If you’re looking for the best wings in Ankeny, The Ornery Chicken serves three distinct styles — Smoked, Signature, and Boneless — in 12 house sauces and dry rubs, made fresh to order for curbside pickup or delivery. Every order comes with your choice of ranch or blue cheese, plus carrots and celery on the side.
What sets Ankeny’s wing scene apart at The Ornery Chicken isn’t just the flavor lineup — it’s that wings aren’t a side item here. They’re the reason the restaurant exists.
The Three Wing Styles
Smoked Wings — Slow smoked over cherry wood, then fried crispy. This is the signature style, and it’s not a gimmick: the technique comes directly from founder Darren’s background running Smokey D’s BBQ before The Ornery Chicken existed. Available in snack size (5 pieces), 10-piece, and 20-piece.
Signature Wings — A tender, juicy wing, seasoned and fried to perfection. This is the classic, straightforward option for anyone who wants great flavor without the smoke. Available in snack size (5 pieces) and 10-piece.
Boneless Wings — Tender chunks of breast meat, lightly breaded and fried, then tossed in your choice of sauce. Available in snack size (5 pieces), 10-piece, and 20-piece — the most flexible option for feeding a group.
Wing Flavors and Sauces
The Ornery Chicken offers 12 sauces and dry rubs on wings, ranging from mild to genuinely hot:
- Sweet BBQ
- Lemon Pepper (dry rub)
- Garlic Parmesan
- Thai Chili
- Asian Glaze
- BBQ Ranch
- Salt/Pepper (dry rub)
- Sweet and Ornery
- Cajun (dry rub)
- Buffalo
- Hot BBQ
- Hot Buffalo
- Nashville Hot
That’s a wider flavor range than most Ankeny wing spots offer, and it means the same order can work for a table that wants mild alongside a table that wants real heat.
Why Wings Came First
Most restaurants add wings to an existing menu. The Ornery Chicken did the opposite. According to the restaurant’s own account of its founding, the business started in early 2020 when Darren — described as “a seasoned BBQ aficionado” — saw an opportunity in an empty kitchen next to his existing Smokey D’s BBQ sauces and rubs warehouse in Des Moines. The goal from day one was to fill a gap in the metro’s food delivery scene with, in their words, “nothing short of exceptional wings.”
That’s why the Smoked Wing exists as a distinct menu item rather than just another sauce option — it’s a direct link back to the BBQ techniques Darren was already known for before The Ornery Chicken was ghost-kitchen concept number one in Des Moines.
How to Order Wings in Ankeny
The Ornery Chicken operates out of 121 SE Shurfine Dr, Suite 6, in Ankeny, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. As a virtual kitchen, there’s no dine-in or walk-up ordering — everything goes through Ankeny takeout (curbside pickup) or delivery through DoorDash and Grubhub.
Feeding a crowd for a game or watch party? The 20-piece options on Smoked and Boneless wings scale easily, and for bigger groups, catering for your next watch party is available directly through The Ornery Chicken.
Want to see how wings fit alongside the rest of the menu — tenders, sandwiches, and sides? Check out the full wings menu, or read how The Ornery Chicken got its start as a wings-first ghost kitchen built on real BBQ roots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of wings does The Ornery Chicken serve in Ankeny? Three styles: Smoked (cherry wood smoked, then fried crispy), Signature (seasoned and fried), and Boneless (breaded chicken breast tossed in sauce).
How many wing sauces are there? 12 total: Sweet BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Thai Chili, Asian Glaze, BBQ Ranch, Salt/Pepper, Sweet and Ornery, Cajun, Buffalo, Hot BBQ, Hot Buffalo, and Nashville Hot.
What comes with a wing order? Every wing order includes your choice of ranch or blue cheese, plus carrots and celery.
Can I dine in at The Ornery Chicken in Ankeny? No — it operates as a virtual kitchen with curbside pickup and delivery only, no dine-in or walk-up ordering.
What are the hours for ordering wings in Ankeny? Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.