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Best of San Diego
Crisp skin and real sauce, ranked
Last updated · See what changed
The Winner
The best fried chicken texture in the county, wings included.
Cross Street Chicken & Beer on Convoy serves the best wings in San Diego — Korean double-fried with a shattering crust. For classic buffalo, The Riviera Supper Club and Bub's are the picks.
| # | Place | Neighborhood | What to get | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross Street Chicken & Beer | Kearny Mesa / Convoy | Soy garlic and spicy half-and-half | $22–30 | 90 |
| 2 | The Riviera Supper Club | La Mesa | Wings, grill-your-own steak | $14–20 | 87 |
| 3 | Common Theory Public House | Kearny Mesa | Asian-glazed wings | $15–22 | 84 |
| 4 | Tap Room | Pacific Beach | Buffalo wings, tap list | $13–19 | 83 |
The best fried chicken texture in the county, wings included.
Korean double-frying produces a crust that stays crisp under sauce for far longer than American-style wings. The soy garlic is balanced rather than sugary and the spicy carries real gochujang depth. Waits run long on weekend nights.
Local tip: Order half soy garlic, half spicy — the contrast is the whole point.
Old-school wings in the best retro room in the county.
The Riviera is a 1960s supper club that never modernized, and the wings match the room: unfussy, well-fried, and served with a strong drink. Value is excellent.
Local tip: Sit at the grill-your-own tables and order wings while you cook.
The most interesting wing sauces in the county.
Common Theory runs an Asian-influenced gastropub menu with wings that get real attention. Glazes are complex without burying the fry.
Local tip: The Thai chili glaze is the one to order.
The best wings-and-beer combination in Pacific Beach.
The Tap Room is a straightforward beer bar with wings that consistently come out crisp and a rotating tap list that's better than the neighborhood average.
Local tip: Weeknight wing specials cut the price by about a third.
Every revision to this ranking, newest first — additions, removals, and rank moves.
Latest
Our rankings are editorial. This part is yours — vote for your favorite wings in San Diego. One vote per reader.
Taste
Flavor, technique, and execution of the signature dish.
Consistency
Repeatability across visits and service times.
Value
Price relative to portion and quality.
Atmosphere
Room, service, and whether the setting fits the food.
Uniqueness
A signature element you can't get elsewhere in San Diego.
Crispiness is the largest single factor inside the taste score. Sauced wings that arrive soft cannot rank, regardless of flavor.
Cross Street Chicken & Beer on Convoy ranks first for Korean double-fried wings. The Riviera Supper Club is the best classic buffalo and Tap Room has the best hot honey.
Expect $13–22 for a bar order and $20–30 for Korean fried chicken portions, which are larger and meant for sharing.
The Convoy District in Kearny Mesa. Cross Street Chicken & Beer is the standout, with Hansung and several barbecue kitchens also frying well.
Every list is scored with the same methodology. See all rankings → See every 2026 winner →
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .
