PLINY THE YOUNGER REVIEW!!! Smoke Eaters is a great time in a great spot located near Levi's. Did not venture near during Super Bowl week but I bet it was packed! This trip was specifically for the 2026 release of Pliny the Younger! A once-a-year release where lines form and kegs tap quickly. I went on my own right at opening thinking I'd have to wait in some lines but I was pleasantly surprised to see a short line just around the corner into the outdoor seating area. It took 10-15 mins to get through and I found a place to stand in a packed house. They provided one Younger pour per order per person. Got one and ordered food. Food was a bit slow but obviously with so many people coming in all at opening. Ordered their double smash burger with fries. Found a group leaving and was able to sit at a table and enjoy the college basketball games / Winter Olympics while enjoying my beer. Burger was fantastic and the fries were great to munch on as the pours kept coming. No line after the initial rush and was able to get 2 more pours before getting out to meet up with the family. Known for their wings (always a good option), the rest of their menu is typically really solid with good burgers and sandwiches. They always have a great beer selection on tap and in cans as well. Stop in, watch a game and enjoy great food and beer! read more

Smoke Eaters - Pliny the Younger 2026 Release - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

smoke eaters is always a good spot when your craving wings. i have heard great things about their burgers as well, but have never tried it. came here last night for dinner after watching a movie and place was crowded! it can be rough to find a table depending on what time you go. i guess last resort is sit outside as long as its not freezing cold or raining. head towards the front and place your order then you're given a number to place down where you sit. once the food is ready, they will bring it to your table. love the fact that they have coca-cola products here. lots of beer on tap options as well so order what you like. place can be really rowdy and loud so know that before dining in. there was constant screaming and shouting during the basketball game on last night, and i didn't really enjoy all the noise. next time i'll just sit outside or take it home read more

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I have been coming to Smoke Eaters a long time. In my opinion, it is the best place for wings that I know of. I see a lot of negative reviews for this place as I scroll through Yelp reviews. It's sad because I think this place deserves more credit. Neither Wing Stop or Buffalo Wild Wings come close to being as good as Smoke Eaters. However, I will say that you should really come here for the wings. I don't really think their other foods are all that special. When you walk in you are greeted with a sports bar. Lots of screens showing any sports that are live at the moment. You order at the counter. The service here is always friendly and they bring the food out pretty quickly. They have a large selection of craft brews on tap. On this particular visit they had a. Beer called Mango Cart, which is a wheat ale with delicious mango flavor. I loved it! We ordered 45 wings with a variety of sauces. My favorites are Thai Zing (a sweet and savory sauce that is not spicy but so delicious). Atomic (my favorite spicy buffalo sauce) Honey sriracha and the BBQ. The wings here are large and meaty. 15 wings is typically my maximum. We also had garlic fries which were perfectly crisp and flavorful! I hope you come and get some wings at Smoke Eaters! read more

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Idk why the rating is so low, the food is good and its cheap when u do the bundle. I think the atomic sauce and mango habanero sauce is so tasty. There is a spice to the mango one, but the eggroll was also super tasty with the sauce on the side that they give. The onion rings are a banger and cant be missed out on. They do things simple and well. Give it a chance and lemme know if im tripping read more

Smoke Eaters - Nachos - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Food came out fairly quickly. Wings are huge and the original hot sauce and the sriracha honey are super flavorful with the perfect amount of spice. The curly fries and mozzarella sticks were also good but not mind blowing. More expensive than wingstop but I think the size of the wing compensates for it. read more

We stopped by here after TJ Maxx. We ordered 6 piece chicken tenders. 1/2 Thai zing and 1/2 garlic and Parmesan. The chicken was light coated and deep fried to tender. The Thai zing was awesome, great balance of kick and sweetness. The Garlic and Parmesan was good but a bit on the salty side. Overall over good for a light snack and watching football on their bug screens! read more

Smoke Eaters - Garlic Parmesan - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Smoke Eaters so nostalgic for me growing up. Literally my favorite spot growing up. Nothing beats the atomic flavored wings for me, but they have a ton of great flavors overall. Others I've liked are the garlic Parmesan and nuclear. Over the years, their menu options have gotten huge even with breakfast etc which I haven't tried because I'm so loyal to the wings and curly fries. You can legit come here everyday for a week and still not try everything. One of my fav spots to watch games and get some wings and beers with friends and family. Sports theme bar so it has a great feeling and atmosphere. My only gripe is that it is pretty expensive so I only come once in a while, but when I'm here I love it! read more

