Culinary Quest: Discovering Ottawa's Best Chicken Wings

After nearly nearly two years of research, we're finally ready to crown a winner! These are Ottawa's best chicken wings.

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The only thing better than enjoying some of Ottawa's best chicken wings is enjoying them with a view.

My quest to find Ottawa's best chicken wings began in the early summer of 2020, when restaurant patios were just beginning to reopen - temporarily, as it turned out. I revelled in the simple joy of sitting outside and ordering the kinds of foods that always taste better from a restaurant. I loved every bite of those meals but it was the chicken wings that made the strongest impression. They were so delicious! Had chicken wings always been this crispy, this juicy, this tasty? I was so enamoured that I decided to try as many wings around the city as possible. 

I envisioned myself as a kind of Ottawa chicken wing hero, giving the public the kind of much needed independent wing assessments they've long craved, all while delivering sub-standard wings the evisceration they've long deserved. Little did I realize it would be a hobby that would hold me in good steed through many a lockdown.

What an 18 month experiment looks like

For over 18 months, I've tried wings. Big wings. Small wings. Breaded and naked. Saucy and dry. But in every case, they've been "hot". (Well, almost every case, as you'll soon see...) While tempted by many flavours, I decided that hot was the universal flavour that was easiest to judge for comparison purposes. 

Despite what you might think, I'm not a chicken wing fanatic. I mean, they're not nachos. And that's exactly what makes me an excellent wing judge. They've got to be really, REALLY good to impress me. I'm a discerning customer. I want wings that make an impression, not just something that takes up space on an appetizer platter. My travel writing experience has helped me as well. I've long known that you can't judge food by its establishment. Fast food wings, chain wings, bistro pub wings - they're all welcome here. 

Before we begin, let me just interject before you cry "But what about so-and-so's wings!?" or "I can't believe you didn't go HERE!" I am but one person and this was an entirely self-funded experiment! I did my best to represent a wide range of restaurants across Ottawa and appealed to my friends and community Facebook group members for recommendations. I've also made the decision, after much agonizing, to only publish the top scoring wings. Tempted though I was to let the public know my exact scathing thoughts on many a poor-performing wing, I ultimately decided to keep things on the cheerful side.

In other words: If your favourite isn't listed here, it might just be because I couldn't possibly eat at every restaurant in the city. Or I did indeed try it- and it just wasn't that good. Sorry.

Searching for Ottawa's best chicken wing: Judging criteria

What I look for in a hot sauce

The hot sauce must be, well.... hot! While it isn't necessarily my go-to flavour (I usually prefer medium or a specialty flavour specific to the restaurant), it was soon apparent that hot was the easiest flavour to use for comparison purposes. Everyone has their own interpretation of what 'hot' really means, and that includes myself and Ryan, who has a stronger tolerance for heat than I do. We've agreed that a hot wing is truly hot when there's enough heat for him to remark upon and, though my lips and mouth may tingle after I finish eating, I'm not gasping for water. 

Hot has a kick, just not enough to knock you down. Many a wing didn't make this list because their hot wings were mild at best - and, in one case that shall remain nameless, they were so hot that even Ryan couldn't finish them. 

Meat, skin, and cooking

In my measured opinion, a good wing has fresh, flavourful meat and is cooked so the outside is crispy but still easy to chew. This crispy factor is a big one for me. I hate chicken wings with flabby skin and I hate breaded chicken wings that have soggy, mushy or just under-crisped coating. For the purposes of this experiment, if we were given the choice between breaded or not-breaded, we always chose breaded. It provided an extra element to assess the restaurant's skills.

I do have to say, I agree with the man who made internet headlines for his city council argument that "boneless" wings are NOT really wings. They are indeed "saucy nugs" and, as such, they're not a part of this story.

A number of wings we tried didn't make the list because their meat was dry or just didn't taste fresh. And in once instance, the wings were positively drowned in sauce, rendering them soggy beyond consumption.

Value, price, and size

I have no quarrel with smaller sized wings. I'd rather have a great small wing than a massive wing whose only remarkable quality is its size. But regardless of size or shape, I am looking for value. Are you paying a fair amount for what you get?

When possible, I weighed the wings I recieved via takeout. I was always interested in whether or not a "pound of wings" was actually a pound. Chicken wings, when cooked, will lose about 25% of their initial weight. Granted, a bit of that weight comes back when you toss things in sauce and such but for accuracy's sake, when you buy a pound of wings, you're talking about one pound pre-cooking and pre-sauce. As such, when I weighed my cooked wings, I calcuated backwards to see if they'd come close to being about a pound in their raw state. 

The results: Nearly never. Some were close but we never once had anything that resembled an honest pound of wings. This is probably why so many places are now using the term "a serving of wings". A lot of wings with tasty sauce didn't make this list because the value proposition was so badly skewed. 

