Top 10 Reviews

*Note that TorontoWings.com only rates Hot+ wings. Honey garlic are banned.

1.	Duffs 1604 Bayview Ave.
Duff's takes the top spot! The wing preparation is clearly a product of exacting science in that the quality is unwaveringly consistent (results based on a consumption of approximately 720 wings by the 6 members of TorontoWings.com over 6 visits - we are not armatures). While the sauce is a highly kept secret, the base has a noticeable resemblance to the popular 'Louisianan Hot Sauce'. Never fatty, never burnt, the wings are always cooked to perfection. 9 levels of heat provide a myriad of choice; no sauce, mild, mild-medium, medium, medium-hot, hot, super hot, Death, and Armageddon. Note that Duff's confuses matters by stipulating that mild is medium, medium is hot, etc.. Order Death and be warned! They ring a large brass bell as they deliver these wings. The TorontoWings.com VP, Corporate Affairs, Pete West, once tested a dozen Death wings - extra saucy. Upon leaving Duff's he is said to have experienced mild hallucinations, including a purple sky. Armageddon is new. We have not tested this product yet, however one of the two owners (yes there are 2 - they are identical twins) advises us that they alert the crowd with a blow horn! You have not experienced Toronto wings until you've experienced Duff's. Note they were not awarded bonus points for the striking Simpson's reference in the name.
2.	All Star Wings and Ribs
While torontwings.com may be stretching its scope a little to squeeze these guys in, 'All Star Wings & Ribs' deserves it. These guys are so serious about wings it nearly brought the delegate we sent to perform the review to tears of joy. That's not an easy thing to do. This guys is about 6'2", 215 lbs, shaves his head once a week. At his stag they nearly took out a well known biker gang. Okay we're getting off track. So, how did All Star do it? They have about 90 flavors of wings. Let me repeat that - 90! But it's not just about levels of heat, it's about flavors. The cofounders, owners, and managers, Tom Anastopoulos and Steve Costidis, explain that every single sauce is 100% homemade (at most wingeries Frank's Red Hot is the usual suspect). Here are a few selections from their menu; Black Widow, Hot Blond, The "H" Bomb, Scorpion Kiss, Killer Bee, Nero's Epilogue, Bubba's Backfire, Snake Bite, Caesar Does Texas, Pandora's Box, Mesquite, Pineapple Curry, and the list just goes on and on. The flavors are amazing, but be advised that some of the sauces are quite rich. I highly recommend their Suicide sauce, which is precision spiced and will make your mouth happy, but unlike many lesser wing joints it will not blow your head off. If you want to bend the envelope, they can help there too. It's called 'Armageddon' (sounds like we could have a little rivalry with our #1 ranked spot, Duff's, who also call their hottest sauce by that very name). Before you can order this wing, you have to sign a waiver. It's not a marketing thing, but a real legal document. The Scoville units are in excess of 1,000,000. However, if you get through 11 of these bad boys in 30 minutes or less, you get your picture on the All Star WALL OF FLAME and website + an ARMAGEDDON Survivor T-shirt. It may be a little out of the way, but it's worth the drive to All Star. working.
3.	The Wheat Sheaf Tavern 667 King St W.
Being touted as the oldest tavern in Toronto (est. 1837) should not be the only claim to fame of this historic establishment. Over the many years of operation, even though they haven't taken much time to consider changing the decor, I think they have vested their interests in carefully developing the provision of a damn fine wing! Top marks are definitely given the "The Sheafer" for size, consistency, and sauciness. Sorry ladies, we're only talking about wings here. Time and time again the delivery of large, crispy and succulent wings is executed from an open kitchen situated in the front of the old building. There's safety and security in the "ballsyness" of any establishment that is not afraid to expose the secrets of the wing production centre. Go ahead, shake the cook's hand for a job well done- but wash yours first, he may be cooking my wings next. The sauce of the Wheat Sheaf hot wing is tasteful, with Frank's Red Hot at its base. The beer is good, the service is friendly, and it is a great place to catch the hockey game while scarfing down some tasty wings. It's the ambience that makes it great because I think the big screens are as old as the bar. At the Sheafer you're as likely to find yourself rubbing elbows with a professional thirty-something, as with a student, or with the guy spending the last few bucks of his pogey check- but what brings you all together, to that momentary realization of the ever unatainable societal harmonization we all seek???- The enjoyment of a damn fine wing!
