Sweetwater Tavern

400 E. Congress St.; 313-962-2210; sweetwatertavern.net
Sweetwater, a perennial favorite for wings, doesn't disappoint. These are what wings should be. Vinegary, spicy, and charred but still moist. Where mere mortals will pack wings with too much salt or rely heavily on cayenne and heat, the wing gods at Sweetwater know about balance and how to produce a piquant wing that lives up to the hype.

Photo by Tom Perkins

Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles

19345 Livernois Ave.; 313-861-0229; kuzzoschickenandwaffles.com
Kuzzo's wings radiate heat but not to an unbearable level, and they are balanced by some unusual sweet notes. Its approach makes sense when you consider that they're typically served next to waffles, and there's lots of good flavor interplay to enjoy. These are wings made by pros.

Photo via Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles / Facebook

Slows Bar BQ

2138 Michigan Ave.; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com
Far and away the best plate on Slows' menu is one that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention — its wings. That's because the deep flavor profile is unlike anything we've encountered in chicken wings, which chef Mike Metevia says is the result of a two-day marination and preparation process. A hot vinaigrette leaves its prints and plays well with a mellow smoky flavor — no sauce is needed. There's no fryer in the equation, but the large Amish wings sit on the smoker for two-and-half hours, and the meat falls from the bone. This is the only recipe that never changed when the Slows team developed its menu years ago — they nailed it on the first try.

Photo via Slows Bar BQ / Facebook

City Wings

2896 W. Grand Blvd.; 313-871-2489; citywingsinc.com
You might be skeptical when you open your box of City Wings and find a small-ish pile of what could be the tiniest wings in Detroit. But City Wings proves that size doesn't necessarily matter in the wing game. The medium buffalo wings are perfectly seasoned and soaked in a vinegary hot sauce, and the spice blend makes them some of the best wings in Detroit. The menu is 18 varieties deep, and offering the customer something to think about with options like sweet chili or Caribbean jerk earns C.W. a bump in the standings.

Photo via City Wings / Facebook

The Block

3919 Woodward Ave., 313-832-0892; theblockdet.com
The Block has the best buffalo sauce in Detroit, and arguably far beyond the city. It's preferable to have the wings tossed in the sauce instead of it receiving it on the side. The Block trades in some of the bigger birds in the city, and they are a bargain during happy hour.

Photo via The BLOCK Detroit / Facebook

Common Pub

5440 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8849; commonpub.com
Perhaps the most interesting and complex wings are the spicy orange wings made by Common Pub chef Zach Stotz. He makes the orange sauce by reducing orange juice, adding red wine vinegar, and then tossing the bird with chile, sesame oil, garlic, sesame seeds, and ginger. His cornstarch batter complements instead of dominates the Amish wings' texture and flavor — a great example of what can be done with wings with a little thought and creativity.

Photo via Common Pub / Facebook

ZamZam

11917 Conant St., Hamtramck; 313-893-9902;
The Bangladeshi tandoori chicken wings are stained bright red from the mix of masala, cayenne, and other spices, and the meat falls from the bone after an extended stay in the clay oven.

Photo via ZamZam Restaurant / Facebook

They Say Restaurant

267 Joseph Campau St.; 313-446-4682; theysayribs.com
They Say, which runs out of a historic building near Chene Park, lathers its wings in its sauces. That could be a mark against it when it starts to feel like you've got a mouthful of sauce that overwhelms the bird's attributes, but They Say's wings don't reach that point — the sauces are solid enough that it works. Most memorable are the tangy zesty variety, though the sweet chili is also enjoyable. They Say avoids all the wing pitfalls and fry up around solid wings.

Photo via THEY SAY Restaurant / Facebook

Midwest Grille

3266 W. Davison Ave.; 313-866-3117; midwestgrille.com
Midwest Grille serves fresh, traditional wings. You can buy them in bulk, or just a few for yourself. They also offer a chicken wing dinner with fries, slaw, and a drink.

