Devan’s Dozen: Fried Chicken Edition
While Gus’s Famous Fried Chicken is not exactly a Kansas City fried chicken place, it remains one of the best places in the city for this dish. KC seems to agree as more locations are on the way.
The Fantastically Fabulous Fried Chicken of the Fountain City
Published July 6, 2022
I love fried chicken.
I always have. As far back as I can remember, I have loved fried chicken. Some of my fondest childhood memories are sitting around the table for dinner with my five brothers during the four to five times per year that my parents would bring home fried chicken and biscuits from the Hardee’s* thirty miles away. On that night, Mom and Dad didn’t have to stress over dinner, nobody was running off to something else. We all sat around the table. And while I never recall our fried chicken dinners taking place for any particular occasion, the presence of the fried chicken in itself made the occasion special. The crispy breading that made every bite audible, that signature country seasoning flavor that made it good hot or straight from the fridge the next day, the tender, juicy meat, and of course those big, warm buttery biscuits with a side of honey. These nights were indeed special. And every time I bite into a good piece of fried chicken, it takes me back to those dinners.
“My favorite meal has always been fried chicken.”
Which is exactly what good fried chicken does! It transports us. There is a familiarity and nostalgia that seems ever-present in fried chicken and so it make sense that it is the prime example given when Americans define “comfort food”. Somehow, a great piece of fried chicken has a way of nourishing the spirit even more than it does the body. Perhaps, that is the reason that a fried chicken dinner is often categorized as “soul food”. There’s just something special about it that transcends being an ordinary meal.
And I know I am not alone in this feeling. In fact, Americans consume almost twice as much chicken annually as the next closest meat (beef). While we cook chicken in more ways that Benjamin Buford Blue can serve shrimp, there is still nothing quite like the most American of poultry preparations - fried chicken. To this day, any meal of mine that has fried chicken is a special one.
That’s especially true here in Kansas City. When it comes to food, there are so many things that our city excels at. There are so many dishes and culinary delights that can be organically discovered. However, when a friend asked me a couple years back, “What is the best place to get fried chicken in KC?” I quickly realized that, in spite of being a fried chicken fiend, this quest would have to be much more intentional than most of my others.
So intentional that before I could even begin a search for the city’s best, I had to define what I was even looking for! What constitutes fried chicken? Surely, I didn’t mean chicken tenders, sandwiches, or nuggets. As great as a piece of chicken-fried chicken is, it’s not “fried chicken”. It seemed right away that what defined fried chicken, beyond the nature of the prep, was the presence of a bone. And yet, it did not seem fair to look at wings places and consider that in the spirit of what fried chicken actually is.
Ultimately, I came up with a definition that I thought encompassed all I believe fried chicken to be and what I thought a place must serve in order to be considered a fried chicken joint. That definition was shaped by four qualifiers:
Fried chicken must be coated in breading.
Fried Chicken shall be either deep-fried, pan-fried, or pressure fried in oil.
Fried Chicken shall be bone-in.
To be a “Fried Chicken Joint”, a restaurant must offer both white and dark meat chicken, and at least three different overall cuts of chicken.
With these standards in mind, I embarked upon an 18-month long voyage throughout the entire metro to discover the best fried chicken that Kansas City has to offer. And now, with today being National Fried Chicken Day, I am excited to share my top 12 places to get a fried chicken dinner in Kansas City.
12. Cosentino’s Downtown Market
10 E. 13th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Most Days, Rotating Menu Offering
The fried chicken meal at Cosentino’s is not just one of Kansas City’s best - it’s a phenomenal value.
I know what you’re thinking - a grocery store?! But why on earth should grocery store food ever be shamed? After all, doesn’t it make sense that the same places we get the necessities for our own kitchens would have the best ingredients? Since 2009, Cosentino’s Downtown Market has been a most-necessary addition to Kansas City’s urban center. As much as it is a grocery store, it’s so much more! The presence of hot and cold bars, as well as a deli counter, salad bar, ice cream shop, and multiple grab-and-go options have made it a premier lunch destination for those who live and work downtown. And this fried chicken is a staple on the Cosentino’s menu. A lovely, well-seasoned, perfectly crunchy breading coats each meaty cut of chicken. Available as a two-piece meal with two sides for under $10, this may be the best value on this list.