4.	Allens 143 Danforth Ave
The joint is a jumpin'. Situated on the fringe of the bustling Danforth area of Toronto, Allen's has what no other pub in the area can offer, a fantastic selection of draft/bottled beer from around the world, an enviable assortment of single malt scotches and in this torontowing.com's expert opinion, the best wings around! Considered one of the largest chicken wings in the city, Allen's offers a somewhat sweet yet savory style of sauce reminiscent of a flavourful clash between the classic HP steak sauce and a savory peppercorn mixture. Their wings are served piping hot with real chunks of blue cheese in the dipping sauce. Although you can only order them in sets of 10 wings, you won't be disappointed in the way the moist chicken wing meat just rolls of the bone. Give Allen's wings a try, you won't be disappointed. Allen's wings can be enjoyed on their impressive 80 foot bar or for you patio lovers on the enclosed and extremely quaint patio area that is blanketed above by the branches of an enormous weeping willow. Whether it's a booze-up with the boys and the necessary fuel to tackle a rough night on the town. Allen's has what it takes to cleanse the pallet and keep you coming back for more!
5.	Charlies Restaurant 529 King W Toronto
Another in a developing line of great King St. wing havens is this comfy neighbourhood bar – Charlies Restaurant. As is becoming the norm, the torontowings.com panel stopped in on a Saturday afternoon following a tip from a friend. At first glance, Charlies seems like any old pub – tables and booths, big screen TV, pool table, collection of beer signs and posters, salt and pepper, ketchup bottles, loud guys in the corner (but enough about us). Sampling an order of their hot wings sets it apart from many others. Nothing fancy, no exotic spices or ingredients, just a good Buffalo-style chicken wing. Although it is a distinct possibility that the panel hadn’t eaten for about two days, these babies were inhaled in near record time. It took all our will not to order a second round-- but we had another venue to visit. Chris, the owner/operator is a true wing enthusiast and could prove valuable as a wing professor should Ryerson heed our demands. Although he would not divulge his secret recipe, as he knows better, he would say that he uses a dry rub for the wings. The wings aren’t deep fried and then drizzled with hot sauce; they are attended to well before the baking process. Charlies uses the best chicken wings available (the name escapes me); above average in size and very juicy in taste. Also, it’s evident that Charlies is a popular joint with beer junkies, a wide selection of beers on tap, very fresh and cold. Chris said his mom would be “proud” to find his wings well reviewed on our site. And they are – a definite top 10!!
6.	Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant 99 Blue Jays Way (Peter St.)
There was no question that Wayne Gretzky's would make our top 10. For the hockey junky this place is an absolute must. Outside of Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame, you cannot find a better hockey museum in Toronto. Granted it's all about #99, but from trophies to skates to vintage magazines & pictures, it has it all. There's a sports bar with pool tables and plenty of TVs to catch the game of the day, a rather tasteful dining lounge, and in the summer a roof top jungle patio. For those of you who have been, they recently repainted the ambiguous doors to the men's and women's bathrooms, so the guys will no longer find themselves thinking 'that's strange - no urinals'. On that note, the matter at hand is wings and wings alone. Wayne's has the largest wings we have ever seen. They are plump, succulent, and always perfectly cooked. They use a breading and roll the wings in sauce after the fryer. The hot sauce is simply outstanding. They give suicide an extra kick by tossing in some chili pepper flakes (aka 'burners'). While the suicide is not overbearing, we recommend against drinking a cup of straight sauce. One of our members performed this test and found himself in the no urinal zone for several hours that evening. We do not consider anything less than hot, however be advised that medium and below are a little on the sweet side. Overall, my hats off to Wayne on a fine wing!
