Highest-rated chicken wings in San Diego by diners

Written by:
May 4, 2023
Sergii Koval // Shutterstock

Highest-rated chicken wings in San Diego by diners

A staple of backyard parties, family gatherings, and watch parties, chicken wings have brought family and friends together for decades with their hot sauces, sweet coatings, and ever-so-satisfying bites.

These days, if you do a search for chicken wings in restaurants, you're likely to come up with a choice of sports bars, sandwich shops, food trucks, Korean restaurants, and Southern shops. It's clear that the wings have transcended cultural barriers, which is why when we talk about origins, there are many to investigate.

Buffalo wings are the first to come to mind. This popular chicken wing style was born (where else?) in the city of Buffalo, New York. The prevalent story is that Italian-born Frank and Teressa Bellissimo first served these sauce-smothered avian parts to their son in 1964 and eventually in their restaurant, Anchor Bar. But another story says that John Young, a Black Buffalonian, was there serving wings on a busy Jefferson Avenue way before then. Young's wings were served with a mombo sauce that Buffalo councilman James Pitts called the "lip-smacking, liver-quivering sauce (that) titillated our taste buds down to our toes."

Korean fried chicken is another style that's captured the hearts of many with midnight cravings. Crispy, messy, and perfect with a glass of beer, these chicken wings are the stuff of dreams that got their start thanks to the popularity of cheap cooking oil in Korea and a sweet and spicy yangnyeom seasoning. Chain stores like KyoChon and Bonchon serving these delectable wings quickly opened, introducing innovations like soy fried chicken, garlic chicken, and even curried fried chicken. As these shops have made their way overseas and onto our plates, they've also inspired local chefs to elevate the humble bird on a plate.

So, where should you go to find the perfect finger-licking bite? Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for chicken wings in the San Diego area using data from Yelp. The rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Read on to see where you can satisfy your next craving.

1 / 29
Epic Wings

#29. Epic Wings

- Rating: 4.1/5 (203 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8660 Rio San Diego Drive Ste 102 San Diego, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 29
Captain Sam's Fish & Chicken

#28. Captain Sam's Fish & Chicken

- Rating: 4.1/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4111 Home Ave. Ste A San Diego, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Fish & Chips, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 29
Landini's Pizzeria

#27. Landini's Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1899 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1827 India St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 29
bb.q Chicken Convoy

#26. bb.q Chicken Convoy

- Rating: 4.1/5 (320 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4344 Convoy St. Ste Q San Diego, California
- Categories: Korean, Chicken Wings, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 29
Pelicana Chicken

#25. Pelicana Chicken

- Rating: 4.2/5 (795 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7767 Balboa Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Korean, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 29
Milo's Pizza

#24. Milo's Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (589 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6686 El Cajon Blvd. Ste D San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 29
bb.q Chicken National City

#23. bb.q Chicken National City

- Rating: 4.2/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2527 East Plaza Blvd. National City, California
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Korean, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 29
Dough Momma Pizzeria

#22. Dough Momma Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.2/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2152 Avenida De La Playa La Jolla, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 29
Zappy Pizza

#21. Zappy Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5971 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 29
North Park Beer Company - Bankers Hill

#20. North Park Beer Company - Bankers Hill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3095 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Breweries, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 29
Cluck N Sip

#19. Cluck N Sip

- Rating: 4.3/5 (345 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5950 Balboa Ave. Ste 111 San Diego, California
- Categories: Fast food, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 29
Taste & Thirst

#18. Taste & Thirst

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1048 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 715 4th Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Sports Bars, Chicken Wings, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 29
BHC Chicken - Sorrento Valley

#17. BHC Chicken - Sorrento Valley

- Rating: 4.3/5 (149 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9450 Scranton Road Ste 112 San Diego, California
- Categories: Korean, Chicken Wings, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 29
Cross Street

#16. Cross Street

- Rating: 4.3/5 (2394 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4403 Convoy St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Korean, Beer Bar, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 29
D Wings & Ribs

#15. D Wings & Ribs

- Rating: 4.4/5 (126 reviews)
- Address: 36 North Euclid Ave. Ste F National City, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings, American
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 29
Crispy Chicken n' Tomato Clairemont

#14. Crispy Chicken n' Tomato Clairemont

- Rating: 4.4/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9363 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Ste R San Diego, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Korean, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 29
Tasty Pizza

#13. Tasty Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2939 Alta View Drive Ste P San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 29
Calvin's Korean Hot Chicken

#12. Calvin's Korean Hot Chicken

- Rating: 4.5/5 (321 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3211 Holiday Court La Jolla, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Korean, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 29
Boil Daddy

#11. Boil Daddy

- Rating: 4.5/5 (122 reviews)
- Address: 2558 Laning Road Ste 102 San Diego, California
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 29
Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food

#10. Chef Budda Blasian Soul Food

- Rating: 4.5/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1960 54th St. San Diego , California
- Categories: Soul Food, Chicken Wings, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 29
North Park Beer Company Pizza Shop - Crown Point

#9. North Park Beer Company Pizza Shop - Crown Point

- Rating: 4.6/5 (67 reviews)
- Address: 3801 Ingraham St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Brewpubs, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 29
Liberty Wing Co.

#8. Liberty Wing Co.

- Rating: 4.7/5 (103 reviews)
- Address: 2820 Historic Decatur Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 29
The Pizza Joint

#7. The Pizza Joint

- Rating: 4.7/5 (461 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7094 Miramar Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 29
Cuscatlan Salvadorean Cuisine

#6. Cuscatlan Salvadorean Cuisine

- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7516 Mesa College Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Salvadoran, Sandwiches, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 29
Zhengxin Chicken Steak

#5. Zhengxin Chicken Steak

- Rating: 4.7/5 (154 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4609 Convoy St. Ste C San Diego, California
- Categories: Chinese, Chicken Shop, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

26 / 29
Kuljem Chicken & Beer

#4. Kuljem Chicken & Beer

- Rating: 4.7/5 (125 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8895 Towne Centre Drive Ste 101 San Diego, California
- Categories: Korean, Asian Fusion, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 29
Uncle Joey's Pizza & Grill

#3. Uncle Joey's Pizza & Grill

- Rating: 4.8/5 (92 reviews)
- Address: 7520 El Cajon Blvd. La Mesa, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 29
Pizza e Birra

#2. Pizza e Birra

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1340 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3625 India St. Ste 101 San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Beer Bar, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 29
Boxing Crab

#1. Boxing Crab

- Rating: 4.8/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6663 El Cajon Blvd. Ste A San Diego, California
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 223 metros.

Trending Now