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It’s officially football season, and what better way to indulge than with some fried chicken and wings? We asked W42ST readers for their favorite spots in Hell’s Kitchen, and they served up more than expected. From sports bars, to Thai restaurants, to grab and go places — we’ve got a list of fried chicken and wings for every occasion!
375 Chicken ‘n Fries — 649 9th Ave (bw W45/46th St)
New to the neighborhood, this spot offers all you could hope for in fried chicken. They have fried chicken sandwiches, combo meals, and fries. You definitely can’t go wrong with the Chick n’ Waffles and the Chick n’ Pop options.
“New place with the best boneless wings I’ve found in the city and the sauces are amazing!” said Mackenzie Rumberg.
44&X — 622 10th Ave (corner of W44th St)
At 44&X, their buttermilk fried chicken is served with pecans, collard greens, chive waffle, black pepper and maple syrup jus. No one ever said you can’t have chicken and waffles for dinner!
“Their buttermilk fried chicken is my favorite!” said Al Lech.
As Is — 734 10th Ave (corner of W50th St)
At As Is, you can get a chicken strip basket and a crispy chicken sandwich. The chicken strip basket comes with dill brined chicken, buttermilk biscuit, and honey butter, while the crispy chicken sandwich is buttermilk brined chicken, calabrian aioli, cabbage and pickles on brioche bun. The perfect complement to their many beers on tap!
“The bar itself is an absolute delight and a neighborhood favorite, but the fact they have amazing chicken tenders on top of that? *Chef’s kiss*,” said Katie Howe.
Bon Chon — 207 W 38th St (west of 7th Ave)
This Korean fried chicken joint has locations all over the city. You can get wings, drumsticks, or strips, as well as many favorite Korean dishes.
“I’ve NEVER had better sauce on a chicken in my life,” said Peter Shankman.
Burger World — 534 9th Ave (bw W39/40th St)
Considering their name is “Burger World,” you probably wouldn’t expect to find fried chicken here. But their tenders are worth the try!
“Burger World’s chicken fingers are plump and long, battered and fried to perfection with a crispy outer shell and moist chicken breast meat inside,” said John Bainbridge.
Dalton’s — 611 9th Ave (bw W43/44th St)
At Dalton’s, you can get a bucket of their famous wings, with sauces such as buffalo, Korean bulgogi bbq, or creole spiced dry rub. All are served with their famous chunky bleu cheese dip. The menu goes beyond wing options for fried chicken. Try fried chicken sliders, fried bbq chicken skewers, and crispy buffalo chicken sandwich.
“They are so crispy and fresh but never oily. I can do either boneless or bone in. They have the right amount of sauce and are a must have! They have different types of sauces and you can opt to have them naked and use them as dipping sauces or order the wings cooked IN the sauces — absolutely brilliant options,” said Kristina Coppolino.
Dolly Varden — 302 W51st (west of 8th Ave)
The Saigon wings come with fish sauce, palm sugar and toasted garlic. For brunch, try chicken and waffles, with buttermilk fried, rosemary maple syrup, and a homemade jalapeño waffle.
“It’s so crispy and comes with waffles,” said Raphael Reyes.
Hellcat Annie’s Tap Room — 637 10th Ave (corner of W45th St)
Hellcat Annie’s serves Scruffy’s Famous Wings, tossed in one of their signature sauces. The sauce list seems never ending — they have options such as mango habanero, spicy ginger and garlic parmesan for something different.
“Their wings are fried naked and their sauces are delish!” said Genesis Torres.
Hibernia Bar — 401 W 50th St (west of 9th Ave)
This side street Irish Bar is known as a great game day bar and is a home for Steelers and Manchester United fans in the city. Their regular patrons call it their “living room”.
“They have the best chicken wings. They are cooked well and have plenty of hot sauce,” said Lisa Venditti.
Hold Fast — 364 W 46th St (bw 8/9th Ave)
Our 2020 winner for Best Bar in Hell’s Kitchen, Hold Fast serves up some great and elevated bar food. Their wings are made with a dry rub and served with a white sauce, cilantro and carrots.
“The dry rub is perfectly complemented with the white sauce,” said Kelly Gore.
Jasper’s Taphouse — 761 9th Ave 9 (corner of W51st St)
Head to Jasper’s on Wing Wednesdays, when they do half price wings from 11am-8pm. Try their habanero lime, bbq, dead red, Japanese dry rub or buffalo.
“Jasper’s has the absolute best wings in Hell’s Kitchen. The habanero lime wings are the perfect balance of heat and tang,” said Eric Howard.
Pelicana Chicken — 641 10th Ave (bw W45/46th St)
Pelicana is the first, largest standing, premium Korean-style fried chicken franchise. They use premium quality, USDA verified, 100% veggie-fed, all-natural, non-GMO chicken that is raised without cages and offer over 50 variations of chicken and endless sauces!
