The Chef Amazing Charts · November 2026
The Fried Chicken 100
The 100 best places in the world for fried chicken, from Nashville hot at Prince's to garlic-buried gai tod in Bangkok, Seoul's chicken-and-beer houses, karaage in Japan's karaage town and the half chicken in a Kreuzberg tavern: the one piece to order at each, the line to expect and how to beat it, and Chef's recipe to make every style at home.
Every style Southern and soul Nashville hot Sandwiches Korean Japan and Hawaii Taiwan and Southeast Asia Latin America and Europe Everywhere The Americas (61) Asia (19) Europe (10) Australia and the Pacific (9) Africa (1)
The top ten
1 Nolensville Pike, South Nashville · Nashville, United States
Get: A quarter dark at medium (hot if you're brave), on white bread with pickles
Line: Every order is fried to order, so 20 to 40 minutes is normal at dinner and on weekends. Beat it: a weekday mid-afternoon, or call ahead.
2 A photo like it Highway 70, Mason, Tennessee · Mason, United States
Get: Three pieces of dark meat, with the baked beans and slaw
Line: Lunch rushes from Memphis on weekends. Beat it: a weekday right at opening.
3 A photo like it Baronne Street, Downtown · New Orleans, United States
Get: Fried chicken with butter beans
Line: Lines at lunch. Beat it: come at opening or mid-afternoon.
4 A photo like it Soi Polo, Lumphini · Bangkok, Thailand
Get: The whole bird under a mountain of crisp fried garlic, with som tam and sticky rice
Line: Busy at lunch with office workers, and a whole bird takes a while. Beat it: 2 to 4pm.
5 A photo like it Buam-dong, Jongno · Seoul, South Korea
Get: The plain fried chicken (huraideu) with the crinkle-cut fries and a cold beer
Line: A wait at dinner and on weekends, no bookings. Beat it: lunch on a weekday.
6 A photo like it Sanko, Nakatsu, Oita · Nakatsu, Japan
Get: A bag of soy-marinated thigh karaage, eaten hot from the paper
Line: A takeaway counter; a short wait at weekend lunch.
7 A photo like it East Nashville · Nashville, United States
Get: A hot leg quarter, and a hot fish sandwich for the table
Line: Fried to order: 20 to 30 minutes. Call ahead.
8 Orleans Avenue, Tremé · New Orleans, United States
Get: Fried chicken with red beans and rice
Line: Lunch only most days. Book for weekend lunch.
9 Chinatown · Los Angeles, United States
Get: The Nashville hot sandwich, medium if you're new to it
Line: Two hours is normal at peak. Beat it: order ahead online, or a weekday at opening.
10 East 22nd Street, Flatiron · New York, United States
Get: The Bucket List: the fried chicken, the sauces and banchan, and a glass of Champagne
Line: One of New York's hardest tables. Book weeks ahead, or try the bar right at opening.
11 to 25
11 A photo like it Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, West End · Atlanta, United States
Get: The fried chicken plate with collards and mac and cheese
12 A photo like it Shilin Night Market · Taipei, Taiwan
Get: The giant crisp cutlet, with salt, pepper and chilli powder
13 A photo like it Jalan Laksda Adisucipto · Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Get: Ayam goreng kampung with the crisp kremesan crumbs, sambal and raw vegetables
14 A photo like it Meeting Street Road, North Charleston · Charleston, United States
Get: Fried chicken with okra soup and lima beans
15 A photo like it Chee Uthit Road · Hat Yai, Thailand
Get: Gai tod Hat Yai under the crisp fried shallots, with sticky rice
16 A photo like it Sinsa-dong, Gangnam · Seoul, South Korea
Get: The fried chicken with the fried hot peppers on the side
17 A photo like it Market Halls Oxford Street (and Paddington) · London, United Kingdom
Get: The Hot Chicken Burger: double-fried thigh, habanero hot honey mayo, pickles and vinegar slaw
18 A photo like it West Jones Street, Historic District · Savannah, United States
Get: Fried chicken and everything else passed round the shared table
19 Midtown · Nashville, United States
Get: Medium dark meat with pimento mac and cheese
20 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Midtown · Atlanta, United States
Get: Fried chicken with the pot likker and cornbread
21 A photo like it Elston Avenue, Avondale · Chicago, United States
Get: The fried chicken with honey butter and corn muffins
22 A photo like it East Nashville · Nashville, United States
Get: Hat Yai fried chicken with sticky rice and sweet chilli
23 A photo like it Upper King Street · Charleston, United States
Get: Fried chicken and a dozen oysters
