Southerners eat fried chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which is why so many of us are self-professed experts. For this list, though, we turned to real professionals—seventy-some people who truly know fried chicken, from chefs with their own famous recipes to seasoned food and travel writers and G&G contributors. Chains proved surprisingly popular. Both Popeyes and Publix earned high praise from a dozen different sources. So did staples like Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, in Memphis, and Willie Mae’s Scotch House in New Orleans. But there were still plenty of surprises, too. Who knew you could order outstanding fried chicken off-menu at OvenBird, chef Chris Hastings’s Birmingham temple to open-fire cooking? Nashville’s Karl Worley did, and now the secret’s out. Start scrolling or click to skip around and see where the pros brake for yardbird in your state.

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

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North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington, D.C.

West Virginia

National & Regional Chains

Dyron’s Lowcountry

Mountain Brook | dyronslowcountry.com

“The chef, Randall Baldwin, worked with us at one time, and he does a twenty-four-hour buttermilk soak and double-dredge. The result is juicy fried chicken with the best crust. It’s so good that my daughter will be serving it at her wedding this spring.” —Frank Stitt (Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham)

Johnny’s Restaurant

Homewood | johnnyshomewood.com



“Full disclosure: Chef Tim Hontzas is like a brother to me, and he makes some of the best fried chicken you’ll ever eat.” —John Currence (City Grocery Restaurant Group, Oxford)

The Hotel at Auburn University

Auburn | auhcc.com



“It’s not listed as a regular menu item, but folks that are in the loop can order Mrs. Annie Cook’s fried chicken. Mrs. Annie has been working for the hotel for 14 years, and in that time, she has gotten the fried chicken on lock. Just ask for it and you’ll see.” —Rob McDaniel (SpringHouse, Alexander City, Alabama)

Miss Dots

Mountain Brook and Tuscaloosa | lovemissdots.com



“Everybody who’s hunted at Alabama’s Sawtooth Plantation knows that we all really go there for Miss Dot’s cast-iron fried chicken. It’s so good that Sawtooth’s owner, John Cassimus, built her two restaurants.” —David Bancroft (Acre, Auburn)

OvenBird

Birmingham | ovenbirdrestaurant.com

“Not on the menu, limited, and cooked the way God and Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis intended: in a pan with a few different fats. My favorite fried chicken on earth!” —Karl Worley (Biscuit Love, Nashville)

Saraceno’s Restaurant

Fairhope | 251-928-1116

“This is the place I eat at least twice a week when I’m down there on the coast. I don’t really like a steam table but I like this one, and the reason I do—besides the nice people who own it and run it and the fresh vegetables in season—is the fried chicken.” —Rick Bragg (author and Garden & Gun contributor)

Seafood and Chicken Box

Birmingham | seafoodchickenbox.com

“The chicken, cooked to order, comes dusted with a seasoning mix they call ‘goo,’ though it’s dry, powdery, and crystalline—like incredibly fine sea salt. It’s unusual, and gets most visitors off Birmingham’s beaten paths.” —Phillip Rhodes (Garden & Gun)

SpringHouse,

Alexander City | springhouseatcrossroads.com



“When you wake up to a beautiful Alabama sunrise on Lake Martin, the only way your day can get better is with brunch at SpringHouse and chef Rob McDaniel’s smoked and fried chicken—drizzled with Poirier’s cane syrup. Then it’s back home to nap!”

—David Bancroft (Acre, Auburn)

The Cotton Boll Café

Malvern | 501-229-1516 “Soaked in buttermilk and dredged in seasoned flour, this soul-satisfying dish will make that afternoon nap a requirement.” —Matthew McClure (The Hive, Bentonville) The Hive

Bentonville | thehivebentonville.com “It’s light, crispy, and bold in flavor—both the meat and the crust. I’m not sure if it’s a brine or just perfectly seasoned breading.” —Anthony Lamas (Seviche, Louisville) K Hall and Sons Produce

Little Rock | 501-372-1513 “This small, family-owned grocery store dishes up some of the best food in the state. You have a choice of a two- or three-piece order—wings, legs and thighs only, as it should be—and the crispy skin loves a bit of hot sauce. Don’t miss out on a slice of the sweet potato pie!” —Matthew McClure (The Hive, Bentonville) Maddie’s Place

Little Rock | maddiesplacelr.com “This is a chicken breast, pounded just a bit before breading and served with a hot sauce glaze, mac and cheese, and braised greens. Damn, it’s good!” —Matthew McClure (The Hive, Bentonville) Monte Ne Inn Chicken

Rogers | monteneinnchicken.net “This lakeside institution in a cinderblock building has been serving comfort food family-style since long before it was a trend. Mostly dark meat fried chicken comes with mashed potatoes and gravy, string beans, and rolls, among other traditional favorites. Oh, and it’s all-you-can-eat.” —Matthew McClure (The Hive, Bentonville)



Bennie’s Red Barn

St. Simons | benniesredbarn.com

“A local institution known for its steaks. I’m all about the half-a-bird dinner, buttermilk battered and fried to order for sixty-plus years.” —Griffin Bufkin (Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons, Georgia)

Big Chick

Washington | 706-678-2214



“My husband, Ben, grew up on this. Old-school, takeout only. Small-town, bone-in, crispy skin.” —Whitney Otawka (Greyfield Inn, Cumberland Island, Georgia)

