Queues round the block and a social media frenzy – but is Wingstop chicken worth it?

• I went to Australia’s first-ever Wingstop to see what all the fuss is about.
• There have been long queues out of the store every day since it opened.
• I tried 6 different flavours of their famous chicken wings, as well as the popular ranch dip.

On the corner of Darlinghurst Road and Victoria Street, a long line snakes round the bend, with eager queuers seemingly unfazed by the commotion. A confused onlooker walks past, muttering, “It’s just fried chicken, isn’t it?” No, sir, it’s not just fried chicken. This is the queue for Australia’s first-ever Wingstop.

Wingstop’s arrival in Sydney

Wingstop is an American chain specialising in cooked-to-order chicken wings and known for extensive flavour options and huge pots of ranch dip. Wingstop was founded in 1994 in Texas, starting as a small chicken wing restaurant. It is now a global brand, with over 2,500 locations worldwide. The Kings Cross store marks the brand’s first Australian location.

The Sydney Travel Guide office is just a five-minute walk from the newly opened Wingstop, so we’ve seen the crazy queues firsthand. Wingstop opened last Saturday, and thanks to the huge buzz on social media, the popular American chain amassed huge queues, with people waiting in line for hours. This was encouraged by Wingstop, who announced that the first 500 people in the queue would get five free wings.

STG spoke to the new manager of the store, who said that an American woman flew over from Brisbane for the Wingstop opening, saying that she had to have some of their famous wings as the hasn’t been able to since she left the States. One woman in the queue was cradling her baby, born just the day before. Wingstop’s grand Australian opening was her idea of the perfect postpartum reward.

So, what is so special about Wingstop? I decided to investigate.

The dreaded queue

I headed down to the Kings Cross location at 11am, hoping that the queue wouldn’t be too brutal at opening time on a Wednesday. Unfortunately, there were a few people in line, but nothing too crazy. I spoke to two girls in front of me, who told me that they were there because of TikTok. They’d seen trending videos on the app, and wanted to try it for themselves.

In total, the queue took me 36 minutes. Speaking to the security guard at the front (yes, they need security), he told me that the queue can be deceptive, because how quickly it moves is down to how much food people order. He said that some people have gone in and ordered a wing of every flavour. Since there are 12 different flavours, this can cause a backlog in the kitchen.

However, people in the queue were friendly and it was all very well-managed. The worst part was the comments by the bystanders who would walk past the store, incredulous looks on their faces. At least three people asked me “Is it really worth it?’ as they walked past the line. That’s what I’m trying to find out guys!

The order

Wingstop has 12 different flavours, all graded on a spice spectrum to help customers decide. There’s “no heat”, “some heat” and “all the heat”. They then have a choice between wings, boneless wings and tenders, as well as fries, dips, sides and drinks.

Here’s what I ordered:

• 3 piece hot honey tenders
• 3 piece mango habanero tenders
• 3 garlic parmesan boneless wings
• 3 lemon pepper boneless wings
• 3 OG wings
• 3 atomic wings
• Regular voodoo fries- $8.45
• Large ranch dip- $6
• Blue cheese dip- $2

Overall, the order cost $79.25, a far cry from normal chicken shop prices. 3-piece tenders cost $15.95, 6-piece boneless wings cost $16.95 and 6-piece regular wings cost $13.95. With the 6-piece wings and boneless wings, you can choose two different flavours.

The cashier, Ella, was very friendly and helpful– you’d never guess that she was working at one of the busiest stores in the whole of Australia. The store was very well-run, thanks to the limit on the number of people that can be let in at any one time.

Once you’re inside, the huge queue quickly fades from memory– until you glance out the window and see the sea of hopeful faces still lining up and you’re reminded of just how busy it is. Luckily, the food came quickly and I was out of there in no time (minus queue time).

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The flavour ranking

Now onto the real star of the show: the Wingstop flavours. I’ve ranked each one that we tried from worst to best, to help you decide whether or not you could last in the Wingstop queue.

6. OG

To preface this ranking, we actually enjoyed all the different flavours that we tried, so sixth place doesn’t mean that it was terrible. The OG is an original buffalo style flavour, and despite being in the “all the heat” spice category, it wasn’t actually that fiery. It was good, but nothing special.

5. Atomic

Atomic is meant to be the spiciest Wingstop flavour, however it didn’t pack too much of a punch. It tasted like a vinegary, tabasco sauce, and had a lingering after-heat. No one had tears running down their face and there were no cries for a glass of milk, so we were surprised that this was their hottest wing.

