Phoenix, AZChicken Wings

A reader pick for chicken wings, a local chain built on consistency over flavor count. The honey hot brings a real spice kick with pleasant sweetness, and the wings stay crispy outside and juicy inside, with house-made sauces rounding out the board.

The Valley's most unconventional wing menu, running from strawberry-flavored wings to a lemon lime buffalo elote riff. Underneath the novelty flavors the wings themselves are large, plump, and properly crisp, and the flavor rotation gives regulars a reason to keep experimenting.

Wings smoked before they are fried, a two-step process that sets them apart from the straight-fried competition around the Valley. A sweet-and-salty Tennessee dry rub and a classic buffalo sauce are the two options worth ordering first at the counter.

A family-owned Italian spot in Glendale where the wings arrive saucy with skin that still snaps over tender meat. Hot garlic parm and honey hot are the sauces regulars order alongside the pizza, and the kitchen sends both out generously coated.

Wings served original, grilled, or double-dipped, with teriyaki and honey hot the standout sauces. The double-dip option gives the sauce a heavier, stickier coat than most Valley wing counters bother with, which is exactly the way regulars order them off the board.