DD’s Pro Tip: While fried chicken is available on most days, it is not available every day. The counter does rotate their offerings. Cosentino’s does a robust dinner service but the best time to eat here is definitely lunch time when a steady professional crowd means they are turning out fresh batches more frequently.
11. Corner Cafe
4215 S. Little Blue Parkway, Independence, Missouri ^
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Corner Cafe has been serving up great fried chicken for a long time but the Independence location is most definitely the preferred one.
As a breakfast, lunch, and dinner destination that has a local presence akin to Cracker Barrel, it can be easy to forget that Corner Cafe is a small, city-wide chain that is exclusive to Kansas City. Having been open since 1983, multiple generations of Kansas Citians have grown up enjoying the breakfast staples, comfort food favorites, delectable pies, and “world famous” cinnamon rolls at this family restaurant. The fried chicken is available as a two-piece or four-piece meal and among this city’s elite for good reason. It has a nice, crispy breading with a pleasant buttery flavor. The breast (which should always be the measuring stick for good fried chicken since it is the toughest piece to prepare) is always perfectly moist and tender. With literally dozens of sides to choose from, this is a fried chicken dinner that everyone can enjoy.
DD’s Pro Tip: Save room for dessert, even if you have to grab it to go. The humongous cinnamon rolls are called “world famous” for a reason. They are some of the city’s best. The variety of pies available is also virtually unmatched in KC and at under $5 per slice (and under $20 per whole pie), the price is similarly hard to beat.
10. Peachtree Cafe’Teria
6800 Eastwood Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Peachtree’s meals offer the ability to mix and match, which is a godsend! I love their catfish just as much as their fried chicken.
Located in South KC and a little off the beaten path for many in the Metro, the Louisiana-inspired Peachtree Cafe’Teria has been a Kansas City soul-food staple for the past 25 years. What many once knew as Peachtree Buffet, transitioned into their current format during the COVID-19 pandemic. The soft medley of jazz plays overhead as customers approach the steam tables to select their meal. Depending on your appetite, you can choose from the Mrs. Francis (one meat and one side), Madea (two meats and two sides), or the Big Mama (three meats and three sides) all served with your choice of dinner roll or the cornbread muffin. As for the fried chicken itself, it is exactly what good southern fried chicken should be. It’s simple, well-seasoned, and juicy, but not too greasy. As for the side dishes, with over a dozen comfort food staples to regularly choose from such as mashed potatoes, collared greens, spaghetti, fruit cobblers, and one of Kansas City’s best macaroni and cheeses - it’s hard to go wrong. Every time I go to Peachtree, I feel as if I have been invited to somebody’s grandma’s house. I say “someone else’s” because my grandmother could have never made food quite this good. Owner Vera Willis has been quoted on multiple occasions saying that, “Everything is made from scratch and made with love.” And it shows in every single bite.
DD’s Pro Tip: The cornbread muffin is truly something special and the right bread choice with your meal. The texture , the sweetness; it’s just exquisite. And don’t sleep on sneaking a piece of the delicious cornmeal dusted catfish into your multiple meat plate alongside the chicken. Now that I think of it, there might just be something really special about Peachtree’s cornmeal!
9. RC’s Restaurant & Lounge
330 E. 135th Street, Martin City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
From its inception in 1973, RC’s Restaurant & Lounge has been a family restaurant. And for most of that time, they’ve been serving up some of KC’s best fried chicken. PHOTO CREDIT - Martin City Telegraph
If you live within the footprint of Kansas City television networks, you have likely seen the commercials. When it comes to fried chicken, RC’s Restaurant & Lounge is an institution in KC. Proudly “Family Owned. Family Run.” In 1973, RC’s was initially opened by Raymond Charles “RC” VanNoy, Jr. as a jukebox lounge. RC hired pan-fried chicken expert Betty Lucas to teach his three sons the craft, and the rest, as they say, is history. The restaurant became so popular that the three sons moved the restaurant to their current location in 1982, and have never looked back. When you step through the doors, you will enter into a dining room that still has that feeling of a late 1980s lounge or hotel bar. Fortunately, the recipes are still just as classic as the decor. The large pieces of classic-fried chicken are tender with a nice peppery seasoning that has a terrific flavor. Be warned that this is a messy bird; you might need that bib. There will be crumbs and there will be some grease, but it is all worth it. Served with a homemade biscuit, green beans, salad, and choice of potato, RC’s chicken meals are available in a variety of sizes from two-piece meals to ones large enough for the entire family. So, perhaps it is fitting that one of the city’s best places for a family fried chicken dinner is all about family and has been for nearly 50 years.