4. Lemon pepper

Lemon pepper is a popular wing flavour in New York and Atlanta– the perfect option for someone after something a bit more mild. The boneless wings were zingy but not too bitter. This is a very safe order for those who don’t like spice.

3. Mango habanero

The flavour of mango habanero is similar to sweet and sour sauce, or honey chicken. The blend of sweetness and spice gave the tenders a nice edge, and helped them to land in our top three.

2. Garlic parmesan

Garlic parmesan just missed out on the top spot. The boneless wings were crispy, with a strong and sharp parmesan flavour coming through, paired nicely with the garlic kick. We could see why these wings have been an Aussie Wingstop favourite.

1. Hot honey rub

And the top flavour award goes to the hot honey rub. Sweet and succulent with a bit of spice, the hot honey rub paired perfectly with the ranch sauce. The tenders were crisp and buttery, and despite only three pieces costing $15.95, they were very filling.

The dips and sides

The Voodoo fries were definitely one to skip. They weren’t terrible but there was nothing special about them at all. They had no crunch, and although the seasoning was nice, the actual fries were average. It doesn’t help that they cost $8.45.

In contrast, the ranch dip and the blue cheese dip were delicious, and I would strongly recommend ordering them alongside any wings or tenders. There’s nothing quite like dunking a hot honey chicken tender into a large ranch dip (you’ll feel like a true American).

The overall verdict

Wingstop managed to exceed my expectations. Heading into the store with no knowledge of the chain, except that it attracted a lot of customers, I thought it would be another average fast-food restaurant.

The dips and flavours are a win

What sets Wingstop apart is its bold variety of flavour options. You won’t find another chicken shop with such an extensive range of flavours. With options including garlic parmesan, hot honey rub and lemon pepper, WIngstop is giving us plenty of choices. This brings something different to what is otherwise a regular fast-food chain.

The dips also make this chain stand out. Ranch dip is huge in the States, and people want to see what all the fuss is about. Despite the large tub of ranch costing $6, it adds a creamy, tangy edge to the chicken and pairs well with all the flavours. The blue cheese sauce is also delicious, and is something different than the usual tomato ketchup/ barbeque/ sweet and sour sauce that most chicken shops offer.

Is the chicken better than KFC?

Flavour aside, the chicken was good. It was tender and the bones had a good amount of meat on them. But were they worth a 36-minute wait? Here’s my verdict: I’d rather get wings from the KFC just a couple of doors down and save that half an hour. Although I’d say the chicken was better than KFC, it wasn’t spectacular enough that I’d be willing to experience that queue again.

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It’s too expensive

The overall cost of our order was $79.25. The chicken tenders were the most expensive order (per piece of chicken), with three pieces costing $15.95. To put that into perspective, three chicken tenders at KFC cost $9.65.

The large ranch dip also added to the hefty bill. Yes, it’s great to dip the chicken tender into the huge cup, but when you think that combined, it’s costing you $21.95, it suddenly feels less fun. The fries were $8.45, and they were disappointing. I’d rather walk a minute down the road to the McDonalds and have their much cheaper, much crispier fries instead.

Six wings at KFC will set you back $10.80, whereas six wings at Wingstop will cost you $13.95. Although not as drastic as the chicken tender comparison, there’s still a noticeable difference.

Social media is behind it’s success

It all goes back to what the girls in the queue said to me. TikTok and other social media is behind the huge hype around Wingstop. People want to experience that indulgent American fast food that they see their favourite food influencers buy into. TikTok vlogger @c1ndyxie already has 1.2 million views on her Wingstop review that was posted three days ago, showing how popular the chain is on social media.

It will be interesting to see if the hype around Wingstop dies, or if it will continue to attract huge queues. As Wingstop has significant plans to expand, with the aim to open 100 locations across Australia, the novelty of the chain is sure to die out. However, the popularity of their first-ever Australian store suggests that it will do well here, and perhaps become another fast food staple.

Final thoughts

Yes it’s tasty, and I think Wingstop’s arrival in Australia is exciting, seeing as it’s a huge global brand. However, it’s also expensive, and a pain to get a hold of. When the hype dies down, I’d happily head back to Wingstop and try more of their flavours (though it might have to be on pay day.)

For now, as long as there’s a queue out the door, I’ll be sticking to KFC and McDonald’s for my fast food fix.