24 A photo like it Fells Point · Baltimore, United States
Get: The Neighborhood Bird: Taiwanese-style fried chicken in a steamed bun
25 A photo like it Williamsburg, Brooklyn · New York, United States
Get: The fried chicken box with a biscuit, then a slice of pie
26 to 50
26 A photo like it Scout Tuason Avenue, Quezon City · Manila, Philippines
Get: The fried chicken, half classic and half sizzling spicy, with banana ketchup
27 A photo like it Zona 10 (and all over Guatemala) · Guatemala City, Guatemala
Get: Two pieces of the original recipe, with fries and a horchata
28 A photo like it Center City · Philadelphia, United States
Get: Korean-style fried chicken, honey-glazed or za'atar, and a hot fresh donut
29 A photo like it Monterey Park, east of downtown Los Angeles · Monterey Park, United States
Get: The fried chicken with the spicy ponzu
30 A photo like it Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake · Los Angeles, United States
Get: The Sichuan hot chicken sandwich
32 A photo like it Leuschnerdamm, Kreuzberg · Berlin, Germany
Get: The half fried chicken, with potato salad and cabbage salad
33 A photo like it Itaewon · Seoul, South Korea
Get: Soy-garlic and red pepper, half and half, with a draft beer
34 A photo like it Gwanghwamun · Seoul, South Korea
Get: The original fried chicken with pickled radish
35 A photo like it Enmore · Sydney, Australia
Get: The soy-garlic and the sweet-spicy, half and half
36 A photo like it Noyack Road, Noyac · Sag Harbor, United States
Get: A box of the fried chicken, to take to the beach or home for supper
37 A photo like it Main Street, Oldenburg, Indiana · Oldenburg, United States
Get: The skillet-fried chicken, heavy on the pepper
38 A photo like it East 5th Avenue · Anchorage, United States
Get: Pan-fried chicken and a milkshake
39 A photo like it Shops around Seattle · Seattle, United States
Get: The spicy fried chicken with a roll and the sweet potato pie
40 A photo like it West Seattle · Seattle, United States
Get: The Hawaiian-style fried chicken with rice
41 A photo like it Killingsworth Street · Portland, United States
Get: Hat Yai fried chicken with roti and curry
42 A photo like it Scott Street, Third Ward · Houston, United States
Get: The Creole fried chicken combo
43 A photo like it South Dallas · Dallas, United States
Get: A three-piece dark with fried okra
44 A photo like it Farmers Branch, north of Dallas · Farmers Branch, United States
Get: Tiffany Derry's duck-fat fried chicken
45 A photo like it Downtown Culver City · Culver City, United States
Get: Kettle-fried chicken and biscuits
46 A photo like it San Fernando Valley · Los Angeles, United States
Get: The fried chicken, with the gumbo
47 A photo like it Northern Liberties (and South Philadelphia) · Philadelphia, United States
Get: The fried chicken tenders, double order
48 A photo like it Midtown Village · Philadelphia, United States
Get: Marilyn's fried chicken (or the Nashville hot) with biscuits and honey butter
49 A photo like it Point Breeze · Philadelphia, United States
Get: The fried chicken sandwich: two breaded cutlets on potato bread
50 A photo like it Fort Greene, Brooklyn · New York, United States
Get: Fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and spicy honey
51 to 100
52 A photo like it Brookline Village · Brookline, United States
Get: Thai fried chicken with the bar snacks
53 A photo like it Petworth · Washington, United States
Get: The fried chicken, brined 24 hours
54 A photo like it Lincoln Square (and around Chicago) · Chicago, United States
Get: Nashville hot chicken at your heat level
55 A photo like it South Side · Chicago, United States
Get: A half white, fried hard, with mild sauce over fries and white bread
56 A photo like it Weaver Dairy Road · Chapel Hill, United States
Get: The fried chicken biscuit (or the Bad Grampa)
57 A photo like it Downtown Eugene · Eugene, United States
Get: The fried chicken and a rum from the long list
58 A photo like it University Avenue · Gainesville, United States
Get: The Honey Bird
59 A photo like it South Pointe · Miami Beach, United States
Get: The fried chicken ($8.95) next to the stone crabs
60 A photo like it Honolulu (several shops) · Honolulu, United States
Get: The mochiko chicken plate
61 A photo like it Mōʻiliʻili · Honolulu, United States
Get: The mochiko chicken and the nori chicken
62 A photo like it The Junction · Toronto, Canada
Get: The Nashville hot chicken sandwich