DD’s Pro Tip: While there is a chicken on the logo, and that is what everyone knows RC’s for, this is much more than a fried chicken joint. With great catfish, meatloaf, and steaks, this is a place for a number of Midwestern comfort food favorites.
8. Silo Modern Farmhouse
17501 West 87th Parkway, Lenexa, Kansas
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
The Half Chicken Dinner at Silo Modern Farmhouse actually features three preparations of chicken, as well as some of KC’s best brussel sprouts.
Overlooking the Canyon Farms’ golf course, Silo Modern Farmhouse does not look much like a place for great fried chicken, or even a restaurant for that matter. However, if exploring this city’s food scene teaches anything, it is that looks can be deceiving. Its place on this list is enough to demonstrate Silo’s fried chicken prowess. The half-chicken dinner at this golf clubhouse is unique among this list’s entrants for a couple of reasons. First of all, the fried chicken at Silo is not guaranteed to be a bone-in piece. Now, while that does break from the standard initially laid out for these rankings, the intent is what matters here. Everything about the preparation and the plating is in the style and spirit of true fried chicken. This is not tenders, a breaded cutlet, or a chicken-fried chicken dinner. Any lack of bone in the pieces that may be incurred is a deliberate choice for the sake of quality and providing an elevated twist on the dish. The second way in which it is unique is that the Silo Half Chicken is served in three different preparations. The meal offers a piece of cast-iron seared chicken, crispy fried chicken, and a poached chicken salad. Served with whipped potatoes and some of the city’s best brussel sprouts, this is a must-try meal. As for the fried entrant on the plate, it is flawless. The crispy breading boasts a complex mix of seasonings that is just stupendous. Each bite of Silo’s half-chicken is like a familiar hug of comfort that just takes me home.
DD’s Pro Tip: The menu can be a bit confusing. Admittedly, the first time I went to Silo, I misread the cast-iron seared and crispy fried to describe the same dish. Silo Modern Farmhouse will allow you to customize this plate so be sure to sub out the poached chicken salad for another piece of the crispy fried chicken. Don’t be so hasty to sub out the brussel sprouts or pan-seared chicken. The pan-seared chicken may be the city’s best preparation of chicken. And as someone who is typically not a brussel sprout eater, I never leave a single one of these crunchy, charred delights behind on my plate.
7. Third Street Social
123 Southeast 3rd Street, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Third Street Social offers a more traditional fried chicken as well as a Nashville Hot option for those who love spice.
Located in downtown Lee’s Summit on 3rd Street (Hey! That’s the name of the restaurant!), Third Street Social has been a hotspot for brunch, dinner, and Happy Hour since it opened in 2016. The restaurant has been so popular that, in the summer of 2021, owner Andy Lock felt confident opening a second location south of the Country Club Plaza. Both locations should be considered a destination for some of the city’s best fried chicken! It’s moist, flavorful, and has the right amount of crunch. The flavor lies somewhere between Cajun and being considered country-seasoned. There’s a nice kick of seasoning that builds with every bite. The texture of the breading is an ideal balance of flaky, crisp, and soft. Served with a mountain of Yukon gold mashed potatoes and a signature vegetable medley that is peculiarly spicy and tangy, Third Street’s fried chicken is available as a two-piece or a four-piece meal.
DD’s Pro Tip: Third Street Social offers their fried chicken as both a classic style and a Nashville Hot. You even have the ability to go half-and-half with only half the pieces in Nashville Hot. If you’re a person who wants to add a whole lot of spice, and a little bit of messiness, to your life, then this might be the option for you.
6. Rye
10551 Mission Road, Leawood, Kansas
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
The fried chicken with mashed potatoes and ham gravy at Rye is often ranked among KC’s best, for very good reason.
