The 30 Best Fried Chicken Places In America

The name of this vintage Route 66 diner refers not to fried chicken, but to an Oklahoma specialty — chicken-fried steak. However, Ann’s serves fried chicken strips with waffles daily and on Fridays and Saturdays offers heartier fried chicken and waffle combinations and also complete fried chicken dinners (four pieces, with potatoes, vegetables, dinner salad, and Texas toast or a roll). One Yelp reviewer called the chicken sandwich, always available — “a half pound of fried chicken greatness.” Yelpers point out that Ann’s accepts cash only.

This, the original location of this 10-location Texas chain, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area city of Roanoke, gets high marks for its classic fried chicken (and also chicken-fried steak). An added attraction at Babe’s is the selection of homemade pies.

The small menu at this Portland favorite includes a hot chicken plate that comes with the warning: “This is legitimately spicy. No returns or exchange;” a “legendary” fried chicken sandwich; and a fried chicken salad that includes avocado, a soft-boiled egg, and ginger-and-garlic-marinated wheat noodles. Basilisk is currently open for online orders only, and masks are required for order pickup.

The Bird describes itself as “the ultimate fried chicken sandwich shop,” serving “indulgent food that’s made with integrity and sold for just 8 bucks.” They use free-range fowl, coated with berbere (the traditional Ethiopian spice blend); the buns are fresh-baked locally every morning; and the sandwich includes crunchy house-made apple slaw. Hot wings are also served after 3 p.m. daily, and fried chicken may be added to the house salad. As of early November, The Bird has been open for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.

Birdies is about two things: fried chicken and doughnuts (not together). The chicken, free-range, comes as wings, in various combinations of pieces, as sandwiches (breakfast and otherwise), and as tenders, with sauces including house ranch and ghost chile mayo. (The doughnuts, for those who want to end their chicken feast with something sweet, come in such flavors as lemon thyme pistachio and candied bacon maple.)