Discovering the BEST FRIED CHICKEN in NEW ORLEANS – What We Found!


The best-chargrilled oysters and the best turtle soup in New Orleans may be found at
Commander’s Palace and Drago’s, but who makes the city’s best fried chicken? For some people, gumbo and beignets may be the city’s signature dishes, but we quarrel with anyone who claims that fried chicken isn’t New Orleans’ specialty.

Making a top 10 list of any New Orleans cuisine is difficult. More than 1,000 restaurants can be found in the French Quarter alone, and fried chicken is a popular dish in many of them. So how would you rate New Orleans’s best fried chicken? Our ultimate list of the best places to eat fried chicken in New Orleans will whet your appetite, whether you prefer it hot out of the fryer or in its Sunday best. Some of the regular suspects are there, but we’re also offering up some brand-new discoveries.

1. McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’

You shouldn’t expect able to find the best fried chicken in New Orleans online. The website for McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’ is unavailable. Additionally, they don’t waste time
posting on social media. Instead, they are busily marinating their steroid-free, corn-fed chickens while dishing out some of the greatest fried chicken in New Orleans to old-timers.

2. Chicken-In-A-Box

A family in the bakery industry used to own McKenzie’s. They didn’t set out to have the best fried chicken in New Orleans when they first started serving chicken. Their dream was for McKenzie’s Chicken-In-A-Box to surpass their 50-store bakery company in size. Although it didn’t, who cares? The bakery chain is long gone, but McKenzie’s remains ranked among the top fried chicken restaurants in New Orleans.

3. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant consistently ranks first for having the best fried chicken in New Orleans. They have been in operation since 1941, except for the two years they were closed after Hurricane Katrina. This James Beard Award-winning restaurant offers traditional Creole fare amidst an impressive collection of African-American art. This restaurant is also among the best places to go on a date in New Orleans because they have suggested wine pairings for each main item, including fried chicken.

4. Willie Mae’s Scotch House

Willie Mae’s Scotch House, which has been in operation since 1957, is another James Beard Award winner. They are particularly well-known in New Orleans for serving some of the best fried chicken. If you want to skip the waiting time, you can purchase online or go to Willie Mae’s second shop in the Pythian Market.

5. Picnic Provisions & Whiskey

If you consider yourself a cuisine connoisseur, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey is where you can find some of the finest fried chicken in New Orleans. The creators of this hip restaurant are local legends whose names are connected with the city’s top cuisine. Their menu offers a selection of small appetizers to accompany their famous hot fried chicken thigh, which is created with a batter flavored with crawfish boil seasoning. You can choose from champagne, beer, or — you guessed it — whiskey during the “You Make Me Very Happy” hour, which is held every Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.

6. Ruby Slipper

Your neighborhood diner might be hiding the tastiest fried chicken in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, a husband and wife duo created the first Ruby Slipper restaurant. In the Gulf South, they already have more than ten locations. So if you had a few too many New Orleans drinks the night before, they receive our choice for the best fried chicken in New Orleans’ French Quarter. They are renowned for both having the best fried chicken in New Orleans close to the French Quarter and for its eye-openers.

7. Crazy Pig Southern Kitchen

What if New Orleans isn’t home to the best fried chicken in the world? A 40-minute trip from the French Quarter will get you to the posh Northshore neighborhood of New Orleans, where Crazy Pig Southern Kitchen is located. This charming mom-and-pop restaurant takes great delight in producing homemade Southern comfort cuisine. We know their hearts are as huge as their biscuits since they were one of the first neighborhood businesses to step up and feed front-line healthcare professionals at the
start of the pandemic.

8. Hambone

The Northshore also holds the best-kept culinary secret for New Orleans’ greatest fried chicken. Lauren Smith, the chef, and proprietor of Hambone, received her training in restaurants run by Wylie Dufresne and Daniel Boulud, and it shows. The menu is elegant. You can walk off your overindulgence because Lake Pontchartrain is only a few blocks from the 1940s cottage with the red tin roof.

9. Coop’s Place

The most renowned French Quarter hidden gem is Coop’s Place. For those who need to eat something other than Hurricanes, they offer healthy New Orleans fare, including some of the city’s greatest fried chicken. But you must be 21 to enter because they serve more alcohol than food.

10. Raising Cane’s

The idea of Raising Cane is basic. Make fried chicken, and make it well. But there are other things to love besides chicken. Todd Graves, the company’s founder and a native of Louisiana, is on a mission to assist restaurant owners who are fighting to survive in the wake of the pandemic. You can follow his progress on the ten-episode Restaurant Recovery series on Discovery.

11. Popeyes

You might believe that a list of the finest fried chicken restaurants in New Orleans shouldn’t include a fast food business. We humbly disagree. Al Copeland, the man of Popeyes, was a cuisine expert and a native of New Orleans. In 2002, it celebrated its 50th anniversary after expanding from one store to over 2,700 nationwide.

New Orleans is renowned for its rich and unique flavors when it comes to Southern cuisine. Fried chicken is no exception, and there’s definitely no shortage of great options in the city. From the best-kept secrets like Hambone to fast food favorites like Popeyes, you can find a variety of delicious fried chicken dishes that are sure to satisfy your cravings. So whether you’re in for a sandwich, a box combo, or a tasting plate, there’s something for everyone regarding fried chicken in New Orleans. So grab a seat and dig into some of the city’s greatest offerings!