The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America
Willie Mae's Scotch House is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

1. Willie Mae's Scotch House

8.0
2401 Saint Ann St (Tonti Street), New Orleans, LA
Southern Food Restaurant · Treme - Lafitte · 183 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: New Orleans isn’t just about gumbo, po’boys, and beignets. As the hours-long line at this Treme legend proves, they also have some of the best fried birds in the country. Damn them. Read more.

Federal Donuts is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

2. Federal Donuts

1632 Sansom St (btwn S 16th & 17th St), Philadelphia, PA
Donut Shop · Center City West · 167 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: Get an order with the za’atar dry rub and an allspice-scented doughnut and we promise, you’ll have no further questions. Read more.

Busy Bee Cafe is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

3. Busy Bee Cafe

8.5
810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA
Southern Food Restaurant · Atlanta University Center · 104 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: This is serious Southern soul food. The chickens are brined for a day, floured and fried in peanut oil, just as they have been since the café opened its doors back in 1947. Read more.

Honey Butter Fried Chicken is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

4. Honey Butter Fried Chicken

8.8
3361 N Elston Ave (at W Roscoe St), Chicago, IL
Fried Chicken Joint · Northwest Side · 143 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: Maybe you can resist a plate of fried chicken that’s served with little honeycomb-shaped biscuits and a tub of sweet butter to slather on every bite… But we sure can’t. Read more.

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

5. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack

6.7
123 Ewing Dr #3, Nashville, TN
Fried Chicken Joint · 126 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: Super-spicy, cayenne-drenched hot chicken is the name of the game in Nashville, and Prince’s is the place to go. Order wisely: Medium hot here would be pants-on-fire hot anywhere else. Read more.

Momofuku Noodle Bar is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

6. Momofuku Noodle Bar

8.3
171 1st Ave (btwn E 10th & E 11th St), New York, NY
Ramen Restaurant · East Village · 849 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: With a reservation you can get the special dinner: one Southern fried chicken, one Korean fried chicken, moo shoo pancakes, four special sauces & an herb basket. Trust us-it’s always the right move. Read more.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

7. Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles

8.1
106 W Manchester Ave (Manchester and Main), Los Angeles, CA
Southern Food Restaurant · South LA · 34 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: Fried chicken and waffles are a brunch-menu mainstay. Credit Roscoe’s, who started serving the strange and wonderful combo in Long Beach in 1975. Pro tip: The maple syrup isn’t just for the waffles.

Mama Dip's is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

8. Mama Dip's

8.0
408 W Rosemary St (at N Roberson St.), Chapel Hill, NC
Southern Food Restaurant · 40 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: At this college-town favorite, the peppery, shortening-fried bird doesn’t disappoint. Make sure to get a side of greens, too, and some black-eyed peas. Read more.

Yard Bird Miami is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

9. Yard Bird Miami

11691 B Cardinal Ave, Miami, FL
Uncategorized · 1 tip

PureWowPureWow: We advise going for broke with the Chicken ’N Watermelon ’N Waffles, which comes with hot sauce honey, bourbon maple syrup and a cheddar chow chow waffle. Read more.

Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

10. Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken

9.3
310 S Front St, Memphis, TN
Fried Chicken Joint · Downtown Memphis · 185 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: Perhaps the quintessential American fried chicken--juicy on the inside, crispy and salty on the outside, served with a side of slaw and baked beans on a gingham tablecloth. Read more.

Barbecue Inn is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

11. Barbecue Inn

7.2
116 W Crosstimbers St (Yale St), Houston, TX
BBQ Joint · 35 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: It may be called the Barbecue Inn, but all the locals at this old-time Houston diner know that the fried-to-order chicken--which comes out piping hot and somehow almost greaseless-is the thing to get. Read more.

Harvest is one of The 12 Best Fried Chicken Joints in America.

12. Harvest

624 E Market St, Louisville, KY
American Restaurant · East Market District · 62 tips and reviews

PureWowPureWow: All the birds at this farm-to-table spot are locally sourced, so you can feel virtuous as you dive into your pickle-brined chicken thighs, country-braised greens and buttermilk ranch. Read more.