Long Beach is Southern California’s undisputed wing capital. So yes, you’ll find classic Buffalo sauce and blue cheese at every corner. But the scene here has evolved, featuring Korean double-fried, Jamaican jerk-rubbed, Nashville hot, Vietnamese fish sauce-glazed, and one of the West Coast’s best lemon-pepper variations.
Legends Restaurant & Sports Bar
$$ | (562) 433-5743 | WEBSITE
Legends Restaurant & Sports Bar delivers all the things we expect from a top-notch sports bar and wing spot. Their lemon pepper wings, hamburgers, mac n cheese, and great street tacos all make us want to immediately grab a seat at the bar so we never miss a single play on those huge screens. But this friendly spot on 2nd Street also offers lots of great things we don’t necessarily expect at a sports bar, like chill vibes, good music, and plenty of other food options nearby.
It all gives Legends more utility, which means you can have a fun time here without ever watching a single game.
Cluck & Blaze
$ | (562) 399-9596 | WEBSITE
Don’t be fooled by its spot on the 15 Best Chicken Wings list. Cluck & Blaze is not the fussy, sit-down joint you’d expect from a top-tier ranking. It’s a hands-on chicken shack where you can get saucy, be casual, and order at the counter. The setup is straightforward—the self-service system calls this ‘efficient’ instead of a full-service experience. But the chicken sandwiches are fantastic, and the jumbo tenders are solid.
Pick your favorite and always add the Blazin’ Fries with that comeback sauce.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken
$ | (562) 668-7734 | WEBSITE
This Long Beach spot specializes in fried chicken—a standout dish featuring crispy, fresh chicken cooked to order. It’s not overly greasy, nor does it have a bland, boring flavor. In fact, the chicken at Krispy Krunchy is consistently delicious. It hits the spot when you’re looking for a satisfying but straightforward meal. And it’s a pretty good deal at about $12 for a chicken tender special with a honey biscuit, which we recommend getting over the wedges.
Just remember that it closes fairly early in the evening and the mac & cheese isn’t worth ordering.
Epic Wings
$ | (562) 422-0268 | WEBSITE
Epic Wings is the affordable wing spot everyone needs in their life. The wings here are Buffalo-style classics, extra crispy, perfectly sized—whatever you want to call them. You can get anything from chicken tenders with buffalo med sauce to Epic fries loaded with tender sauced chicken, melted cheese, and creamy chipotle ranch. A large part of their menu is devoted to fresh sides like celery, carrots, and homemade bread sticks that do a great job of complementing the various sauces and flavors.
Like any good wing joint, you can customize pretty much anything on the meal, so go ahead and get extra ranch with your chicken tenders. We won’t judge you.
Don’s Fish & Chicken
$ | (562) 423-7400 | WEBSITE
A takeout counter is probably the last place you’d expect to find perfect wings. But that’s where you’ll discover Don’s Fish & Chicken, tucked away in Long Beach. Get the whole chicken wings. We like ours golden brown and juicy, cooked fresh to order every time. They also have fantastic fried fish that comes with your choice of mac salad, potato salad, or crispy onion rings. The whole experience feels like finding a hidden gem, and at just a dollar for drinks, it’s definitely worth the trip.
Domino’s Pizza
$ | (562) 434-9971 | WEBSITE
Domino’s Pizza is on Long Beach’s late-night Mount Rushmore. It’s been a go-to spot for years and still serves some of the city’s best wings—in classic buffalo, garlic parmesan, and fried to crispy perfection. They also have an adjacent parking lot that feels like a suburban oasis. If you’re not in the mood to cook, go order the 20-piece wings and a medium pepperoni pizza from the counter.
Get a side of cheesy bread and ranch and whisper a small prayer of gratitude to the delivery gods while you dip all of the above into the house blue cheese.
Shlap Muan Chicken Wings
$ | (562) 531-3838 | WEBSITE
This popular spot makes excellent chicken wings. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but we really like the Lemon Pepper Rub and the Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce. The wings are top quality—tender and non-fatty meat, crispy texture, and rich flavor. The Thai tea remains a hit, and the garlic noodles are simple and flavorful. You won’t need to mess with these nearly perfect wings with extra sauces or seasonings.
This is a great takeout option, but there are a few tables to sit at inside with efficient and welcoming service.
Fire Wings Long Beach
$ | (562) 269-3823 | WEBSITE
Fire Wings Long Beach is where you want to go for crispy chicken wings, seasoned fries, and cold beers. The dining area has bright flat-screen TVs, clean wooden tables, and strings of sports memorabilia hanging from the walls. There’s a separate bar section where you can sip a $5 pint of Cali Squeeze beer while watching the game and eating a huge pile of garlic Parmesan wings.
