The fried chicken wars are just getting started. You must try these 18 local sandwiches
This is the golden age of chicken sandwiches. The golden brown, crispy and crunchy, fatty and salty with-a-pickle-on-top age of chicken sandwiches.
Two years ago, when Popeye’s launched its chicken sandwich, something broke in the universe. The chicken sandwich gaze once exclusively held by Chick-fil-A looked elsewhere. There were, the world realized, other sandwiches.
Now fast food is trying to escalate the chicken wars, with McDonald’s and Zaxby’s each creating new sandwiches. And that Popeye’s sandwich everyone went mad over? It can be found with ease.
This year, Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen will launch a new trio of Triangle chicken sandwich spots called BB’s Crispy Chicken.
Not to be missed, there are dozens of other creative and simple chicken sandwiches on menus throughout Raleigh, Durham and elsewhere. In no particular order, here are 18 crispy picks not to be missed.
Picnic Barbecue
1647 Cole Mill Rd., Durham. 919-908-9128 or picnicdurham.com
A good rule of North Carolina barbecue is that barbecue spots often have great fried chicken. That rule extends to chicken sandwiches at this whole hog restaurant in Durham, where the sandwich is a fried chicken thigh with Old Bay aioli and pickled onions to cut through the fat.
Eastcut Sandwich Bar
3211 Old Chapel Hill Rd., Durham. 919-439-1852. or eastcutsandwich.com
Sandwich enthusiasts know Eastcut, which has perfected the chicken cutlet. But there’s also a trio of Southern-fried chicken breasts, brined in buttermilk and hot sauce and tossed either in buffalo sauce, Gochujang or left crispy and plain, with a smear of Duke’s mayo on a potato roll.
Mateo Tapas
109 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham. 919-530-8700 or mateotapas.com
This downtown Durham Spanish restaurant helped establish the city’s now-nationally-known dining reputation. The mashup of Spain and the South is on full display with their chicken sandwich, stuffed with Spanish ham and cheese and topped with pickles and aioli.
M Kokko
311 Holland St., Suite B, Durham. 919-908-9332 or m-restaurants.com/m-kokko
Tucked away down a cobblestone alley, this casual Korean spot serves bowls of noodles that, in pre-pandemic days, drew a mob of patient devotees. Kokko means chicken in Korean, and the sandwich here unabashedly goes after Chick-fil-A, a squishy bun and crispy buttermilk chicken, sweet house-made pickles and a sometimes-changing aioli (currently a zippy grain mustard).
Wooden Nickel Pub
113 N. Churton St., Hillsborough. 919-643-2223 or thewnp.com
This legendary wing house also has a proprietary chicken sandwich called the “Nickel-Fil-A.” It’s brined in pickle juice, served with pickles and mayonnaise. A Nashville-style version turns up the heat with “cluck sauce” and slaw.
Beasley’s Chicken + Honey
237 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh. 919-322-0127 or ac-restaurants.com/beasleys
Is love pain? The Hot Chicken Sandwich here will make you think so. It’s a fried chicken thigh tossed in punishingly spicy Carolina reaper chili oil, cooled off with shredduce and buttermilk ranch. There’s a gentler classic version as well, but you might live the rest of your life wondering, “What if?”
Kokyu
245 E. NC-54 Suite 105, Durham. 919-251-9017 or kokyubbq.com
This Asian fusion sandwich shop turned into about five different restaurants during the pandemic, all operating out of the same spot like ghost kitchens. Its best known for its banh mis, but this year launched a special menu of wild chicken sandwiches, including one tossed with house-made chili crisp and quick pickles, another with Herbes de Provence ranch and bacon.
Shrimp & Pasta Dankery
704 Rigsbee Ave., Durham. instagram.com/shrimpandpastadankery
How many viral chicken sandwiches are there? The Dankery has one and has also served Dwyane Wade while he was in town for a Duke basketball game. This takeout only food truck has a breaded and fried chicken tender sandwich with pickles and lobster sauce, a video of which has been seen by more than 1 million envious eyes. Be thankful you live in the Triangle.
