These places take their chicken wings seriously, and for that, we salute them.
Some consider the wing to be a mere side item. An afterthought, shoved onto the back of menus to fill out the selection. And while many restaurants and pubs are found guilty of that very act of negligence, some actually have their black belts in fried wing glory.
These are restaurants that treat the wing as the main event, with flavor that kicks taste bud butt like Stephen Chow going off against a horde of ax-wielding mobsters (Kung Fu Hustle, excellent film, highly recommend).
We respect any place that has achieved Shaolin-level mastery of the great wing technique, so we just put together a list of the best places in Columbus. So enter humble young disciples, and make sure to try these 10 masters of the winged arts.
Jump to: OH Pizza and Brew · CM Chicken · Barley’s Brewing · Press Grill · Gallo’s Tap Room · Eight & Sand Tavern · Roadhouse Wings & Grille · City Tavern · Shaker’s Public House · Wings Over
| Spot | Where | Order | Wing night |
| OH Pizza and Brew | Downtown, 88 E. Broad St | Sweaty Neck hot buffalo | – |
| CM Chicken | Northwest Side, 1132 W. Henderson Rd | Spicy garlic wings | – |
| Barley’s Brewing | Downtown, 467 N. High St | Unconventional Wings | – |
| Press Grill | Short North, 741 N. High St | Buffalo wings, four sauces | – |
| Gallo’s Tap Room | 5019 Olentangy River Rd | Cockfight if you want heat | – |
| Eight & Sand Tavern | South Side, 76 E. Innis Ave | The Tuesday wings | Tuesdays, $1 wings |
| Roadhouse Wings & Grille | Hilliard, 2177 Hilliard Rome Rd | Any of the 11 house sauces | Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 99-cent wings |
| City Tavern | Italian Village, 697 N. 4th St | Original City Sauce | – |
| Shaker’s Public House | Worthington, 480 E. Wilson Bridge Rd | Death Nectar if you dare | Wednesdays, $1 bone-in |
| Wings Over | Upper Arlington, 1315 W. Lane Ave | Afterburner | – |
Known for its pizza, OH Pizza and Brew also sports a pretty decent list of sauces. From the Sweaty Neck hot buffalo to a BBQ dry rub, they’re going to have something hot and spicy and just up your alley.
Where: 88 E. Broad St
Website: OH Pizza and Brew
The Korean fried chicken chain CM Chicken opened its first central Ohio store on Henderson Road in 2021. Start with the spicy garlic wings, then try the snow onion topping. Curry and hot honey are on the sauce list too.
Where: 1132 W. Henderson Rd
Website: CM Chicken
The wings at Barley’s are called Unconventional Wings but really they should be renamed wings we never want to live without. They’re chargrilled, not fried, and tossed in sauce.
Where: 467 N. High St
Website: Barley’s Brewing
While other establishments may pull you in with an extreme variety of sauces or other wingy gimmicks, Press Grill keeps it simple. And through that simplicity, they’re able to achieve some of the most underrated wings in the city. They only offer four sauces, medium, honey bbq, hot, and honey mustard, and each of the options is actually perfect.
Where: 741 N. High St
Website: Press Grill
If you’re hoping to enjoy a beer, a game, and some good old hot wings, Gallo’s is the place to be. They have three spice levels, mild, medium, and hot, with different sauce options in every tier.
Where: 5019 Olentangy River Rd
Website: Gallo’s Tap Room
Eight & Sand is a South Side dive bar, and Tuesday is wing night with $1 wings. The bar also runs a Queen of Hearts drawing.
Where: 76 E. Innis Ave
Website: Eight & Sand Tavern
No one does crispy wings quite like Roadhouse. All 11 of their sauces are made in-house, and wing night comes twice a week, with 99-cent wings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Where: 2177 Hilliard Rome Rd, Hilliard
Website: Roadhouse Wings & Grille
If deep-fried wings are calling and you simply can’t take it anymore, stop what you’re doing and head to City Tavern. All of their sauces are great, but you really can’t go wrong with their Original City Sauce.
Where: 697 N. 4th St
Website: City Tavern
The wings at Shaker’s Public House are the real deal. They’re flavorful, cooked to perfection, and the sauces are unique. And speaking of deals… Wednesdays are $1 bone-in wings, dine in only. A fire took out the original Georgesville Road building in September 2023, and Shaker’s reopened in Worthington in March 2024. Right now the Worthington room is closed for cleanup after a small fire left water damage, and the owners say they’re aiming to reopen soon. Check their Facebook page before you go.
Where: 480 E. Wilson Bridge Rd, Worthington
Website: Shaker’s Public House
Wings Over tosses crispy wings in sauce or dry rub, and you can choose from an absurd combination of flavors. If super hot buffalo is your thing, pick up the Afterburner.
Where: 1315 W. Lane Ave, Upper Arlington
Website: Wings Over
The post The 10 Best Chicken Wing Joints In Columbus appeared first on Columbus Navigator.
