Who makes the best crispy, crunchy fried chicken in the Triangle? Start with this list.
In this age of chicken sandwiches and nuggets and boneless wings, we have to be clear about what is fried chicken and what isn’t.
Fried chicken should always mean bone-in pieces, breaded or battered, skillet or deep-fried to crispy, crunchy perfection, served so juicy a stream runs down your wrist. It’s the food of Sunday suppers, of tailgates in the fall, and the answer to irresistible cravings for something salty, fatty and crackling.
The best fried chicken can be paired with a bottle of Texas Pete or a bottle of champagne. Or preferably both.
The News & Observer is looking for the best local fried chicken and has assembled 16 of the Triangle’s greatest versions. Voters will now decide which one is the best.
Chicken tenders, nuggets, strips and sammies, beloved as they are, aren’t fried chicken, so we’ve left them out here. We also love spicy and sweet Korean fried chicken, but the Triangle’s best versions are mostly served as wings, which we featured in an earlier Best Chicken Wing Bbracket last year.
The list is made of some local institutions, a few new school jolts of refreshment and a few major chains.
Here’s how it works: In Round 1, voters can pick up to eight of their favorite fried chicken dishes. Voting ends Friday, May 19 at noon. Round 2 will start later that afternoon.
Here’s a guide to some of the Triangle’s best fried chicken.
Acme Food & Beverage Co.
110 E. Main St., Carrboro. 919-929-2263 or acmecarrboro.com
The chicken at Acme goes all in on crunch. Pieces of fried chicken get a heavy, thick breading, studded with bits of pecan for a toasty, nutty bite.
Beasley’s Chicken + Honey
237 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh. 919-322-0127 or ac-restaurants.com/beasleys
This is James Beard-winning chef Ashley Christensen’s follow-up restaurant to Poole’s Diner, where the focus is on, you guessed it, fried chicken. The chicken appears in several versions, with chicken sammies and wings and even a pot pie, but the tried and true chicken remains the star, drizzled with honey for a sweet and savory sensation.
Bojangles
Twenty-eight locations in the Triangle. bojangles.com
Bojangles serves fried chicken with a point of view. A tailgate favorite in North Carolina, the fried chicken in Bo Boxes comes only one way: spicy, with the hot sauce already in the breading. Some might say all chicken should be spicy, and if that’s you, then then is probably your chicken.
Bullock’s BBQ
3330 Quebec Dr., Durham. 919-383-3211 or bullocks-bbq.com
This is Durham’s oldest restaurant, dating back to the 1950s and in the same location since the 1970s. Stepping into the dining room is like entering another era, the walls covered with photos of celebrities who have stopped in for a bite of North Carolina barbecue. Though best known for its pork, the chicken at Bullock’s might be the finest bite that passes through the kitchen, served crispy and light.
Chicken Hut
3019 Fayetteville St., Durham. 919-682-5697 or chickenhutnc.weebly.com
One of Durham’s oldest restaurants, the Chicken Hut’s roots reach back to the 1950s. Today it serves some of the city’s most beloved fried chicken, but only for lunch on weekdays.
Clyde Cooper’s Barbeque
327 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh. 919-832-7614 or clydecoopersbbq.com
A semi-kept secret in North Carolina is that old school barbecue restaurants serve the best fried chicken. The crowds and fans flock for smoked pork, as they should, but regulars know the chicken is often something special. That’s the case with this iconic downtown Raleigh barbecue brand, where the chicken is fried to rich brown and studded with black pepper, letting you know the seasoning is on point.
Crawford Cookshop
401 E. Main St., Clayton. 919-585-6055 or crawfordcookshop.com
Fried chicken is not an everyday thing at this Scott Crawford outpost in downtown Clayton, but it might be one of the most special specials around. Wednesdays are chicken nights at Crawford Cookshop, where the chicken comes seasoned with rosemary and served in paper buckets.
Dame’s Chicken & Waffles
530 Foster St., Durham. 919-682-9235 or dameschickenwaffles.com
823 Bass Pro Ln., Cary. 919-234-0824
147 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-240-4228
Famous for its chicken and waffles, Dame’s serves a fried chicken that could be a solo act, not just a duo. There isn’t a busier restaurant in Durham on the weekends and the chicken is the main reason why.
Joyce & Family Restaurant
129 N. Main St., Fuquay-Varina. 919-567-1717 or facebook.com/joyceandfamily
This 26-year-old Southern restaurant in downtown Fuquay-Varina serves its fried chicken buffet style, steadily refilling pans with crispy pieces of deep fried succulence.
Mama Dip’s Kitchen
408 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill. 919-942-5837 or mamadips.com
Perhaps the most legendary restaurant on this list, Mama Dip’s has been a local fried chicken destination for decades, drawing generations to Chapel Hill for the Southern classics. The fried chicken itself has been named the best in the state by national food magazines, hailed for consistently crispy golden brown crust.
The Mecca Restaurant
13 E. Martin St. Raleigh. 919-832-5714 or mecca-restaurant.com
As Raleigh’s oldest restaurant, the Mecca’s menu is built on the Southern staples. That includes a comforting blue plate special of fried chicken, best enjoyed from a bar stool at the counter.
Mandolin
2519 Fairview Rd., Raleigh. 919-322-0365 or mandolinraleigh.com
As you might expect, the chicken gets a bit fancy at this popular Raleigh neighborhood fine dining spot. Mandolin goes all in on chicken breasts, butchered to preserve the little drummette section of the wing, like an irresistible amuse buche.
Picnic
1647 Cole Mill Rd., Durham. 919-908-9128 or picnicdurham.com
This new school barbecue joint stays true to the old school, whole hog ways. It also serves a mean fried chicken, which is smoked before hitting the fryer, giving it a distinctive depth of flavor.
Popeyes
Eleven locations throughout the Triangle. popeyes.com
Before it set off the chicken sandwich craze, Popeyes was already a fast food, fried chicken giant. The chicken comes two ways, original and spicy, with a reliably crunchy coating.
Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q
Eleven locations in the Triangle. scnbnc.com
Barbecue purists might sneer at this successful chain of smoked pork joints, but nearly everyone admits the fried chicken is no joke. A combination plate or chicken platter at Smithfield’s is a bonafide North Carolina delicacy you can order from a drive-thru.
Time-Out Restaurant
201 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-929-2425 or timeout247.com
The Franklin Street diner that never sleeps, Time-Out specializes in Southern dishes at any hour of the day or night. That includes finely breaded bone-in chicken platters paired with some of the best biscuits around.
