If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that Denver residents have a lot of opinions when it comes to wings. Another thing to be sure of is that most of the places that serve them brag about having “the best wings in Denver.” So rather than create a list of our favorites, we made a guide to some different styles, price points and other options.

Now, on to blue cheese vs. ranch …

5 can’t-miss classics

Piper Inn

The Piper Inn has been many things over its decades at the border of Denver and Aurora, but it currently stands as a favorite gathering place for assorted crowds, ranging from bikers to post-soccer game families and everything in between. Spirited, friendly and nostalgic, you’ll want to sit down, and watch the game (and your fellow patrons) while you enjoy wings that have been on Denver’s list of favorites for years. Medium-sized, they run 10 for $16, and 20 for $32.25, and come in classic Buffalo, garlic dry-rub and Chinese-style (made with oyster sauce).

2251 S. Parker Road, Denver; piperinn.com

CD’s Wings

CD’s Wings isn’t new — the Westminster shop has been around since 2003 — but it has expanded its profile recently, bringing the heat to another part of town, Aurora, in early 2024, and with plans to add a third location in Parker later this year. Which is just fine with CD’s loyalists. The most popular flavor here is traditional hot Buffalo, but CD’s also serves around 20 other flavors, including cajun, lemon peppers and a house sauce. CD’s has won various local contests for its dry rubs and its fiery No 1 Left Standing sauce. Wings here are 5 for $8 and 10 for $14.

7685 W. 88th Ave., Westminster and 6710 S. Cornerstone Way, Aurora; cdswings.com

The Wing Hut

The wings at this 21-year-old fast-casual spot can run smaller, but what they sometimes lack in stature, they make up for in flavor — many, many flavors. Just for starters, there’s sweet and sour, honey lemon pepper, salt and vinegar, teriyaki, pad thai, spicy peanut, hot honey mustard, raging barbecue, chili lime ranch, pesto-parmesan, xxx hot and many, many more, for a total of 45-50 different kinds. Family-owned, The Wing Hut is also a perfect stop before heading to Dry Dock Brewing nearby for a beer to cool down the xxx flames.

15473 Hampden Ave., Aurora; winghutaurora.com

Woody’s Wings & Things

These are the kind of wings that inspire people to log onto Yelp for the first time, just so they can give them five stars. Woody’s is an Asian restaurant with a vast menu of Chinese dishes, along with many from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. But the spot is also known far and wide for its wings, which are large and often quite spicy. Flavors include Szechuan and Lemongrass peanut.

6817 Lowell Blvd., Westminster; woodyswings.eatintakeout.net

Fire on the Mountain

The welcoming, Grateful Dead-themed wing spot has two locations in Denver, both run by friends of the company’s founders, who operate another two in Oregon, so the business is as local as they come. Opinions vary on the size and style of the wings, but for the most part, they stand out for their consistency and flavors, which include upward of 15 choices, including spicy peanut, raspberry habanero, bourbon chipotle and Jamaican jerk. Like Walters 303 and King of Wings (both below), you also find a heady selection of craft beers on tap. And get those orders in early on Super Bowl Sunday, when Fire on the Mountain is at its busiest.

3801 W. 32nd Ave. and 300 S. Logan St., Denver; fotmdenver.com

Smoked wing superstars

Split Lip: An Eat Place

Split Lip was created by Ultreia chef and owner Adam Branz as “a platform for classically trained chefs to conceptualize and cook casual food through their professional lenses.” In other words, the walk-up counter, which is located inside the Number Thirty Eight bar and venue, does flavor-packed versions of things like burgers, chicken sandwiches, tater tots and wings — but in ways you’ve simply never tasted before. Split Lip’s wings follow suit. There are two versions, one made with an Alabama-style white barbecue sauce (vinegar, mayo) and one with Road Dawg hot sauce from Colorado’s own Sauce Leopard. Both versions are brined for 24 hours before being smoked and then fried over a two-day process. You can find them there anytime, but hint, hint: Split Lip has a massive outdoor LED screen (and other TVs) for watching Denver Broncos games.

3560 Chestnut Place, Denver; splitlipeatplace.com

G-Que Barbeque

Many barbecue restaurants make wings — sometimes as an afterthought. But the version at G-Que Barbecue gets just as much attention as everything else. There are a variety of sauces available, including classic Buffalo and a sauce of the week. But it’s the dry-rubbed wings that really allow the smoked flavors to come out and shine. Five wings are $8, and 10 are $15.

7085 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, and multiple other locations; gquebbq.com

Smok

Chef Bill Espiricueta has lived in both Kansas City and Austin, so he knows his barbecue. In 2018, he began selling it from Smok, located in The Source Hotel, and last year, the restaurant was recommended in the inaugural Michelin Guide to Colorado. But beyond the brisket and the burnt ends, the pulled pork and the ribs, you’ll also find some of the most smoke-imbued hot chicken wings in town. There are two flavors, Buffa-Q sauce and Jerk dry rub.

The Source Hotel + Market Hall, 3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver; denversmok.com

Grilled or baked wings

King of Wings

King of Wings has a ride-or-die following, and there’s a good reason for that: the wings here are really good. But they’re not fried like traditional wings. Rather they are grilled, which gives them a more rustic flavor that pairs well with the sauces, including three new ones: lemon pepper, hot agave lime buffalo, and white Alabama barbecue. Six for $12 and 10 for $18.

