Smoked dirty wing with spicy buffalo sauce from Smoked Portland. Photo by Leslie Bridgers

I’m gonna head off the haters right away and acknowledge that, yes, there are many worthy chicken wing options in Portland, several others on Forest Avenue alone: the dirty wings at Samuel’s, agave-lime buffalo at Bird & Co. and the visually arresting whole wings at The Great Lost Bear.

But the focus here is on takeout wings, to be eaten at home in front of a football game, and for that, my go-to has long been Leonardo’s.

The Portland location of a Vermont-based mini chain is a takeout-only spot, and while pizza is the focus, the oven-roasted chicken wings are the menu’s hidden gem. The customization is limited – regular or hot dry rub, fire or sweet sauce – but, if you like the flavor, it’s a reliable, convenient option, complete with its own delivery service.

However, when Smoked Portland opened down the street this spring, I had to reconsider my takeout-wing routine. The owner of the barbecue-centric spot, which has another location in Windham, was previously involved with Binga’s Wingas, which automatically landed its wings on my must-try list, and the (gluten-free) hand-breaded buffalo wings have become some of my new favorites.

For the purpose of comparison, though, I ordered what I thought would be the most similar options from these two spots: oven-roasted wings with fire sauce from Leonardo’s and smoked dirty wings with spicy buffalo from Smoked. Here’s how they measured up.

Drumstick with fire sauce from Leonardo’s in Portland. Photo by Leslie Bridgers

PRICE: Leonardo’s – one pound (about 10 wings) for $12.99, two pounds for $20.99 (extra $1 for fire or sweet sauce); Smoked – six wings for $9.99, 12 for $19.99, bucket for $69.99 (get only drumsticks or only flats for an additional charge)

ORDERING: I ordered both online around 5 p.m. on a Wednesday. Leonardo’s gave a pickup time of 15 minutes and Smoked gave 20 minutes (though I tacked a salad and fried pickles onto that order). I arrived a bit after the given time, and both were ready and waiting. Leonardo’s delivers to most Portland locations and is on DoorDash. Smoked offers delivery through DoorDash, GrubHub and, soon, 2DineIn.

PRESENTATION: Leonardo’s came with a choice of bleu cheese or ranch; I choose the bleu cheese, which was a little tub of Ken’s. Smoked’s came with carrots and celery and a choice of ranch or house sauce; I got the house, which is a mix of ranch and gorgonzola with garlic and spices.

TASTE: Leonardo’s fire sauce was spicier and more vinegary than Smoked’s spicy buffalo. The wings from both were meaty and tender, though Smoked’s were larger and had a deep, smoky flavor.

WHAT ELSE: Smoked offers several dry rubs and sauces, including Jamaican jerk and blueberry chipotle, as well as a large menu of other food options, from fried mushrooms to a falafel wrap. Leonardo’s has an extensive selection of specialty pizzas, as well as cheesy garlic breadsticks and salad.