Fried or baked? Best chicken wing restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton and across Tampa Bay
Following my story last month on the best restaurants for fried chicken in Sarasota and Bradenton, and recent reviews of the waterfront eateries on Anna Maria Island, here's my annual list of favorite places for chicken wings ahead of National Chicken Wing Day, which is July 29. Regardless of whether you prefer your wings baked or fried (extra crispy, please!), the flats or drums, I've got you covered.
You will find an eclectic selection of wings and sauces, as well as dry rubs, to satisfy all of your flavor cravings. The restaurants that I visited are spread across three counties and numerous communities, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Siesta Key, University Town Center, Palmetto, and some establishments located just across Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg and on Madeira Beach, which I found were totally worth the drive.
The featured restaurants are presented in alphabetical order, and please note that menu prices are subject to change.
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Bar Hana
1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-536-9717; barhana.com
One of three downtown Sarasota restaurants by Chef Natalia Levey and her local Hi Hospitality Group, Bar Hana offers a vintage tiki setting for craft cocktails and top-shelf food such as their "crispy lava wings" ($14). With each bite, you experience a delightful crunch accompanied by a sweet and spicy pineapple-habanero glaze. The wings are further enhanced by fried garlic, which adds another layer of flavor, before revealing the juicy and tender morsel of meat inside.
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Brass Captain Saloon & BBQ
15045 Madeira Way, Madeira Beach; 727-329-8000; saltwaterhippie.com/brass-captain-saloon-and-bbq
Located just a short stroll from the white sands of Madeira Beach, which is approximately five miles north of St. Pete Beach, Brass Captain Saloon offers an authentic Texas experience complete with country music and high-quality barbecue. After visiting their sister business, the charming Saltwater Hippie bar and apparel shop located across the street, I recently stopped by Brass Captain for a serving of their smoked wings ($13). These wings were seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika, then cooked to perfection with a nice char. They were plump, juicy, bursting with flavor, and perfectly complemented by an ice-cold bottle of Shiner Bock.
Brewster’s Tavern
1454 Main St., Sarasota; 941-343-2380; brewsterstavern.com
One of downtown Sarasota’s best restaurants, Brewster’s Tavern on Main Street serves its awesome "ale wings" using flawless technique: Brined, slow baked and then flash fried to order before being tossed in one of their signature sauces. My current favorite is their truffle Buffalo “truffalo” sauce paired with the tavern's "truffle fries" and a side of their jalapeno ranch. In addition, Brewster’s serves wings in a couple of delicious dry rubs: blackened and lemon pepper. The wings are sold at "market price," which a half-dozen priced at $11.99 earlier this month. And for deals, it doesn’t get any better in Sarasota than Brewster’s “$1 wing Wednesdays.”
Also appears on: 10 best restaurants in downtown Sarasota
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Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill
1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; 727-822-4562; fergssportsbar.com
Found in the shadows of the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field, Ferg's is a St. Petersburg landmark and one of the best sports bars in Florida — and like all superior sports bars, Ferg's serves excellent wings. They're generously breaded with all the buttery goodness best enjoyed tossed in their hot sauce. Need more heat? Go "nuclear"! There are also various other flavors, including the local favorite pairing of blackened and hot teriyaki, which I will have to try on my next visit to the 'Burg. The wings, by the way, were listed on the menu at the bar as "market price," which earlier this month was $17.75 for 10 wings tossed in medium sauce and $9.50 for five wings tossed in hot sauce, which, again, had the perfect amount of kick to complement the breading.
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Food + Beer
Multiple locations in Sarasota and Bradenton; eatfooddrinkbeer.com
Originating in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate district in 2018 followed by a Fruitville Road location in 2019, a Bradenton one in 2021 (which I reviewed), a Venice establishment in 2022 and a location in the Rosemary District that opened earlier this year, the locally owned Food + Beer has flourished thanks to excelling at comfort food classics like burgers and wings. They're tossed about 10 different ways and I’ve happily tried most of them. The buttery house Buffalo is tremendous, while my other favorite is probably the hot teriyaki, which deftly melds sweet, tangy and spicy. Now, while I typically prefer blue cheese with my wings, at Food + Beer, be sure to opt for the jalapeno ranch, which adds a perfectly balanced kick to basically anything it touches. One quibble: During a recent visit to the Bradenton location, the wings (three orders of five each for $28.50) all seemed smaller than I recall, while the two burgers (both priced at under $10) we had both seemed bigger. Go figure!
