Reddit's Ranking Of The Best Fast Food Fried Chicken Is A Battle Of The Top Chains
No matter how you fry it, restaurant fried chicken just tastes better. It's no wonder that the global fried chicken market is such a booming business, poised to reach $9.48 billion by 2029, per The Business Research Company. Clearly, folks love their fried chicken — which restaurant serves up the best poultry, however, is a matter of some debate.
When it comes to ranking fried chicken chains from best to worst, people have very definite opinions. Users on Reddit have narrowed the field to a handful of fast-food chains they consider to be the best cluck for your buck. To suss out the winners, Food Republic dug into the comment threads to see which chicken had folks salivating. The clear standout among Reddit users was Popeyes, that Louisiana-born chicken chain offering crunchy, battered poultry with a kick of Cajun and Creole-inspired spices. This fried food spot received the most callouts for being top dog among chicken chains.
The online discourse also pointed out certain runner up chains, as well as one famous chicken joint that apparently no longer has a great reputation. The Colonel's chicken, KFC, has fallen pretty far since its glory days and didn't make the top rankings — or even come close. The fried chicken champion of former times drew some criticism from commenters who claimed it is not as good as it once was, citing a drop in quality at the once-dominating chain in the decades since it became corporate owned, and subsequently changed hands multiple times.
Reddit users love Popeye's chicken, but not the service
From the spice to the texture, Popeyes chicken is the hands-down (wings-down ... ) favorite among users in the r/fastfood subreddit thread, who engaged in major discussion over the ultimate fast food fried chicken. But the high-ranked spot is not without its flaws: the food itself is beloved, but the problem seems to be getting Popeyes restaurants to properly serve the famous fried poultry.
Commenters pretty unanimously cited consistently bad service at Popeyes restaurants. In the same sentences praising the deliciousness of the food, issues like wrong orders, completely forgotten orders, or not being able to order at all were brought up in tandem. "Popeyes is undisputed [number one] for taste and texture in my book, but service is abysmal," one Reddit user stated. Another wrote, "I used to live across the street from one and was hooked. But [it's] almost impossible to order from. They always get it wrong. They're always packed and slow. The ratings for the one near me are abysmal." One Popeye's lover shared that they've experienced bad service at the fast food restaurant in the past, but now live near a franchise where the service is good. A fellow Reddit user quipped in response, "Never move. Hold on for dear life."
The bottom line seems to be that Popeyes has the best-tasting fried chicken. The catch, however, is identifying a restaurant location where you can enjoy it without a major hassle.
The runners up in the fast food fried chicken race
It wasn't just Popeye's that received love in the online discourse via Reddit thread — California-founded Bojangles was the second-ranked favorite among commentators for it's crispy fried chicken and fan-favorite iced sweet tea. One user stated that Bojangles is "almost as good" as Popeyes, but the service is much better, so they take their business to the competing chain. Another Reddit user shared that they prefer Bojangles to Popeyes simply because the former is generous with their sauces (both sauce cup portions, as well as servers who are happy to dole out extras on request). The user compared this saucy experience to Popeye's, where getting an extra dip is like "pulling teeth." Popeyes is now putting its sauces on grocery store shelves, though, so those craving more have the option of purchasing it by the bottle.
Ranking third, per Reddit, was Church's Texas Chicken, serving up fried chicken, biscuits, and sides along with other items like fried shrimp and fish sandwiches. The chain touts its large food portions and bold taste as being quintessentially Texan. Reddit users specifically like the drumsticks and sides. Once again, though, this restaurant can't seem to get out from beneath the Popeyes shadow. One Reddit user called it, "A pretty great substitute for Popeyes," with another commenter claimed it is "a close [number two,]" with better service and a larger menu variety. Clearly, the best fast food fried chicken is still anyone's game — and the quality of the food isn't the only thing customers are taking into consideration.