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The dry-rubbed wings at Home Team are legendary.
Home Team BBQ

Charleston’s 13 Essential Chicken Wing Stops

From dry rub to Buffalo sauce

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The dry-rubbed wings at Home Team are legendary.
| Home Team BBQ

Chicken wings — that messy appetizer that bar-goers are always after, often debating which destination has the best offering. The Lowcountry is, of course, filled with fried chicken, but it also has its fair share of establishments serving some quality chicken wings. Whether the occasion calls for smoked, fried, charred, dry-rubbed, or lathered in hot sauce — these destinations are the undisputed best 10 stops in Charleston for that essential bar snack.

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Nigel's Good Food

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Nigel’s Good Food is a North Charleston staple, with a second location in Ladson. Folks travel far and wide for Nigel’s very popular Geechie Wings. The chicken is battered, fried, and tossed in a homemade sweet-and-sour wing sauce.

Holy City Brewing

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North Charleston’s Holy City Brewery pairs its beers with an extensive bar food menu — including wings. The chicken is smoked and then fried. Customers can choose from nine selections of rubs and sauces, including Nashville hot, Carolina gold barbecue, honey sambal, and more.

Home Team BBQ

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Home Team BBQ’s smoked chicken wings are dry-rubbed with a touch of sweetness and served with a side of Alabama white sauce — customers looking for an extra kick can add the two-ounce Death Relish for good measure. Cool it down with a frozen Gamechanger — the restaurant’s take on a Painkiller.

The Royal American

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The Royal American on Morrison Drive has a long list of cheap beer and food for guests looking to kick back. The Magic Wings are crispy and best finished with a spritz of lime, best followed by a sip of Miller High Life. The spice comes from Szechuan peppercorns.

Moe's Crosstown Tavern

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Moe’s Crosstown, a cave of a sports bar, takes pride in its pub fare offerings, and the wings reflect, as they come freshly prepared with lots of meat on the bone. Find 15 different sauce options, including the sweet and spicy hot honey mustard and the diabolical Moe Hotter.

Bay Street Biergarten

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Okay, it may be hard to stray from Bay Street Biergarten’s freaky tater tots, but the sports bar also offers up some delicious smoked chicken wings with the usual offerings plus pineapple Sriracha.

Pair with one of 30 tap beers and a game on the TV for a casual day with friends.

Prohibition

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Most regard Prohibition for its nightlife or as a place to have an expertly crafted cocktail, but it should be known that the speakeasy-style restaurant also has some of the best wings in the Lowcountry. Chef Greg Garrison uses a Memphis dry rub, and the charred wings sit on top of an irresistible gorgonzola ranch.

Charleston Beer Works

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King Street’s Charleston Beer Works is a place to drink beer, watch sports, and consume lots of chicken wings. The sports bar offers 15 different sauces, and patrons can order up to 100 wings at a time.

The Brick

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Sports bar the Brick offers tons of wing flavors to pair with beers and football. There’s 18 flavors, including Old Bay, garlic parmesan, Buffalo ranch, and more.

Swig & Swine

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Barbecue spot Swig & Swine offers smoked wings in a variety of flavors: dry rub, barbecue, peanut butter and jelly, Alabama white, Tabasco honey, hot honey mustard, and white hot.

Gene's Haufbrau

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This classic Avondale dive naturally offers chicken wings alongside a menu filled with bar food staples. The wings come wet, tossed in one of eight sauces, or dry-rubbed in seasonings like lemon pepper or mesquite.

The Griffon

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This renowned dive bar offers multiple sauce options on its chicken wings, most notably its famous “buffiyaki” creation.  Make sure to bring an extra dollar bill, as the Griffon’s walls are covered in George Washingtons stapled on by visitors looking to leave their mark.

Minero Mexican Grill & Cantina

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The wings at Mexican restaurant Minero are grilled over charcoal and then shaken up at your tableside with a liberal dousing of Valentina hot sauce. It’s smoky, tangy, and a little messy.

Minero wings come covered in Valentina.
Andrew Cebulka

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Nigel's Good Food

Nigel’s Good Food is a North Charleston staple, with a second location in Ladson. Folks travel far and wide for Nigel’s very popular Geechie Wings. The chicken is battered, fried, and tossed in a homemade sweet-and-sour wing sauce.

Holy City Brewing

North Charleston’s Holy City Brewery pairs its beers with an extensive bar food menu — including wings. The chicken is smoked and then fried. Customers can choose from nine selections of rubs and sauces, including Nashville hot, Carolina gold barbecue, honey sambal, and more.

Home Team BBQ

Home Team BBQ’s smoked chicken wings are dry-rubbed with a touch of sweetness and served with a side of Alabama white sauce — customers looking for an extra kick can add the two-ounce Death Relish for good measure. Cool it down with a frozen Gamechanger — the restaurant’s take on a Painkiller.

The Royal American

The Royal American on Morrison Drive has a long list of cheap beer and food for guests looking to kick back. The Magic Wings are crispy and best finished with a spritz of lime, best followed by a sip of Miller High Life. The spice comes from Szechuan peppercorns.

Moe's Crosstown Tavern

Moe’s Crosstown, a cave of a sports bar, takes pride in its pub fare offerings, and the wings reflect, as they come freshly prepared with lots of meat on the bone. Find 15 different sauce options, including the sweet and spicy hot honey mustard and the diabolical Moe Hotter.

Bay Street Biergarten

Okay, it may be hard to stray from Bay Street Biergarten’s freaky tater tots, but the sports bar also offers up some delicious smoked chicken wings with the usual offerings plus pineapple Sriracha.

Pair with one of 30 tap beers and a game on the TV for a casual day with friends.

Prohibition

Most regard Prohibition for its nightlife or as a place to have an expertly crafted cocktail, but it should be known that the speakeasy-style restaurant also has some of the best wings in the Lowcountry. Chef Greg Garrison uses a Memphis dry rub, and the charred wings sit on top of an irresistible gorgonzola ranch.

Charleston Beer Works

King Street’s Charleston Beer Works is a place to drink beer, watch sports, and consume lots of chicken wings. The sports bar offers 15 different sauces, and patrons can order up to 100 wings at a time.

The Brick

Sports bar the Brick offers tons of wing flavors to pair with beers and football. There’s 18 flavors, including Old Bay, garlic parmesan, Buffalo ranch, and more.

Swig & Swine

Barbecue spot Swig & Swine offers smoked wings in a variety of flavors: dry rub, barbecue, peanut butter and jelly, Alabama white, Tabasco honey, hot honey mustard, and white hot.

Gene's Haufbrau

This classic Avondale dive naturally offers chicken wings alongside a menu filled with bar food staples. The wings come wet, tossed in one of eight sauces, or dry-rubbed in seasonings like lemon pepper or mesquite.

The Griffon

This renowned dive bar offers multiple sauce options on its chicken wings, most notably its famous “buffiyaki” creation.  Make sure to bring an extra dollar bill, as the Griffon’s walls are covered in George Washingtons stapled on by visitors looking to leave their mark.

Minero Mexican Grill & Cantina

The wings at Mexican restaurant Minero are grilled over charcoal and then shaken up at your tableside with a liberal dousing of Valentina hot sauce. It’s smoky, tangy, and a little messy.

Minero wings come covered in Valentina.
Andrew Cebulka

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