Dive bar chicken wings
Kelly’s Bar
Hamtramck
Jan. 16, 2026
Another day, another journey into the dark of a dive bar to explore their culture and cuisine.
We’ve been on a roll lately -- from reviewing the bathroom art at Dirty Shake to singing the praises of the hardest work slice of pizza in Detroit or loving the staff recommendations at Bev’s Bagels (admittedly not a dive bar, but you could get drunk before you go if you wanted).
Our latest trip takes us to Kelly’s Bar, which is known mostly for its top-notch smash burger. (We’ll be back soon to give you details on that.) On this trip, our burger dreams were deferred for their chicken wings (only $1 on Tuesdays – those are Clinton administration prices!).
We ordered 10 total – a conservative amount to sum, a gluttonous haul to others. On this night, the cosmically right amount. After trying a couple of options (both dry rub variety – one cajun, the other dry ranch) by lurking over nearby customers and licking our lips until they noticed us, we ventured out on our own for something a bit more wet and juicy.
That means five of the wings in Carolina BBQ (a style I associate with a vinegar base) and another five soaked in lemon pepper. Both types were juicy inside with a delightful fried crunch on the outside, which is exactly what we’re looking for.
Let this be heard: The lemon pepper wing, at most establishments, is so critically overrated. Where is the pepper? Where is the lemon?
At Kelly’s, the lemon pepper wings are the first wings that actually tasted like their name. That’s due to the fact that they actually use lemon in their sauce. And it’s incredible.
I could’ve eaten 40 of these. But that would’ve been hard to watch for my fellow patrons.
Detroit is a competitive wing town. Sure, bloated corporate brands hang around that are fine in a pinch. But we’re talking about the town of Sweetwater Tavern, which is almost universally revered as having the greatest wins within city limits.
I’d put the lemon pepper wings at Kelly’s in that category, if just slightly below Sweetwater.
Plus, not sure you could ask for a better atmosphere to grub down on these wings then Kelly’s, which is your typical dark dive with a pool table, DJ booth (it was filled by an amateur bingo host when we visited) and backyard with a stage. The service was impressive. The cook came out to refill our basket of fries because he felt the first round was simply not enough.
Kelly’s might currently boast the best burger in town (we’ll be back), but don’t be shy about splurging on the wings next time you shuffle through this Hamtramck gem.
