Wingoda Wednesdays

An epic quest to find the best chicken wings in Berlin. Every Wednesday a bunch of foodies visit a different wing establishment to not only get a little closer to chicken wing nirvana, but to have an absolute blast while doing so. Each restaurant is reviewed in terms of food and service. If you are a chicken wing fan who lives in Berlin, you’d be a fool not to join us!

[wingodawed]

KOKIO

Food: 5/5     Service: 3/5     Ambience: 4/5

Hagenauer Str. 9, 10435 Berlin

12 February 2020

After a long break we decided to go on another wing outing. Luckily for us, we found the restaurant that tops this list. None other than Kokio, a restaurant that specializes in Korean fried chicken. However before we went on this big group outing, my friend Ailish and I went on a reconnaissance mission to test the chicken wings out. 

So let’s get straight to the meat of the matter. The chicken wings were first of all bigger in size than the competition. Secondly the meat on them was so succulent and really popped when combined with their wide assortment of spicy sauce toppings, including an incredible wasabi sauce. 

 The restaurant itself feels more like a bar but the staff still successfully manages to serve up a mouthwatering batch of wings on the regular. As space is an issue, I’d advise reserving a table for a large group. They staff get kind of agitated about vacant chairs at the table etc. Speaking of ambience, check out their bathroom for a really interesting vibe. There’s a disco ball in there!

So where KOKIO may lose out a bit on the ambience and service, they definitely make up for it in the food department. Hands down, the best wing joint in Berlin town (so far!)

[wingodawed]

Chibee

Food: 4/5     Service: 3.5/5     Ambience: 3/5

Tegeler Str. 29A, 13353 Berlin

17 October 2018

After frequenting many a wing establishment in Prenzlauer Berg, we finally moved from that district to my neck of the woods, Wedding. 10 points for the name that is a combination of Chicken + Beer = Chibee! This is a Korean style wing restaurant much like Angry Chicken however it is in a much more relaxed neighbourhood with ample outdoor seating space. Having visited this restaurant a few days before with a few other friends I made sure to order the burger the first time around so I could save the wing experience for Wingoda Wednesdays!

The wings themselves were crunchier than what we were used to at other Korean fried wing establishments (Angry Chicken and Guten Dag), and unlike those places the wings came naked with sauces on the side. This led to some confusion at the beginning as we thought they had messed up our order! However the spice level was on point. A nice touch was an off the menu ‘even spicier’ option!

The sauces on the side, in my opinion, is a double-edged sword. When it comes to the spiciest sauce, the fact that you could take as much sauce as you wanted led to a much more pleasurable experience as opposed to you having to deal with wings marinated in the sauce. However for the less spicy sauces it was annoying to have to constantly dip the wings in sauces and I would have preferred them to be marinated in that case.

Although this is a small restaurant, it is a very relaxed mood outside so it’s perfect for a meal out with friends. It is never very busy so you can always find a table as well. There was one waiter but the fact that he provided service with a smile really upped their service game. It really is that simple! This is the third chicken wing place after Gotham and Angry Chicken that has a tablet on the wall for taking Instagram Selfies! The cool thing about this one however is the strategically placed speech bubbles on the wall behind us! 

[wingodawed]

Salt’n Bone

Food: 3/5     Service: 2.8/5     Ambience: 4/5

Schliemannstraße 31, 10437 Berlin

10 October 2018

For weeks we were looking forward to this one as we had heard nothing but good things about it. However having finally dined here it is nothing to write home about. 

Martina nailed it when she called the wings over here “Victoria’s Secret Wings”, because they are extremely photogenic but have very little meat on them! These chickens were definitely on a diet! The saving grace were the sauces which were on point. Nothing too fancy, just your traditional buffalo and blue cheese. The combination of the tangy and the cool proved to be a real winner. If only the wings had more meat on them, Salt’n bone could be a real contender for the number one place (just in terms of food).

The service was just that: service. The expressionless waitress just fulfilled her basic duties without anything extra. While the food came on time and the orders were not mixed up, a smile wouldn’t hurt! We also decided to go for ribs, as this joint is famous for them. They were pretty damn good too!