7.	The Toad in the Hole 525 King W.
This quaint little pub located on King West is a pleasant retreat from everyday Toronto hustle and bustle. With the exception of the religious rhetoric of a slightly crazed (and unwelcome) patron, there is an atmosphere of European charm. Ask the bartender and owner about his title. He is far more scholastic than you might think...how much did you pay for the letters behind your name? Now for the wings...definitely a popular item, there was a consensus that these were quality morsels. The size of these wings was definitely generous and they were cooked to perfection to give a crisp outer shell and a juicy interior. The sauces were tasty, with a hint of chili pepper, but we would have liked a little more bite from the Hot sauce. The suicide sauce was full of real dried chili peppers that taste good going in, but are hot coming out! Definitely good eats and good entertainment at this fine establishment.
8.	Elephant & Castle Simcoe & King W.
Elephant & Castle – 2 locations King / Simcoe, Yonge / Gerrard Stevie B. here with another review of one of the fine wing establishments in this great city of ours, so without further delay, I give you the Elephant & Castle. The Elephant & Castle King Street West location is a pleasant pub / restaurant that specializes in making you feeling British. Bangers & Mash, Roast Beef Yorkshire, Fish & Chips and others are standards on the menu - they find themselves on many of the tables throughout the spacious eatery. Other types of food are also found on the menu, for those who want a little bit of flavour when they eat. One of the pleasant surprises on the menu is the wings. Good sized, lots of sauce, nicely flavoured, extremely moist, but with a little special extra that I couldn’t put my finger on until I was half through the wings… they tasted a little bit like KFC chicken. Okay I know what everyone is thinking, but before I go on and get angry letters and messages about the ‘dirty bird’ it was the good taste that you get out of KFC – everyone knows what I’m talking about, that little something in the skin, the only thing that keeps you going back besides the smell. But I digress. The wings were a joy to scarf back and I’d definitely suggest them to anyone. When ordering the E&C wing make sure you get at least hot with some suicide on the side… you know the British they can’t stand the heat, but for us here at TOwings, the hotter the better. A very nice selection of beers awaits you at Elephant & Castle – the largest seller of Steam Whistle in Toronto – so everyone can find a beer of choice. Definitely give the wings a try if you are looking for a place to go before a game or a show, you’ll be happy you did.!
9.	The Black Sheep Yonge Street, North of Sheppard
Looking to centralize? How about pool tables, darts, video games, pinball, wide screen TV, beer, wings, & much more under one roof? The answer is The Black Sheep. Essentially, this bar is broken down into two sections - a vintage pub & a games room. One look at the aged exterior and you'll know that this is no fancy pants Becks or Sapporo venue. With dark wood, red velvet chairs, and Guinness on tap, the inside has some serious character. In the summer the games room has a garage door that opens up on to Yonge street. While quite crowded in the evenings, 8 of us found we had the entire place to our selves one Saturday afternoon. The wings are a decent size, fried, and then rolled in a Louisiana hot sauce style product. They are not out of the ordinary, but simply a very good standard wing. Give it a try and be sure to tell Pipa the bartender that TorontoWings.com sent you!.
10.	Mad Monty's (Yonge St. - just south of Sporting Life)
Mad Monty's is definitely the hidden gem in the crown of fine wing establishments around the city! We were pleasantly surprised by the cozy environment (downstairs seating is limited to about 30 people) and the wide assortment of beers at our disposal. I must admit, the wings at Mad Monty's are HUGE and prepared to almost perfection. By almost perfection I mean they have really nailed the size, texture and a nice balance between moist and crispy perfection - the only drawback is the unfortunate lack of SPICY KICK baby! As usual, being the wing connoisseurs we are, the only way to order wings is HOT!!!!! (as noted on our home page anything less than hot is unacceptable by our very discerning standards). If Monty's can get the temperature gauge dialed-up on their wings we would have a very close contender to Duffs. Monty's is definitely worth the visit as you will have a tough time finding a better wing anywhere in the city (as of March 4/02). Before I finish my review I must leave you with one thought - the wings are heavenly and so is the service! We can't speak enough for the great wait staff and their extremely hospitable demeanor. We all give Monty's a very enthusiastic thumbs-up and encourage or faithful wing eating comrades to pay them a visit. Tell them Torontowings.com sent ya!