Fried chicken may be classic comfort food, but at certain restaurants it has become a reason to plan an entire road trip. America’s most memorable fried chicken dishes range from fiery Nashville hot chicken and old-fashioned Southern plates to oversized sandwiches. Regional specialties continue to influence restaurant menus nationwide, according to the National Restaurant Association. These 12 restaurants serve the chicken meals travelers repeatedly go out of their way to try.
Prince’s Hot Chicken: Nashville, Tennessee
Prince’s is the essential first stop for anyone interested in Nashville hot chicken history. The Thornton family restaurant is widely recognized as the style’s birthplace, serving bone-in chicken and tenders in heat levels ranging from plain to XXX Hot. Pieces arrive in the traditional fashion, resting on white bread with pickles to cut through the peppery coating. Current quarter-chicken orders generally cost around the low teens before sides.
Willie Mae’s NOLA: New Orleans, Louisiana
Willie Mae’s fried chicken remains one of New Orleans’ most famous food pilgrimages, but visitors need the correct address. The original Scotch House in Tremé is temporarily closed following a 2023 fire, while the family now operates Willie Mae’s NOLA at 898 Baronne Street downtown. The attraction is still the same style of chicken associated with the late Willie Mae Seaton: a craggy, well-seasoned crust surrounding notably moist meat.
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: Mason, Tennessee
Gus’s now has restaurants around the country, but enthusiasts still make the drive to Mason, where Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt developed the recipe more than 60 years ago. The chicken’s appeal comes from a thin, crisp coating with a steady cayenne warmth rather than the heavy spice paste used for Nashville hot chicken. It is usually served simply with baked beans, slaw, and white bread. The original location is casual and relatively inexpensive.
Roscoe’s House of Chicken ’N Waffles: Los Angeles, California
Roscoe’s did not invent chicken and waffles, but it helped turn the pairing into a Los Angeles institution after Harlem native Herb Hudson opened the business in 1975. First-time customers can choose from several combinations, including the Country Boy, with three wings and a waffle. The pleasure is straightforward: salty fried chicken, a soft waffle, butter, and syrup on the same plate. Portions are filling enough to share, which helps with value.
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken: Nashville, Tennessee
Hattie B’s is younger and more commercial than Prince’s, but its accessible locations and clear heat scale have made it a popular introduction to Nashville hot chicken. Diners can order bone-in pieces, tenders, or a sandwich at levels ranging from Southern, with no heat, to Shut the Cluck Up. Hot delivers the classic cayenne-forward experience, while the restaurant says the jump to habanero-heavy Damn Hot is significant. Lines can be long at central Nashville locations.
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The Boxcar at Boxcar Betty’s: Charleston, South Carolina
Boxcar Betty’s gives the fried chicken sandwich a distinctly South Carolina personality. Its namesake Boxcar piles a fried chicken breast onto a potato bun with pimento cheese, peach slaw, house pickles, and spicy mayo. The combination is rich, tangy, sweet, and messy in roughly equal measure. Current online ordering lists the sandwich at about $11, making it one of the more approachable meals here.
Busy Bee Café Fried Chicken: Atlanta, Georgia
Busy Bee Café has served Atlanta soul food since 1947 and earned a James Beard America’s Classics Award in 2022. Its fried chicken is the kind of traditional plate that rewards ordering sides: crisp, simply seasoned chicken alongside macaroni and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, or cornbread. The restaurant’s history and connection to Atlanta’s Black community give the meal significance beyond the food itself.
Dell Rhea’s Famous Fried Chicken Basket: Willowbrook, Illinois
A stop at Dell Rhea’s combines fried chicken with old-fashioned Route 66 nostalgia. The restaurant has operated from its historic roadside building since the 1940s, attracting travelers with neon, vintage booths, and its Famous Fried Chicken Basket. Despite frequent descriptions elsewhere of pan-fried chicken, the current menu says the half chicken is hand-breaded and deep-fried. At $17.99 with fries and homemade coleslaw, it remains a substantial road-trip meal.
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Dooky Chase’s Fried Chicken: New Orleans, Louisiana
Dooky Chase’s fried chicken comes with nearly a century of New Orleans history. Opened in 1939, the restaurant later became a gathering place for civil-rights leaders under chef Leah Chase, remembered as the Queen of Creole Cuisine. The James Beard Foundation named Dooky Chase’s an America’s Classic in 2025, specifically recognizing dishes including fried chicken, gumbo, jambalaya, and shrimp Creole. Reservations are wise, and visitors should check when fried chicken is offered.
Bakesale Betty Fried Chicken Sandwich: Oakland, California
Bakesale Betty’s sandwich looks almost too simple to inspire a pilgrimage: buttermilk-fried chicken, a vinegary jalapeno slaw, and a soft Acme roll. Yet that contrast between hot, crisp chicken and cool, crunchy cabbage has given the Oakland shop a devoted following since 2005. The Telegraph Avenue location currently opens only Thursday through Sunday from 10:30AM to 2PM, and popular items may sell out. Travelers should confirm the schedule and arrive early rather than assuming it will be available all day.
The Sando at Howlin’ Ray’s: Los Angeles, California
Howlin’ Ray’s brought a chef-driven version of Nashville hot chicken to Los Angeles and became known for lines that once consumed a good part of the afternoon. The Sando combines a large boneless breast with slaw, comeback sauce, pickles, and a buttered bun; recent ordering listings place it around $15. Heat runs from Country to Howlin’, but the upper levels can overpower the sandwich’s other flavors. Chinatown remains the classic walk-up destination, while Pasadena offers full service.