The ambience definitely set the mood. Very rustic with mood lighting, it definitely sets itself apart from similar establishments. The mood extended to the outdoor seating which is where we were sitting. The interior decoration conjured a feeling of old world charm with black and white photography and the like. The decor of the toilet was also very charming!

[wingodawed]

ChickenBuzz

Food: 3/5     Service: 4/5     Ambience: 5/5

71 Rosenthaler Straße, 10119 Berlin

4 October 2018

This is a trendy new restaurant in the heart of Mitte, just off Torstraße. As soon as we entered. the decor of the place really stood out. The ambience is a modern take on traditional oriental interior design.

This was a surprise for us as the name of the restaurant is quite a generic sounding name, not bringing to mind anything to do with Asia. Nonetheless we ordered chicken wings and chicken popcorn. There are one type of wings that come in different quantities. However the specialty here is the wide selection of dipping sauces to choose from.

Other than your standard hot sauce, there was sweet ‘n’ sour, teriyaki, salsa verde, cheese and peanut sauces to choose from. Another interesting touch was individual dog bowl-like containers given to us for the bones.

The final verdict on the wings itself is that they were just your standard wings, so nothing exceptional. I felt that they were actually quite bland on their own with no marination whatsoever. The sauces really saved the wings, especially with interesting varieties such as peanut and cheese. Service was what you would expect, again just average. However as the ambiance was so cosy and well thought out we decided to include it as a category for this and all future restaurants we reviewed. Definitely a great environment for eating wings. 

[wingodawed]

Adana Grillhaus

Food: N/A     Service: 3/5

Manteuffelstraße 86, 10997 Berlin

26 September 2018

Being in the mood for grilled wings we decided to go to Adana Grillhaus, a Turkish grill in the busy Kreuzberg district. As it was a sit-down restaurant we attracted a larger audience which included some new faces.

As we had two Turkish people with us who were advising us on what to order, we decided it would be better for us to order a variety of dishes rather than just chicken wings in order to get the full Turkish cuisine experience. We began with the meze platter which included cheese, yogurt and vegetables among portions.

Then it was time for the main course; plates of barbecues meat of different varieties. This included the Adana, i.e. the long piece of lamb above the rest. According to our Turkish friends, this is what an authentic kebab is. Adana is not only the name of the kebab, and the restaurant but is also a city in Turkey. Other meat included barbecued beef very similar to Afghani boti, as well as chicken wings. However as everyone had so few chicken wings, we decided not to rate it as it would be biased.

The decision to order a variety of menu items ultimately paid off. We can now honestly claim to have had an authentic Turkish barbecue experience. Even our Turkish friends were very impressed with the quality of food, saying it definitely lived up to authentic standards.

[wingodawed]

Angry Chicken

Food: 3.9/5     Service: 3/5

Oranienstraße 16, 10999 Berlin 

12 September 2018

This week we went for a second round of deep fried Korean chicken. Whereas last week’s Guten Dag was a kiosk under a bridge, Angry Chicken is a sit-in place albeit with limited seating. We decided to take the party outside and dined on a table while standing. 

We received our first dose of varying spice levels this week, as Angry Chicken offers them. We ordered Sexy Chicken, So So Angry Chicken and Furious Chicken. The Sexy Chicken was relatively mild, the So So Angry Chicken was just the perfect amount of spice and the Furious Chicken turned out to be a real creeper, as we ate many of them without feeling any serious spice aftereffects only to have our lips tingling after a few minutes! Angry Chicken’s spice game is most definitely on point. Definitely the best wings as far as spice goes.

However that being said, the wings themselves were not particularly meaty. Although they are of the deep fried variety we felt there was very little meat to gobble up, especially compared to last week’s Guten Dag. If there was more meat on the bone, this would have been a world-class wing!

Being a fairly small shop we could not say much for service. Although when I gave my order in, I had to correct the server who for some reason entered my order in twice. The food did not arrive super early or super late but just on time. It would have been nice to have seats to sit on inside, but as the restaurant is located in such a hip Kreuzberg neighbourhood, we really didn’t mind standing outside!

