Who's serving up the best chicken wings in Gainesville? Here are 5 favorites
Chicken wing season ... I mean, football season, is right around the corner with the Gators set to kick things off on the road against Utah on Aug. 31.
Though sometimes a bit messy, wings go great with football gatherings thanks to their shareability, portability and seemingly endless flavor options — from blazing hot to peanut butter and jelly — that provide an easy snack for almost anybody.
Whether you prefer your wings fried, grilled or wood-fired, tossed in sauce or rubbed down with seasoning, Gainesville has plenty of options to choose from.
Here are five favorite spots for chicken wings around Gainesville:
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Bleu Bird Wings
5156 SW 34th St, Gainesville; bleubirds.com; 352-672-6364
Opened in February 2019, Bleu Bird Wings quickly gained a strong following and it's easy to see why. Its jumbo chicken wings are served hot and crispy and come with your choice of 24 sauces or dry rubs. Aside from the more traditional lemon pepper or hot buffalo sauces, you also can choose to excite your taste buds with Carolina Reaper, Mango Habanero or a Louisiana Cajun dry rub. Catering for a large crowd or a group of hungry tailgaters? Blue Bird also offers 30-piece, 50-piece and 100-piece options.
V Pizza
115 SE First St., Gainesville; vpizza.com; 352-888-7533
Jacksonville-based V Pizza's wood-fire roasted wings might just top its delicious Neapolitan-style pies. With only four flavors to choose from, it doesn't offer the variety other restaurants do, but the flavors it does have pack a punch. The wings are served in orders of five, and you can select from a classic buffalo topped with Gorgonzola crumbles, or the V Signature Wings, which are made with fresh lemon, rosemary, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and V spice mix, then topped with caramelized onions. Cryin' Hawaiian wings and Calabrian wings also are on the menu.
Germain's
220 NW Eighth Ave., Gainesville; germainsgnv.com; 352-554-4545
This pop-up turned brick-and-mortar restaurant that opened in December 2022 is known for its chicken sandwiches, but its wings are just as good. Cooked to perfection and with the right amount of sauce, these wings are crispy on the outside and meaty in the middle, and are sure to satisfy any game-day craving. Choose from Buffalo, Hot Honey, Angry Sauce or Garlic Parmesan. You can even have them tossed in ranch or honey mustard.
Loosey's Downtown
120 SW First Ave, Gainesville; looseys.com; 352-672-6465
This downtown Gainesville staple caters to all appetites with wings available in counts of eight, 12 or 16. Deep fried and grilled to crispy perfection, Loosey's offers plenty of great flavor options, including all levels of buffalo, sriracha-cilantro-lime-garlic, teriyaki and house barbecue. Not feeling the sauce? Try the blackened or Chesapeake dry rubs.
Gator's Dockside
3842 Newberry Road, Suite 1A, Gainesville; gatorsdockside.com; 352-338-4445
This Florida chain is perhaps best known for its wings, which are deep fried, tossed in your choice of one of more than 15 sauces and then grilled to sear in the flavor. Gators' Own Scooter sauce, its most popular, is a mix of honey and garlic. Other options include sweet BBQ, Caribbean jerk and mango habanero. A second area location coming to Jonesville — 14130 W. Newberry Road — before the end year will make it even easier to get your wing fix.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Where to find the best chicken wings in Gainesville Florida
