Buffalo, dry rubbed, smoked and more: 10 places for great chicken wings in Lexington
When you’re having a crowd over to watch the big game, you need something that will please a lot of people. And nothing says “crowd pleaser” like chicken wings.
Whether you’re into traditional Buffalo style (allegedly created by an inventive bar owner in Buffalo, hence the name) or a completely different sauce game, there are lots of choices around Lexington.
You can get them by the dozen to go or get much larger orders to go with a variety of options for dipping.
This list and guide offers some of the best wing spots around Lexington worth checking out.
Wing KYng
428 Southland Dr., 859-227-2979, wingkyng.com. This takeout food place on Southland does fried chicken to go and not much else.
Wing fans love the sauce flavors — there are dozens of choices from Boo Dolla (garlic blended “Mad Maxx” style, according to the menu), DirtBowl Classic (house blend sweet and spicy), Buffalo ChiliLime and loads more. Don’t know what you want? Owner Thomas Williams can help you sort out what you’ll like. Besides wings, they also do fried potatoes in the flavors.
Prices range from $8.75 for six chicken wings in one flavor to $55 for 50 wings in two flavors.
Williams opened his wings place in June 2021 when he lost his job during the pandemic, but he’d been working on the recipes for his own Super Bowl parties for years. His version is deep-fried “naked” with no breading, then spiced up.
Most of his wings are served “wet” with sauces, but he does have a couple of dry rub versions too. Most popular flavors? DirtBowl Classic and Hot Honey Lemon Pepper, he said.
You can get ranch or bleu cheese dressing but you won’t need it, he said: “Good steak don’t need sauce.”
Note: You pick up at the back door of Southland Bagel, which has a commissary kitchen. Turn behind Unlimited Spirits.
Open 2 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar
3191 Beaumont Centre Circle, 859-533-9777, jrendersbbq.com. This popular barbecue place smokes their wings, giving them extra flavor. Their regular-sized orders of six, 12 or 20 jumbo smoked wings come in sweet barbecue, bourbon barbecue, hot barbecue, Buffalo or naked flavors. Orders come with celery, ranch or bleu cheese dressing. For the big game, you also can pre-order 50 or 100 wings, dips and beer cheese.
Moody Mike’s
962 Delaware Ave., 859-433-7633, facebook.com/moodymikesveganfood. This is Lexington’s first vegan food truck and usually operates at Pivot Brewing. You can order online through Moody Mike’s Facebook page (look for the online ordering system) and select orders of six, eight or 10 vegan “wings” as well as fries to go.
For bigger orders, call or email at moodymikes18@gmail.com to pre-order in advance.
KSBar and Grille
1030 S. Broadway, 859-554-6081, ksbarandgrill.com. This sports bar has smoked and fried jumbo wings as well as boneless wings on the menu. You can get order in 10-piece increments and select your sauce. Options range from medium to “8 Rings of Fire” with stops at sweet Thai chili, bourbon bbq, tangy Carolina and garlic Parmesan as well.
Shamrock Bar & Grille, The Cellar
154 Patchen Drive Ste 88, 859-269-7621, shamrocksky.com; 4750 Hartland Parkway, 859-245-9504; The Cellar Bar & Grille, 3256 Lansdowne Dr., 859-317-8301, cellargrille.com. All three locations have great wing options (they warn that if you order TOTALLY INSANE, that’s what you’ll get) and will be doing bulk wings for the Super Bowl (as well as having Super Bowl parties.) Pre-order is recommended. Prices start at 10 wings for $15 and go up to 50 wings for $65. All platters come with celery and bleu cheese or ranch.
Roosters
124 Marketplace Dr., 859-271-9464, roosterswings.com. Roosters is a chain pretty much devoted to wings and wing-adjacent foods. Traditional and boneless wings are available and you can get orders of up to 50 wings in two flavors for about $60. Dressings are extra.
These are hand-breaded and fried then tossed in your sauce. Sauce options include mild, medium, teriyaki, honey bbq, Carolina Gold, garlic, sweet Thai chili, Korean bbq, Nashville Hot Dry Rub, hot, Donkey and Nu-Killer. You can call or order online.
Banners
3650 Boston Road, Suite 195, , 859-223-4775, bannerslex.com. This sports bar has a range of “championship sauces,” starting with garlic Parmesan and going up to Scorched Earth. Online reviewers rave about their Blackberry Habernero. You also can get them with Banners Dry Rub or Lemon Pepper Rub. Traditional wings or boneless available. Call or pre-order online.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria
2890 Richmond Rd., 115 Southland Dr., 888-527-6727, larosas.com. Cincinnati fans know LaRosa’s has way more than pizza (rondos, anyone?) The chain also has boneless and traditional wings in eight sauces, including sweet and spicy diablo, Montgomery Inn Barbecue Sauce, barbecue-garlic, garlic romano, and more. You can get extra ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery and carrot sticks too.
And a bonus at the Richmond Road location: Skyline Chili, where you can pick up Cincinnati-style chili, is right next door.
But place your orders and pick up early in the day, because the Cincinnati-based chain is closing so employees can watch the game.
Sutton’s
110 N. Locust Dr., 859-268-2068, suttonsrestaurant.com. An Italian restaurant for wings? You bet. The wings aren’t always on the regular menu but they will be back for the Super Bowl. Owner Gordon Lewis said they’ve have lots of requests to bring them back. “People do miss our wings,” he said.
Both boneless chicken strips and traditional wings will be available by the platter in plain, dry-rubbed, traditional Buffalo, barbecue, honey mustard and bourbon glazed flavors. Pre-order in advance by calling the restaurant. Supplies will be limited.
Drake’s
3347 Tates Creek Rd. in Lansdowne, 859-977-2488; 1880 Pleasant Ridge Dr. in Hamburg, 859-317-9007; 390 E. Brannon Rd. in Nicholasville; drakescomeplay.com. Drake’s has a couple of options on its “large party to-go” menu: Sriracha Wings, which are crispy Sriracha dry rub wings, served with celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing; and J.B.’s Boneless Bites, which are hand-breaded chicken tender bits available in naked, Honey Jalapeno BBQ and Buffalo. Regular size for about $35 feeds 4-6; large size for about $66 feeds 8-10. Call to pre-order.
And if you’re looking for more of a wet Buffalo style, Bluegrass Hospitality Group also has Harry’s wings ($55 for 4.5 pounds) available at Lansdowne and at Harry’s in Hamburg and Palomar.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