63 A photo like it Commercial Drive · Vancouver, Canada
Get: The hot chicken, with a donut after
64 A photo like it Keefer Street, Chinatown · Vancouver, Canada
Get: The gluten-free fried chicken and the ribs
65 A photo like it Little Italy · Toronto, Canada
Get: The Classic fried chicken sandwich
66 A photo like it Elephant and Castle · London, United Kingdom
Get: The yangnyeom Korean fried chicken
67 A photo like it Chinatown · London, United Kingdom
Get: The Taiwanese popcorn chicken
69 A photo like it Shoreditch (and around London) · London, United Kingdom
Get: The Buffalo fried chicken sandwich
70 A photo like it Seven Dials, Covent Garden · London, United Kingdom
Get: The Korean fried chicken thighs and a sour
71 A photo like it 13th arrondissement · Paris, France
Get: The fried chicken, whole pieces
74 A photo like it Richmond and Carlton · Melbourne, Australia
Get: The fried chicken sandwich (doughnuts go early)
75 A photo like it Strathfield · Sydney, Australia
Get: The yangnyeom chicken, half and half
76 A photo like it Nagoya (the original, and branches around Japan) · Nagoya, Japan
Get: The original tebasaki: wings fried twice and glazed sweet-salty with pepper and sesame
77 A photo like it Taipei night markets · Taipei, Taiwan
Get: Salt-and-pepper popcorn chicken with fried basil
78 Kalasan, outside Yogyakarta · Kalasan, Indonesia
Get: Ayam goreng Kalasan, with sambal and lalapan
79 A photo like it Newton · Singapore, Singapore
Get: The ayam goreng with the house sambal
80 A photo like it Singapore · Singapore, Singapore
Get: The nasi lemak with the spiced ayam goreng leg
81 A photo like it Kampung Baru · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Get: Nasi lemak with the ayam goreng
82 A photo like it Jalan Doraisamy · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Get: Ayam goreng with the crunchy crumbs
83 A photo like it Avondale and Ōtāhuhu · Auckland, New Zealand
Get: Fried chicken with chop suey and a keke pua'a
84 A photo like it Sinsa-dong, Gangnam · Seoul, South Korea
Get: The soy fried chicken under fried chillies and anchovies
85 A photo like it Montrose Avenue, Ravenswood · Chicago, United States
Get: Fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits
86 A photo like it Dallas · Dallas, United States
Get: The fried chicken with the sides for the table
87 A photo like it Northeast Portland · Portland, United States
Get: Nashville hot chicken
89 A photo like it Spring Branch · Houston, United States
Get: Double-fried chicken in the spicy sauce
90 A photo like it Upper West Side · New York, United States
Get: Double-fried wings, then the fried chicken
91 A photo like it South Lumpkin Street · Athens, United States
Get: Sunday Supper: fried chicken and tomato pie
92 A photo like it Esplanade Avenue, Tremé · New Orleans, United States
Get: Fried chicken, a cup of gumbo and bread pudding
93 A photo like it Gentilly · New Orleans, United States
Get: Fried chicken with red beans and smothered turkey necks
94 A photo like it Skidaway Road · Savannah, United States
Get: Fried chicken and oxtails
95 A photo like it Page, Arizona, near Lake Powell · Page, United States
Get: The fried chicken tenders with the house sauces
96 A photo like it Near the Express Bus Terminal, Gangnam · Seoul, South Korea
Get: Half fried, half yangnyeom, with beer
97 A photo like it Newtown · Sydney, Australia
Get: The fried chicken, with the gravy and a beer
100 A photo like it Green Point · Cape Town, South Africa
Get: Steamed buns with spicy Korean fried chicken
Show 51 to 100
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How Chef picks
Fried chicken you'd cross a city for, ranked by how good the one piece is (the crust, the seasoning, how juicy it is at the bone), how consistent the place is, and whether people still line up for it. Chef starts from our own stories and city guides, then reads this year's critics, guides and awards (MICHELIN's Bib Gourmands, the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics, Yelp's 2025 top 50, Lonely Planet, Time Out, the Infatuation, local magazines) and checks every place is still open. One piece to order at each, plus the line to expect and how to beat it. Checked November 2026; a new chart every month.
More to eat
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place's page; "a photo like it" is the same style of fried chicken, not from that place. Chef Amazing is not paid by any place on this chart.
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