Since opening in Leawood in 2012, Rye has been synonymous with quality. The restaurant combines the class of fine dining with the heartiness and flavor of classic Midwestern fare to create an elevated, yet accessible, dining experience that captures the very best of Kansas City. And the people of this city are not the only ones who have taken notice. In 2013, Chef Colby Garrelts was named the Best Chef in the Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. For both the Leawood and Country Club Plaza locations (opened in 2017), the fried chicken has long been a star on the menu. The pieces are tender and crispy with a signature aftertaste of seasonings and oil that is just delightful. Served with creamy, whipped Yukon gold potatoes and assorted greens, Rye’s fried chicken meal is available at both locations for every meal.
DD’s Pro Tip: Don’t be in such a hurry to leave! Even if you are too full to grab a slice of their incredible pie, or a shareable cinnamon roll at brunch, the line-up of after dinner cocktails and cordials makes this a place worth lingering, long after your plate has been cleared.
5. Niecie’s Restaurant
6441 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Pronounced NEE-SEE, Niecie Ward operates a classic fried chicken joint in every sense of the term. While the food is fantastic, the service is even better.
Denise Ward long dreamed of sharing the comfort food recipes that she learned from her mother as a child, with all of Kansas City. And since 1985, she has been doing exactly that. Niecie’s Restaurant, named for Denise’s nickname, is a soul food destination located on the south end of Troost Avenue, near Holmes Park. At Niecies, there are no frills, no gimmicks, just “Good Food. Served Right.” With the option of a three-piece dark meat meal, two-piece white meat meal, or the three-wing dinner, Niecie offers her guests fried chicken exactly as it should be. She also offers up one of the most-affordable, quality, fried chicken dinners in the city. The lightly breaded pieces are crisp and flaky with a nice country seasoned flavor. In addition to fantastic fried chicken, Niecie’s likely boasts one of the best line-ups of soul food side dishes in the entire Metro. And be sure to leave room for dessert as assorted cakes, pies, and ice creams are available daily. As great as the food is, the service is even better. The warmth and eagerness of Niecie and her staff to serve their guests is a standard of service that all restaurants should aspire to. The food is tremendous, but it’s the people that really make this place so special. As the motto suggests, it’s more than “Good Food”, it’s “Served Right”.
DD’s Pro Tip: I am a big fan of cornbread and cornmuffins and almost always recommend going that route. However, while you have the choice of corn muffin with this meal, go for the yeast roll and thank me later. This is just a special roll. It is so doughy and pillowy soft with the right amount of chewiness and a sweetness, that makes it the perfect carb-filled sidekick to Niecie’s chicken dinners. And, if you are a person that loves that mix of sweet and savory, then make sure the candied yams are one of your sides. As odd as it may sound, the yams make a lovely dip for the chicken breading.
4. Lula Southern Cookhouse
1617 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Earlier this year, Lula Southern Cookhouse disrupted the Kansas City food scene by immediately becoming one of the best places in the Metro for southern comfort food favorites.
This past spring, Lula Southern Cookhouse opened to much fanfare. Located in the Crossroads’ building that many Kansas Citians would recognize as the longtime home of the now-closed Japanese sushi bar, Nara, Lula scratches an itch for Southern-style comfort and soul food that this city, and especially the downtown area, have historically lacked. As one rave review after another piled up in the weeks after Lula opened, I dropped in and discovered that the Southern Cookhouse had done something incredible. It actually lived up to the hype! The massive pieces of bone-in chicken actually intimidated me the first time I ate here. There was no way these picturesque chunks of meat could be as good as they looked. And yet, they were even better. The dredged chicken pieces have such an audible crunch but, then in floods the flavors of pepper, garlic, and even a slight sweetness of brown sugar. The peanut oil used really shines through in each flavorful bite. And in each and every bite, that blend of seasonings and oil builds. It’s almost playful in the way it loiters on your taste buds. Lula bottles their own hot sauce that, while not necessary, is a wonderful compliment to the bird. The house hot sauce neither takes away from the flavors of the breading nor overpowers them. Instead, it’s an accelerant. It adds a heat that somehow maximizes the seasonings already present in the breading and brings them into the forefront. The team at Lula has truly introduced the best traditions of Southern fare into the heart of this city.