Also appears on: Best restaurants for burgers in Sarasota and Bradenton
Ford's Garage
295 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-803-3673; fordsgarageusa.com
Founded down the road in Fort Myers, headquartered up the road in Tampa, and with a Sarasota-Bradenton location at University Town Center, Ford's Garage is best known for its dazzling build-out and delicious burgers. However, you will want to begin with an order of Ford's Classic Wings ($15.99). Cooked to crispy perfection, they can be tossed in Buffalo, bourbon BBQ, or Nashville hot sauce. I'm sure the other two choices are fine, but I promise you will not be disappointed by the Music City-style option.
Also appears on: The best restaurants for burgers in Sarasota and Bradenton
Gianni's New York Pizza
925 State Road 64, Bradenton; 941-896-9700; giannisbradenton.pizza
Tucked away in an East Bradenton strip mall, Gianni's does indeed serve tasty New York pizza, as well as some of the best wings in B-town. They're marinated for 48 hours, baked to a crisp, and served with a choice of one of their homemade sauces: medium, hot, BBQ, garlic and Parmesan, or "Italian-style" with caramelized onions. You can order as few as five (for $8.49) at a time, and that's exactly what we did the other evening. The traditional hot wings were spot-on, the homemade barbecue sauce had a most welcome spiciness, and if you love garlic, then please, treat yourself to the super garlicky garlic and Parm.
J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe
987 S. Packinghouse Road, Sarasota; 941-371-9358; packinghousecafe.com
Opened by owner and chef J.R. Garraus in 1999, J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe occupies a building that dates back to the '50s and remains a delightfully funky, Old Florida destination for libations, live music, and hearty comfort foods. While Garraus specializes in Cuban cuisine, including one of the best Cuban sandwiches in Florida, he also offers a variety of other delicious dishes, such as "The OPC's Famous Fresh Jumbo Chicken Wings" (five for $9.95). These wings feature an ideal layer of crunch covering big, juicy hunks of tender white meat and can be tossed in various sauces. My favorite? Mix the "killer garlic" with the traditional Buffalo.
Also appears on: Tampa or Miami-style? Best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton for real Cuban sandwiches
Molly’s Restaurant and Pub
1560 Main St., Sarasota; 941-366-7711; eviesonline.com
Molly's Pub brings authentic Irish beer, whiskey, and cuisine to Main Street, along with American bar food classics, such as their expertly grilled wings (six for $9). You can have them tossed in various sauces, but the one you want is the honey ginger for an extra buck. It's sweet but not cloying, with a nicely pronounced ginger kick on the back end. I’m also partial to the lemon pepper, with both flavors pairing perfectly with a pint of Guinness. Craving some traditional, fried wings? Walk next door to sister restaurant Evie's, which, I'm told, is where the staff first experimented with the grilled wings now served at Molly's.
Also appears on: The best Irish pubs in Sarasota, Bradenton area
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Oak & Stone
Multiple locations in Southwest Florida including Sarasota and Bradenton; oakandstone.com
The Sarasota-founded Oak & Stone restaurants, which include a downtown Bradenton location featuring one of the best rooftop bars in Florida, should be visited for many reasons, from the craft beer wall to the thin-crust artisan pizzas to their famed slow-roasted oven wings. Soaked overnight and teeming with savory flavor through and through, their original wings are topped with a Buffalo-style wing sauce and a generous serving of blue cheese crumbles, with a side of ginger honey mustard sauce for dipping (eight for $16).
The O.G. wings are still my favorites, but in recent years, Oak & Stone has added a bunch more flavors that I appreciate. I'm especially fond of the "Sweet Seoul" ones tossed in sweet chili gochujang with green onions and sesame seeds, served with a side of sweet chili sauce for dipping, as well as the "Asian Zest" wings tossed in honey-lime sriracha, topped with green onions and served with ranch. Barbecue fans will want to try the "Carolina Gold" or "Bourbon Sticky" wings, which both started out as specials but now have permanent spots on the menu. If you love garlic like my Italian relatives, don't deny yourself the "Garlicky Parm" wings covered in grated parmesan and a creamy garlic sauce that could double as a vampire repellent.
