Where to find Dubai’s best chicken wings
We. Know. Wings. It’s not our official Time Out strapline or anything (The Best of the City, in case you were wondering), but it’s a close second. We’ve searched high and low for Dubai’s best chicken wings – it’s as much a personal mission as a professional one – so rest assured, you’ll never need to look at another list.
Buffalo wings, barbecue wings, boneless wings, grilled wings, fried wings… These are Dubai’s best chicken wings, however you eat yours.
Black Tap
It’s not all burgers and shakes at this New York-born restaurant and bar. Okay, it is *mostly* burgers and shakes – but there’s a whole lot more to the menu, including four different flavours of bone-in chicken wings, available as six or 12 pieces. Korean BBQ are Black Tap’s original choice, basted with a sweet, spicy sauce and sprinkled with spring onions and sesame seeds. Our favourite, however, are the Mexican Hot Sauce, with more heat than your usual Buffalo, dusted with blue cheese crumbles and served with a classic blue cheese dip. Tasty.
Dhs42 (six), Dhs74 (12). Various locations including Jumeirah Al Naseem (04 422 9904).
BRD by SLAB
We challenge you to order just one thing from BRD. If you can manage to have one burger, some fries and leave we’ll be seriously impressed, because we can’t do it. While there is absolutely nothing here that we don’t heartily encourage you to order, this article is all about wings. And try BRD’s you must. Six wings come either dusted with seasoning, or glazed with a chilli spice or honey soy sauce. Try all three varieties for the win (in the name of research) and add in some dipping sauces, with options including ranch, barbecue and a special ‘yard sauce’.
Dhs45 (six). Dar Wasl Mall, Al Wasl Road (058 507 5722).
Buffalo Wild Wings
Boneless wings, family bundles, 30 wings plus fries – the amount of deals at this chain (and at an affordable price) is more than enough reason to check it out if you’ve got the sprogs in tow. With 17 different sauces of varying spice levels and flavours, from Parmesan garlic to blazin’ heat (featuring ghost peppers – ouch) to Buffalo. A reliable pick with (unexpectedly) valet parking.
From Dhs37 (five pieces). Jumeirah Beach Road, Umm Suqeim, www.buffalowildwings.com (04 288 5853).
Lock, Stock & Barrel
Famed party bar Lock, Stock & Barrel serves up some of the best bar food in town (hello, loaded nachos and cheese-laden flatbreads) – and its chicken wings are right up there. Here, you’ve got a choice of two sauces – Buffalo or Tennessee beverage-spiked honey. Go for the former for maximum tang. Each order comes served with crunchy crudités and blue cheese dip. And if you can stop at six, we’re impressed (/disappointed for you).
Dhs60 (six), Dhs100 (12). Grand Millennium Dubai, Barsha Heights ( 04 514 9195).
Original Wings & Rings
DIFC’s prime spot for lunch breaks and post-work wings, Original Wings & Rings may not do too well on the rings part, but the wings? They more than make up for that. The all-American bar has clearly put effort into these, offering a variety of ten vastly different sauces and varying spice levels – including some so hot you’ll need to sign a waiver – and even boneless chicken wings. The roasted garlic with “X hot” spiciness has great kick to it, zesty but flavourful, while the classic barbecue with blue cheese dip is the sweet, smoky find you’ve had your heart set on.
From Dhs73 (ten pieces). Open daily noon-2am. Liberty House, DIFC, www.ae.bwr-intl.com (04 359 6900).
Perry & Blackwelder’s
An all-time favourite for chicken wings in Dubai. While not everything on the menu is worthy of mention, the wings are the thing that makes this place one that we always find ourselves drifting back to. Not least for the unlimited wings night, which takes place every Wednesday, with all-you-can-eat wings for Dhs99. There’s quite a variety of sauces to choose from, including smoky barbecue. Honey mustard, lemon pepper and teriyaki, plus a red hot sauce that comes with a warning. Our pick is Buffalo Franks, which is so tangy our saliva glands have gone into overdrive just writing this. And it’s worth noting, the wings themselves are some of the largest in the city.
Dhs46 (five), Dhs66 (ten), Dhs98 (20), Dhs139 (30). Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim (800 666 353).
McGettigan’s JLT
Head to this Irish pub for a distinctly un-Irish bar snack of crispy chicken wings. You’ve got three options to choose from – barbecue, Buffalo or, for a novel change, Indonesian dry rub. Over the past year, the bar has smartened up both its indoor and outdoor dining areas, making for a far more stylish setting. And the wings aren’t the only pub food worth getting your hands on – try the flatbreads, which come with a variety of different toppings, including an uncharacteristically swanky truffle and garlic.
Dhs75 (regular), Dhs125 (large). Bonnington Hotel, Cluster J, JLT (04 356 0470).
Stars N Bars
Wings by the beach? Head to this all-American haunt at La Mer. The Monaco-born restaurant and bar serves up the usual assortment of burgers, pizzas, quesadillas, fajitas, salads and sandwiches, plus some stonking appetisers, including wing served as six or 12 pieces. Get them naked, or pick from a choice of sauces including Buffalo, sweet chilli, honey garlic or barbecue. We’re Team Buffalo all the way.
Dhs39 (six), Dhs69 (12). La Mer, Jumeirah 1 (04 439 9903).
Ting Irie
Bored of Buffalo? Head to Caribbean restaurant Ting Irie. This lively restaurant and bar in Downtown Dubai knows a ting (sorry) or two about wings. These come in a range of innovative flavours, which could make deciding tough. Choose from coconut curry, passionfruit, Jamaican jerk, scotch bonnet, citrus or classic barbecue. It’s also one of Time Out Dubai’s best North American and Caribbean restaurants of 2020, so you can trust whatever you order is going to be tasty.
Dhs60 (six pieces), Dhs110 (12 pieces). Open daily noon-10pm. Souk Manzil, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, www.tingirie.com (04 557 5601).
ubk
This JLT bar describes its chicken wings as “famous”. While we can’t quite vouch for that, we can vouch for ordering them, pronto. Grab a bench outside (which is far preferable to the strange, cruise ship lounge vibe of the interiors) and order a smorgasbord of starters for the table – there are loads of great sharing dishes to choose from. Just make sure you’ve got some sriracha chilli wings in the mix, and a cold drink to cool your tongue off with.
Dhs72 (half kilo), Dhs125 (kilo). Mövenpick Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Cluster A, JLT (04 438 0000).
Wingsters
The wings here are simply delicious, it’s in the name after all. And boy, does the Dubai Marina joint have a selection of sauces to choose from – with a fun mobster spin on it. The Korean Henchman (spicy Korean barbeque), The Snitch (sweet The chili), Mickey Blue Eyes (signature sweet honey infused garlic), and an overall 22 flavours to choose from. Yea, not bad. As for the challenge? The Initiation, at Wingsters, is as tough as it gets, with diners challenged to eat eight extremely spicy wings in four minutes, before enduring a five-minute afterburn. The fact you’re not allowed to consume any liquid, or wipe your mouth, simply adds to the difficulty.
From Dhs40 (eight wings). Open daily 11am-12.30am. Marina Diamond, Dubai Marina, www.wingstersuae.com (04 427 9900).
