12 best Long Island chicken wings

With Super Bowl LIX between Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles upon us, let's turn our attention to the true big game winner: Buffalo wings. Whether you are a fan of the drums — the meaty, bite-size side of the wing, a perfect scooping vessel for some chunky blue cheese — or the flats — the multi-bone, flavor-forward side of the wing that has, in the very best cases, a crunchier skin with a higher skin to meat ratio — we know you’re excited for Sunday.

As the story goes, Buffalo wings originated in 1964, when Teressa Bellissimo, a Sicilian immigrant and co-owner of Buffalo's Anchor Bar, halved some leftover chicken wings, deep fried them and tossed them in hot sauce. She served them as a late-night snack to her son and his friends, complete with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Winner! Sixty years later, "Buffalo" has morphed into a spicy flavor profile that gets put on everything from potato chips to mac and cheese to pizza.

We scoured Long Island for the best versions of both classic Buffalo wings made with hot sauce, like Bellissimo’s, and their offspring. From naked wings to dry rubs, lemon pepper to teriyaki, sweet and sour to honey mustard wings, we sampled them all. The best wings are made to order, abundantly meaty flavor bombs with a crispy skin that you absolutely, positively can’t stop eating — even if you are simultaneously crying and sweating from the heat.

The secret, according to Jack Palladino, owner of Christopher’s in Huntington, is to "keep things simple. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here," he said. "The size of our wings, the freshness and flavors are the draw."

Many spots have wing specials — including the best of the best. At Elsie Lane Wing House, for example, it’s 50-cent wings on Mondays. A steal, certainly. Alas, ongoing wing specials may not be offered during the Super Bowl.

And dare you posit that you like your "wings" boneless? Simply put; you are not a true wings fan. There, we said it. Go Philadelphia! Go Kansas City! Hi Taylor!

A Wing Away Kitchen

4490 Middle Country Rd., Calverton

A chef for more than 20 years, Anthony Marengo launched a food truck in 2020 followed by a brick-and-mortar in 2023. Marengo makes excellent classic fried wings, but they are outsold by his smoked ones — less crisp but imbued with smoke and char. Among his 20 "outside the box" sauces are a fine Buffalo, Buffalo-garlic-Parm, Jack Daniels-infused whiskey-teriyaki, "Everything but the bagel" and Caribbean coconut. There’s also a dry-rubbed wing and a "wing of the week." Wings are packed to go in vented boxes to preserve their crunch. Six wings are $12.99, a dozen are $21.99. More info: 844-900-9464, awingawaykitchen.com

Croxley’s

Farmingdale, Rockville Centre, Franklin Square

Knocking back a beer at Croxley’s, you might not be aware that this mini-chain has one of the best plates of wings around, highflying specimens. Executive chef Ed Davis said his meaty, jumbo "party" (i.e. split) are fried twice before being paired with one of 11 flavors. Buffalo can be had hot, medium, mild, BBQ or with honey. Among your other options: a terrific Korean BBQ (with soy, ginger and gochujang), Parmesan-garlic and "Cry like a Baby," an incendiary sauce made with Scotch bonnet, jalapeño, habanero and a couple of other hot peppers. Order 8 wings for $12.95; there are volume discounts up to 20 wings for $28.95. There are also boneless "wings," and buckets to go. On Monday and Wednesday nights, you can get 8 wings for $4, an amazing deal given the quality. More info: croxley.com

The Rust & Gold

70 Gerard St., Huntington

Wings hold pride of place on the menu at this popular Huntington drinking hole. Partner Frank Antonetti said they get a 24-hour soak in pickle brine before being poached and held "for quick pickup." After a flash fry, the result is a tender interior and crunchy exterior which some customers gild with char by asking for wings to be grilled after they come out of the fryer. Choose from 13 sauces including Buffalo, sesame Buffalo, "Hellfire Habanero," BBQ dry rub, Thai BBQ, yuzu teriyaki or lemon pepper. Six wings are $13, 12 for $20, 18 for $27 or get "The Beast" — 40 wings for $50. During weekday happy hour (4 to 6 p.m.), take $2 off everything on the menu. More info: 631-629-4431, therustandgold.com

Christopher’s

8 Wall St., Huntington

Christopher’s, which lives in the heart of Huntington village since 1982, is one of those throwback sports bars complete with minimal natural light, wood paneling, exposed brick walls and a bevy of regulars sipping one of the many beer options offered on tap. It’s familiar and static, with friendly bartenders and a wing section of the menu that blew us away.

