Best chicken wings? TCPalm's favorite restaurants for National Chicken Wing Day
National Chicken Wing Day is July 29 every year.
With countless options for chicken wings across the Treasure Coast, I’ve narrowed down my top five favorite restaurants for chicken wings in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Keep in mind, I'm a news reporter, not a food critic. Opinions may vary because taste is subjective, but I welcome your feedback.
As a Fort Pierce native, I first learned about chicken wings at Chris’ Hurricane Bar and Grill (see below), and I’ve held the restaurant in high regard as the standard for chicken wings ever since. I’m not a fan of breaded wings; I like them naked. And, as most owners of chicken joints have told me, the secret’s in the sauce.
Here’s where to find some of the best chicken wings on the Treasure Coast:
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Hurricane Grill & Wings
Hurricane Grill & Wings, among the most popular on the Treasure Coast, is a national chain that started on Fort Pierce's South Beach in 1995. The Seaway Drive original was called Chris’ Hurricane Bar and Grill after founder Chris Russo, who was only 22. Known for its chicken wings and cold beer, that spot is still one of eight Hurricane restaurants in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Since becoming a franchise, the restaurant has expanded to 40 locations in the U.S., including 29 in Florida. The restaurant is famous for its jumbo wings and 35 flavors. Signature sauces include Roasted Garlic Inferno for serious heat fans, Coco Loco with heat from habanero and cool from coconut, Gold Rush with spicy honey mustard, Cyclone with sweet and spicy chili sauce, and Kogi Secret Weapon with sweet garlic soy sauce. The Treasure Coast locations are at:
943 15th Place, Vero Beach
2017 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce
6641 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie
2202 S.E. Veterans Memorial Parkway, Port St. Lucie
10440 S.W. Village Center Drive, Port St. Lucie
995 N.E. Jensen Beach Blvd., Jensen Beach
1729 S.E. Indian St., Stuart
2355 S.W. Martin Highway, Palm City
Lefty’s Wings & Grill
Lefty’s Wings & Grill serves chicken wings that are fresh, never frozen and made to order. They're cooked crispy in high-quality, zero trans-fat oils, then tossed in flavor. Sauces include mild, medium, hot, extra hot, barbecue, hot barbecue, honey barbecue, ghost bear barbecue, Lefty’s chipotle special, teriyaki and hot teriyaki, sesame honey, Ragin’ Cajun, garlic, chunky garlic, cheesy garlic, honey garlic, sweet chili, honey mustard, raspberry, razzmatazz, Parmesan, hot to trot, Lefty’s special, Caesar and hot, sweet and tangy. The sports bar is at 1034 S.E. Port St. Lucie Blvd. in the Bridge Plaza, at the corner of Westmoreland and Port St. Lucie boulevards.
JammBar Wings
JammBar Wings, at 2903 Orange Ave. in Fort Pierce, is expanding to St. Lucie West after the closure of its Port St. Lucie location on U.S. 1 in Mangrove Square. The restaurant prepares its chicken wings regular, extra crispy or soft. Sauces include plain, mild, hot, barbecue, honey glaze, honey barbecue, garlic Parmesan, garlic hot, mango haba?ero, sweet red chili, sweet teriyaki, tangy gold, kickin’ bourbon and lemon pepper.
JoJo’s Wings
JoJo’s Wings, at 1916 Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce, is a hit because of its consistency. The same staff has worked there for about 20 years, and the same owner has been making the sauces. They can be mixed and include typical flavors: mild, medium, hot, garlic, barbecue, honey, Parmesan, salt and vinegar, honey mustard and lemon pepper.
Heavenly Wings
Heavenly Wings, at 1415 16th St. in Vero Beach, is a Texas-style rib house. Its menu features Buffalo wings with mild, medium, hot, volcano, honey barbecue, teriyaki, lemon pepper, sweet or spicy sauce. Add garlic, Parmesan or honey to the chicken wings for extra flavor.
Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter @TCPalmLaurie and Facebook @TCPalmLaurie. Email her at [email protected]. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Best chicken wings? TCPalm's 5 favorite restaurants