Hawker Bar's chicken wings are the stuff of legends. In Toronto foodie circles, they're spoken of in hushed, reverent tones. Some praise the crispy coating, while others wax lyrical about the layers of flavour imparted by a soy sauce-based marinade and a lip-tingling spice rub. (Occasionally, you'll even find someone trying to praise all of these attributes like some sort of food critic. Oh, hang on...) While so many baskets of pub-style wings are let down by too much of something, Hawker Bar's are a perfect balance of sweet, salty and spicy. Pull up a stool, we're going to be here a while...
Feelin' hot, hot, hot? Head to Smoque N Bones for an order of seriously tongue-tingling chicken wings. The Queen Street barbecue joint serves them spicy as hell, thanks to lashings of their aptly named Crazy Hot Sauce. There's blue cheese dip on the side to tone it down, if you dare... Though it should be noted that a bourbon sour does the job equally well. Spice aside, Smoque N Bones turns out some impressively meaty and tender chicken (in other words, their wings aren't your typical skin and bones). Turn up the AC and dig in.
Whoever coined the phrase "too much of a good thing" clearly never visited Fully Loaded. These guys take chicken wings (good), then stuff them with epic fillings like mac and cheese (also good), and the end result is so epic, there's no getting enough of it. Let's talk more about these fillings: the aforementioned mac and cheese is seriously elevated with a garlicky parmesan sauce, while a Greek-inspired lemon mashed potato stuffing takes comfort food to new levels. Since Fully Loaded operates out of a food truck, you'll need to track them down first. Where's that "turn on notifications" button again?
At BATCH, the new Creemore brewpub a stone's throw from the Toronto Eaton Centre, the bar snacks are arguably as good as the beer. (And considering the pedigree, you can trust that their small-batch brews are pretty damn great.) Chief among them are the smoked chicken wings, slathered in a not-too-sweet garlic and honey sauce and served with a buttery dip you'll want to put on everything. Seriously. Fries, burgers, eggplant parm... You name it, it deserves this dip. If spice is more your thing, opt for the house hot sauce.
If you like your wings crispy, there's no beating Mo'Ramyun. Their best-selling Ramyun wings are coated with bits of ramen noodle, then deep-fried to a perfect golden brown. Don't even think about going for the half order... These are so addictive, you really need the full pound. The restaurant also deserves an honourable mention for their cheese wings, another fan favourite. At first glance, they look a little more traditional, with hot sauce and not a lot else going on. The interesting part? They're served on a bed of cheese that melts into gooey, oozy goodness, fondue-style. How's that for indulgence?
If you're a fan of the smoked chicken wings at Barque Smokehouse, then you're really gonna love them at Barque Butcher Bar. There are nine epic flavours on the menu, including their lip-smacking lemon pepper dry rub (an all-time favourite on anything Barque serves), classic chipotle and some more creative options like bulgogi and a BBQ Za'atar rub. Feeling the FOMO? No worries, they've got you covered with a Thursday night all-you-can-eat deal. For $19 a head, you can keep 'em coming all night long. Now try and taste them all, we dare you...
Barque Smokehouse
