I tried chicken wings from 4 restaurant chains, and the tastiest were also the best value

• I tried chicken wings from Famous Dave's, Miller's Ale House, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Pizza Hut.
• The wings from Miller's Ale House were the juiciest. Buffalo Wild Wings had the spiciest sauce.

I sampled chicken wings from four chain restaurants: Famous Dave's, Miller's Ale House, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Pizza Hut.

I ordered the smallest portion at each restaurant and opted for the mildest sauce. Here's how they stacked up:

The wings from Famous Dave's were nice and crispy

At this American barbecue chain, the basket of wings cost $9.99 before tax and came with around 10 pieces of chicken.

I thought these wings were on the small side and didn't have a lot of meat on their bones, but they had a crispy texture that I noticed as soon as I bit into the skin. They were chewy but not tough.

The Famous Dave's I visited had five sauce options available and I chose the mildest, Rich & Sassy.

The condiment was subtly sweet and smoky with a mellow kick. I thought it tasted like an amped-up barbecue sauce. According to the sauce's nutrition facts, it contains unique ingredients like instant coffee and pineapple juice.

The wings were coated in the sauce and my take-out order came with two extra packets. Plus, priced at about $1 each, they were the best value of the options I tried.

I enjoyed the juicy wings from Miller's Ale House

At Miller's Ale House, my small order of wings cost $10.99 before tax and my order included 10 pieces of chicken.

I didn't think they were as crispy as the wings from Famous Dave's, but each had an ample amount of meat. Most importantly, the juiciness of the chicken really set this option apart.

Miller's Ale House's mild sauce tasted a little bit plain because it didn't have much of a kick.

Since it didn't have a noticeable spicy flavor, it's probably a great choice for those who are wary of heat.

Buffalo Wild Wings' mild sauce was the spiciest

Buffalo Wild Wings specializes in the eponymous dish and had several different options for both portion sizes and sauces.

I opted for the smallest, a snack-size serving of five wings, which cost me $7.29 before tax.

They were pleasantly large but a bit tough to chew. The portion was quite filling, but I wish the chicken had been a bit more tender.

I felt the mild sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings packed a surprising amount of heat.

After just a few bites, the orange sauce — which was smothered unevenly — left my lips tingling.

If you like spicy food, you might really enjoy these wings.

Pizza Hut had the meatiest wings

Pizza Hut is known for its pies, but the chain has a section of its menu called WingStreet dedicated to chicken wings.

My order cost $7.49 before tax and consisted of five sizable pieces of chicken.

I was impressed with the meatiness of each wing. No matter which way I rotated the chicken, there was always something for me to bite into. I also thought the crispy skin was tasty.

I felt Pizza Hut's sauce was much tamer and less spicy than Buffalo Wild Wings' version. With just a hint of cayenne, it lacked a mouth-tingling kick.

Famous Dave's wings were the tastiest and the best value

Between their crispy exterior and sweet-yet-smoky sauce, Famous Dave's wings were hard to beat. They may have been smaller than other options but the portion size, flavor, and affordable price made this dish a winner in my book.

Unfortunately, Famous Dave's only has 180 locations throughout the globe so the eatery may not be easily accessible to everyone.

Fortunately, Pizza Hut and Buffalo Wild Wings also have great options.