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Quick service! Variety of beer on tap, and multiple TVs to watch sports games. Love coming here for the fiery garlic tenders 6 piece and large fries to share. The tenders are light and crispy, packed with good flavor. Fiery garlic sauce has a nice heat, that is cooled down and balanced with the fries and a side of ranch. You have to pay for extra sauce on the side 50 cents each. And they now have sauces you can buy to-go! Wishing that fiery garlic was an option. read more

Smoke Eaters - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

We came here for the Happy hour (Mon-Fri 3-6pm). Not really busy for a Monday afternoon around 4:30pm. We only ordered the craft beers for $1 off. So it was like $8 per beer. They have like a 4 page beer list. They are more IPA/pilsner/lager heavy. There's some darks, sours and hazy IPAs. The happy hour also includes wine, house cocktails, and food. Staff was nice to let us sample before committing. Big parking lot shared with other businesses. read more

Smoke Eaters - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Listen, I come here fairly often for weekday lunch and it's pretty good. It's pricey, but good. Order at the counter and theme workers are all pretty nice. It's got that pub feel and they have a bunch of beers on tap. Fun place happy hour and during games. Lots of tvs. Both bar stools and booth style seating. My go to meal is the buffalo chicken salad with atomic sauce and ranch in the side. But their tater tots and French fries are pretty dang good. Burgers good. Chicken strips (or tenders if you call 'em that) all good. Several spiciness hot sauce levels. Get it slathered on top or on the side for dipping. Soda fountain fee refills so get a to go cup even if you eat here. read more

Smoke Eaters - Menu - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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I've been coming here since they opened, but I never really thought their prices would be as high as they are. 3 medium size tenders go for $14. The best flavor in my opinion would be the Asian Zing!! The other stuff on the menu is priced at a higher rate. The staff at the front are normally friendly. The ambiance is great inside and has a bar like feel. They also offer outdoor seating if you would rather be outside. If you want a place to eat I would recommend giving it a shot and trying it out. read more

Smoke Eaters - Asian Zing Tenders - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Ok so this is fast food/bar food. This is a go to for lunch. There seems to be employee turnover. read more

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They have a large variety of craft beer as well as the norm. They will have a full bar for football season. The food is always fresh and very tasty. They are in a strip mall with tons of parking. Close to AMC theater, Walmart Fresh, TJ Max Home Store, Starbucks plus other restaurants. Good place to watch sports. They now offer a rewards program where you can earn points to apply to future purchases. read more

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I have been coming to this location for over a year now. I come from east side San Jose to this location out of preference, I have been to this location multiple times and at this point I feel more than welcomed everytime I come for a beer or a quick bite to eat. They have a handful of beers on tap and a decent sized menu that offers more than just wings. Today we tried the Cheeseburger rolls which were a recommendation from our server Ana We also tried the garlic fries chicken sandwich and mango/garlic Parmesan wings Everything was excellent. I love their wings they are very saucy but not to the point where they make the wing get soggy, still the perfect crisp on the wing! Definitely my go to spot. Can't wait for their breakfast burritos to make a come back during NFL season read more

"5 ounces of meat" on a $23 sandwich. Make sure you don't order the skirt steak. Quoted $8.50 for more and were very unhelpful read more

Smoke Eaters - "5 ounces of meat" on a $23 sandwich. Make sure you don't order the skirt steak. Quote $8.50 for more - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Eaten here twice in the past couple of months. It might be my Go-To place for wingies. This guy loves wingies. They have a generous offering of different types of wings from mild to Inferno (I didn't try that one). Tried Garlic Parm, Lemon Pepper, Honey Sriracha and Traditional. I liked them all except Honey Sriracha, that was a bit too sweet for me. Also tried the Cali Burger and California Chicken. Both are worthy to order again. The garlic fries are also a Must Add to the order. Both times washed our meals down with a pitcher of beer Pliny the Elder (or Younger, I can't remember). Very nice. Plenty of TVs around to watch your favorite sports, but not too loud where you can't carry on a conversation. All in all, a good sport for lazy lunch on the weekend. Check the pics. read more

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I come all the way from San Mateo to this place when I'm craving for wings... I love that their wings are not dry and super saucy. They don't skimp on the wing sauce. It was delicious read more

Smoke Eaters - Two stouts .... Loved it - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Pretty large restaurant with plenty of seating as well as a bar. The service was fine and food came out quickly. I order 10 wings to try different flavors and the total before tip was ~$25. The wings are average sized and cooked well. Almost all of their flavors except lemon pepper were wet sauces which I am not a huge fan of, especially when the wings are doused in sauce and no longer crispy. The fiery garlic had a pretty good garlic flavor and was on the spicier side, and the traditional was like a standard buffalo sauce. I also tried the Thai flavor, also super saucy and did not have any Thai flavors or spice at all. Overall the food wasn't bad but the price was a lot for just wings, and other menu items were priced pretty high as well. read more

