Fried chicken should be an easy win — golden, crispy, and satisfying. But not all fast-food chicken chains deliver the same quality. Many chain restaurants specialize in chicken, but they’re not all created equal. If you’ve ever walked out of a chicken chain disappointed by dry meat, bland and soggy breading, and sides that just don’t justify the price, you’re not alone. Here’s a look at the worst chicken chains that customers say let them down most often and why they fell short.
Next time you’re hankering for some chicken wings or tenders, you may want to avoid wasting your money on these less-than-stellar chains.
KFC
KFC is the OG fried chicken chain, but it seems to have lost its way long ago. The chicken is not nearly as good as it used to be, with floppy skin and overly salty, loose breading. Plus, ditching potato wedges for terrible fries was a huge misstep. And while they did bring back wedges this summer, the chain still has a long way to go.
“It’s changed massively since I was a kid in the ‘90s,” says u/throwinthathitaway1 on Reddit. “Won’t even bother anymore.”
Buffalo Wild Wings
For specializing in one thing (and putting it in their name!), Buffalo Wild Wings has some pretty terrible chicken wings. They’re usually tiny, most of the sauces are pretty gloppy and terrible, and they’re incredibly overpriced. The boneless wings are better than the bone-in wings, so you know something is backwards here.
“Sports bars like BWW get away with objectively mediocre food because the food [is] a tertiary concern to the booze and the sports,” says one Redditor. And if that’s not a good enough reason to skip BWW in favor of a local sports bar, we don’t know what is.
Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s has pretty much one thing going for it: tender chicken. Too bad it’s flavorless, and that secret special sauce doesn’t make up for it. The menu is absolutely tiny, so unless you want limp fries, soggy slaw, or a piece of bread with your chicken (only tenders!), then you’re pretty much out of luck.
“Cane’s is tasteless and soggy,” says u/draculabakula on Reddit. “It’s not as good as Popeyes or Chick-fil-A. It’s also not as good as pretty much any local spot.”
Bojangles
Bojangles bills itself as a fried chicken chain, but let’s face it: It’s a biscuit chain. The biscuit sandwiches are what people go for, and those great, giant hash brown coins they have. The fried chicken, especially the bone-in stuff, seems to be an afterthought. Many customers complain about the meat being dry and the breading being greasy.
“In North Carolina you can get better fried chicken and cheaper at a gas station,” says u/NcgreenIantern on Reddit, and many people agree.
Church’s
The best thing at Church’s is the honey butter biscuits, which is always a bad sign at a fried chicken chain.
Customers complain about the quality of the chicken, breading so hard and dry you can barely bite it, and sides like mashed potatoes that look like they were scooped into their containers days ago.
If you must go here, just stick with the biscuits.
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Chick-fil-A
OK, so we all know Chick-fil-A is divisive because of the owner’s political beliefs and charitable donations. But we’re just going to say it: The chicken isn’t that good, either.
Maybe 30 years ago when there wasn’t much competition, you could say that the fried chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A was great. But it’s been long since surpassed by the newcomers to the chicken sandwich wars who serve an actually crispy fried breast. And don’t get us started on those tiny, soggy chicken nuggets, either.
Zaxby’s
Zaxby’s is the chicken chain that everyone forgets, and there’s good reason for that. People complain about dry chicken that tastes like it’s been hanging around under a heat lamp for way too long.
“Is it just me or had zaxbys just went to trash?” asks one Redditor. “I’ve been to multiple ones in multiple states this past year and I don’t think I will be returning.” (And while we know this has no bearing on the actual food, naming everything with a Z like “zalads” and “fingerz” is slightly infuriating.)
Wingstop
Wingstop feels like only a step above Buffalo Wild Wings, but that’s not setting the bar very high. Like its sit-down, sports bar rival, the boneless wings here are better than the bone-in, so really they’re just dealing in fancy chicken nuggets. Many people agree that the blue cheese sucks, and some of the wing sauces are way too sweet and syrupy.
“Wing Stop is 100% on the DO NOT GO list,” says u/FrugalityPays on Reddit in a scathing review. The only saving grace is the really delicious ranch dressing.
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