In 1977, Buffalo Mayor Stan Makowski proclaimed July 29 as National Chicken Wing Day. But we don’t need a holiday as an excuse to enjoy the crispy fried poultry.
The National Chicken Council projected that Americans consumed a record-breaking 1.4 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl weekend this year, and it’s estimated that our average annual consumption is around 290 wings per person. That’s close to 18,000 wings over a lifetime.
While you might like to make them yourself at home, who wants to turn on an oven or a fryer in the summer heat?
Lucky for us, metro Phoenix recently welcomed three new restaurants dedicated to chicken wings where we can get our fix.
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The first Arizona location of the Texas-based restaurant, the wings at Wing Kings come in a variety of flavors with 15 sauces and spice levels from no heat to hottest. In the no-heat category, the restaurant offers barbecue, honey barbecue and lemon pepper. The mild category includes mild, sriracha teriyaki, cajun, spicy lemon pepper and honey hot. The hot category features mango habanero and hot OG. The hottest category includes reaper and suicide.
Details: 2836 E. Indian School Road, Suite A1, Phoenix. wingkings.com.
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Jupiter Wings is the place to go if you have vegan friends. The eatery has options for traditional or vegan bone-in and boneless wings as well as party platters and various types of loaded fries, like vegan loaded bacon fries. The restaurant is slated to reopen in Peoria on July 29 on owner Jason Higgins’ birthday, which just so happens to also be National Wing Day.
Details: 8976 W. Union Hills Drive, Peoria. 623-231-5798, jrwings.com.
Ghett Yo Wings is opening its third location in Ahwatukee only two months after opening a shop in San Tan Valley. The new spot soft opened on July 24 with a grand opening scheduled for National Chicken Wing Day.
The building on Elliot Road formerly housed Ghett Yo Pizza and will still offer pizza, though the focus is now on halal wings that come grilled, breaded, naked, smoked, boneless or cauliflower with 19 different sauces, like chipotle barbecue, mango habanero and hot buffalo.
Specials for the grand opening include free wings for a year for the first 100 customers, free wings for a year for those born on July 29 and six free wings with a beverage purchase at all Ghett Yo locations.
Details: 4747 E. Elliot Road, Phoenix. ghettyowings.com.
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Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.