I’ve always loved chicken wings, though most of the time I got my fill from small-town family restaurants. Now that I’ve moved around the US for a while, I mostly get my chicken wings from chain restaurants instead.

Which of them offer the best chicken wings? Each one of us will probably have their own opinion, but these are my thoughts on the subject:

Wingstop

The Wingstop is the place where my new buddies directed me to when I told them I just love chicken wings. They hyped it so much that I was afraid that I’d just be disappointed, but that didn’t happen at all. It really is that good.

The chicken wings here don’t absolutely need any sort of sauce. They taste really fresh, which explains that delicious flavor. They’re all crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside, which makes the texture tops.

These wing also aren’t as greasy as the chicken wings at other chain restaurants. They’re somewhat lighter, so I didn’t feel too stuffed even when I was going a bit overboard with the ranch sauce sometimes. It’s so delicious that 6 of these wings are often not enough.

Applebee’s

The chicken wings from Applebee’s are also great even without any sort of sauce. Try them yourself as they are, and you’ll find them juicy and tasty. And they feature that ideal level of crispiness that makes eating these things a real treat.

Of course, you should try them with your favorite sauce as well. Your best bet here is the blue cheese sauce, even if you’re a diehard fan of ranch. The blue cheese sauce just matches with these wings perfectly.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Okay, these Buffalo Wild Wings chicken wings are good. In fact, you might rate them as above a “good” rating, but not quite “excellent”. The flavor and the texture are all very good. You might not rave about them, but no one (or at least, no one reasonable) will complain about the chicken wing quality.

What really makes these chicken wings delightful and fantastic isn’t the chicken wings themselves, but the quality and wide range of the sauces. There are just plenty of terrific and even options to choose from. The fans of buffalo and ranch sauce will be satisfied. But you have other options such as teriyaki and sweet BBQ. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you might try the smoky adobo or the mango habanero sauce.

These are the chicken wings that I’d probably order if I ever throw a party. No one can complain about the chicken wing quality, and they really get better as people have more to drink. And with the wide range of sauces, each set of taste buds will be satisfied.

TGI Friday’s

This is always a nice place to hang out in after work, as the overall vibe is friendly and relaxing. There are quite a few menu items here that really hit the spot, but somehow, their chicken wings aren’t one of those items.

Hey, maybe it’s just me, since my friends have no complaints. The chicken wings arrived hot at our table, but somehow, they tasted too dry for me. It made me wonder just how often these TGI Friday’s people use their microwave oven back in the kitchen.

The ranch sauce didn’t help either, as it was a bit too thin. The buffalo sauce, on the other hand, was okay. This isn’t too terrible, but there are better chicken wings out there.

Chili’s

I’ve eaten at a Chili’s before, and I love their Quesadilla Explosion Salad. But I haven’t tried their chicken wings before. Now that I have, I admit that not ever trying these wings wasn’t much of a loss.

Sure, these chicken wings were nicely tender. But if you ever taste them on their own, they’re pretty much flavorless. The only flavor you get is when you dip the meat into the sauce, and then you’ll get the sauce flavor.

Clearly, Chili’s doesn’t exactly specialize in chicken wings. You’re better off starting your meal here with queso and guac!