In fact after Angry Chicken we went to a bar right next to it for a few beers. In fact, some of our friends who joined us later ordered wings from the bar too that were apparently pretty delicious as well. however, we will save this establishment for another day!

A few days later my friend Ailish and myself went again. She ordered 6 of the second spiciest (so so) and I got 15 of the spiciest (furious). Even though I chomped through all of them with burning mouth, blurred vision etc.. the real effects were felt the next day. Not advised for the faint of heart. 🐓✨🍗

Those wings did not digest without burning my insides. I was on fire, and not in the good sense! 

[wingodawed]

Guten Dag Korean Fried Chicken

Food: 3.5/5     Service: 4/5

Schönhauser Allee 120, 10437 Berlin

29 August 2018

This week we decided to switch it up and visit a Korean fried chicken place; a kiosk located under the bridge next to the Schönhauser Allee station. 

We ordered two portions of the Ban Ban which was a mix of soy and spicy wings (in the photo below), grabbed a few beers and dined at a nearby späti. The wings were crispy and flavorful. The sauces used for marination were really on point.

What really stood out from these wings was the perfect balance of meatiness and crispiness. Service was brilliant with 30 wings ready to eat in a mere five minutes.

[wingodawed]

Gotham Burger

Food: 4/5     Service: 5/5

Kottbusser Damm 95, 10967 Berlin

30 August 2018

After shifting our usual wings day to Thursday this week due to a party that we we attended on Wednesday, we were shocked to see seventeen people show up to this event. This was by far the most people so far. Needless to say, we were all very excited to get our wing thing on!

These were quality wings. We ordered the buffalo wings that were marinated in buffalo sauce. The texture of the wings was full and succulent. The buffalo sauce was good but not great. However I did like how they didn't smother the wings in sauce. I was able to taste the actual chicken and not just pure sauce.

The accompanying sauces really took the experience to the next level.

With so many people at the table, we still managed to get amazing service. Even though there were a few mix-ups and some wait time, they tried their best while still having a smile on their face and a lovely attitude.

The cherry on top of this amazing foodie experience was the end when the servers brought over several rounds of whiskey-honey shots. After that, Gotham Burger truly earned their 5 out of 5 stars for service.

[wingodawed]

Risa Chicken

Food: 2.5/5     Service: 3/5

Schönhauser Allee 45, 10435 Berlin

22 August 2018

Starting from the base variety of chicken wings available in Berlin we decided to begin our journey at Risa Chicken, a local fast food chain.

While the service was fast and the value of money was good, the wings themselves were heavy on crispness and light on meat. As far as flavor goes, the wings seemed to have a basic marination with a hint of spice.

[wingodawed]

The Bird

Food: 4/5     Service: 3/5     Ambience: 3/5

Am Falkpl. 5, 10437 Berlin

24 October 2018

The ninth and final destination on our list, we finally made it to The Bird. This restaurant is known for their burgers, steaks, chicken wings but most notoriously they are known for their Napalm Wings, i.e. chicken wings smothered in spicy habanero sauce. The yellow sauce may look harmless... until you take one bite out of it and you feel the steam releasing from your ears! Well it wasn’t that bad, but a few tears were shed for sure.

We ended our weeks-long Wingoda Wednesday with a band with a big group. The Bird had been built up over the weeks as the magnum opus of wings in Berlin, but in reality that rang true for only the spice level. Don’t get me wrong, the wings were great, just not as fantastic as the offering we had at Gotham. 

You can see folks feeling the burn in these photos and one video below!

All in all it was a great ending to an amazing two months of wing-filled weeks. We now knew where each wing establishment in Berlin stood, and which ones to go to depending on our mood. 

Although The Bird’s Napalm Wings were spicy, I don’t think they’re any spicier than the spiciest at Angry Chicken. I really felt that burn deep inside me! That being said I do love me some habanero topped Napalm goodness! Real love: