Wingstop
Wings, as an appetizer, stem from the classic buffalo wing that was indeed born in Buffalo, New York, in the 1960s. Since, the main variations have included removing the bone and adding a variety of rubs and sauces over and above the classic Frank’s. Madison manages to cover all the bases.
1. Chicken Licks, the Wisconsin tavern on Highway N outside of Sun Prairie, is no longer a wing secret. Original is plenty hot, but ask for the off-menu "extra-sexy" to really break a sweat. For those less inclined to the burn, there is a familiar “buffalo” preparation and also, “nude.” Devilishly spicy while remaining flavorful.
2. At Wings Over Madison on University Avenue, wings are available bone-in or boneless. Customize with a large number of sauces and dry-rub preparations. Five different buffalo-style sauces, six barbecue style, three teriyaki, and one-offs like honey mustard, hot garlic and jerk.
3. Alchemy, in Schenk’s Corners, has one kind of wing done very well. It’s a classic buffalo wing prep, plus. Chicken is sourced locally and coated with a housemade “spicy bourbon cocoa buffalo sauce.” Best of all, the usual blue cheese side is Carr Valley gorgonzola.
4. Buffalo Wild Wings serves bone-in, boneless, a bone-in and boneless combo platter, beer-battered tenders and naked tenders with a variety of sauces and dry rub seasonings, including a salt and vinegar, chipotle, Thai curry and Nashville hot.
5. The Great Dane Pub has two styles of wings, boneless tenders and regular bone-in. Boneless are beer-battered, and served with either Nashville hot sauce or Szechuan honey. Bone-in are fried crisp and coated with your choice of sauce including Asian barbecue and jerk sauce.
5. Wingstop on Regent Street ties for fifth. It serves bone-in, boneless or crispy breaded tenders options, and a choice of side dips (ranch, blue cheese, honey mustard) or flavors (hot sauces including a spicy Korean and a Hawaiian).