Choose one of the seven flavors including chipotle, sriracha, sweet chili, honey BBQ, teriyaki, classic Buffalo — mild, medium, hot, crazy hot — and their dry rub, which we highly recommend. All are made fresh and well-crisped, but the dry rubs are heavily spiced, tender meaty bundles of lip-smacking heat made from a blend of Old Bay, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, chili pepper and an in-house chili blend. According to Frank Arcarola, Christopher’s chef since 2001, he "can’t keep 'em [the dry rub] in house." Buffalo traditionalists will find equally great versions here — we suggest getting the dry rub with a side of Buffalo sauce and blue cheese for maximum enjoyment. Wings are six for $11.43, and Game Day specials include 10 for $8 wings, with the option to add a draft beer for $3. Half (50) and full (100) trays are also available starting at $75. More info: 631-271-0111

Elsie Lane Wing House

295 Main St., Huntington; 29 Jericho Tpke., New Hyde Park; 2819 Jerusalem Ave., Bellmore; 33 Atlantic Ave., Lynbrook

Too much sauce? Not enough sauce? Sauce ‘em yourself at Elsie Lane, which started in New Hyde Park in 2019, and has grown to include outposts in Huntington, Bellmore and Lynbrook. Elsie Lane’s excellent, signature "naked" wings are baked and then fried to order — a process which creates plump, juicy specimens wrapped in a slick, caramelized, crispy skin that rivals most others. These flavor bombs can be eaten naked (highly recommended), or you can choose-your-own-sauce adventure from 20 dipping options that include sweet BBQ, Asian garlic, mango habanero, honey mustard and Buffalo horseradish. The "Inferno" Buffalo sauce, the second hottest, was surprisingly mild, so if you’re a heat lover, try the "Reaper."

Wings start at $11.50 (for six), $20.50 for 12, and go up to $69.50 for 48. Boneless "wings" are made buttermilk fried chicken-style, also accompanied by sauce. The Huntington restaurant is a sliver of a space, anchored by a bar featuring a host of local beers in cans and bottles, a smooth R&B vibe, and mounted televisions for game days. There are trivia and bingo nights, and on Mondays, a 50-cent per wing special. The only catch? No doggy bags. More info: elsielanewinghouse.com

Billy's Beach Cafe

222 W. Park Ave, Long Beach

Coming up on its 40th anniversary, Billy’s Beach Cafe is one of the oldest and coolest bars in Long Beach. Owner Billy Romm claims he brought Buffalo wings to the barrier island before they were a thing. His "secret" recipe involves beautifully fat and plump, yet still crunchy on the edges wings. Available with eight sauces, Billy’s Famous Buffalo Wings ($15.95 for a dozen) are best eaten at the bar, with plenty of napkins. Get them tossed in KC’s sauce, a light blend of honey and hot sauce that sticks to the wings without being too saucy. And don’t skip the curly fries. More info: 516-889-2233

J. Paul's Terrace Cafe

239 Merrick Rd., Oceanside

Tucked onto a quiet stretch of Merrick Road, J. Paul’s is a wood-paneled paradise of Bud Light and potato skins. The neighborhood bar has been in business for more than four decades, and gives off a ’70s steakhouse vibe in its secondary dining room. The Famous Jumbo Wings ($17 for 10) are about a third larger than your average wing, although some of that is the thick coat of Cajun dry rub. These babies are assertively fried here, and don’t mess around with the crackle and crunch. But you’ll want to order an extra side of Buffalo sauce, because even the hot wings could use a little. More info: 516-536-1806, jpaulsoceanside.com

