Best wings in Palm Beach County and what we love about them
Wing lovers don't need a food-holiday reminder to dig into a heap of wings, drums or flats — hot or mild, sauce or no sauce, ranch or blue cheese.
We have our favorites. At least we do on the The Post's food-and-dining team. Eddie Ritz favors the Buffalo-sauced rendition at a local favorite diner. Liz Balmaseda prefers the marinated, coal-fire roasted wings at a local pizzeria.
Here are our top go-to places for wings and what we love about them.
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Howley's Diner
Maybe Howley's Diner in West Palm Beach isn't the first place the average local thinks of when talking about chicken wings. Great breakfast dishes, meatloaf, homemade TV dinners, spiked milkshakes sure; but chicken wings? Yes.
Though maybe it doesn't say "Howley's Chicken Wings" on the sign, they make a tasty wing ($13.95 for 10). I've gotten them dozens of times and, every time, they come out great. They usually take at least 10 to 12 minutes, and come out screaming-hot. So, I know they're not precooked or parboiled.
First there's the light crispiness when you bite into them, then that small amount of Buffalo sauce-infused steam. The flavor is just perfect. Seriously, it's just right. There's some heat, but it's in combination with deep flavor for that Buffalo perfection. That along with some of the best blue cheese dressing known to man and it's a rocking party in your mouth.
Yes, it's my opinion. If you doubt it, check them out for yourself. — Eddie Ritz
Information: 4700 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; sub-culture.org/locations/howleys, 561-833-5691
Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Wings
Put away your Buffalo-sauce expectations and settle in for a different kind of chicken wing treat: flavorful flats and drums roasted in a coal-fired oven and topped with roasted, caramelized onions. Such are the original roasted wings at the Broward County-based Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Wings, a homegrown chain that’s expanded to more than 60 locations after opening its first pizzeria in Fort Lauderdale in 2002.
Luckily for me, six of those locations are in Palm Beach County, one of them close enough for when the hankering for wings hits.
The wings are tossed in a marinade of garlic, rosemary, lemon and other seasonings before they are roasted in a coal-fired oven. The result is a nicely charred yet juicy wing that’s infused with the garlic-herb flavors. The roasted onions on top add a layer of decadence. The wedge of focaccia on the side is good for soaking up the juices. Wings are offered in batches of five ($9.99), 10 ($16.99) and 20 ($29.99).
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In addition to the original roasted wings, Anthony’s offers other wing varieties as well — dry rub, garlic Romano, hot honey, Sweet Caroline BBQ and, yes, Buffalo. I can’t vouch for those. I can’t bring myself to order anything but the original.
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Information: Locations in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Delray Beach, eastern Boca Raton and western Boca Raton. To find one near you, visit ACFP.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best chicken wings near me: Duffys; Howleys; Anthonys; Hurricane Grill