Photo via Midwest Grill Express / Facebook

Wingstop

1331 M-102; 313-305-4797; wingstop.com
With its Wing Calculator, Wingstop gives you the option to choose your wing flavor from sweetest to spiciest. The restaurant offers unique sides such as Voodoo fries and seasoned corn as well.

Photo via Wingstop / Facebook

Wing Snob

17101 E. Warren Ave. B; 313-636-9464; thewingsnob.com
If you can't decide between traditional or boneless, Wing Snob gives you the chance to order half of each. Its known for its seasoned fries that go perfect on the side. The eatery has cajun, lemon pepper, chili cheese, and garlic parmesan fries, as well as over a dozen wing flavors.

Photo via Wing Snob / Facebook

Flowers of Vietnam

4430 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313- 312-4100; flowersofvietnam.com
A former Coney Island diner in Southwest Detroit was flipped into a high-end Vietnamese street food eatery in 2016. Enter Flowers of Vietnam, a destination restaurant. Perhaps one of the restaurant's most beloved staples, their Korean-fried caramel chicken wings. They expanded their finger-licking chicken offerings last year with a family-sized fried chicken bucket filled with fried dark and white meat, with a house Cajun-Vietnamese rub, and biscuits.

Photo via Flowers of Vietnam/Facebook

Cheech’s Chicken

1429 Gratiot Ave., 313-396-5370
Located in Eastern Market, Cheech’s Chicken makes its wings from Amish chicken, so it's always fresh. Customers can grab some chicken in small portions, or in bulk for everyone.

Photo via Google Maps

Mighty Wing Shop

20131 Greenfield Rd.; 313-270-2976
If you want crispy, savory, homemade wings, Mighty Wing Shop will do the trick. Its unique combinations of wings makes them even more delicious. Some meals include wings and fries, wings and waffles, and even wings and omelettes.

Photo via Mighty Wing Shop / Facebook

Baker's Keyboard Lounge

20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-345-6300; theofficialbakerskeyboardlounge.com
This classic Detroit jazz bar along the Avenue of Fashion offers more than live music and weekly karaoke. They also have an extensive menu featuring upscale soul food favorites, with several chicken wing offerings as well as fried chicken.

Photo via Baker's Keyboard Lounge/ Facebook

Detroit Wing Spot

12829 Harper Ave.; 313-246-0788
At Detroit Wing Spot, you have many wing options. You can order them alone, with sides, in bulk, or with waffles.

Photo via Google Maps

Chicken Shack

14630 Mack Ave.; 313-821-9200; chickenshack.com
Chicken Shack specializes in all types of chicken you can think of. You can order wing ding snacks or dinners, in a value meal, or in a bucket. They offer bbq and hot and spicy flavors.

Photo via Chicken Shack / Facebook

Wild Wild West Wings

15535 W. McNichols Rd.; 313-340-2660
The name says it all. Its wings range from zesty to spicy. The eatery offers ghost pepper wings, lemon pepper, Asian zing, and many more flavors.

Photo via Wildwildwestwings / Facebook

Detroit Wing Co.

1777 3rd St. (MGM Grand Hotel & Casino); 877-888-2121
Originally founded in Eastpointe, Detroit Wing Co. now boasts six locations in metro Detroit, including one in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. The chain serves up fresh, all-natural chicken wings, homemade sides, and 19 handcrafted sauces.

Photo via Detroit Wing Co.

Coop

474 Peterboro St. (in Detroit Shipping Co. food hall); 313-462-4973
Chef Maxcel Hardy's jerk chicken is terrific. You can get wings, a quarter bird, or a half. The four irregularly cut pieces in my beautifully moist quarter were garnished with mandarin orange sections and lime wedges, and bathed in a sauce that started sweet but followed much longer with a gradual heat. There's also a wings happy hour Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m., where you can score wings for a dollar apiece.

Photo by Tom Perkins