Best game day restaurants? My top picks for wings and more in the Daytona Beach area

Amid the season of football games and NASCAR races a plenty, it seemed only necessary to venture out beyond the constraints of my apartment’s singular TV, and into the world of Daytona area sports bars.

With my sights set on a tasty range of wings and casual bites, alongside an abundance of TVs and a vibrant, spirited atmosphere, I discovered a plethora of personal favorites for watching the game and eating well. Whether going out for drinks after a long week or enjoying a tasty game-day bite with family and friends, these restaurants have got you covered with something for everyone all season long.

If you’re looking to kick off your weekend right , pun intended, here are my top picks for the best sports bars in the Daytona Beach area to enjoy the big game and satisfy your appetite.

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South Turn Sports Bar & Grill in Daytona Beach

1540 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach; 386-253-5004, southturndaytona.com

What seemed to be an abundantly clear favorite among the community, this family-owned Daytona Beach bar was an obvious choice as one of my top sports bar picks. Known for its mouth-watering wings, burgers and more, the local favorite is an ideal spot to catch a game with more than 50 TVs lining its walls, alongside three large projectors for the ultimate surround-sound, viewing experience.

With bar-top, high-top and booth seating, the local bar is a great casual spot to dine with a friend or two, or to bring along your whole crew. The sports bar’s menu includes a range of casual bites from its loaded fries, boneless bites and Buffalo chicken dip to its brisket sandwich, fried pickles and bacon cheeseburger.

Naturally, I came for the wings and, boy, did they live up to the hype. I ordered 10 of the garlic parmesan, grilled and re-tossed, alongside the cheese-coated, bacon bits-topped, crispy smothered fries.

The fries were the perfect messy game-side starter — not soggy and delivered to me nice and warm — but the wings most definitely stole the show. With a slight crisp to the outside and a tender, juicy inside, these wings packed a punch with flavor and were cooked exactly to my liking, and the garlic parmesan sauce wasn’t overpowering or flooding the basket like others I’ve tried.

With a variety of weekly specials — like 85-cent wings every Tuesday from 4 to 10 p.m., $8 domestic pitchers or $10 domestic buckets — alongside the eatery’s 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily happy hour — with $2.50 domestic pints, $3.50 wells and more — you simply can’t go wrong stopping into South Turn this season.

Merk’s Bar and Grill in New Smyrna Beach

193 N. Causeway, New Smyrna Beach; 386-427-1177, merksbarandgrill.com

A local gem, this New Smyrna Beach bar and grill is now a new wing-stop staple for me and my visitors. Giving me a true sports bar experience, one that I know well and miss deeply — hi Philly — this casual spot features two-dozen TVs decorating its walls, with promises to “keep you tuned in to your favorite sport,” from NASCAR to NFL and more.

The eatery offers a daily happy hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a range of craft and import beer selections, alongside a range of daily food, beer and liquor specials. The eatery plays Sunday, Monday and Thursday NFL football, as well as Saturday NCAA football, and offers gameday drink specials, like $4 bloodys, $10 seltzer buckets, $16 domestic buckets and more on Sundays. With a range of flatbreads, burgers, wraps and sandwiches, the entire menu was tempting, but not as tempting as the famous “Frankenstein” wings.

What my server described as an all-sauces blend of teriyaki, hot sauce, BBQ and more, these smothered delights were scarfed down in record timing — for me, anyway. A true blend of savory, sweet and spicy, these were some of the juiciest, messiest and most fall-off-the-bone wings I’ve had since my big move. Perfectly crispy, coated and cooked, Frankenstein wings deserve their famous reputation.

I also ordered 10 of the bar and grill’s mild wings, grilled and re-tossed, and, like its counterpart, they delivered on flavor, texture and spice.

Alongside my wings, I opted for another quick, bar-side bite — the Cuban nachos. Loaded with carnita pulled pork, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce, scallions and Jack cheese, the cilantro-topped, sour cream-drizzled plate was deliciously layered, flavorful and big enough to feed a few, but, luckily, that just meant more for me.

Houligan’s in Port Orange

1396 Dunlawton Ave., Port Orange; 386-322-3330, wallywings.com

This local chain is a clear favorite within the community, and for good reason. Holding five locations within Volusia-Flagler counties, this seemed like a must-try stop for wings and flat screens. With too many TVs to count, the well-established sports bar is a great pick to cheer on your favorite team while scarfing down some of its delicious wings.

The eatery’s loaded menu extends from sandwiches, nachos, wraps and salads to burgers, seafood, soups and more. Known for its famous Wally Wings — a menu staple and local favorite — the eatery offers a range of sauce choices from honey BBQ and Cajun to sweet chili and hot garlic.

I opted for the wings and fries combo, ordering 10 mild wings, accompanied by the fried pickles starter and Buffalo chicken dip. The wings weren’t overly saturated in sauce or a dripping, sticky mess, but were nonetheless juicy, well-cooked and perfectly seasoned. Paired with the Buffalo Chicken dip and fried pickles, it made for a great casual dinner to enjoy alongside the game.

