When it comes to tasty chicken wings in Minnesota, you’re spoilt for choice. Classic buffalo wings? Check. Crispy Korean wings? Yep! What about spicy hot sauces, or smokey BBQ? Check, and check. From Minneapolis to Duluth, this state sure knows as thing or two about delicious wings.
Here’s the best of the best…
Best Chicken Wings In Minnesota
How do these rankings work?
1. D-Spot – Oakdale
D-Spot consistently comes up in conversation when asking any food-loving local where you’ll find the best wings in Minnesota. They make everything from scratch here, resulting in chicken wings full of flavour. Top points for their creative sauces too, which includes a lavender, peppercorn and mustard vinegar or chocolate sauces with crushed nuts and peanut butter.
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2. Wing Joint – Blaine
This no-frills counter service joint in Blaine is best known for its hickory smoked wings that pack a real flavour punch. Choose the smoked wings that come slathers in a BBQ sauce, or go for their crispy seasoned wings that are battered, fried, buttered and tossed in their famous seasoning. Oh, and there’s buffalo wings too. Perfection.
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3. Eli’s Food & Cocktails – Minneapolis
This classy yet laid back restaurant and bar in downtown Minneapolis is popular for late night eats and its great cocktails, as well as their delicious wings. The perfect start to any meal, these beauties come in two styles: honey & soy with a Sriracha hot sauce, or classic buffalo with Black River blue cheese dressing and crunchy celery.
4. Red Rabbit – St Paul
This cosy, authentic Italian restaurant is prime date night spot, with a menu full of creamy pastas, woodfired pizza and classic cocktails. If you don’t mind getting your hands messy, you need to order the chicken wings here. They’re cooked in the wood-burning oven for a smokey flavour and come with a creamy parmesan dip.
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5. Serum’s Good Time Emporium – Anoka
You’re guaranteed to a have a good time here – with food this good, how can you not? The wings here a bestseller, and they serve over one million buffalo wings a year! If that doesn’t show you how popular they are, come see for yourself. There’s 22 tasty sauces to choose from, including traditional buffalo or lemon pepper.
6. Runyon’s – Minneapolis
Runyon’s is an iconic spot in Minnesota when it comes to chicken wings, with a 35-year strong recipe that’s still smashing it. The wings come slathered in a slighty spicy and tangy buffalo sauce that coats the crispy wings to perfection. The side of their housemade blue cheese dip finishes it all off.
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7. Tracy’s Saloon & Eatery – Minneapolis
Meaty, tender and fried for a crispy skin that tastes divine, these wings are superb. But enough about those droolworthy wings, what about the wing sauces? You can take your pick from Siracha-Cilantro-Lime, Buffalo, Extra Hot, or BBQ, as well as dry rubs such as
Berbere, Cajun, Jerk, or Tracy’s Seasoning.
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8. Lat14 Asian Eatery – Golden Valley
For something different, come to this stylish Asian eatery that has a unique menu of Thai, Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian & Filipino dishes. It’s all about their signature basil wings here, which have a crisp and light tempura batter, with Thai basil, jalapeños, and their signature dry rub that adds a zesty and umami flavour to each wing.
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9. Lily’s Wings – St. Cloud
This casual restaurant in St. Cloud serves up a lipsmacking menu of sandwiches, burgers and wings, all made with ‘Southern flair’. The wings here are big, with each one plump and juicy. How can you beat fried to perfection wings hand-spun in one of their 17 handmade sauces? These are truly fantastic.
10. Mackenzie Pub – Minneapolis
Boasting one of the largest beer selections in the city, it’s practically a crime to come into Mackenzie Pub and not order A) an ice cold local craft beer and B) their too-good-to-resist chicken wings. A match made in heaven, no doubt about it. The house-smoked wings are tossed in a blueberry BBQ sauce for the perfect combo of sweet and savoury.
11. Ray J’s American Grill – Minneapolis
It’s tough to pick just one favourite wing style at Ray J’s, so come with friends and order as many as you can eat. From wings that are crispy and seasoned salt crusted with Ray J’s garlic dip, classic buffalo, or smokey ranch to their Asian sesame seed wings, there’s a flavour for everyone here. They’re a strong contender for some of the best chicken wings in Minnesota.
12. Hickory Hut – St Paul
It’s all about those down home flavours and classic comfort food at Hickory Hut, which serves its crispy seasoned wings either on their own or as part of a wing dinner. We suggest you pig out on the dinner for a side of Texas toast, fries and creamy potato salad too. St. Paul locals have been coming to this cosy BBQ joint for years, and we can’t see them stopping anytime soon.
