The Best Lemon Pepper Wings in Atlanta

Who serves the best lemon pepper wings in Atlanta? The top burrito in San Francisco? Welcome to Taste of the Town, where we call on a local expert to share the best versions of one of their city's most iconic foods.

With all love and respect to the perfect summer peach, no food better symbolizes Atlanta’s spirit than lemon pepper wings. The base recipe is ripe for endless creative riffs in a city that does everything a little bit extra.

The soul-satisfying dish has been a hit for decades, so much so that it’s become a key part of the city’s identity. This wing’s fame was taken to new heights in 2016, when an early episode of Donald Glover’s Atlanta introduced the concept of “lemon pepper wet” to a national audience. This blessed union of Buffalo sauce and zippy seasoning expanded the lemon pepper matrix beyond its dry-coated origins.

As locals will be sure to tell you, lemon pepper wings—be they “wet” or “dry”—have always been a cornerstone of how Atlantans eat. Today you’ll find them in high-end restaurants and world-renowned strip clubs alike. Atlanta chefs of every stripe treat lemon pepper as a canvas, adding their flair to the classic recipe. Alongside the reliable favorites, you’ll find wings amped up with za’atar, glossed in Korean barbecue sauce, and dusted in chaat masala, speaking to the diversity and range of our region. Lemon pepper wings are also our city’s drinking food of choice, pairing like a charm with lager, sweet tea, and vodka-spiked lemonade.

The bar is high in a city with so much wing history and pride. There are no free passes for forgettable lemon pepper in Atlanta. We judge wings by the quality of their golden brown hue, the intensity of their crunch, and the balance of their acidity. So grab a stack of wet wipes and get to know the very best versions of Atlanta’s favorite dish.

Lost in the Sauce

How to choose between wet and dry wings.

The distinction between wet and dry lemon pepper wings is pretty simple: “wet” means doused in a combination of lemon pepper seasoning and zingy Buffalo, butter, or another flavorful sauce, while “dry” features a coating of spices. But to avoid disappointment, it’s important to understand the difference between wings that are wet with sauce and those simply saturated in oil.

Restaurants with reputations for “lemon pepper wet” tend to live up to their good names with glossy, emulsified sauces. When in doubt or unfamiliar territory, the safe bet is always to stick with dry. And if you’re ordering takeout and can’t save your wings from swimming in a greasy Styrofoam pool during the ride home, dry wings are a more reliable choice. Whichever way you order, don’t worry—Atlanta always offers another chance to find the lemon pepper wing of your dreams.

Apt. 4B

2293 Peachtree Rd.

Restaurateur Tasha Cyril is sometimes frustrated by the popularity of the turkey wings at her scene-centric Buckhead bar and lounge. It’s not that she doesn’t appreciate having a hit dish on the menu, but some diners enjoy them so much they don’t bother trying anything else. The wings, each about the size of a large pork rib, were created by Vladimir Edwards, a former Apt. 4B chef of Haitian descent who was inspired by the Caribbean island’s traditionally fried wings. First, they’re marinated for 24 hours, then confited until fall-apart tender. After being flash-fried to a delectable crunch, they’re tossed in a Scotch bonnet and lemon pepper emulsion and sprinkled with dry lemon pepper for a bold, zesty finish.

The Local

758 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

You don’t survive for 27 years on Ponce de Leon Avenue, one of Atlanta’s most dramatically changing arteries, by losing your identity. Long considered one of the best places for wings throughout the metro area, this wooden den of dart throwing and patio drinking is famous for its indifference to change. The kitchen plays hard to get with its wings; they don’t sell them on Mondays and never allow carryout, and no one under 21 is allowed inside. They don’t even have an official website. That’s all okay with locals, because, yes, the wings are absolutely worth the trouble. Whichever flavor you pick—whether smoked and flash-fried, wet Buffalo and lemon pepper, or the unexpectedly awesome mash-up of lemon pepper and Korean barbecue sauce—it’s highly likely you’ll adopt a locals-only attitude and assimi­late right into the vibey dive bar.

J.R. Crickets

Multiple locations

Since a Buffalo native named Paul Juliano opened J.R. Crickets in 1982, this tavern chain has developed a loyal following for its standard hot wings. When Atlanta aired a now-infamous episode depicting Brian Tyree Henry’s “Paper Boi” being served a tantalizingly saucy off-menu version of J.R. Crickets’ classic lemon pepper wings, “lemon pepper wet” was officially born. This sauced version had long been available to customers who knew to ask, but since that moment of Hollywood fame, the style has spread across the city. Fried hard yet more chewy than crisp, these are some of the easiest wings to house, and you’ll find them at all 16 of the restaurant’s no-frills locations. It’s clear why these originals remain the blueprint for a great lemon pepper wet.

Delbar

Multiple locations