DD’s Pro Tip: While this is likely the priciest entrant to make this list, you get what you pay for in terms of quantity and quality. Consider going for lunch when Lula offers a two-piece meal. The cuts they use are so large! Otherwise, grab some friends and go for the whole chicken platter at dinnertime. Don’t let the $75 price tag scare you. This dinner EASILY feeds 3 - 4 people. Adding an order of the biscuits with sorghum butter (three biscuits per order) is an absolute must! As far as sides go, it is tough to go wrong; but I would be remiss if I didn’t lobby for the green beans and the mac ‘n cheese. The oven-baked ooey, gooey, cheesy pasta is some of Kansas City’s best. And the super-fresh, green beans loaded with strings of onion and glazed ham hock are some of the finest I have ever had.
3. Cascone’s Italian Restaurant
3733 North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering - DINNER ONLY
It may be hard to believe but one of the absolute elite chicken dinners in KC is at an Italian restaurant, Cascone’s.
In Kansas City, the Cascone name is a culinary blue blood. For four generations, the family has served this city some of the area’s best Italian favorites and desserts. And yet, they land on this particular list because they are just as proficient when it comes to the most American of dishes. I cannot tell you why so many Italian restaurants in the area offer a fried chicken dinner special of some sort. All I can tell you is that I am thankful that this “out-of-place” meal is offered at Cascone’s Italian Restaurant! The server will likely be the first to warn you that ordering the pan-fried bird will likely mean a 20 minute-plus wait for your food. Not only is the dinner worth the wait, but being cooked-to-order for every single customer shows the dedication to quality that Cascone’s have possessed since 1954. It is a large part of why this meal is so great! The golden-brown pieces have a perfectly, crisp texture without being too flaky. Each bite carries a nice blend of pepper and other southern seasonings. The pieces are ideally moist without being greasy. This amazing entrée is accompanied by a mound of mashed potatoes covered in creamy, almost cheesy, gravy and a pile of buttery green beans littered with chunks of peppered bacon. There are a handful of places in KC to get an old-school, pan-fried chicken dinner, but the version served at Cascone’s is the benchmark that other such restaurants strive to achieve.
DD’s Pro Tip: Go on Wednesday nights for half-priced bottles of wine with your meal. Additionally, while the dinner is quite large in itself, don’t miss out on the chance to order a plate of Italian Nachos for the table. The deep-fried pasta chips piled high with pizza toppings are one of the best appetizers in the city.
2. Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements
4050 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Sundays Only, 12:00 PM Until Sold Out
Is there anything that Char Bar does not do well? Already an entrant in Devan’s Dozen for burgers and BBQ, their fried chicken receives my highest ranking yet.
By and large, Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements has to be considered one of the Metro’s more remarkable restaurants. Few can match their menu diversity and the excellence they exhibit in every one of those offerings. So much more than a BBQ joint, they are also an excellent bar, restaurant, and entertainment space. In fact, Char Bar has the distinction of being the only restaurant to have their entrees land on multiple editions of Devan’s Dozen at the time of this publication. This is actually their third such honor, having appeared previously on my list for KC’s best burgers and KC’s best BBQ joints. However, it is their Sunday Fried Chicken that has given them their highest entry on one of my lists yet! Char Bar’s fried chicken pieces are so massive that I would swear they come from a pterodactyl. They are meaty and heavily coated in a thick, golden-brown, flaky breading with a nice after taste of black pepper and cast iron. The southern-style chicken dinner is available as a half-bird or a full-bird and comes with sides of whipped potatoes with pan gravy, refreshing and crunchy coleslaw, and a mammoth buttermilk biscuit with a side of their lovely chive butter. The ultimate accoutrement here though is the tabasco honey. Provided in a personal squeeze bottle with each place, it belongs on the chicken, on the biscuit, heck on everything! The sassy, sweet dressing makes this chicken dinner unlike any other you will find in KC.
Editor’s Note: Shortly this article was published on July 6, 2022, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a representative from Char Bar. I was told, “We just did our annual menu update and fried chicken is staying!” This is exciting news for Kansas City! While it will still be a Sunday lunch special, one of KC’s best fried chicken dinners is not going anywhere anytime soon and this writer could not be happier. (Note added on July 7, 2022)
DD’s Pro Tip: Hurry! Not only does this premier poultry feast sell out pretty quickly on Sundays, but there have been rumblings from restaurant staff on recent visits (and perhaps they are just unfounded rumors) that Char Bar has considered discontinuing one of KC’s best fried chicken dinner. So get out there and try this meal while you still can. Also, don’t forget to try one of their awesome brunch cocktails. The Bayou Mary, which features habanero-infused moonshine, is a personal favorite.