Smoke Eaters - Fiery garlic (top), Traditional (bottom) - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This is my go to spot for delicious wings. The size of the wings are massive compared to Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop. Nuclear is my favorite flavor. The French fries are a good combo to get with the wings. Service is great and friendly. Great place for wings and sports feel. It gets loud and busy in there in game days, but the wings make it worth the wait. read more

Smokeeaters has a cool bar area with lots of TVs showing sports, making it a great spot to hang out. The wings are really big, but definitely on the pricier side. I tried the Original Hot flavor -- it wasn't too spicy, but also didn't have that classic buffalo taste. Overall, fun vibes to enjoy a beer and wings and sports. Has a big tap list. read more

Can't believe our luck when dropping by Smoke Eaters. The food was excellent! My buffalo wings salad had actually CRISPY chicken! Everything was fresh! With lemon pepper dressing, every bite was a heaven sent. My party ordered burger and philly cheesesteaks. They were flavorful and on point. The sweet potato fries were also very good! Service was friendly and prompt. We got our food in no time. It's a bar decorated with sport memorabilia and photos with a casual and rugged vibe. Highly Recommend it! read more

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Good spot for food and sports! Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with lots of tv's

great food Great service Love the place really nice people and great ambiance also really nice place read more

I want to give this place 5 stars so bad but the inconsistency always prevents that. The batter on the tenders is nice and crispy, but sometimes the chicken is dry. The wings were good but I wish they were more crispy. The sauce might have made them soggy. My main problem is mostly with the nachos. The cilantro crema is just too overwhelming. We used to be able to just get plain sour cream instead but now they don't have it. Some days they still give it to us. Other days they don't. The steak on the nachos is really really good. But there's barely any cheese on them! That happens 9/10 times where most of the chips don't even have cheese. Overall the employees are nice and there are more pros than cons. That's what keeps us coming. read more

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Nuclear is the best sauce. Hands down. Traditional Death is solid too, but a bit too spicy and lacks the sweetness of Nuclear. Wings are the way to go. Strips can be a tad dry at times but still good. Their sides are a pretty big. Onion rings are excellent. read more

Fast, friendly patient service. Delicious blat and philly sandwiches. Cold craft brews too! Great energy inside.

I've been going to smoke eaters since college and they've always been my go to spot for wings. The wings are super meaty and tender with a slight outer crisp. Fried to perfection! I've tried every sauce on the menu and it's so difficult to choose which one to go with because they're all so good. They're not stingy with the sauces either. If you're feeling dangerous, try their hottest one. It's pretty tough lol. The ranch is the best and it pairs so well with the chicken. Whether you get the tator tots, fries, or any of their sides, you won't be disappointed. I just wish they still served the jalapeno poppers. Those were the best. Depending on the day and time, it's hit or miss with how crowded it can get. Game days, it can get pretty busy and loud but that's what makes it fun! Wings, beer, and football? I'm there! Service is great and the staff are super friendly! Plenty of parking and it's easy to find. If the sauce gets too spicy, there's a Walmart across the parking lot to get some milk haha. By far the best wing spot in the bay. Definitely worth a 40 mins trip for really good food. If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out especially if you're a wing foodie. read more

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The food is good, nothing special. Ordered garlic fries & Garlic parm sauce on the wings. I ordered to go but wanted to sit outside. I waited outside for my food to be handed to me, as the lady communicate with me. Not greeted when coming in. Not too thrilled about this place. Sticking to Wing stop. read more

Smoke Eaters - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

After much debate, I ordered the classic cheeseburger. And it was an amazing burger -- the caramelized onions added a sweet note that balanced the well seasoned and sizable beef patty. It might not be a hit with those who aren't a fan of the sweet and savory combo, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The special sauce added a tangy layer of flavor to each bite. The fluffy but sturdy bun did a great job of holding the (slightly messy) sandwich together. The fries were relatively basic but made for a delicious accompaniment to the burger. Next time, I would probably try out some of the other sides on the menu. The atmosphere is very laid back but a little rowdy depending on who's playing. It's a great place to watch a game. Hopefully I'll be back soon! read more

Smoke Eaters - Classic Cheeseburger and Fries - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

So I haven't been here in at least 5 years. My wife reminded me that we stopped coming here, not for the food or service but the cost. In review on the menu, I was taken back a bit on the price. Though they don't do military discounts, the worker gave us a discount and thanked me for my service. A two piece Nashville Tenders with garlic fries and a beer was close to $30 pre discount. Food was good, just not sure it's worth the price given the size of their tenders. read more

