# Which national fast-food chain has the best basic Fried Chicken? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927 "2012-01-18T20:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/1 "2012-01-18T20:14:39Z")
Pull up a chair and bring several napkins. Lets talk fried chicken. The finger licking good stuff. 😃 Whats your favorite fried chicken chain? I know this may vary because the management could be horrible in one region and really good in another. Good chicken can be really hard to find. There’s nothing grosser than undercooked, half raw chicken. I was a KFC fan throughout my teens and twenties and then the franchise here went bad. They gave me a lot of half raw chicken and I stopped going to KFC. My favorite? Popeyes, mild with red beans & rice on the side. I luv their biscuits too. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/2 "2012-01-18T20:30:48Z")
For _fried_ chicken, we still prefer KFC Crispy. El Pollo Loco would be our default choice, but they grill their chicken instead. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/3 "2012-01-18T20:55:52Z")
Picked Church’s based on chicken strips (I don’t really care for chicken still on the bone). But I’ve never been to Bojangles or Roy Rogers. Chick-fil-A is a phenomenon that boggles my mind that people seek it out. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/4 "2012-01-18T20:59:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > For _fried_ chicken, we still prefer KFC Crispy. El Pollo Loco would be our default choice, but they grill their chicken instead. I agree with this 100% except in our house it is referred to as _Extra_ Crispy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/5 "2012-01-18T21:26:05Z")
I still prefer KFC Original, though Popeyes is close. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/6 "2012-01-18T21:29:49Z")
I picked Popeyes, though that might be more because I have to work to get it. KFC is my goto for friend chicken locally right now (original - I like the spice). ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/7 "2012-01-18T21:37:28Z")
Does “basic” fried chicken exclude spicy varieties? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/8 "2012-01-18T21:41:09Z")
Popeye’s. It’s not even close. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/9 "2012-01-18T21:46:26Z")
Popeye’s here, although it’s been probably near ten years since I’ve had it. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/10 "2012-01-18T22:10:49Z")
I voted for Popeye’s, specifically the Popeye’s at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Boulevard. Much better that the Popeye’s at the airport! ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/11 "2012-01-18T22:27:31Z")
I said KFC because it’s the only place I’ve had fast food fried chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/12 "2012-01-18T22:43:14Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > I voted for Popeye’s, specifically the Popeye’s at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Boulevard. Much better that the Popeye’s at the airport! You have a discerning palate, my friend. The Popeye’s on Boulevard is indeed, as the cool kids say, the bomb. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/13 "2012-01-18T23:56:00Z")
Popeye’s hands down. We had 2 here in town for FAR too short a time but they are both closed down now. There IS no decent fried chicken in Evansville Indiana now. _sad_ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/14 "2012-01-19T00:07:18Z")
KFC changed their formu;a in Canada awhile ago and it’s not as tasty as it used to be. Popeye’s is awesome. I get sick after eating it, though, just from all the grease, so I have it twice a year whenever I forget how stuffed it made me the last time. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/15 "2012-01-19T00:18:23Z")
Chik-Fil-A all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/16 "2012-01-19T00:22:27Z")
Don’t know if any of them still offer it but Wendy’s had some _great_ fried chicken (entire pieces, not just strips) so I voted Popeye’s. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/17 "2012-01-19T02:58:10Z")
Popeye’s, no contest. Mmmm, and there’s one just down the street, you bastard! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/18 "2012-01-19T03:05:01Z")
Popeye’s, by far. Worse, the bastards opened a store not a mile from my house. It’s not fair! ☹ Love the spicy chicken, but their plain is good too. I can only assume the people who voted “Bojangle’s” were confused by the butterfly design of the ballot. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/19 "2012-01-19T03:53:49Z")
I prefer Bojangles, but since we only have the choice of KFC and Popeyes, I am sad ☚ ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927/20 "2012-01-19T04:07:35Z")
Popeye’s is generally my first choice. I’ve found KFC to vary a bit between locations, but the one nearest my house is pretty good. Chick-Fil-A is…wrong. They have somehow made their chicken product into the only substance on Earth that doesn’t taste at all like chicken. It doesn’t really taste like _anything_, except for a faint flavor of rancid pickles. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-basic-fried-chicken/609927.md?page=2)