No claim ignites a feud in Atlanta quite like “best wings.” Flats or drums, wet or dry, sauced or naked, we have opinions, and we have them loudly. Lemon pepper wet is the city’s official flavor, and if you’ve spent any time here, you’ve definitely stepped over a rogue chicken bone on the sidewalk.
In short, Atlanta takes its wings seriously. Here’s where to get the best ones.
Sweet Auburn BBQ
Wednesday night at Sweet Auburn BBQ means all-you-can-eat wings, which should tell you everything you need to know. Built on Southern BBQ with an Asian twist, the Poncey-Highland institution turns out smoked wings that are tender, deeply flavored, and best ordered with the Wu Tang sauce, a sweet-savory sriracha creation that pairs dangerously well with hickory smoke and a cold beer. Howard and Anita Hsu have been doing this for years, and it still hits every time. 656 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, sweetauburnbbq.com
The Local
Old Fourth Ward’s beloved dive bar doesn’t do much food, but it does lemon pepper wings better than almost anyone in the city. They come out smoky, juicy, and satisfying, with just the right ratio of citrus zing to peppery heat. The only caveat? There are no to-go orders here. You’ll have to grab a booth, crack a local brew, and stay a while. 758 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta
Magic City Kitchen
Only in Atlanta will you find some of the city’s best wings inside one of its most famous strip clubs. Magic City Kitchen’s takeout operation draws major local crowds (even visiting celebrities), and the move is the LouWill: honey BBQ tossed with lemon pepper, named for the NBA player who famously broke the league’s COVID bubble just to get an order. Come for the wings. Whatever else you do is your business. 241 Forsyth St. SW, Unit A, Atlanta, magiccitykitchen.menu
Heirloom Market BBQ
Heirloom Market BBQ is already one of Atlanta’s most celebrated pits: a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot where co-chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee blend Texas BBQ and Korean tradition into something entirely their own.The wings follow the same playbook: smoked, flash-fried, and tossed in a sweet and spicy wing sauce, served with kimchi mayo for dipping. 2243Akers Mill Rd. SE, Atlanta, heirloommarketbbq.com
Hawkers
Yes, Hawkers is a chain—Orlando-born, now spanning multiple states—but the Korean twice-fried wings have genuinely earned their place on this list, and regulars will tell you unprompted. The technique matters here: frying twice creates a shatter-crisp skin that holds up under the sweet and spicy garlic gochujang glaze without going soggy. Pickled daikon and carrots come on the side, doing the acidic work of keeping each bite from becoming too rich. Multiple locations, eathawkers.com
J.R. Crickets
There’s a reason J.R. Crickets showed up in Donald Glover’s Atlanta—it’s that woven into the city’s DNA. Open since 1982, and still going strong across more than a dozen metro locations, this is the spot that helped put “lemon pepper wet” on the map, back when the concoction was called “Festers.” The wings are fried hard and small, but the sauce game is strong. Order the Dirty Bird, a saucy trifecta of mild, BBQ, and lemon pepper. Multiple locations, jrcrickets.com
Pit Boss BBQ
Most wing spots fry theirs. Pit Boss smokes them. Tucked behind a liquor store in Hapeville and perpetually packed with off-duty Delta employees, this no-frills BBQ joint near the airport is one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets. The wings go low and slow over a hickory-oak fire pit right in the middle of the restaurant; no flash frying here. Worth the drive south… and worth smelling like smoke the whole way home. 800 Doug Davis Dr., Atlanta, pitboss-bbq.com
Trap Wingz ATL
Operating out of a Circle K on Piedmont is completely on brand for a quality Atlanta wing spot. Chef Dino launched the whole operation with $300 and a DoorDash account during COVID and hasn’t looked back since. The wings are consistently crispy and available in over 30 flavors, with a house Trap Sauce that somehow complements them all. The Strawberry Jerk is a wildcard worth ordering. 3004 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, trapwingzusa.com
Delbar
Delbar isn’t a wing spot, it just happens to make some of the best wings in Atlanta. This Michelin-recognized Middle Eastern restaurant is better known for its kabobs and cocktails, but its char-grilled wings are among the most underrated plates on the menu. The citrus and za’atar seasoning goes all the way to the bone, and the housemade hot sauce built from japones chilies, tahini, maple syrup, and lemon, takes these wings places traditional buffalo just can’t go. Multiple locations, delbaratl.com
B&L Wings
B&L Wings doesn’t have a dining room, a sign out front, or even a single seat. The Westside ghost kitchen concept—pickup only, order online, collect from a locker—sounds like a gimmick until you taste the wings. Breaded and fried, they eat more like an incredible piece of fried chicken in wing form, and the honey lemon pepper combo is simply addictive. 800 Forrest St. NW, Atlanta, bandlwingsllc.com
Clay’s Sports Cafe
Clay’s has been quietly holding court in a Sandy Springs strip mall since 1991, and its regulars will tell you it’s the best wing spot in the city. They have a case. Plump, well-seasoned flats and drums come in 19 housemade flavors that toe the line between vinegary and sweet. The room is nothing fancy—a sports bar through and through, but you’re not here for ambiance. Order the hot lemon pepper and don’t look back. 5975 Roswell Rd., D-245, Atlanta, clayssportscafe.com
Hungry AF
Hungry AF nails the ATL aesthetic: a counter-service spot with locations scattered across the metro, wing sauces named after (sometimes notorious) local legends like Mike Vick and Trae Young, and a fruit punch-flavored Kool-Aid on the menu that tastes like childhood. The Mike Vick sauce (a citrus-sweet blend of lemon pepper and teriyaki) is the one to get, ideally as part of the wings-and-pasta combo that will absolutely require a nap afterward. Multiple locations, thehungryaf.com
The Bando
The Bando is part wing spot, part food museum, and entirely unique. Its signature Crack Wings don’t fit neatly into any category—breaded, fried, and dusted in a sweet-savory powder that splits the difference between lemon pepper and powdered sugar. It shouldn’t work, but it absolutely does. This Black-owned counter-service spot off MLK Drive has no dining room and no frills, which is fine, because the wings are the reason you’re here anyway. 3050 M.L.K. Jr. Dr. SW, Ste. M, Atlanta, thebandoatl.com
Fox Bros. BBQ
At a restaurant this good at brisket, it would be easy to overlook the wings. Don’t. Twin brothers from Fort Worth brought Texas-style low-and-slow technique to Candler Park back in 2007, and the wings have been a revelation ever since—hickory-smoked until the meat is tender and the skin pulls crispy, then finished with a spicy BBQ sauce. Order the sauce on the side if you want to keep that skin intact. You’ll be glad you did. Multiple locations, foxbrosbbq.com
