Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Popular local BBQ joint among top 20 best spots for chicken wings in the South
Reading time: 3 minutes
Popular local eatery SAW’s Juke Joint is home to some of the best chicken wings in the South, according to a new “top 20” list from popular lifestyle magazine Southern Living.
It is all about the sauce
The list was compiled by Southern Living food and lifestyle expert Matt Moore, based on his personal experience tasting wings around the region.
Why did he choose SAW’s? It’s all about SAW’s signature sauce, a drizzle of Alabama white sauce and cooking smoked wings just right, according to the Southern Living author.
Below is Moore’s description:
“At SAW’s restaurants in the Birmingham area, it’s irresistible paired with wings. The local favorite was founded by the late Mike Wilson, a native North Carolinian and University of Alabama alum, who helped push the barbecue envelope with his unique mix of Carolina tang and Alabama soul.
My go-to location is SAW’s Juke Joint in the Crestline neighborhood, featuring live music and smoked wings, which are not on the menu at all of their six outposts. The freshly cut meat is dry rubbed and smoked over hickory wood until it’s tender and has a pink hue. After a quick flash fry, the cooks dole out a one-two punch: a toss in SAW’s signature sauce (which is a marriage of Carolina vinegar and Alabama piquant) plus a drizzle of the pepper-laden white sauce that makes ranch or blue cheese seem irrelevant.
This meal is one of the best representations of barbecue translated into a wing format—rich in both soul and flavor and unapologetically messy.”
Other Best BBQ spots in Alabama and the South
In addition to SAW’s, Southern Living identified 19 other spots throughout the South for wings.
Here are the wing spots near The Magic City:
- The Local, Atlanta
- Ching’s Hot Wings, Memphis
- The Camp Restaurant, Natchez, Ms.
- Noble’s, Nashville
- Cricket’s, Madison, Al.
“To be included with so many amazing restaurants and recognized for our incredible food prepared and served by our amazing staff is truly an honor”
Matt Snowden, General Manager, Saw’s BBQ Juke Joint
Congrats to SAW’s for making this prestigious list. What do you think of Southern Living’s “Best Wings” choices? Tell us who you think is missing on their list by tagging us on social media at @bhamnow!