Smoke Eaters - Nashville Tenders and Garlic Fries - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

If your craving some good wings this is the spot to hit up. The Atomic flavor is definitely my favorite. They always show games & fights here too! read more

Smoke Eaters - Atomic Wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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I met up with some friends to watch some games here at smoke eaters, & that you can do! Every game was on a tv somewhere in there. We ordered disco fries and several rounds of chicken tenders. The chicken was okay, they have a ton of sauces my favorites were the traditional hot and the honey sriracha. The restaurant was clean, plenty of seating and quick service to clean off tables. I'm a bit torn on this review because the food isn't great, but their beer and game selection is top notch. Also Gallon pitchers of beer!?!? Yes please! So I'll say it just hits the better than average mark for me. If invited to watch some games with the boys again I'd return. read more

Very good place and good food and the guys who serve there always have a very good vibe!!!!

This Smoke Eaters is located in the Mercado Shopping Center. First timer at a Smoke Eaters and wasn't extremely impressed by the food. However, I really like that they have a bunch of TVs to watch all the sports. You order and pay first at the front, grab a number stand, get seated, and your food will get delivered to your table. For 4, we got the supreme nachos and wings. The nachos was a pretty large order so perfect to share. In my opinion, I thought the ratio was off, there were more than enough nacho chips and not enough meat and toppings. The wings, we ordered dry with the sauce on the side. It was super crispy which I liked.. however it means it's a bit overly cooked so the chicken was on the drier end. This is a good place to do happy hours or even come by to grab a beer and watch some sports. read more

Smoke Eaters - Supreme Nachos - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Ive been going to smoke eaters since I seen them on tv on MvF... years now. Over the years I've enjoyed them but lately I've been a little bit disappointed. Tonight was the last straw... I ordered a basket of fries and an order of nachos (20 something dollars) with skirt steak +2 dollars... and a pitcher of beer. 85 freaking bucks. The beer was good, the fries were fries but the nachos were one of the worst I've ever had. Chips were generic, guacamole was average, no compliant for something you buy in bulk, jalapeños tasted like grass, and no nacho cheese sauce..... they literally sprinkled cheese on top and nuked the chips in the microwave..... we couldn't pick a single chip up. Everything was stuck together. The cheese was burnt at the bottom so we stopped eating the "nachos" when we were peeling paper liner off the bottom of our food. Two stars cause the beer was good. read more

I love their chicken tenders and garlic fries. The ONLY reason I don't go as much is because the last 3 times I went, they didn't have the beer I wanted. They were out of blue moon twice, then another I forgot the name of was out the 3rd time. read more

I haven't been to this Almaden Shopping Plaza in 12 days, and the last time I was here I saw this and really wanted to check-it-out. I'm in Santa Clara tonight. This looks like a cool spot for Sports season. There's big screen Televisions everywhere here. And I had to get me some Fried Chicken Wings; this isn't a 5, 8, or 10 peice. This is a 15 peice, the biggest order I happen to be able to get right now, and it's somewhat more expensive than all the other Chicken Wing Shacks. But is it, worth it? I was surprised, the Honey Sriracha was really good. I think their version of this Sauce is slightly different than all the others out there, it really stood out, and it was my favorite. I was thinking the Fiery Garlic was more like a Garlic Parmesan, but it turned out to be kinda spicy and reminds me of an Atomic flavor. These are premium Wings, they were better than expected. I was thinking this was going to be a 4.0-4.2 stars, this could be a 4.4 stars on a good day, but I give this 4.3 stars. read more

Smoke Eaters - Chicken Wings Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I usually come here before going to the movies and it's great every time. They have a wide variety of food options (wings, sandwiches, salads, tacos and more), and sauces from super sweet to super spicy. The atomic sauce is the best. They also have a great selection of beer, ciders and wine too. read more

Food: Ordered 10 Wingers - comes with choice of 2 wing sauces; picked Traditional & Fiery Garlic. Wings also come with celery and picked ranch as the dip. The ranch was great! Service: Nice staff, food came out at a reasonable time. Ambiance: Customers can sit at the tables or at the bar, great place to watch sports read more

I absolutely hate making negative reviews, but I came in. Did it to go order it took them almost 40 minutes to get me my order which was only 10 wings in a basket of fries. They lost my receipt and didn't even make my order. This is not the type of service that I was expecting for the first time person to be eating at this restaurant I'm highly disappointed and wish the service could've been better. At least they could've gave me a free food or something for the fact that they had me sitting there waiting and no one even checked on me and asked me if I was OK or asked me if I got my food or nothing. Worst customer service worst restaurant I've ever been to in my life. read more