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O’Bricks Irish Pub & Martini Bar
427 Old Main St., Bradenton; 941-896-8860; obricks.com
Drum or flat? It can be a tough decision, one you often are forced to make in a split-second while lunging for a rapidly diminishing basket of wings. Not at O’Bricks, located on Old Main Street, which happens to be one of the best restaurants in Bradenton. O’Bricks' wings are named after co-owner (and wing creator) Mike Carter, served whole, and grilled to crispy perfection with a delectable blend of chopped garlic and other assorted herbs that Carter keeps secret. The Fred Flintstone-sized wings piled on a plate ($16) are then accompanied by carrots and a gravy boat brimming with chunky Maytag blue cheese dressing, which you’ll definitely want to use for occasional dipping.
Also appears on: 10 best restaurants in downtown Bradenton
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The Old Salty Dog
Multiple locations in Sarasota County; theoldsaltydog.com
The locally owned family of Old Salty Dogs started on Siesta Key and the newest location occupies a prime spot on Venice island. However, few experiences anywhere in the region can match spending an afternoon at The Old Salty Dog on Sarasota’s City Island overlooking the New Pass Inlet. To elevate that experience, pair a cold beer or boat drink with the restaurant's fish 'n' chips, grouper sandwich, famous "Salty Dog" hot dog, or a basket of their plump and juicy City Island Wings tossed with Old Bay Hot Sauce ($16.99), which should hold extra appeal for anyone who grew up like I did near Baltimore.
Also appears on: Best waterfront restaurants with outdoor seating in Sarasota and what to eat, drink there!
Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe
Multiple locations in Sarasota-Manatee; originpizzacafe.com
Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe’s namesake items have definitely played an integral role in propelling the locally owned business to four locations since debuting in 2016. And while I love their globe-trotting pizza pies, I’m equally enamored by their baked wings. For years, my favorite was the mango habanero but during a visit to the original location in Sarasota's Southside Village, I finally tried the “trifecta” ($15 full order). A combination of Origin’s Buffalo, barbecue, and garlic parmesan signature sauces, each bite manages to nail just about every single flavor a fellow could crave when in the mood for chicken wings.
Also appears on: Best restaurants for pizza in Sarasota, Bradenton — from authentic Italian to fun toppings
Rodney’s Jamaican Grill
814 Eighth Ave. W., Palmetto; 941-981-3214; rodneysjamaicangrillinc.com
For about 15 years now, Montego Bay’s Rodney Williams has been bringing the delectable cuisine of his homeland to Manatee County with the restaurants Jamrocks on Longboat Key, Jamaica Breeze in west Bradenton and, in recent years, the best of the bunch, Rodney’s Jamaican Grill in Palmetto. While entrees include everything from browned and slowly simmered oxtails to genuine goat meat seasoned with homemade Jamaican curry sauce, you will want to start your feast with an order of wings tossed in Rodney’s rich, delicious, and, yes, spicy homemade jerk sauce. Pair the wings (10 for $12) with a bottle of Red Stripe or perhaps a tropical cocktail, and picture yourself soaking up the sun on Montego Bay.
SketchDaddy’s Wings ‘n Things
7814 Cortez Road W., Bradenton; 941-794-2588; wingsnthingsbradenton.com
A Bradenton tradition dating back to the 1980s, SketchDaddy’s Wings ’n Things occupies a small storefront in an unassuming strip mall that most folks totally overlook while driving west on Cortez Road to the famed beaches of Anna Maria Island. Don't do that! SketchDaddy’s offers wings in about 20 sauces and rubs with the essential order being the “sweet blackened” (10 for $12.95). Each crispy wing is covered in a killer blackening rub laced with local honey that collects at the bottom of your basket. And, yes, you will find yourself dipping the wings, and perhaps a finger or two, into that pool of wildly addictive blackened honey.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best chicken wing restaurants Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Pete Tampa Bay
