Dan and John's Wings

Historically, NYC has been a terrible place to eat Buffalo-style chicken wings. When Atomic Wings are widely considered the best in town, it's clear there are big problems. The door was wide open for someone to step up, we're just surprised it took this long. People of Infatuation Nation, meet Dan & John's, who we're officially crowning King of Wings in NYC.

I'm infatuated with buffalo wings, will travel to great lengths to eat them, and believe strongly there is no better camaraderie-building cuisine. So believe me when I say: Dan & John's are the best buffalo wings in NYC. They may not be on the level of Westchester's Candlelight, but I haven't been happier eating anything in the last year than I have eating D&J's wings.

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

There's nothing fancy here: no schtick, no bells, no whistles, no exotic sauces or Asian flavors. Just textbook execution. The First Avenue location, which started out as a Smorgasburg stall, is just a storefront with a couple stools, and while we wish there was more space to enjoy the wings live and make a mess of ourselves, beggars really can't be choosers. Plus, these wings deliver and travel incredibly well.

Dan & John's provides salvation for all of us wing deprived obsessives who've all but forgotten how glorious it is to dive face first into a steamy bowl of hot wings. Get down, make love. (Yes, that’s a Nine Inch Nails reference).

Food Rundown

Hot Wings

The key to a great wing is getting just the right amount of fry, so it's perfectly crisp on the outside, while maintaining a juicy body on the inside without becoming overly slimy. Dan & John nail the process. These wings are damn near perfect. You can tell these guys have done their homework. Bravo.

Sweet BBQ Wings

Everything that's right about the hot wings are also right about the Sweet BBQ ones. But let's be clear - buffalo style should always be your first move.

Boneless Wings

Generally, boneless wings are kind of an afterthought to appease those who don’t want to get their hands dirty. Not here. The boneless “wings” here are awesome. These are nugget-sized party poppers, packing heat, making magic in your mouth.

Fries, Tater Tots, Onion Rings

All incredible. Get everything. Go big. Go extra crispy on the tots.