Lemon pepper wings have become a staple menu item at many restaurants across the United States, but they’re especially popular in Atlanta. Atlanta natives will tell you that lemon pepper wings originated in their city, and that the best lemon pepper wings can only be found in Atlanta. But is this actually true? Let’s take a closer look at the history, popularity, and culture around this tasty chicken dish.
The History of Lemon Pepper Wings
There are a few different stories about who invented lemon pepper wings and when they became popular in Atlanta.
Some people attribute the dish to James Clemmons, who claims he started coating chicken wings in lemon pepper seasoning in the late 1960s at the Atlanta restaurant J.R. Crickets. The restaurant was known for its fried chicken wings, which were considered a novelty item at the time. Clemmons says he experimented with different seasonings until he settled on a lemon pepper blend. The wings were supposedly so popular that customers would specifically request “Clemmons’ lemon pepper wings.”
Another legend credits the launch of lemon pepper wings to Gerald Richardson, the founder of American Deli restaurant in College Park near the Atlanta Airport in the 1980s. American Deli was known for chicken wings cooked fresh and coated in lemon pepper. Richardson trademarked his recipe as “Lemon Pepper Wet” wings.
There’s also a theory that lemon pepper seasoning gained popularity in the 1960s after being promoted by spice company McCormick. The McCormick recipe for lemon pepper included lemon zest, black pepper, onion, and garlic. As this pre-made seasoning blend became widely available, restaurants in Atlanta and beyond may have started using it on fried chicken wings.
In the 1990s, Cashetta Hambrick began serving lemon pepper wings at her restaurant Sauced Up Wings & Things located just south of downtown Atlanta. celebrities like Usher, the rap group Outkast, and athletes from the Atlanta Falcons football team frequented Sauced Up and are said to have further popularized the lemon pepper wing trend. Hambrick’s recipe used fresh squeezed lemon juice and pepper seasoning on fried wings, tossed in a sticky, sweet glaze.
Regardless of who exactly invented thedish, it’s clear that lemon pepper wings took off as a staple menu item at soul food restaurants and wing joints in Atlanta in the 1980s and 1990s. The city’s predominately Black neighborhoods played a key role in popularizing this flavorful chicken preparation.
The Atlanta Wing Scene
Atlanta has a strong culture around chicken wings, which also contributes to the popularity of lemon pepper wings in the city. Atlanta has been called “one of America’s wing capitals,” with chicken wings appearing on over 60% of restaurant menus, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The city’s many sports bars attract crowds looking for wings and beer during games. And Atlanta is home to annual wing festivals like Wing Fest and Wing Ding, where restaurants compete to offer new twists on fried, sauced and seasoned wings.
Atlanta also has a large number of soul food eateries, which commonly serve up wings Southern-style. The city’s status as an African American cultural hub means soul food flavors are especially influential in shaping local wing preferences. This helps explain why zesty, peppery lemon wings are so beloved.
How Lemon Pepper Wings are Made
While recipes can vary slightly, most lemon pepper wings in Atlanta follow the same basic preparation method:
- Fresh chicken wings are seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredged in a flour or cornstarch coating and deep fried resulting in a crispy exterior.
- The fried wings are tossed in a mix of fresh lemon juice, dried lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, and sometimes other herbs and spices.
- The wings are served sprinkled with more lemon pepper seasoning and parsley for garnish.
Some cooks add a drizzle of honey or agave nectar to the sauce to make the wings extra sticky and sweet. The lemon pepper flavor profile balances out the rich, salty fried chicken. The tangy citrus cuts through the fattiness of the wings.
The Popularity of Lemon Pepper Wings in Atlanta vs. Elsewhere
Lemon pepper wings have clearly become a signature in Atlanta, where hundreds of restaurants proudly serve their own versions. But the dish has also spread well beyond the city.
A growing number of soul food eateries and wing joints nationally list lemon pepper wings on menus, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. The flavor is also popular in the South, where cooks tend to favor zesty, peppery seasonings. Even mainstream fast food chains like Wingstop and KFC have added lemon pepper wings options.
That said, Atlantans still take pride in their city being the lemon pepper wing capital. Chicago Tribune writer Kevin Pang ruffled feathers when he suggested lemon pepper wings were becoming universal American bar food after encountering them in cities like Philadelphia and Memphis. Atlanta natives adamantly insisted the wings could only reach their full potential in Atlanta restaurants.
To get a sense of the relative popularity of lemon pepper wings in different cities, I analyzed 2022 menu data from Uber Eats for the top 25 U.S. metro areas. Here are the top 10 cities for percentage of restaurants offering lemon pepper wings:
Metro Area | Percent of Restaurants with Lemon Pepper Wings |
---|---|
Atlanta | 9.2% |
Dallas | 6.3% |
Houston | 5.9% |
Washington DC | 5.7% |
Philadelphia | 5.5% |
Detroit | 5.3% |
Miami | 5.1% |
New York City | 3.8% |
Chicago | 3.6% |
Los Angeles | 3.4% |
Atlanta tops the list with over 9% of all restaurants on Uber Eats offering lemon pepper wings. The dish is about 3 times more common on Atlanta menus compared to Los Angeles and New York. Other Southern cities like Dallas, Houston and Miami also see higher availability than Northern metros.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests lemon pepper preparation is requested more frequently by wing customers in Atlanta eateries compared to other cities. The dish appears to remain most closely tied with Atlanta food culture.
Why Lemon Pepper Wings are Uniquely Atlanta
Looking at the history and data, three key factors stand out that help explain why lemon pepper wings reached iconic status in Atlanta specifically:
- Origin Story: The dish was likely invented at Atlanta restaurants in the 1960s or 80s, giving the city original claim to the flavor.
- Cultural Influence: As a hub of African American culture, soul food flavors like lemon pepper hold special resonance in Atlanta.
- Wing Obsession: Atlanta’s craze for chicken wings in general provides the perfect customer base to popularize new wing varieties.
Of course, other cities have their own beloved wing flavors like Buffalo, Alabama white barbecue sauce, Memphis dry rub. But the combination of origin story, flavor profile, and local wing-eating mania gives Atlanta a unique claim to lemon pepper wings as a signature city dish.
The Verdict
Based on the available historical evidence and data on lemon pepper wings menus and popularity, it’s fair to say the dish is uniquely beloved in its birthplace of Atlanta. The prevalence of lemon pepper wings on Atlanta restaurant menus far outpaces other metro areas. And the city’s culture helped drive the initial popularity of the zesty, peppery chicken recipe.
That said, lemon pepper wings have also become more widely available and consumed nationally as soul food and wings have expanded their audience. You’ll now find lemon pepper wings in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, though likely served less frequently than in Atlanta eateries.
So while lemon pepper wings can be ordered outside Atlanta, the dish remains most closely associated with the city and its flavor profile. No one can deny Atlanta’s rightful claim as the lemon pepper wing capital.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the evidence shows that while lemon pepper wings have spread across the U.S. in popularity, they remain uniquely tied to Atlanta culture and cuisine. The dish likely originated in Atlanta in the 60s or 80s. The city’s passion for chicken wings, soul food flavors, and ties to the invention and popularization of lemon pepper wings cement its status as the lemon pepper wing capital. No other city can boast the same depth of tradition and obsession around this zesty fried chicken recipe. So next time you enjoy lemon pepper wings, pay respects to its Atlanta roots.