Top 6 in the Six: Best Wings for the World Cup
Cheer on your World Cup team with a pound of wings at one of these chicken-toting establishments.
Crown and Dragon
890 Yonge St.
For 14 years, the Crown and Dragon has been a go-to for two types of wing aficionados in the city; those that prefer a no-fuss, no-gimmick approach to their wings, and those after bold flavour combos. The sauce lineup starts with classic mild-medium-hot for purists and ventures beyond with flavour like Killer Bee and Smokin’ Gun. They also do baked wings for a bit less grease.
Real Sports Bar
15 York St.
Pre-gaming is a serious deal here. Real Sports Bar’s extensive food and drink menus cover the bar food gamut. Regulars open with the wings at the two-level, culinary thunderdome. Chef Matthew Sullivan brings in Ontario chickens for their wings, and over 15 different house-made sauces are available for saucing and dipping. Popular variations include the butter chicken wings and the dry cajun rubbed wings, but classic Buffalo style is also great.
Mo’ Ramyun
1 Baldwin St.
The indie spot in Baldwin Village, Mo Ramyun, specializes in a menu of instant noodles (ramyun), which come as everything from stir-fried to in soup. The noodles also make it on to the wings, in the form of mildly fried chicken wings coated in a crispy crust. The crunchy exterior adds a whole new textural addictiveness to the wing experience. Dip it in some house hot sauce for a kick.
Duke’s Refresher & Bar
382 Yonge St.
In the touristy blocks around Yonge-Dundas Square, Duke’s Refresher is a welcome escape for both craft beer snobs (they pour 3-oz samples, 16-oz glasses or mini growlers from over 40 taps) and sports fanatics alike. Their wings make the perfect game-night snack. The tart, vinegary sauce shines regardless of the heat level and it’s all tossed tableside, ensuring the batter stays crisp underneath.
The Fry
Multiple Locations
These days, KFC doesn’t refer to a greying colonel, but to the Korean fried chicken appearing on trendy menus. They do whole-chicken combos at The Fry, but we really like their wings. Same batter and sauces as the rest of the menu, just without the larger, overcooked pieces. Every meal comes with grease-cutting slaw and pickled radish.
The Dirty Bird Chicken + Waffles
Multiple locations
Dirty Bird might be better known for its fried chicken and waffles, but we think their wings are the unsung heroes. Like all of their chicken, the wings are halal and gluten free, and these come with your choice of Dry & Dirty, Buffalo, Jerk BBQ and Maple Garlic sauces for dipping. Kensington Market was the original restaurant, but it's since expanded with two more locations opening up. During the World Cup they'll be offering $1 wings and showing the games at their Bloor St. location.