13. The Monte Carlo – Minneapolis
You can’t come to Minneapolis for a chicken wing feast without trying these ‘Beijing style’ ones at The Monte Carlo. These famous wings have been a staple on the menu for years and are a must-order. What makes them so good is their jumbo size and 18-spice combination seasoning of cinnamon, celery salt, cumin, red-pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic, and more…
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14. Bunny’s Bar and Grill – St Louis Park
Bunny’s Bar and Grill is one of the most iconic and popular sports bars in the area, thanks to its friendly vibes, 30+ large screen TVs and ice cold beers. The St. Paul location has been a city staple for more than 80 years and there’s this St. Louis Park spot too. And of course, those juicy wings. Choose from seasoned and crispy, cajun ranch, buffalo or dry rub seasoning.
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15. Smoke in the Pit – Minneapolis
This tiny hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint in south Minneapolis is a little gem in the city. With a menu chockablock of barbecue favourites, you’ll be tempted by it all but be sure to get an order of the chicken wings. You can get wings fried or smoked – we recommend the smoked! They’re a beautiful rich brown with huge flavour and that perfect crunch to each bite.
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16. Hmongtown Marketplace – St Paul
This community marketplace is where the Twin Cities’ Hmong population come to shop, eat and get together and it’s home to some of the best wings you’ll try. As you wander through the warehouse-style maze, you’ll spot a corner of food vendors cooking up South Asian delights. Make a beeline for the stuffed chicken wings, which are filled with sautéed ground pork, vermicelli noodles, and fresh herbs.
17. Blue Door Pub – Multiple
This popular neighbourhood bar and eatery has four locations in state, including St. Paul and Minneapolis. Famous for their ‘Blucy’ burger (it’s what it sounds like, a Juicy Lucy with blue cheese!), the wings are also divine. Meaty and tender, you can choose from 10 sauces. Top picks include the habanero and strawberry blend or the spicy Thai peanut sauce with a hint of hoisin.
18. Spring Street Tavern – Minneapolis
Spring Street Tavern is the sort of neighbourhood bar everyone wishes they lived next door to. With a wide range of great beers, a cute outdoor patio, darts and pool, this spot ticks all the boxes. Add in a cracking pub food menu and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. The wings here are seriously good, tossed in their homemade tangy wing sauce with creamy blue cheese on the side.
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19. Canal Park Brewing Company – Duluth
This ‘industrial-chic microbrewery’ knows more than a thing or two about great tasting bites to eat. As well as stellar brews that are the perfect companion to the wings, the wings themselves deserve a proper shout out. Chow down on marinated, juicy wings with your choice of lemon garlic or Sriracha honey sauce. A side of cucumber ranch is a welcome dip.
20. Rock Elm Tavern – Plymouth
Rock Elm Tavern has all the elements of a local favourite eatery, with quality ingredients, craft beer and cocktails and comfort food that they elevate to the next level. You can dig into traditional wings or boneless style here, both of which are equally as tasty. Sauces such as adobo lime, lemon ranch, Nashville hot or honey habanero add an extra kick.
21. Alary’s Bar – St Paul
Alary’s Bar is home to some of the best pub food in St. Paul, and the chicken wings here a prime example. Traditional or boneless, you can add on a choice of three sauces or three different dry rubs. It’s tough to decide between sweet sesame with habenero ranch or the salt & vinegary dry rub with blue cheese, so get a gang together and order ’em all.
22. Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge – Minneapolis
Fun, wild and the perfect level of kitsch, this buzzing tiki bar is a real jewel of Minneapolis. You might pop your head in for a boozy tiki cocktail and some snaps of the vibrant decor, but stay for the tasty bar bites. Order the poutine tator tots and cheese curds, and be sure to make room for some wings. They come with either a brown sugar, nutmeg and spices dry rub or sticky ‘Polynesian’ style with sesame seeds.
23. Pizza Luce – Duluth
Pizza Luce might – as the name suggests – have a keen focus on gourmet pizza, but don’t let a visit go by here without trying the droolworthy wings. These multi-award winning wings have a variety of sauces to choose from: we love the Jamaican Jerk with sweet chili dipping sauce. There’s several other locations across the state too, so keep an eye out.
24. John Hardy’s BBQ – Rochester
This legendary Minnesota BBQ joint has been a go-to spot for authentic barbecue fare for more then 20 years, with the same original sauce recipes still in use. All the meats – including the wings – are cooked over a fire of cherry and apple wood for an intense smokey flavour and super succulent meat. It’s proper finger lickin’ stuff.
25. Muddy Chicken – Burnsville
Muddy Chicken has the most variations of wings on this entire list, and sources all fresh ingredients from farms within 300 miles of their establishment. With a huge 34 different ways to get your wings here, from Asian, BBQ or signature sauces to dry rubs, it’s a wing-lover’s dream. Highlights include the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce or creamy garlic parm.
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