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Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Our readers have spoken: This metro Detroit restaurant has the best chicken wings in 2025
It's winner, winner, chicken (wing) dinner time. Thousands of chicken wing aficionados around metro Detroit have spoken on which metro Detroit restaurant has the best chicken wings through our monthlong 2025 Chicken Wing Challenge. Right from the beginning, when we solicited nominations for the 16-restaurant bracket, we knew it would be close — real close. Once we finalized the field of 16, readers voted over the course of four rounds to get down to one restaurant, with many races decided by only a handful of votes. So the winner of the 2025 Chicken Wing Challenge is ... Well, wait. Let's first give a big shout-out and thanks to all the readers who participated. Dozens of places were nominated and thousands of votes poured in each round, all the way up to the championship, which pitted No. 2 seed The Charlevoix in Grosse Pointe Park up against No. 5 seed Woodpile BBQ Shack, whose Madison Heights location cooks up the nominated wings. That brings us to the winner. Drum roll, please ... Woodpile BBQ Shack is the winner of the 2025 Free Press Chicken Wing Challenge! To get to the final round, Woodpile BBQ Shack edged out the always popular Sweetwater Tavern in the "Savory Four" to get to the finals. Meanwhile, The Charlevoix edged out Detroit favorite Zeek's Wings. The Charlevoix also was a runner-up in the 2023 Chicken Wing Challenge, but lost to One Under Craft Beer + Eats in Livonia. The Charlevoix's wings are one of the main choices on the menu of the neighborhood restaurant and bar. More than a half dozen styles are listed, including salt and vinegar and Thai. Woodpile BBQ Shack is owned by Tim Idzikowski, Zac Idzikowski and Brandon Hannish. The Madison Heights location opened in 2019, four years after the Clawson joint opened. Tim Idzikowski said they were very thrilled to make it through to the final round. 'We beat some pretty big competition,' he said. Idzikowski's daughter, Kelly, added that they also had great support from the community. 'We had a little bit of a ground game reaching out to all our friends and family but, beyond that, we just had some great support in the community,' Kelly Idzikowski said. 'We do our best to have a good presence in both Clawson and Madison Heights, and I'm hoping that that's what showed up. We had the support for the community and the community had our back in this bracket as well.' Woodpile's wings have a unique three-step process. They use wings, flats and drums, first getting a soaking in a sweet tea brine. Then the wings are wood-smoked using oak, then fried, Tim Idzikowski said. Kelly Idzikowski said developing the wings was a little bit of trial and error. 'But we also wanted to pay a little bit of homage to the southern style as much as we can,' she said. While the wings are only on the menu at the Madison Heights location, the Clawson location runs them as a special at times. Woodpile BBQ Shack will be awarded a trophy for its victory in the 2025 Chicken Wing Challenge. Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: This metro Detroit restaurant has the best chicken wings
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
8 metro Detroit restaurants move on in 2025 Chicken Wing Challenge: Vote in Round 2 now!
Just as March Madness gets underway with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, the 2025 Chicken Wing Challenge enters Round 2. The 16-restaurant bracket to determine which metro Detroit establishment has the best chicken wings is down to 8 thanks to thousands of votes helped determine the winners of Round 1. >> Here are the Round 2 matchups. You have until 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 24 to vote. You can vote using the link above or in the bracket below. Sweetwater Tavern, originating out of downtown Detroit, has long been noted for its award-winning wings. The wings are marinated in their specially seasoned marinade for 24 hours, then deep-fried and seasoned again, according to its menu. Anita's Kitchen started in Ferndale more than 40 years ago. It's wings are close to true Buffalo wing style, a reader wrote. But they also have crispness and the addition of garlic and sumac. Woodpile BBQ Shack in Madison Heights has smoked wings sprinkled with what one reader described as a 'magic seasoning.' A popular spot in Corktown, Batch Brewing Co. wings are smoked on site and tossed in a sauce. Szechuan Chili Crisp or Buffalo are two sauces listed on Batch's online menu. >> In Detroit, Zeeks Wings is a take-out spot only. Its noted for its crispy and jumbo wings described as 'premium' and offered with mild or hot barbecue sauce, Bourbon Cajun and Buffalo sauce. Ann Arbor's Side Biscuit is described as a 'cozy chicken wing and scratch biscuit spot.' It was noted for its perfectly cooked wings and array of sauces. The Charlevoix's wings are one of the main choices on the menu of this neighborhood Grosse Pointe Park restaurant and bar. More than a half dozen styles are listed, including salt and vinegar and Thai. Located in midtown Detroit, The Block's chicken wings are known as Woodward Wings, which are dry-rubbed and oven-roasted. The whole wings are served with barbecue, Buffalo or sweet chili sauce. Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chicken Wing Challenge 2025: Vote in Round 2!
