Cheap Eats: Cluckin' Great Wings

Whether you like your flappers mild or wild, there's a wing in Columbus begging you to dunk it in blue-cheese dressing.

Carolina Gold Wings

This Rooster's standout is really good and really simple. The tangy-sweet, honey mustard-y sauce is low on the heat scale but a little spice builds as you make your messy way through the basket. 59 cents each from 7 p.m. to close on Monday roosterswings.com

Barley's Unconventional Wings, Gates of Hell-style

Barley's Brewing Company chargrills these big wings to give them a full-bodied, smoky flavor separate from the sauce, which is also delicious and provides a rich, subtle heat. Unconventional indeed. $8.99 for six wings, barleysbrewing.com

Cockfight Wings

Gallo's Tap Room marinates their meaty wings overnight in sea-salt brine before adding house-made sauce. Cockfight, made from Sriracha, provides a powerful but sweet heat. $4.50 for five wings gallostaproom.com

Scott's Style Wings

Eye-watering, lip-hurting, head-sweating heat describes O'Reilly's Pub's scorchers. Yet somehow, through the blaze, real and unique Buffalo-like flavor is still detectable. $7.50 for a pound, 2822 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-262-6343

Apple Cider Glazed Confit Wings

The glaze on these Hey Hey Bar and Grille wings tastes like sweet-and-sour sauce and heat is almost nonexistent. An order makes for a sharable app. $6 for half a pound, 361 E. Whittier St., Merion Village, 614-445-9512

Jumbo Wings

Like everything at Thurman Cafe, the wings are enormous. Go for the 90,000 BTUs sauce-thick and tomatoey, it's hot but flavorful and nowhere near as searing as its name suggests. $1.49 each,thethurmancafe.com