1. Red Door Woodfired Grill
6324 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri
AVAILABILITY: Thursdays Only
I owe a debt of gratitude to the stranger who first put Red Door’s Thursday special on my radar.
About four years ago, I met a woman who swore to me that the best fried chicken in Kansas City was at the Red Door Woodfired Grill. She doubled down by insisting, “I am from Kentucky so I know exactly what I am talking about!” Now I don’t know if being a native of Colonel Sanders’ commonwealth played a role, and I have no clue where she is now, but, as it turns out, she did know exactly what she was talking about. Offered exclusively on Thursdays at all six of their locations, the Jalapeño Fried Chicken at the Red Door is the best fried chicken in Kansas City. The four-day marinated chicken is hand-dipped in Red Door’s signature jalapeño buttermilk. The breading is softer than one might typically expect on fried chicken but that allows the crust to perfectly envelop each piece without falling off after the initial bite. The peppery brine used brings an ideal moisture and added flavor to each piece. Don’t let the jalapeño name scare you. While the pepper’s use does bring a kick to each piece, it is just enough spice to keep you interested but not so much that it would be considered hot or spicy. Actually, it’s more of a robust, sweet flavor, that serves as a delicious footnote on the back-end of each bite. Now, if spice is what you’re looking for, the tangy yet fiery, mustard dipping sauce served on the side will allow you to feel the full brunt of the jalapeño. Served with a crispy, flavorful mini-loaf of cornbread and smashed potatoes and gravy, this unique take on a soul food favorite is the absolute best of Kansas City fried chicken.
DD’s Pro Tip: Red Door offers perhaps the most options of any place in terms of the fried chicken meal. Aside from the traditional half-bird, customers may opt for a two-piece meal or a four-piece all dark or all white meat meal. Whatever your preference in cut of chicken, Red Door has got you covered at any of their six city-wide locations!
A Few Places Worth Mentioning
As always, there are those that miss the cut. Not everything can be “Top 12”. In this special case though, there are three places worth mentioning that serve excellent fried chicken and only missed the list because of a self-imposed disqualifier. disKCovery has always been about showcasing the best of Kansas City and highlighting those businesses and establishments local to this great city. And it is only for that reason these first two missed the cut. While they are not headquartered in Kansas City or local to here, these are still fantastic restaurants that are not only a part of our community, but that every Kansas Citian should be excited to have as part of our local dining scene.
CM Chicken is not local to Kansas City, and not exactly what you envision when you think of fried chicken, but their version is still ridiculously tasty.
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
2816 W. 47th Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is not local to Kansas City, or even started here. It is a southern chain that is growing by leaps and bounds. That does not change the fact that it is one of the best places to get a fried chicken dinner in KC. The batter-style fried chicken is carefully cooked to an ideal moisture. The spicy kick in each bite has traces of Nashville Hot without being too intense for a spice novice. There’s a reason that Gus’s has been so popular with locals since first opening. They just do everything right. And it’s for that reason, that a second location has opened in Overland Park, and that two more will be coming to the Missouri side of the Metro quite soon.
DD’s Pro Tip - Well not so much a tip but the fact they serve 40’s in paper bags is a nice touch. So why not go ahead and just have a beer with your meal?
CM (Choong Man) Chicken
6601 W. 135th Street, Overland Park, Kansas
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
This DC-area based chain and Corbin Park restaurant is one of the best places in KC to get a plate of fried chicken. And yet, there is nothing traditional, at least in the “American fried chicken” sense about this place. As the name, Choong Man, might suggest, the restaurant draws heavily from Korean traditions, and other Asian fares. The soul food diehards will not find any mashed potatoes or sweet corn here, but instead, what you will find is a heaping plate of a flaky, well-seasoned fried chicken that is meant to be shared. Available with fries or a number of Asian favorites, such as their phenomenal crab rangoons, this is a fried chicken meal that while a little different than what you might be used to, is a must-try.
DD’s Pro Tip - CM Chicken definitely has a local feel with their tap selection that includes a number of options for local Boulevard Brewing and Martin City Brewing. At only $2.99 per pint, that’s hard to beat. This chicken is definitely made to be sauced and tossed. The Garlic Spicy Sauce is my personal favorite because it wonderfully melds so many exquisite spices and flavors. The fried chicken is good enough on its own that I prefer to order my sauces on the side so I can dip at my own leisure and not lose the taste of the awesome breading.