Salisbury Tavern

850 Carman Ave., Westbury

Don’t give up if parking is tough, your effort will be rewarded when you settle into this popular sports bar for some seriously delectable wings. The menu is dotted with Italian specialties like chicken Parm and raviolis, but it was the various types of robust, twice-fried, perfectly sauced wings that got us excited. Choose from five kinds of wings — Buffalo, plain, Italian-style, sesame, and Thai chili — with favorites being the classic Buffalo and crunchy sesame varieties. All are served with blue cheese or ranch — something we find personally offensive, but you do you — for dipping. The crispy wings hold up under their saucing, which aren’t exceptionally hot for those who prefer their spicy wings really spicy. But the tangy, salty, hot sauce makes for an addictive bite that will have you going back for more. Opened in 2017, this convivial spot hosts trivia and karaoke nights, as well as nights offering 20% off for veterans and first responders. Jumbo wings are 8 for $13.46, but specials include $1 wings on Sundays. More info: 516-333-1833, salisburytavern.com

Backyard Barbecue

300 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport

Primarily a Southern barbecue spot, this Nautical Mile establishment also makes a mean plate of wings ($14 for six). Owner Kenneth Ware fries them twice and tosses them in creative sauces and rubs, like jerk flavoring, lemon pepper honey and smoked honey Old Bay. They prepare their own sauces from scratch, mixing vinegar with peppers and letting the liquid ferment before blending everything up. The lemon pepper Buffalo wings aren't actually a dry rub like you'd think. They're saucy without being too saucy, and the wings themselves have a softer, more pliable skin to them. Three cheese collard greens empanadas are a nice sidekick to this indulgent meal. More info: 516-656-1686, backyardbbqinc.com

Birdie Bar

688 Fort Salonga Rd., Northport

Birdie Bar’s half and half wings or the "buffalo OG combo," as they call them at the Northport bar according to Chef Antonio Guillen — are a must-have for the big game.

Guillen uses jumbo wings from Main Street Meats in Farmingdale. Their half and half wings are crunchy, sweet and tangy with just the right amount of heat.

The two main sauces used in their mouthwatering half and half wings are a mixture of Buffalo sauce and what they call an "OG sauce" Guillen described as a "Thai chile sauce" that has about 10 ingredients including vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Wings are served with house made ranch sauce as well.

Guests also have the option of getting just the classic buffalo or their OG wings for $19. Monday night is wing night at Birdie Bar where guests can get $10 wings. More info: 631-686-3713, birdiebarnpt.com

Dirty Taco & Tequila

Woodbury, Patchogue, Port Washington, Smithtown, Wantagh and Rockville Centre

Imagine our surprise when ordering wings instead of tacos at this chainlet known for its Mexican-fusion. Short story: They are fantastic. Massive drum bulbs and flats are fried super crispy, then doused in a variety of flavors including sweet Thai chili — our favorite — Korean BBQ, spicy sambal — an Indonesian chili sauce — and, a riff on the original, Buffalo kimchi, also quite piquant. Refreshingly, there aren’t accompanying dipping sauces here, as the meat was perfectly sauced and spice levels were on point. If you prefer to dip, add on blue cheese or ranch. Six wings are $10, with $1 wing specials on Sundays (minimum of six) during football games. More info: dirtytacoandtequila.com

Sayville Bait and Tackle

220 N. Main St., Sayville

Sayville Bait and Tackle’s flavorful Old Bay Dry Rub wings are the perfect combination of crunchy, savory and tangy with the right amount of punch to them. The wings are served with carrots and celery and guest's choice of ranch and blue cheese. The Pickle Back sauce is served with Jameson BBQ glaze and chopped pickles — sweet, tangy and crispy. Other options include Buffalo sauce wings, mango habanero and lemon pepper dry rub. Sunday/Monday/Thursday football food specials menu include traditional wings for $16. More info: 631-256-4646, sayvillebaitandtackle.com