As of recent times, it seems that the chicken wing has gone downhill like marbles on a rain-slicked mountain. There are so many places that have let this delicious American tradition fall from grace. This is an outright tragedy. The Super Bowl will not tolerate this. 

That is why this week, the fine folks at Drink Philly have taken some of the guesswork out of where to go for your celebratory Super Bowl wings, and have listed below some fine and unique suggestions. 

Everyone mentions this place, so you could very well call it cheating, but we feel that we would do the place a great disservice by leaving it off this list.  

Moriarty’s has made a great name for itself as one of the top wing joints in Philadelphia, and rightly so. The texture is great, the price is right, and the sauce is just the right level of taste and heat. Amateurs can dive into these wings, and pros will just love the flavor. 

Beyond the great wings, Moriarty’s is a fantastic pub. The bar spans the deep length of the restaurant, and HD TVs are lined up behind the bar for sports-viewing. 

This will be a great spot for the Super Bowl, if you don’t mind the crowd. We’re sure it will be packed. 

Go here for the 3rd Degree Wings. Yes, I’ve mentioned them before, but they’re just so darn worth it. The 3rd Degree wings have a great amount of heat, with a wonderful flavor that’s just a little sweet. 

Cavanaugh’s is a great Gastro-Pub Sports Bar, with a good cocktail and beer selection, plenty of HD’s lining the walls, and some of the best wings you’ll get in the city. Bring your friends, expect a crowd, and expect a good time. 

We were pretty excited to see some more of the non-traditional at this great barbeque restaurant. After much deliberation, we settled on both the grilled BBQ and the Dry Rub wings. 

The dry rub wings were a pleasant surprise - crispy, not messy at all, with a smoky, peppered flavor. The BBQ were quite sticky, but evenly coated, and very sweet. Notes of citrus and just a hint of something nutty. 

This location is not ideal for Super Bowl viewing, unless you have a date, and still feel the burning desire to watch the game on the silent HD. Nevertheless, check it out. You won’t be disappointed. 

Size: Medium-Large

Texture: Dry Rub: Crispy, not messy.

Texture: BBQ: Firm, meaty!

Portion vs. Price: Spot on. 10 for $8.95, and absolutely worth it.

Sauciness: Dry Rub: Like a blackened chicken. Dry, peppery rub, with tender chicken.

Sauciness: BBQ: Sticky, evenly coated. Very sweet.

Super Bowl Popularity: Got a date? Bring her here. She’ll never know.

Other Comments: Very cozy space, nice atmosphere, great location for weekend festivities.

 

Devil’s Den has one of the best beer selections in the city, and their dinner menu has a wide array of choices that leave you more than intrigued in the best way possible. 

Though they offer a number of different sauce choices, we decided to shoot for Devil’s Den’s own chipotle flavor. These were much sweeter than I expected from a chipotle sauce, with very little heat and smoke. This is not your typical chipotle sauce. 

Grab a chair, grab a beer, grab some wings ??" preferably by the fireplace. This is probably going to be a quieter location for the Super Bowl, but with great food and drink. Bring your friends here if you don’t want to get bogged down in a crowd. 

Size: Medium

Texture: Crispy all over the outside, meaty on the inside.

Portion vs. Price: Alright. About $1/wing.

Sauciness: Chipotle: Very sweet, little smoke or heat.

Super Bowl Popularity: Big HDTV, possibly going to be a quieter “party” so to speak. Bring a group of friends for awesome drinks, and a great view of the game.

 

The wings here are not traditional, but they are delicious. Varga is fairly new to the corner of 10th and Spruce, but they’ve already established themselves as one of the best craft beer gastro-pubs in Philly. 

Their specialty wings are Duck Confit Chicken Wings, served in a pomegranate-molasses bourbon-chili sauce (whew!). The wings are slow-cooked over three plus hours, and the final product simply falls off the bone. 

They’re a little spicy, very sweet, and are seasoned “jest right.” 

Varga will be running a special for the Super Bowl; for $44, it’s all-you-can drink beer and wine, and at half-time they break out the aforementioned wings and a giant cheese steak. Given the quality of the product, I would say it’s well worth it. 

Size: Medium

Texture: Falling-off-the-bone-deliciousness.

Portion vs. Price: Great. At $8 for ten, they’re just grand.

Sauciness: Very saucy, but it holds to the meat very well. Intense unique flavor.

Super Bowl Popularity: This is going to be a niche hotspot. Again, check their $44 deal.

Other comments: Location wise, this is another great place for a bar-hopping experience. Add it to the list.

Drinker’s has three great things going for it: A lot of space, affordable food (with lots of choices), and superb ongoing drink specials. 

We dove into their Hot Wings, feeling like we needed to kick up the heat. The sauce wasn’t too excessive, and weren’t oily at all. I wish I had gone for their Habanero sauce instead, but I’m also a sucker for the spice. 

Drinker’s features $1 Rolling Rock ponies all the time, and a bar menu that won’t break the bank as well. This will be a great space for watching the Super Bowl, but it is more than guaranteed to be packed. Come here for what will probably be a great party. 

Size: Medium-Small

Texture: A little crispy. Meats were juicy!

Portion vs. Price: Great. Ballpark of 54 cents per wing. They’re sold by the pound.

Sauciness: Not too runny or greasy but a lil’ messy. The “Hot” sauce wasn’t as hot as desired, but it had its moments. They offer a variety of flavors.

Super Bowl Popularity: Lots of space, great specials, big TVs. Time for a Super Bowl party.

 

If you’re looking for delivery, check this place out. It’s very affordable, and there are several sauce choices. 

The wings here are more traditional, and for most people around Super Bowl time, that’s a very good thing. We tried the medium, and wished for a little more heat. It should be noted that there are numerous choices even hotter, so if you’re a seasoned veteran, we recommend taking it one or two notches up. 

Be forewarned ??" they go through ~75,000 wings every Super Bowl, and you’ll need to order at least 2 hours in advance for delivery. Pickup will be around 45 minutes. Be prepared, and order some extra ??" you’ll work up an appetite during the downtime.  

Size: Small

Texture: Crispy or soft (hit or miss)

Portion vs. Price: Good deal!

Sauciness: Thin, runnier sauce on the Medium.

Super Bowl Popularity: High for takeout and delivery.

Other comments: No seating at actual location.

Manny’s is known for their infamous Monday Wing Night, where they feature 15 cent wings and six dollar pitchers. Their non-Monday prices still won’t drain your wallet, and you’re bound to leave sated. 

The wings are traditional buffalo-variety, and there are TVs throughout the place for watching the game. This will be a great spot to come with friends. Located on South Street, expect some heavy traffic. 

Size: Small

Texture: Quite soft, not much crispiness.

Portion vs. Price: Great!

Sauciness: Very runny sauce. Good flavor!

Super Bowl Popularity: High! We’re expecting a good number of folks.

 

So this Superbowl, or really any other time, check out any number of these places. We at Drink Philly extend the Wing Challenge to you folk to hit as many of these places as you can in one night…just like we did. Word to the wise: bring a group of people so you can disperse the deliciousness evenly! Happy Wing Hunting!