I have wanted to do a collaboration with Nick of DudeFoods.com for a while now, we met a few years back at one of my HashtagMKE events. It became clear very quickly that Nick knows a lot about food (and content creation)! We were recently chatting about how I wanted to update a few of my lists on TikTok and landed on putting together a list of places for wings in Milwaukee.
Watch on TikTok: 5 Wings in Milwaukee with Dude Foods!
I typically let my guest pick their 5 locations first before putting together my 5 and he snagged a few of the ones I would have otherwise picked. He even introduced me to a spot that does vegan wings (what?! My inner vegetarian had to go and try them this week!).
Read: 10 Mexican Restaurants in Milwaukee
This is not a ranking, the problem I have with ratings and rankings is that many of the same locations are talked about by the majority of articles and publications. What happens to the underdog locations that also offer good options but don’t quite make the hype lists for one reason or another? My goal is to feature a mix of overlooked spots with some of those well-known spots. New people are moving to our city of the time. Plus, as a local, it can’t hurt to change up your routine every once in a while too! Try something new… something provided on this list!
Read: 10 Milwaukee Dive Bars
JMatt’s Picks
10. Camino (IG: @CaminoMKE)
Address: 434 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Hands down, the place I think of when it comes to all things chicken in the city of Milwaukee is Camino. Whether that’s a chicken sandwich or wings… this is a sure-fire stop to get a good meal. They recently opened a location in West Allis, but their original location on 2nd street in Milwaukee is open – which also has outdoor seating and some fire pits in the back.
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9. Elsa’s on The Park (IG: @ElsasOnThePark)
Address: 833 N Jefferson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Ooo… you fancy with those wings! I wouldn’t normally associate wings with fine-dining, but Elsa’s has done just that. This would make for a solid date night spot while still enjoying a plate full of wings within the downtown area of Milwaukee!
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8. Buffalo Boss (IG: @BuffaloBossMilwaukee)
Address: 3536 W Fond Du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53216 (in Sherman Phoenix) and 540 N 27th St, Milwaukee, WI 53208
Dude Foods introduced me to Palomino (mentioned below) for their vegan wings. Buffalo Boss (inside of the Sherman Phoenix) was introduced to me a year ago for that same reason… impossible/meatless vegetarian wings! When I made the switch to be a vegetarian in 2019, I mostly assumed that my days of eating wings were gone. This spot has been my go-to. Don’t worry though, they have plenty of traditional wings to order too!
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7. Mangos Cafe (IG: @MangosCafe_East)
Address: 1682 N. Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Looking for a spot to go on Wings Wednesday? Mangos needs to be on your list! Dine in and order a tasty beverage to go with your saucy wings! I think I accidentally got their Hot BBQ sauce the time I order them, or I just couldn’t handle any form of heat… haha. I will say I’m very curious about their Tropical RUM and Mango Habanero sauce (I swear, I’ve been working on my heat tolerance).
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6. Steny’s Tavern & Grill (IG: @StenysTavern)
Address: 800 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
When you ask locals where you can go for wings, Steny’s is likely one of the spots that’ll be mentioned. They have plenty of sauces to pick from and some dry rubs too. Also, ask about their Wing of the Month on your next trip to Steny’s.
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Read: 10 Milwaukee Apparel Companies
Nick’s Picks
5. The Neighborhood Draft (IG: @Neighborhood_Draft_MKE)
Address: 5921 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53208
The owner of The Neighborhood Draft used to be the kitchen manager at TomKen’s, which is a Milwaukee County wing institution so you know that the wings here are good! They also have some pretty unique sauces that you won’t find anywhere else around here like their Dragon Buffalo sauce which is made with coconut milk, ghost peppers, curry, and Buffalo sauce.
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4. JJ Fish & Chicken (Facebook)
Address: 9008 W Brown Deer Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53224 (5 Milwaukee Locations)
JJ Fish and Chicken has a bunch of locations all over Milwaukee, but when I used to work on the city’s Northwest side (which is lacking in wing spots) the one on Brown Deer Road was my go-to. You won’t find any pretentiousness or a giant list of sauces here, just classic breaded chicken wings that are fried fresh as soon as you order them.
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3. O’Lydia’s Bar & Grill (IG: @OlydiasMKE)
Address: 338 S 1st St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
The combination of grilling and deep-frying the wings that O’Lydia’s does makes them another great Milwaukee wing destination. They have 14 different sauce options — everything from Spicy Pineapple to Jameson Brown Sugar — so no matter how hot or mild you like your wings there’s definitely a flavor on the menu for you at O’Lydia’s!
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Read: 5 Asian Restaurants in Milwaukee
2. Merge (IG: @Merge.Milwaukee)
Address: 1932 E Kenilworth Pl, Milwaukee, WI 53202
The Korean fried wings from Merge are probably different than most wings you’ve ever had, but they’re absolutely delicious! They have six different flavors available and they’re double-fried, which makes them nice and crispy on the outside, yet still keeps the meat nice and juicy.
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1. Club Garibaldi (Facebook)
Address: 2501 S Superior St, Milwaukee, WI 53207
Club Garibaldi only does one flavor of wings, but they do them so well that they don’t need a huge list of sauces for you to choose from. They’ve got a little bit of a kick to them, and are very similar to a popular wing spot on Milwaukee’s East Side. Stop in on Wednesdays when they’re only 65 cents!
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BONUS (by Nick)
* Palomino (IG: @PalominoBar)
Address: 2491 S Superior St, Milwaukee, WI 53207
If you’re not a meat eater but still want to enjoy wings then you’ll definitely want to check out the vegan “wings” from Palomino. They’re made from a combination of seitan and tofu and come tossed in a house hot sauce, BBQ sauce or there’s even a dry rub option if you want to skip the sauce completely.
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BONUS (by JMatt)
* ZaZa Steak & Lemonade (IG: @ZaZaSteak)
Address: 9618 W Fond Du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53225 (Multiple Locations)
I have been doing “city of Milwaukee TikTok” for over a year and I read most of the comments. ZaZa is one spot that comes up in the comments frequently for wings and is generally a restaurant to check out on the NW side of Milwaukee. I found the spot after going vegetarian, so when I stopped, I just scooped up one of their unique flavors of lemonade. Purely by how often this location is recommended to me, I wanted to include it on this list!
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This list is far from exhaustive, there are definitely more than 10 (or even 12) places to get wings in Milwaukee. If you know of more spots, add them in the comments or you can hit me up on social media at @JMattMke (TikTok, Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat)!
Read: 10 Bars with Mocktails in Milwaukee
Make sure to check out Dude Food’s content at DudeFoods.com or follow Nick @DudeFoods on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and YouTube. You can also listen to the Dude Foods podcast!
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