Wingzup

Tucked away in a strip mall next to the Hancock H-E-B, Wingzup looks kind of like a generic sports bar from the outside, complete with a nondescript pixelated logo over a tiny patio with a few metal tables. The interior isn’t doing much to change that notion, either, with over a dozen TVs showing sports and a dining room that looks like it took its inspiration from a Pinterest board for Buffalo Wild Wings. Finding wings here isn’t much of a surprise, but the surprising thing about Wingzup is just how well they do wings.

photo credit: Holly Dirks

The wings here come in six different styles—original, grilled, smoked, golden (marinated then fried), country (battered then fried), and boneless (if you even consider those wings). We usually go with the original, grilled, or smoked, but you can mix and match for just a few extra dollars. Little bits of char make the grilled wings taste like they came from the backyard cookout of a talented chef friend, and the original wings are textbook perfect—crispy on the outside, soft and tender in the middle. And they’re all available in sauces ranging from classics like Buffalo and Garlic Parm to a ridiculously spicy mango habanero that’s just as sweet and sticky as it is sweat-inducing. The sauce and dry rub menu reminded us a bit of Austin wing mini-chain Pluckers—with similar flavors displayed on a color-coded, sliding scale of spice.

The service here can be pretty slow, and the dining room is about as exciting as a framed accidental cell phone photo of the inside of your pocket. But you’re not really here for the atmosphere or a picturesque interior. You’re here to watch sports and eat some of the best wings in the whole city. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Holly Dirks

Wing Sampler

If you’re a first-timer, or just like a lot of variety, the wing sampler is your best move since it allows you to try two or three different styles and sauces. We usually like to go with the original, smoked, or grilled (or all three) but the country-fried, golden, and boneless varieties are all best in class as well. And with almost 30 sauces to choose from, you can visit an almost infinite number of times before you’ve tried every combination of styles and sauces.

photo credit: Holly Dirks

Poutine

Austin doesn’t have a lot of places to get poutine, but of the few spots we do have, Wingzup is one of our favorites. There are four varieties here, ranging from a classic Canadian (with cheese curds and brown gravy) to a New York-style with chili, bacon, sour cream, and curds. But we like to go with their house Wingzup Poutine—basically, the classic but with sauteed onions and mushrooms. It makes us feel like we’re eating something just a little bit healthier than we are.