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Free Press Chicken Wing Challenge bracket is set: Vote in the first round now!
The bracket is set, and it's game on for the 2025 Detroit Free Press Chicken Wing Challenge. On March 7, we asked readers to nominate their favorite independent restaurants serving the best chicken wings in metro Detroit. Hundreds of submissions later, we put together the 16-restaurant bracket, which will determine who will become the Chicken Wing Challenge champion on April 5. Judging by the submissions we got, we know this is going to be well-fought bracket. Many southeast Michigan bars and restaurants are known for mighty fine and tasty chicken wings, from Shelby Township to Ann Arbor. >> First-round voting runs through Thursday. Here are the matchups: Sweetwater Tavern, originating out of downtown Detroit, has long been noted for its award-winning wings. The wings are marinated in their specially seasoned marinade for 24 hours, then deep-fried and seasoned again, according to its menu. Brewligans Public House in Trenton offers its wings as drums and flats tossed in a choice of sauces or served naked with sauce on the side. There are ten sauces to choose from, including Brewligans Buffalo and Threat Level Midnight. Anita's Kitchen started in Ferndale more than 40 years ago. It's wings are close to true Buffalo wing style, a reader wrote. But they also have crispness and the addition of garlic can sumac. Noted as a classic bar and grill, the wings at Fairway Bar and Grill in Easpointe are juicy, deep-fried chicken wings covered in a choice of sauces. Woodpile BBQ Shack in Clawson has smoked wings sprinkled with what one reader described as a 'magic seasoning.' At The Oxford Tap, an Irish pub in Oxford, wings are a house specialty. A reader described its wings 'prepared just right and served with their tap sauce.' Mavrix in Shelby Township got nods from readers for its huge wings. The wings are also described as extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. More than a dozen sauces are offered.A popular spot in Corktown, Batch Brewing Co. wings are smoked on site and tossed in a sauce. Szechuan Chili Crisp or Buffalo are two sauces listed on Batch's online menu. >> Ann Arbor's Side Biscuit is described as a 'cozy chicken wing and scratch biscuit spot.' It was noted for its perfectly cooked wings and array of sauces. Brown Iron Brewhouse in Washington Township was nominated for its wings that are first smoked, then fried and sauced. In Detroit, Zeeks Wings is a take-out spot only. Its noted for its crispy and jumbo wings described as 'premium' and offered with mild or hot barbecue sauce, Bourbon Cajun and Buffalo sauce. One Under Craft Beer + Eats is a family-owned craft bar and restaurant in Livonia, and our 2023 Chicken Wing Challenge winner. Its wings got nods again for their size and sauce. [ Become an insider: Subscribe to our Eat Drink Freep newsletter! ] Bugsy's in Warren was nominated for wings, first fried and then sauced. Once sauced, the wings are slightly charred on a grill. Located in midtown Detroit, The Block's chicken wings are known as Woodward Wings, which are dry-rubbed and oven-roasted. The whole wings are served with barbecue, Buffalo or sweet chili sauce. The Charlevoix's wings are one of the main choices on the menu of this neighborhood Grosse Pointe Park restaurant and bar. More than a half dozen styles are listed, including salt and vinegar and Thai. Flowers of Vietnam's wings put this southwest Detroit spot on the map. The caramel chicken wings are whole wings that are fried Korean style and dipped in a savory caramel seasoned with fish sauce, chili and hard spice, and served with a herb mayo. Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2025 Free Press Chicken Wing Challenge: Vote in first round!