The local eatery offers a full bar with a daily happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. and serves local and national craft beers on tap. Whether stopping in for the famous wings, a cold beer or burger and fries, this local eatery is an obvious choice for all your game-time meal needs.

First Turn Port Orange

5218 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange; 386-788-5434, Facebook.com/firstturnportorange

This outdoor restaurant and bar reminded me perhaps the most of some of my beloved outdoor dives from back home — and the food was just as good as the atmosphere.

For those hoping to stay indoors, seating is available inside at Daytona’s Steakhouse and Gastro Pub at First Turn, but, for me, the covered patio takes the cake for entertainment, experience and ambiance. The beloved game-day spot offers tempting food and football Sunday specials, like 75 cent wings and $13 domestic beer buckets. Live bands take the stage outdoors every evening, while a plethora of TVs, both indoors and out, play your favorite teams.

With menu items ranging from cheesesteaks, nachos and sandwiches to burgers and juicy wings, there’s a variety of classic game-day bites to keep you satisfied all season long.

Opting for the wings — surprise, surprise — I ordered 16 Frankenstein and teriyaki, alongside the beef sliders basket. The wings were smothered in both teriyaki and a blend of all of the eatery’s sauces — Frankenstein sauce — making a messy, flavorful, tangy concoction of deliciousness that was quickly devoured.

I like my wings smothered and with a crispier coating, and these certainly hit the spot. Crispy, yet tender, and not at all dry, this was the ideal basket of sauce-smothered wings to end my night right. The sliders were just as delicious and a surprisingly nice size, with a burst of seasoning pushing its way through every savored bite.

McKenna’s Place in NSB

1443 S. Dixie Freeway, New Smyrna Beach; 386-409-3355, mckennasplace.com

When it comes to NFL season, you can’t go wrong with this family-owned and operated local gem. Whether coming alone or with a full party, McKenna’s Place in New Smyrna Beach has a little something for everyone to enjoy, offering burgers, wings, fresh seafood, sandwiches and more.

The eatery hosts a daily happy hour from 2 to 7 p.m., as well as an extensive list of Saturday and Sunday football specials from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., including $3.49 pints of Busch Light or PBR, $11.99 pitchers of Landshark Island Lager, five for $16.99 buckets of select domestic bottles that you can mix and match, and five for $22.99 buckets of White Claw hard seltzers that you can mix and match.

For my casual dinner, I landed on 10 of the mild garlic wings, alongside the potato skin starter and chili and cheese nachos.

The star of the show was undoubtedly the wings, with a perfectly crispy outer layer, moist, fall-off-the-bone meat and a delicious garlic sauce coating. Although I was hoping for a little more of a kick, these medium wings were an undeniably good start to the meal.

Following suit, the bacon and cheese-topped potato skins were well-cooked with a slight crisp to the exterior and soft center. The nachos were loaded with smoked gouda, chili, scallions, black olives, salsa, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream — a game-watching, go-to snack for my friends and me.

With more than 36 TVs decorating its walls and a full bar packed with football season specials, it’s only right to stop into McKenna’s place this weekend.

The Half Wall in NSB

1889 State Road 44, New Smyrna Beach; 386-426-5350, thehalfwall.com

Whether visiting the DeLand, Port Orange or New Smyrna Beach location, you can’t go wrong with this well-loved restaurant.

The Half Wall is home to not only several game-side menu staples, but to over 23 HD TVs to watch your favorite teams and over 100 bottled craft beers to enjoy after a long week.

The eatery’s large interior and vibrant atmosphere made it an easy pick for the one of the best places to enjoy great food and even better company during the NFL season. Whether venturing out on your own or joining family and friends, this local eatery has a menu full of casual bites to enjoy all season long, with options ranging from the beer-battered cheese curds and the Half Wall Burger to the grilled four cheese sandwich, California turkey wrap and beer-battered fish and chips.

Opting for game-night wings, I ordered the Stinging Honey Garlic wings alongside a few enticing appetizers, the boom boom shrimp and fried green tomato stack. Although the wings came in an order of 10, I could have easily gone for 15 … or 20. The sweet and spicy selection had just a touch of garlic with a subtle kick. Messy and sticky though they were, the wings were tender and flavorful, with a perfectly crisp outer coating.

The fried green tomatoes were garnished with roasted red peppers, feta cheese and a delicious, homemade tomato vinaigrette, while the sautéed boom boom shrimp were topped with cilantro and accompanied by a spicy boom boom sauce side. Both made for a tasty, quick bite alongside my honey garlic meal, the perfect end to a wing-filled week.

Helena Perray is the restaurant and dining writer for The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A New Jersey native and passionate storyteller, she can be contacted at hperray@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Support local journalism by subscribing

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Best wings in NSB, Port Orange, DeLand and more for game day