Blakely Chicken

Blakely | 229-723-4201

“If we follow the original definition of a three-star restaurant set by Guide Michelin—that it is an establishment worth a special journey—then Blakely is worthy of those three stars! Crisp skin and cravable flavor in an authentic place.” —Linton Hopkins (Resurgens Hospitality Group, Atlanta)

Buckner’s Family Restaurant

Jackson | bucknersfamilyrestaurant.com

“I’ve been going here with my family since I was a kid. They have amazing fried chicken every day of the week—and the best part is that it’s all-you-can-eat!” —Kevin Gillespie (Red Beard Restaurants, Atlanta)

Busy Bee Café

Atlanta | thebusybeecafe.com

“An American classic. Nothing lets me know I’m in the South like their counter seats, cornbread muffins, and fried chicken.” —Nicole A. Taylor (author, The Up South Cookbook)

Chicken Delite

Ocilla | ocillachickendelite.com

“A friend of mine turned me onto this little place. We always get the owner, Rusty, to fry us up a bunch of chicken when we are down that way quail hunting. It’s loaded with black pepper and super juicy.” —Kevin Gillespie (Red Beard Restaurants, Atlanta)

Chick-fil-A Dwarf House

Hapeville | cfarestaurant.com/hapevilledwarfhouse

“At this little diner in Hapeville, Georgia, a famous fried chicken sandwich—and Chick-fil-A—was born. Sitting at the counter and eating it on diner china with the bun toasted to order is a bucket-list experience.” —Linton Hopkins (Resurgens Hospitality Group, Atlanta)

Dillard House Restaurant

Dillard | dillardhouse.com/restaurant

“This old-school spot holds a special place in my heart. The fried chicken here tastes like what my granny used to make when I was a kid.” —Kevin Gillespie (Red Beard Restaurants, Atlanta)

Fried Chicken and Biryani at Third Space

Atlanta | thethirdspaceatl.com

“I am a skillet-fried chicken enthusiast and largely a purist. Asha Gomez is the only person who I trust to put spice on the bird. Asha’s Kerala Fried Chicken, currently available from an every-other-Friday pop-up at the Third Space in Atlanta, is brined in spices and finished with coconut and mango drizzles and utterly amazing.” —Ronni Lundy (author, Victuals)

JCT Kitchen

Atlanta | jctkitchen.com

“Straightforward, clean flavor is the hallmark of their fried chicken—and the rest of the menu.” —Greg Baker (The Refinery, Tampa)

K&K Soul Food

Atlanta | 404-685-1073

“K&K is my favorite cafeteria in the city, hands down. Everything they serve is tops, including the fried chicken.” —Allen Suh (Ronen Knife, Atlanta)

L.T.’s Wings

Atlanta | 404-349-0006

“One of my dearest friends turned me on to this southwest Atlanta joint—his go-to. L.T.’s stays busy, with lines out the door.” —Nicole A. Taylor (author, The Up South Cookbook)

Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room,

Savannah | mrswilkes.com

“Back in the day, locals would walk up to the back door of Mrs. Wilkes and pick up a brown paper bag loaded to the brim with pan-fried chicken for five bucks.” —Griffin Bufkin (Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons, Georgia)

Narobia’s Grits and Gravy

Savannah | 912-231-0563

“Narobia’s is a family-owned gem. Friendly people and delicious food.” —Mashama Bailey (The Grey, Savannah)

Nexto

Atlanta | nextoatl.com

“It’s just so crispy! It comes with two dipping sauces—a spicy sauce and a ranch to cool your mouth off at the same time—and I love that yin and yang.” —Duane Nutter (Southern National, Mobile)

Nick’s Buffet

Brunswick | 912-265-1172

“Get in line early at this mom-and-pop joint.” —Griffin Bufkin (Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons, Georgia)

Parker’s Gas Station

Brunswick | parkersga.com

“Display-case fried chicken, tater logs, gizzards, and livers by the paper-sack-full.” —Griffin Bufkin (Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons, Georgia)

Revival

Atlanta | revivaldecatur.com

“Kevin Gillespie takes comfort food seriously, and he’s engineered an elegant, paper-thin crust for the chicken at his modern meat-and-three. Don’t miss the cornbread either.” —Jed Portman (Garden & Gun)

Richards’ Southern Fried

Atlanta | richardssouthernfried.com

“This is the best hot chicken in Atlanta—and those sides…” —Allen Suh (Ronen Knife, Atlanta)

Thank U Chicken

Duluth | 470-875-9000

“Probably the best Korean fried chicken in Atlanta right now, with a shattering crust.” —Allen Suh (Ronen Knife, Atlanta)

Umaido

Suwanee | umaido.net

“I can only guess how the crew at this small ramen restaurant gets boneless skin-on thighs so crisp. Miraculously, they resist soggification in a rich roasted chicken broth with a soft egg and wood ear mushrooms. Once you try that chicken, you will crave it for life.” —Dean Neff (PinPoint, Wilmington)

Watershed on Peachtree

Atlanta | watershedrestaurant.com

“You can’t go wrong here. They adhere to Edna Lewis’s superlative recipe.” —Whitney Otawka (Greyfield Inn, Cumberland Island, Georgia)

Wifesaver

Augusta | wifesaverrestaurants.com

“This local fast food chain started in the founder’s front yard, as a fundraiser for his son’s polio treatment. The chicken—any style, including fingers—is so good, and the sides rival it.” —Margaret Houston (Garden & Gun)

Zyka

Decatur | zyka.com



“Get the Chicken 65, a fantastic take on fried chicken from northern India.” —Asha Gomez (The Third Space, Atlanta)