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Bonchon Chicken
Bonchon Chicken.
Amelinda B Lee

Where to Indulge in Great Chicken Wings in San Diego

From Korean-style to classic Buffalo, wings are the perfect party food

by Candice Woo Updated
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Bonchon Chicken.
| Amelinda B Lee
by Candice Woo Updated

From game-watching gatherings to family functions, what party isn’t made better with chicken wings? Undoubtedly one of the world’s most perfect foods, chicken wings come in so many delicious forms: fried or grilled, Korean-style or Buffalo-sauced, and so much more.

Here are some of San Diego’s standout spots for chicken wings, whether you’re dining in or planning for an at-home feast to snack on while viewing an NFL playoff game or the Super Bowl.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Bonchon Village Way

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The South Korea-based chain, which now has three locations in the San Diego area, kicked off the local influx of Korean-style fried chicken. Its twice-fried chicken wings come with either a soy-garlic or spicy glaze or a mix of the two.

6030 Village Way Suite 104, San Diego, CA 92130
(619) 346-4984
(619) 346-4984
Bonchon Chicken Amelinda B Lee

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Cross Street Chicken and Beer

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The appeal of this chicken spot, which has outposts in Kearny Mesa and Carmel Valley, is the variety of seasonings offered when it comes to customizing its chicken wings. The trendy Korean style is represented through its Seoul spicy and soy-garlic flavors, but there’s also Nashville hot, lemon pepper, garlic-parmesan, and more.

12955 El Camino Real G2, San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 461-0076
(858) 461-0076
Korean fried chicken wings at Cross Street Chicken and Beer Cross Street Chicken and Beer.

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Golden Chopsticks Restaurant

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This newer outpost of a longstanding Chinese restaurant from National City provides more access to its legendary salt and pepper chicken wings, fried to a crackly crisp and showered with toasted garlic and green onions.

8135-8155 Mira Mesa Blvd, 8155 Mira Mesa Blvd #9, San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 689-1628
(858) 689-1628

Tenkatori Miramar

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Karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, is renowned for a delicate light crunch achieved by a potato starch coating. This local branch of a famous Japanese restaurant, whose karaage recipe dates back decades, fries its chicken wings to order; enjoy them with housemade sauces like yuzu aioli.

6780 Miramar Rd ste 104, San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 200-2016
(858) 200-2016
Fried chicken wings. Tentakori USA

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Spicy Lao Kitchen

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Amongst the more fiery dishes at this Southeast Asian restaurant is the milder but still aromatic tom yum chicken wings. Dusted with a seasoning mix that evokes the flavors of the hot and sour soup, the wings are fried to a piping-hot, greaseless crisp.

5375 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 229-8146
(858) 229-8146
Tom yum chicken wings.
Tom yum chicken wings.
Candice Woo

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Pelicana Chicken SD

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A mega-chain in South Korea where it operates thousands of restaurants, this Korean fried chicken brand offers its chicken wings sauceless, flavored with cheese powder, or glazed with smoky-hot, garlic, and hot chili sauces.

7767 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 278-2167
(858) 278-2167
Fried chicken from Pelicana. Pelicana

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bb.q Chicken Convoy

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This Korean-based brand returned to San Diego in 2021 and now boasts locations in Sorrento VAlley and National City in addition to its Convoy Street restaurant. Its twice-fried chicken wings are available in a number of creative flavors, including maple syrup with garlic and butter, Chinese mala seasoning, and gangjeong sauce, which incorporates soy sauce with cinnamon and chilies.

4344 Convoy St Q, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-7000
(858) 268-7000
Korean fried chicken from BB.Q Chicken BB.Q Chicken/Facebook

Phuong Trang

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The well-established Vietnamese restaurant has a vast menu of hundreds of dishes but one of its signatures is its chicken wings, often ordered in party platter-sized portions, which come fried with garlic and butter or in a sweet and savory fish sauce glaze.

4170 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 565-6750
(858) 565-6750
A tray of chicken wings. Phuong Trang

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Dirty Birds

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At this locally-owned sports bar with five locations across the city, chicken wings take center stage with a whopping 37 different options for sauces and seasonings. Go with classic Buffalo or barbecue or turn up the heat with mango-habanero or scorching ghost pepper.

4656 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 274-2473
(858) 274-2473
A basket of chicken wings. Dirty Birds

OB Noodle House Bar 1502

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A family-owned restaurant that’s so popular it operates two locations in OB, each offering similar Pan-Asian menus highlighted by its best snack, chicken wings that are marinated in garlic and spices and served with ranch.

4993 Niagara Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
(619) 255-9858
(619) 255-9858

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Knotty Barrel

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The East Village gastropub, which also has its own brewery, is popular for its “Knotty wings” which come in traditional buffalo, garlic parmesan, and spicy sweet chili as well as a straightforward dry rub.

844 Market St (at 9th Ave), San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 269-7156
(619) 269-7156
A plate of chicken wings.
Chicken wings.
Knotty Barrel

Bub's at the Ballpark

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The Petco Park-adjacent sports bar is a hub for game-watching, offering grilled chicken wings in a multitude of flavors, from dry-rubbed bourbon brown sugar wings to sweet and savory combos like Korean barbecue and Thai peanut sauce and fiery options such as honey habanero.

715 J St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 546-0815
(619) 546-0815
A man grills chicken wings in a kitchen. Bub’s

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Royal Mandarin

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This is one of the decades-old Chinese restaurants in National City known for addictively tasty “crack wings”, aka salt-and-pepper chicken wings, which are often sold by the party tray.

