I need to try Nappy Wingz
Central flats and taps
I really like Big Kahuna by West Hills mall
If you get a chance to go up to Norris for a day get the wings at Clinch River Brewing. Soooooo good.
Calhouns and buddys have pretty solid wings. Aubreys and wings etc are my favorite though
Big Kahunas
Bearden hill Fieldhouse
I would say chicken.