Lula & Sadie’s
530 Foster St., Durham in the Durham Food Hall. 919-908-9339 or instagram.com/lula_and_sadies
Chef Harry Monds has been cooking in Durham for 30 years, going from fine dining to food trucks. His Southern counter Lula & Sadie’s in the Durham Food Hall serves a Nashville-style fried chicken sandwich, tossed in hot sauce and a bread and butter pickle mayonnaise.
Mandolin
2519 Fairview Rd., Raleigh. 919-322-0365 or mandolinraleigh.com
Fine dining Mandolin isn’t messing around with its chicken sandwich, serving something more at home at the State Fair than a white tablecloth restaurant. (We mean that in a good way). This chicken sandwich is topped with pimento cheese and collard greens and a waffle as a bun.
Grub
1200 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham. 919-973-3636 or grubdurham.com
If Chick-fil-A is going for the less is more philosophy of fried chicken and a pickle, Grub’s contribution to the chicken sandwich war is not that. This is more is more. Called “Mama’s Big Bird, there’s a lot going on in the dance of sweet and spicy, with a honey Sriracha sauce, bacon, pickles and Gorgonzola cheese.
Scratch Kitchen & Taproom
225 Salem St., Apex. 919-372-5370 or scratchkitchenandtaproom.com
The fried chicken for this sandwich is breaded in waffle batter, the rest is a battle of sweet and spicy, with peppered maple syrup, candied bacon, pickles and pimento cheese.
Iyla’s Southern
411 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, in the Morgan Street Food Hall. 919-758-8369 or instagram.com/iylassouthern
Simply put, there should be more waffles as buns. Waffles have integrity, they have structure, they have little pockets for sauce. Everything that’s great about a waffle in the morning continues to be true throughout the day. This Morgan Street Food Hall spot has classic chicken sandwiches, including a spicy Nashville version. But look for the chicken and waffles version, with aioli, pimento cheese and coleslaw, all between two waffles.
Whiskey Kitchen
201 W. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-803-3181 or whiskey.kitchen
There are two schools of thought when it comes to fried chicken, breast or thigh. Breasts are leaner, but dry out. Thighs are fatty and flavorful, but some don’t care for dark meat. Whiskey Kitchen’s chicken sandwich is among the rare thighs out there, brined in buttermilk and sweet tea, cut with pickles and a sweet mustard sauce.
The Katsu
411 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, in the Morgan Street Food Hall. 919-900-8163 or instagram.com/thekatsunc
Among the second wave of vendors in the Morgan Street Food Hall, the Katsu elevated the sandwich game. A menu of crispy pounded-thin cutlets come dressed up several ways, with a California version with avocado, pickles and sweet chili sauce, and a kimchi version with an egg, cabbage and tonkatsu sauce.
Union Special
2409 Crabtree Blvd., Suite 102, Raleigh. 984-200-3094 or unionspecialbread.com
This popular Raleigh bakery has perfected the bun, but that’s just the starting point. A big honking piece of fried chicken is tossed with buffalo sauce and ranch, topped with just-pickled cucumbers and lettuce.
Heirloom
219 S. West St., Raleigh. 919-927-8299 or heirloombrewshop.square.site
The stunning dining room of this Asian tea house and coffee shop will remind you what’s been missing from eating and being in restaurants. Heirloom’s main focus is beverages, but their food menu is no afterthought. The cutlet-style Taiwanese chicken sandwich comes on milk bread, with Napa cabbage slaw and the other passion-stoking mayo: Kewpie.
Pressed by Spanglish
10630 Durant Rd., Suite 104, Raleigh. 984-269-5099 or eatspanglish.com
There are a lot of standout sandwiches at this Puerto Rican restaurant, but there are few out there like the fried chicken take. This one comes with jalapeno and pickle slaw, bacon, crispy onions, cheese and hot sauce.