The Wing Wednesday deal tends to sell out quickly, but they have a nice selection of flavors like Nashville Fire, Chipotle, and Jamaican Jerk, which taste best when paired with their blue cheese dip, so order extra.
Crimson Coward
$ | (562) 283-3106 | WEBSITE
Crimson Coward’s location is still a work in progress. But their chicken isn’t. For now, the hot chicken spot is operating out of a modest storefront in a strip mall. But you could eat their signature sandwich in a blizzard of habanero peppers, and feel your taste buds awaken as easily as the flavor does through the crispy crust. This is bold, spicy, Nashville-style hot chicken. Expect the usual suspects like chicken tenders, sandwiches, and slaw.
But you can also customize your heat level or make little bites with brioche buns, pickles, slaw, and baptize it all in Crimson sauce.
Wingstop
$ | (562) 218-9464 | WEBSITE
This classic wing spot has been a Long Beach staple for years. From lunchtime through dinner, Wingstop serves solid versions of their famous crispy and well-seasoned wings. And while it definitely looks like you’re ordering at a fast-casual counter, the atmosphere here doesn’t feel rushed. It’s actually an ideal place to satisfy a casual craving.
Even during peak hours, when the free parking lot gets crowded and the line stretches out the door, the vibe feels more like being at a neighborhood hangout than a chain restaurant—and you can still get something tasty to eat.
Village Road Pizzeria
$ | (562) 420-0040 | WEBSITE
There are several pizza joints in Long Beach, but Village Road Pizzeria stands out for its NY-style pies. You can get slices here, but the specialty is the whole pizza with that perfect crust. A large pie delivers that classic NYC flavor: the dough is nice and meaty, the sauce isn’t too saucy, and the cheese is just right. Things stay delicious even if you take it to-go, but it’s worth grabbing one of the limited charming booths if you’re on a casual date.
Rance’s Chicago Pizza
$$ | (562) 786-5566 | WEBSITE
Rance’s Chicago Pizza is a classic Chicago-style pizza joint, and it wouldn’t be a classic Chicago-style pizza joint without that signature deep-dish pie with its buttery crust and generous cheese, which you can find here. They also make fantastic wings, with the Bourbon Maple Bacon wings being especially praised as some of the best ever tasted, and the buffalo sauce described as killer.
It’s spacious and has a very appealing atmosphere, creating a chill ambiance, so you can sit down and enjoy that delicious combination of pizza and a relaxed Saturday afternoon. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, there are other highlights as well—meatballs packed with flavor, a lunch special with a $5 cheese slice, and more.
Papa Johns Pizza
$ | (562) 495-7272 | WEBSITE
Papa Johns Pizza is a pizza spot that serves a good, simple, and very affordable large pepperoni pizza. They also have meatball pizza, custom toppings, and a few other things—but you’re coming here for the large pepperoni pizza. The $10 carryout large pepperoni pizza is a customer favorite—and the epic stuffed crust is the best. It’s a simple pizza: fresh and tasty pepperoni they make right in the kitchen, with the chef’s pizza-making skills praised, and quick service.
SoCal Wings
$ | (562) 743-0006 | WEBSITE
SoCal Wings lives up to its reputation. This is the best spot to get chicken wings prepared exactly how you want them. Every variety is fantastic—from their Dynamite wings and house wings to their lemon pepper wings that are the ideal late-night treat. The wings aren’t soggy or bland and taste like they just came straight from the fryer. Even their sauces are distinctive: made in-house and featuring bold flavors.
This is a casual restaurant—there’s limited seating inside—but you’ll be enjoying your order before you even find a spot to sit.
Hooters of Long Beach
$$ | (562) 983-1010 | WEBSITE
If you haven’t heard of this spot, you’ve likely seen it by the Pike with that convenient garage parking right next door. You’ll find all the Hooters classics here, from those juicy original chicken wings to the loaded tater tots and buffalo shrimp that everyone raves about. The wings are where it’s at—perfectly cooked, served hot and fast even when the place is packed, with that signature tangy sauce that keeps you coming back.
They also usually have shooter deals and drink specials, like the refreshing blackberry margarita that hits just right. It’s definitely a lively sports bar vibe, but they do have plenty of seating inside with that fun, modern atmosphere where you can hang with friends or your significant other. Just remember to check your leftovers before you head out!