Presentation and service

Can hot wings ever have a fancy presentation? Isn't the whole point of wings is that they're totally unpretentious and messy? Maybe. But I was also looking for things like napkins and wet wipes when we dined on patios and considerate packing when we ordered take out.

​Friendly and professional service always matters. However, given the challenges of dining during COVID-19, I tended not to put much weight on this while I researched Ottawa's best chicken wings. I only mentioned it in individual reviews if something really stood out.

Carrots, dips, accessories, and more

I have a theory that the best way to assess the quality of a hot wing is to look at the accompanying carrots and/or celery sticks. Poorly washed produce, with dried out ends that are turning a bit white are a screaming alarm. If a restaurant can't get carrot sticks right, why should I trust them with raw poultry? Thus, I'm a harsh critic when I assess the accouterments that traditionally come with hot wings. 

However, there's one thing I won't be trying in the name of research and that's blue cheese dip. I detest blue cheese at the best of times and blue cheese dips are the worst of the worse. As such, when dip was included, all my wings were served with either sour cream or ranch on the side.

The winning results!

Lunergan's Pub: 9/10

These winning wings very nearly didn't make it on the list. Though this small pub was recommended to us at the very beginning of the chicken wing challenge, we just never really crossed paths with its Montreal Road location. As such, I dragged my feet a little and was on the cusp of publishing this blog post when a sense of obligation to the friend who so passionately advocated for them got me off the couch and into the car to pick up an order. It might just be the best thing I've done in months. Lunergan's wings are what all other wings want to be when they grow up.

The wings were large, fresh, meaty, and juicy with a crisp breading that is rumoured to be the result of a double frying process. The sauce was a classic hot sauce, exactly what you would imagine when you think about hot wings. I personally would have preferred if it was a bit saltier and Ryan would have enjoyed a bit more heat but, as you'll see, this is a bit of a running theme throughout our evaluations. To say that they're Ottawa's best chicken wings might just be an understatement. The wings at Lunergan's Pub may very well be the best appetizer of any kind in the city. Truly, they were absolutely delicious. 

Two tiny details made all the difference in maintaining the restaurant-level quality of these take-out wings. The staff kindly put tiny pin pricks in the top of the takeout container to allow steam to escape. The wings remained warm enough until we got home but didn't have any trace of sogginess. As well, they packed the sauce separately, which I've come to learn is absolutely essential for takeout wings remaining crisp. This attention to detail made all the difference.

Our 12 wings weighed in at 400 grams and cost about $14, making this one of the better value experiences. Instead of a dozen wing, you can also order ten wings with a side of fries for the same price. When we picked up our online order, the staff told us that Wednesday night is wing night (so be sure to call directly to place your order versus completing it online in order to get the deal). Since Ryan and I had to make the drive from Montreal Road back home to Orleans, I also ordered some onion rings as our car snack (yep, these are the kind of people we are. We order car snacks.) I expect that if I were to launch an onion ring challenge, Lunergan's would win that as well. They were thin, crispy, and perfectly done. 

Tulip Restaurant 8.5/10

The pandemic made for some interesting culinary choices for us and Tulip stands out as a good example of that. It's a hotel restaurant! Like, this is where you go to get your breakfast buffet before checking out of Hilton Garden Inn. It truthfully wouldn't have been on our radar at all had it not been for the fact that they accept online reservations and had outdoor space available for us just after the city emerged from a lockdown in June 2021.

Thank goodness things unfolded as they did because we discovered an excellent restaurant that we've been raving about ever since. You gotta come here for the polenta fries alone. And the wings are something else! Tulip's wings were phenomenally good. They very nearly took the top prize and it was an extremely tight race between Tulip and Lunergan's. 

During our visit to Tulip, they were offering a limited menu and, at that time, hot wings weren't an option so we went with Korean bbq as the closest alternative. Yes, this is indeed breaking one of my own rules but the sauce had such a delicious, complex flavour that Ryan wished he could just have a bowl of it and some bread for mopping things up on the side. These were delicious, crunchy, fresh wings which were perfectly coated and they paired beautifully with the sophisticated main courses and creative cocktails on offer. If all hotel food was this good, no one would leave their room.

This Queen St eatery offers wings by the half pound ($9.00) and full pound ($17.00), making these among the priciest which we tried but we felt they were worth every penny.

Clocktower Brew Pub: 8/10

The Clocktower Brew Pub's classic hot wings stand out as one of very best we tried. In fact, they were in the lead position for more than a year until Tulip edged in front. Featuring some of the largest wings we tested, we feasted on crispy and crunchy skin, fresh, moist meat, and perfectly balanced sauce. Hot enough for Ryan but not too hot for me, the wings went down easily and left a tingly heat on my lips afterwards. In short, hot wings don't get much better than this. They're absolutely delicious.