“The frying was spot on. The sauce is great but not overwhelming. The sweet radish pickles is the perfect pairing. Right amount of lettuce that’s fresh and crispy. It’s so good,” said Brian Suk.
Scruffy Duffy’s — 639 10th Ave (bw W45/46th St)
Originally a bar on 8th Avenue, Scruffy Duffy’s worked hard to perfect their famous wing recipe. Their many levels of hotness are worth sampling, and their wings are fried to perfection. You can get them in baskets of 8 and 16. If you’re feeling really daring, try the “Revenge” level of hotness (be prepared to sign a waiver).
“Meaty wings and great sauce. Strongly recommend the Thai Sweet Chili but hot and BBQ are also tasty,” said Brendan Miles.
Seguidilla Empanadas — 465 W51st Street (east of 10th Avenue)
We featured this empanada joint when it opened in March 2021. “In a world where our dearly loved restaurants are disappearing, there is a bright light. On W51st Street, in place of everyone’s beloved Azuri, is an empanada and more store —Seguidilla Empanadas,” shared W42ST reader, Carole Robbins. It also has fried chicken.
“We’ve been fans of the under-the-radar Seguidilla since they opened. The empanadas are great but the crispy chicken sandwich is a must. A huge portion made fresh while you wait. And only $8.50. Can’t beat that!” said Matt Fox.
Sticky’s Finger Joint — 598 9th Ave (corner of W43rd St)
Known as “The Best Damn Chicken Fingers,” Sticky’s serves fresh, never-frozen chicken fingers that are free of antibiotics and hormones. You can choose your fingers crunchy or grilled, and their sauce selection is tough to narrow down.
“Has an option for every mood (for me, that can be many),” said Deirdre McGrath.
The Brazen Tavern — 456 W 44th St (east of 9th Ave)
This classic American tavern serves up some great wings and bar food in a cozy, warm interior. These wings will taste extra warm in the cold weather.
“These wings are crispy, juicy and full of flavor. It’s always a hard choice between the traditional Buffalo and their Honey BBQ. There’s nothing better though, than enjoying a plate of their wings while watching a game (or two or three) on their many TVs,” said Leanne Buckley.
The Jin — 856 10th Ave (bw W56/57th St)
The Jin is a local, hip and casual restaurant serving trendy Korean fried chicken, as well as rice bowls, Korean BBQ, and other Korean tapas.
“Their Korean Fried Chicken is absolutely out of this world. Crunchy, delicious crust and super juicy on the inside. The soy-garlic flavor is impossible to beat, especially dipped in a side of their hot chili sauce. Easily the best place in the neighborhood,” said Chris Mench.
The Three Monkeys — 236 W 54th St (bw 7/8th Ave)
The two-story sports bar serves its wings with a selection of sauces on the side. They also have potato crusted chicken tenders, which are as good as they sound.
“This is a great sports bar and also offers a glorious combination of chicken and potatoes (with their Potato Crusted Chicken Tenders),” said Juliane Desforge.
VIV Thai — 717 9th Ave (corner of W49th St)
Not a place that comes to mind when you think of chicken wings, but VIV’s fried marinated chicken wings do not disappoint. They are tossed in a caramel garlic sauce and make the perfect appetizer for any Thai dish.
“Wings at VIV Thai. They’re fried crispy and have a tasty garlic sauce similar to but unlike Bon Chon,” said Ging Suhu.
Vivi Bubble Tea — 607 9th Ave (corner of W43rd St)
Vivi Bubble Tea has a small “snack” menu, and this includes popcorn chicken that is highly underrated.
“If you are looking for a great popcorn chicken, go to Vivi Bubble Tea on 43rd. These are made to order and delicious. They serve them in bag with skewers, so it makes the perfect picnic food. Though they have many flavors (Pepper Salt, Spicy, Garlic, Curry and Basil), the simple Pepper Salt is my favorite. I usually grab a bag and find a bench around the corner at Manhattan Plaza to sit and enjoy these tasty treats,” said Leanne Buckley.
Honorable Mentions: Poulette, The Hipster at Plant Junkie, The Harrow, Three Roosters, The Waylon, Pio Pio and Inti Peruvian Restaurant.
UPDATE: You can also check out McQuaid’s on the corner of 11th Avenue and W44th Street. Reader and ood writer Kerry Byrne has become something of a chicken wings aficionado over the years. Now he’s put all that knowledge to good use with the creation of his Byrne in Hell’s Kitchen Hot Wings — which debuted at McQuaid’s pub in January 2021.
* All photos are from the eatery’s Instagram accounts unless stated.