International Wings Factory
Chicken wings restaurant · Upper East Side ·
Offers 10+ unique wing sauces, customizable crispiness
Offers 10+ unique wing sauces, customizable crispiness
"A very casual chicken wing restaurant on the Upper East Side closed on Tuesday, March 25; the owner, Deepak Ballaney, had originally planned to shutter on March 16 but pushed the closing date back." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The owner, Indian chef Deepak Ballaney, has reached out to his 50K-plus Instagram followers to explain why his restaurant at 1762 First Avenue (at East 92nd) is closing after more than a decade. He says rising operating costs are part of the problem, and that he previously sank over $150K into a Midtown location before COVID and then lost that business when his landlord pushed him out because he couldn’t pay rent. He also says his original uptown location was further taxed by a short-lived Korean wings spot that opened on the same block (and has since closed). The restaurant has two more days of service; "I’m at a cross section of life and death of my career," he told Eater, and he is hoping for some kind of lifeline — even as this location closes, he hopes to open in a new spot." - Melissa McCart
"We love that this UES spot has over 10 different sauce choices that go beyond the typical Frank’s-and-butter combo. Options include a black pepper teriyaki sauce, as well as a tingly Vietnamese chile mango one. But this is a guide to buffalo wings, and the International Wing Factory makes ones that are particularly crispy and saucy. The “soul purifier” brings a heat level that somehow makes cooling off in the nearby East River sound appealing." - neha talreja, kenny yang, willa moore, will hartman
"This no-frills wings specialist is a solid option for wings on the Upper East Side when the craving strikes. While standard wing flavors such as barbecue and teriyaki are available, International Wings Factory also has more offbeat options such as the Mexy Q, a Mexican barbecue flavor; and Soul Purifier, a house-made Buffalo-based sauce with spices and chiles. Aside from sauces, diners can also choose how crispy they want their wings." - Eater Staff
"We love that this UES spot has over 10 different sauce choices that go beyond the typical Frank’s-and-butter combo. Options include a black pepper teriyaki sauce, as well as a tingly Vietnamese chile mango one. But this is a guide to Buffalo wings, and the International Wing Factory makes ones that are particularly crispy and saucy. The “soul purifier” brings a heat level that somehow makes cooling off in the nearby East River sound appealing. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation
