The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Here are 6 of our favorite Memphis wing spots
The Weekly Dish
Jennifer Chandler
Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK — TENN.
It’s not game day without hot wings. On Super Bowl Sunday, the National Chicken Council predicts Americans will devour a record 1.42 billion wings.
To help you decide which restaurant to order wings from for your “at-home” Super Bowl watch party, we asked The Commercial Appeal newsroom team to share their favorites. (Our advice: If you want a large order of wings for Super Bowl Sunday, we suggest ordering in advance.)
Sports reporter Evan Barnes nailed the wing game in Memphis when he said, “Come to Memphis for the barbecue, stay for the chicken wings.”
Here are six of our favorites to try.
Captain JJ Fish and Chicken: Lemon Pepper Wings
Multiple locations
My favorite wing spot in Memphis is Captain JJ Fish and Chicken, and my goto order is a mix of buffalo wings and lemon-pepper seasoned wings with a side of seasoned fries.
I love the wings at Captain JJ’S because they keep it simple. Wings, by virtue of being chicken wings, are good (in my opinion). You don’t need to do too much to them.
Captain JJ’S keeps the wings simple and executes perfectly. The meat is tender, the skin on the lemon-pepper wings is crisp, the buffalo wings are well sauced and, most importantly, they’re good every single time. Captain JJ’S has yet to disappoint me.
— Corinne Kennedy, business report
er
The Wing Guru: Cajun Boneless Chicken Wings
Multiple thewingguru.com
Given my reputation in some circles for being anti-wing, I might not be the most trusted source on this topic.
However, I am far from averse to boneless wings. Sure, they’re nothing more than saucy chicken nuggets, but they’re infinitely preferable to the messy, labor-intensive nature of the traditional wing. Not enough reward for the work, in my book. I digress.
The Wing Guru is my destination of choice when my palate demands the best saucy nugs. I’ve test-driven several of its delicious flavors — @peopleofmemphis BBQ, The 901, Triple J and Mild Hot, to name a few — but absolutely nothing beats Cajun, with its mouthwatering blend of spicy-ish seasonings. It is so choice. I highly recommend picklocations;
ing some up.
— Jason Munz, sports reporter
New Wing Order: Lemon Rosemary Wings
Food truck, location changes daily; newwingorder.com
Come to Memphis for the barbecue, stay for the chicken wings. As much as folks love ribs, Memphis does chicken wings just as well.
I have a few favorites in my mind — Central BBQ, Young Ave. Deli, Ching’s — but one place I love is New Wing Order. As a food truck, you have to follow them around but when you do, you won’t be disappointed.
I love the Garlic Parmesan or Grind City Gold, but they have a wide range of flavors. This month, they had lemon rosemary wings, and it was so good, I
ordered it twice during a weekend.
The flavors pop off in your mouth, and you can order a side of fries too. You won’t be disappointed giving them a try.
— Evan Barnes, sports reporter
Wolf River Brisket Co.: Smoked Wings
Two locations, Germantown and Olive Branch; wolfriverbrisket.com
Brisket is clearly the star at Wolf River Brisket Co., but don’t sleep on the smoked wings.
These meaty wing pieces are tossed in a house rub and you get a choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing. The wings are some of my favorites because you can pair this appetizer with any other dish as a starter item. If you like your