This Portland, Maine Thai Spot Is Serving Some of the Best Chicken Wings in America

It's always difficult to process life after the football season ends.

There is a collective malaise that transcends fandom, and you have to be careful not to fall into a deep depression until training camps open in late July. So, for all you football diehards, I have a simple strategy to help you stay positive: just continue to live like it’s football season.

What does that mean exactly? Keep playing football video games, keep talking to your friends about the sport, watch old highlights to remember the good times, and—most importantly—keep feasting on football spreads like the season never ended.

Football food should be its own actual food group. High-caloric delights that keep us smiling from ear to ear. And there’s certainly one item that stands above the rest: the mighty chicken wing.

Who doesn’t love devouring a perfectly fried, smoked, or grilled wing? Maybe it’s oozing with sauce or perfectly dry-seasoned. Maybe it’s buffalo or Thai chili. The versatility of this wondrous vessel is endless.

What can you Find the Best Chicken Wings in Maine?

With wing popularity seemingly at an all-time high, it’s no surprise to see more and more articles devoted to the popular poultry snack. This includes a list from the folks over at the foodie site Chowhound. They decided to highlight one wing restaurant from every state, a list of chicken wing perfection. Maine’s selection was the incredible wings from Crispy Gai in Portland.

If you have never been to Crispy Gai, then you have been missing out. I know this because I was one of those people. It took my wife and me way too long to make our first trip to the Thai hot spot. The restaurant is known for its delicious food and creative cocktails. However, it’s really best known for its incredible—and I mean incredible—crispy fried chicken.

Of course, this includes its perfectly crafted wings, which are hands down some of the best you will find anywhere, not just in Maine.

What Makes Crispy Gai's Chicken Wings so Amazing?

Now, why are these bad boys so darn delicious? Let’s start with what Chowhound had to say:

This Portland eatery serves up hot wings with a Southeast Asian flair, making our list as Maine’s best. Covering wings in red curry and Thai-Chinese numbing spices is a refreshing approach compared to the usual run-of-the-mill BBQ sauce most places use. Crispy Gai is lauded online by foodies, with many happy customers vouching for its exceptional wings.

That’s right—these are not your old-school wings. Crispy Gai’s wings feature incredible seasonings, from curries to Sichuan spice. Some you can devour in seconds, while others will numb your entire face. It’s the perfect combination of Asian flavor and heat that will send your taste buds into another dimension.

But even if these wings came out with no spice at all, you would absolutely love them. They are perfectly battered and fried to absolute perfection, and they even come topped with beautiful crispy shallots that complement the wings wonderfully.

Crispy Gai also delivers with its dipping sauces, including sweet chili, ranch on steroids, ginger soy, and even seafood sauces. Believe me when I say they’ve got it all covered.

Now, even though we’re talking wings here, definitely do not sleep on the rest of the menu, which includes fried chicken drums and thighs, noodle dishes, and authentic appetizers. There’s no question this is one of Portland’s best spots right now.

READ MORE: 30 Under-the-Radar Breweries in Maine That You Need to Try

Congrats to Crispy Gai on the national recognition. It’s always wonderful to see a local business get the recognition it truly deserves—and Crispy Gai is certainly one of them.