As Ottawa's original brewery, the Clocktower Brew Pub has seven different locations and 14 different varieties of wings representing a mix of dry rubs and sauces (including one made with their signature '96 Red Ale.) All wing orders come with a few carrot sticks and blue cheese dip (which I substituted for sour cream.) The only downsides? Our order came with just two small carrot sticks and there were no wet wipes served on the side. 

We tried these wings in person (on the patio.) One order costs $16.00. Tuesday is wing night but frugal friends should note that during Happy Hour (3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and again from 9:00 PM to close) an order of wings is just $9.00.

River Pizza 7.5/10

(Yes, these are the same wings - just different lighting going on in each photo.)

We admittedly didn't have high hopes for wings that came from a pizzeria but River Pizza's were so delicious that I exclaimed "I love these wings!" after eating my very first one.

I love that the sauce leans towards the salty side (though to be fair, Ryan would prefer if it was 10% less salty and 10% more hot but what does he know?) The wings were large, fresh, crisp, and with a good texture. As we live close to River Pizza's Orleans location and the company handles their own delivery, they always arrive fresh and hot - no sogginess thanks to long delays with a delivery company. The order comes with wings only, with no dips or veggies. There's a second location in Cumberland.

The time we first tried River Pizza's wings in the summer of 2020, we were charged $12 for 12 wings. The price is now closer to $16 but, coming in at 444 grams, these wings represented some of the best value per weight of any wings we tried. 

Isabella Pizza 7/10

Once again, a pizza place surprised us!

Isabella Pizza has been our favourite pizza place for nearly 20 years but now that we're no longer living downtown, we don't enjoy it as often as we'd like. Ordering wings was really just an excuse to get their pizza, all in the name of research. The wings were small but very fresh and came with a good coating of sauce. There was nothing particularly unusual or remarkable about them. They were just good wings done right. My original notes say "very tasty" and, if all wing joints delivered on that, I'd be a happy girl.

One of the reasons we love this Isabella St restaurant in the Glebe is that the staff are so kind and friendly. True to form, our order of 10 wings actually contained 12. At $9.00, these wings are a mighty fine bargain.

Mill St. Brew Pub 6.5/10

As the only restaurant we could find that advertised using local chicken (from Arthur, Ontario), we were intrigued by Mill St. Brew Pub from the very beginning. These were competent, respectable wings, with a good size and a generous among of tasty sauce. The wings didn't arrive particularly crisp but I suspect that's a result of the delivery process and if the sauce was served on the side things would much improve. I very much appreciate that tzatziki is provided as a dip (though I never did receive the promised carrots...)

Of all the takeout wings we've eaten over the past two years (and it's been a lot....) the Mill St. has been the only company to include any personalized service. My bag came with a little thank you note and a homemade cookie. Perhaps I just received a little extra cheer since it was the holiday season but I've never forgotten it.

This downtown pub is located in a building that's more than 175 years old and has incredible views. An order of takeout wings is $15.50.

Corner Bar and Grill 6/10

The Corner Bar and Grill hot wings left Ryan and I divided. Overall, their classic hot sauce packed in a lot of flavour and carried a slightly sweet undertone. Ryan judged these wings were among the spiciest we tried but I felt they were only slightly hotter than normal (interesting, as usually I'm the one who's the most sensitive to heat).

We were equally divided on texture. The soft, squishy skin disappointed me. In fairness, our Uber Eats driver did get lost and the wings arrived about ten minutes late. Hot, steamy wings in an cardboard box always spells trouble so perhaps the less-than-crispy skin is par for the course. On the other side, Ryan didn't mind the texture of the skin but he found the meat to be stringy, something that I hadn't noticed. We both agreed that the homemade ranch sauce was terrific and the carrot and celery sticks were fine. While we didn't love these wings, we liked them and would try them again - if only to see if we could come to a consensus the second time round!

This east end pub offers nine different wing flavours (including sweet chili and peanut butter and 1855 BBQ made with local brewery Kichesippi 1855 Amber Ale). We ordered one pound and received eight wings (a total of 311 grams) at a cost of $14.00. The price has since gone up to $15. On Monday nights, there's a family meal day which offers three pounds of wings and a basket of fries for $40.00.

Maybe it's time to start your own culinary quest

While I'd like to think I'll me lauded as a culinary visionary for this ground breaking research on Ottawa's best wings, in truth, this delicious, self-imposed assignment has been in a reward in and of itself. I've discovered so many delectable destinations and it's inspired me to keep trying more restaurants, even if they're a bit out of my way or not entirely what I was expecting. You never know where you're going to find your next favourite thing!

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