1132 E Plaza Blvd #205, National City, CA 91950
(619) 477-4151
(619) 477-4151

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Bonchon Village Way

6030 Village Way Suite 104, San Diego, CA 92130

The South Korea-based chain, which now has three locations in the San Diego area, kicked off the local influx of Korean-style fried chicken. Its twice-fried chicken wings come with either a soy-garlic or spicy glaze or a mix of the two.

6030 Village Way Suite 104, San Diego, CA 92130
(619) 346-4984
(619) 346-4984
Bonchon Chicken Amelinda B Lee

Cross Street Chicken and Beer

12955 El Camino Real G2, San Diego, CA 92130

The appeal of this chicken spot, which has outposts in Kearny Mesa and Carmel Valley, is the variety of seasonings offered when it comes to customizing its chicken wings. The trendy Korean style is represented through its Seoul spicy and soy-garlic flavors, but there’s also Nashville hot, lemon pepper, garlic-parmesan, and more.

12955 El Camino Real G2, San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 461-0076
(858) 461-0076
Korean fried chicken wings at Cross Street Chicken and Beer Cross Street Chicken and Beer.

Golden Chopsticks Restaurant

8135-8155 Mira Mesa Blvd, 8155 Mira Mesa Blvd #9, San Diego, CA 92126

This newer outpost of a longstanding Chinese restaurant from National City provides more access to its legendary salt and pepper chicken wings, fried to a crackly crisp and showered with toasted garlic and green onions.

8135-8155 Mira Mesa Blvd, 8155 Mira Mesa Blvd #9, San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 689-1628
(858) 689-1628

Tenkatori Miramar

6780 Miramar Rd ste 104, San Diego, CA 92121

Karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, is renowned for a delicate light crunch achieved by a potato starch coating. This local branch of a famous Japanese restaurant, whose karaage recipe dates back decades, fries its chicken wings to order; enjoy them with housemade sauces like yuzu aioli.

6780 Miramar Rd ste 104, San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 200-2016
(858) 200-2016
Fried chicken wings. Tentakori USA

Spicy Lao Kitchen

5375 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego, CA 92123

Amongst the more fiery dishes at this Southeast Asian restaurant is the milder but still aromatic tom yum chicken wings. Dusted with a seasoning mix that evokes the flavors of the hot and sour soup, the wings are fried to a piping-hot, greaseless crisp.

5375 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 229-8146
(858) 229-8146
Tom yum chicken wings.
Tom yum chicken wings.
Candice Woo

Pelicana Chicken SD

7767 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92111

A mega-chain in South Korea where it operates thousands of restaurants, this Korean fried chicken brand offers its chicken wings sauceless, flavored with cheese powder, or glazed with smoky-hot, garlic, and hot chili sauces.

7767 Balboa Ave, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 278-2167
(858) 278-2167
Fried chicken from Pelicana. Pelicana

bb.q Chicken Convoy

4344 Convoy St Q, San Diego, CA 92111

This Korean-based brand returned to San Diego in 2021 and now boasts locations in Sorrento VAlley and National City in addition to its Convoy Street restaurant. Its twice-fried chicken wings are available in a number of creative flavors, including maple syrup with garlic and butter, Chinese mala seasoning, and gangjeong sauce, which incorporates soy sauce with cinnamon and chilies.

4344 Convoy St Q, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-7000
(858) 268-7000
Korean fried chicken from BB.Q Chicken BB.Q Chicken/Facebook

Phuong Trang

4170 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111

The well-established Vietnamese restaurant has a vast menu of hundreds of dishes but one of its signatures is its chicken wings, often ordered in party platter-sized portions, which come fried with garlic and butter or in a sweet and savory fish sauce glaze.

4170 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 565-6750
(858) 565-6750
A tray of chicken wings. Phuong Trang

Dirty Birds

4656 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109

At this locally-owned sports bar with five locations across the city, chicken wings take center stage with a whopping 37 different options for sauces and seasonings. Go with classic Buffalo or barbecue or turn up the heat with mango-habanero or scorching ghost pepper.

4656 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 274-2473
(858) 274-2473
A basket of chicken wings. Dirty Birds

OB Noodle House Bar 1502

4993 Niagara Ave, San Diego, CA 92107

A family-owned restaurant that’s so popular it operates two locations in OB, each offering similar Pan-Asian menus highlighted by its best snack, chicken wings that are marinated in garlic and spices and served with ranch.

4993 Niagara Ave, San Diego, CA 92107
(619) 255-9858
(619) 255-9858

Knotty Barrel

844 Market St (at 9th Ave), San Diego, CA 92101

The East Village gastropub, which also has its own brewery, is popular for its “Knotty wings” which come in traditional buffalo, garlic parmesan, and spicy sweet chili as well as a straightforward dry rub.

844 Market St (at 9th Ave), San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 269-7156
(619) 269-7156
A plate of chicken wings.
Chicken wings.
Knotty Barrel

Bub's at the Ballpark

715 J St, San Diego, CA 92101

The Petco Park-adjacent sports bar is a hub for game-watching, offering grilled chicken wings in a multitude of flavors, from dry-rubbed bourbon brown sugar wings to sweet and savory combos like Korean barbecue and Thai peanut sauce and fiery options such as honey habanero.

715 J St, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 546-0815
(619) 546-0815
A man grills chicken wings in a kitchen. Bub’s

Royal Mandarin

1132 E Plaza Blvd #205, National City, CA 91950

This is one of the decades-old Chinese restaurants in National City known for addictively tasty “crack wings”, aka salt-and-pepper chicken wings, which are often sold by the party tray.

1132 E Plaza Blvd #205, National City, CA 91950
(619) 477-4151
(619) 477-4151

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