7741 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge and 1100 Arapahoe St., Golden; kingofwingstaphouse.com

Walter’s 303 Pizzeria & Publik House

Solid, flavorful, consistent. The wings at Walter’s are like an old friend. You know what to expect, and you like it. They’re not cheap; like several other spots in this story, the wings — which are baked rather than fried — run more than $2 each (8 for $16:50), but they sure are good. Flavors include Italian-style Buffalo, mango habanero, hickory and sriracha honey, along with a dry rub.

Two Denver locations (Uptown, Lowry), Littleton, Colorado Springs; walters303.com

Esters

This south Denver neighborhood pizza spot has grown to three locations, and each one has a lot of fans. Some like it as a sports bar, others as a family dinner restaurant, and more still as a happy hour destination. But among Esters‘ virtues are its oven-baked wings. You can order Buffalo, or try one of the stellar rotating seasonal flavors such as blueberry habanero or the peanut butter and jelly wings, which are covered in green onions and peanuts.

1950 S. Holly St. and 2201 Oneida St., Denver, and 10151 W. 26th Ave., Wheat Ridge; estersdenver.com

5 great football-day deals

Rocky Top Tavern

This is it. This is the spot where everything you want in a football bar comes together in perfect harmony: TVs, pool tables, a neighborhood feel that’s one step up from a dive, friendly staff and Buffalo wings that even a native of upstate New York might begrudgingly respect. Plus the food here, including those spicy, meaty, well-fried wings, is consistently inexpensive, so the Rocky Top Tavern doesn’t need to offer special deals. They already are one. Get six wings for $8; 14 for $18 in a variety of flavors. Oh, and cans of Modelo are $4.

4907 Lowell Blvd., Denver; rockytopdenver.com

ShaWING at Tavern on 26th

ShaWING is a Buffalo-born enterprise, and this season, the truck will post up at the Tavern on 26th in Wheat Ridge for every Buffalo Bills game. The bar offers plenty of TVs along with pool, darts and other games. ShaWING’s wings, which are crispy and come in various degrees of Buffalo, run about the middle of the price range: 4 for $8, 8 for $15, 12 for $22. But during the first two games of the season, anyone in Bills gear gets 20% off of in-house orders. P.S. ShaWING makes no bones about its feelings for Vikings fans or ranch dressing.

10040 W. 26th Ave., Lakewood; bestwingsdenver.com

The Post Chicken & Beer

The Post — founded in Lafayette and now with six locations on the Front Range — is known for its fried chicken and its house-made beer, but the restaurant also offers football specials every Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday when there are college or NFL games on. They include 75-cent wings (on orders of 10 or 20 with a limit of 20 per order) at all of its locations. They come in Buffalo sauce, black pepper BBQ, Nashville hot, spicy gochujang or a dry rub.

1575 Boulder St., Denver, and five other locations; postchickenandbeer.com

Campus Lounge

This old-school bar is going on 50 years — and you may mind some regulars who have been drinking there for all of them (even after a pair of renovations???). On Mondays, the Campus Lounge offers all-you-can-eat wings starting at 5 p.m., which is perfect timing when it comes to Monday Night Football. The wings here are smoked, and you can get them with a dry rub or with one of several sauces, including “Everything Bagel,” which is top-notch.

701 S. University Blvd., Denver; campusdenver.com

The Pub on Pearl

Is your team playing on Thursday Night Football? If so, then The Pub on Pearl has you covered with 50-cent wings starting at 5 p.m. every Thursday. Customers need to be 21 since the deal is predicated on the purchase of a drink. It’s also in-house only. But that’s a bargain any way you look at it. The neighborhood sports bar has plenty of TVs for other sports as well.

1101 S. Pearl St., Denver; facebook.com/thepubonpearl

3 great delivery/pickup places

Genna Rae’s Wings & More

Opened in 2016 by Genn Dickerson, this spot serves everything from barbecue to burgers and sandwiches, but it’s the wings that have received the most attention, especially recently as more people order in. You’ll find a wide variety of homemade sauces, including honey hot, garlic, and BBQ, but since Dickerson is from the Virgin Islands, it’s worth your while to try the ones with jerk sauce and other island flavors, like pineapple mango habanero. Get six for 11.50 or 12 for $17.

1819 E. 28th Ave., Denver; gennaraeswings.com

Taste of Philly/Famous Philly

Taste of Philly has been putting together cheesesteaks in Colorado since 1993 and eventually merged with Famous Philly, becoming a takeout/delivery-only local chain during the pandemic. And while they specialize in sandwiches, their wings are above average when it comes to classic football food. Plus, you can get 20 for $25, which is a deal in this day and age. Flavors include Buffalo (mild, hot and not responsible), garlic parmesan, barbecue and mango habanero.

Multiple locations; tasteofphilly.biz

Vine Street Pub

Like a lot of things post-pandemic, the wings at Vine Street Pub aren’t the same enormous breaded masterpieces that they were beforehand. But the brewery and pub, which reopened in June after a four-year hiatus, still does a great job cooking and spicing their wings. Vine Street doesn’t have any TVs, though, so if you want to eat these wings while watching football, you’ll have to call in advance and order them to pick up.

1700 Vine St., Denver; mountainsunpub.com

3 Asian wings

Ace Eat Serve

We’ve got a soft spot in our heart from Ace Eat Serve, which started up a delivery app-only side project during the pandemic — as many restaurants did — called Wing Alley. Those wings helped us get through the stay-at-home nights when we wished we were heading out. These days, Wing Alley has been folded back into the Uptown restaurant’s regular menu, but you can still find some of the flavors, including the sweet and spicy Tiger Wings and the Lucky Dragon Wings, made with spicy chili mayo and sesame seeds. They’re not cheap, at $15 for 6, but they are quite tasty.

501 E. 17th Ave., Denver; aceeatserve.com

Angry Chicken