Brookside Poultry Company / Electric Park
2700 Guinotte Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas
AVAILABILITY: Daily Menu Offering
As the final “worth a mention” that did not crack my Top 12, Brookside Poultry Company does not miss the cut for not being local to Kansas City. BPC was the epitome of a locally owned and operated restaurant. As the past tense implies, Brookside Poultry Company is here because, sadly, they closed their doors permanently in January of this year. As my friend Sam once perfectly put it, “Brookside Poultry Company’s original location was everything I want a fried chicken place to be.” The pieces of fried chicken were so juicy and meaty. The sides and the giant biscuits were to die for. The salty, savory breading of the sour cream-brined chicken was everything I could ever hope for in a piece of fried chicken. When I think of the best of southern fried chicken, Brookside Poultry Kitchen was it. If BPC were still open, they would have easily cracked the Top 3 of these rankings.
But rejoice Kansas City, there is hope! Who knows more about resurrection of a Kansas City staple than J. Rieger & Co.? On May 27, the distillery announced Charles d’Ablaing, the chef behind Brookside Poultry Company’s amazing fried chicken, as their new Culinary Director. The BPC breading is back in the form of breaded boneless chicken thighs served in Electric Park, Rieger’s new outdoor patio space. While it’s not fried chicken in the sense of these rankings, it is still an incredible fried chicken dish that locals must try and that BPC fans can now enjoy after a long season without that sour cream brined flavor. Fingers crossed that the folks at J. Rieger will consider making a proper BPC fried chicken dinner a weekly dinner special.
DD’s Pro Tip: The thighs are served with a side of tangy comeback sauce that is wonderful but that the chicken definitely does not need. However, it’s the perfect dip for Electric Park’s fries. While you’re at it, you are at one of the city’s premier distilleries, get yourself a drink!
While one of my favorite fried chicken joints is now just a memory, the amazing sour cream brined chicken from Brookside Poultry Company lives in on the form of boneless thighs at J. Rieger & Co.’s Electric Park.
When I was a kid, fried chicken was not just meant for special occasions.
But, the very presence of the dish made any dinner special. To this day, I feel that way. For many, fried chicken is the definitive comfort food. While Kansas City may not possess the overwhelming prowess in this arena that it does in other culinary genres, that does not mean the Metro is without quality fried chicken. Kansas City has dozens of great places to get a fried chicken dinner. It’s actually very likely that, at this moment, you are less than 15 minutes away from a phenomenal spot. So, in recognition of National Fried Chicken Day, get out, support local business, and find yourself the meal that will undoubtedly make today your very own special occasion!
Those Pesky Endnotes That I Often Insist Upon…
*Yes! That Hardee’s! As a child, the one nearest to my family in Maryville, Missouri sold eight piece boxes of chicken that came with four giant biscuits each. That breading had the perfect blend of country spices and is still the seasoning blend against which I judge all other fried chickens. While I have heard rumors that select Hardee’s still do serve fried chicken, I have not yet experienced this for myself. And so, for the last 26 years, I have longed for a dish that I fear no longer exists.
^ DISCLAIMER: Please note that this ranking is specifically for the Independence location of Corner Cafe. Despite having the same name, brand, ownership, menu, and recipes, there are clearly varying quality standards among differing Corner Cafe locations. This ranking is an indication of the quality available at the address given. Specifically, it should in no way be considered an endorsement of the original Corner Cafe in Riverside, Missouri.
What is your favorite place in Kansas City to get fried chicken? What did I get right? What did I get horribly wrong? Let me hear it in the comments! And as always, thank you for reading disKCovery!
A special thank you to Samuel Hildreth. He not only inspired my intentional quest to find the city’s best fried chicken and influenced my rankings. Sam and his wife Emily Neuberger also accompanied me on MANY fried chicken dinners. In fact, it is Emily who discovered the Niecie’s yam tip. This article does not happen without them! Thanks Sam & Emily!
Please note that all final Devan’s Dozen rankings are my own. Ultimately, I am responsible for the places included, the order, and what is written regarding each entrant.
