Your guide to the best fried chicken sandwiches in Charlotte, ranked in order.
Editor’s note: This story originally published Jan. 7, 2021. Some menu items may no longer be available, including The Goodyear House’s Red Devil Chicken and Heist’s Chicken & Waffle Sandwich. (Now, you can try Heist’s Chicken & Waffle Tacos instead.)
Fried chicken is as much of a staple to North Carolina as the ground that the state was built on. It’s nearly impossible to drive down any busy street or country back road without spotting a stand or restaurant serving up a golden deep fried piece of heaven, but a new variation has risen from the ashes of its ancestor – the fried chicken sandwich.
In the last few years, as our attention spans shortened and our need for everything to be on the go skyrocketed — especially during the coronavirus pandemic — so did the demand and need for fried chicken sandwiches (predominantly due to Popeye’s breaking the internet in 2019 with its official sandwich release).
And, yes, I know the origin of the fried chicken sandwich dates back nearly 90+ years, but it’s indisputable that its newfound prominence has made it the new champion of sandwiches.
Armed with a deep love for the sandwich of the century, I found the loosest pants that I owned and set to fill them out by finding the top 10 fried chicken sandwiches that the Charlotte area has to offer. I decided to exclusively order all of the sandwiches to go to ensure that CharlotteFive readers could all access the delicious sandwiches that made my list.
Before going on my adventure, I thought hard about what actually takes a chicken sandwich from OK to extraordinary. According to the head chef and owner of Mad Dash, Corey Jones, the secret lies in the chicken. “Besides the ingredients, you need to have good, fresh chicken. If you have good chicken, you can always make a good chicken sandwich.”
To rate the sandwiches, I looked at five categories and scored them 1 out of 10: the juiciness of the chicken, the crispness of the skin, the size of the chicken, a large fulfilling bite, and the quality of the bun.
To test the quality of the takeout sandwiches, I waited 15 minutes before eating any of them to ensure they would survive the average drive home. So without further adieu, here are the 10 fried chicken sandwiches you should be eating in Charlotte right now, ranked.
(10) Biscuitville - Spicy Honey Chicken Biscuit
13703 E. Independence Blvd., Indian Trail
Open: Monday-Saturday 5 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
Price: $3.59
Juicy Chicken: 8
Crispy Skin: 9
Patty Size: 7
Bite: 5
Bun: 10
I know what I’m about to say may spark a war in the comments section, but this is the best fried chicken biscuit in Charlotte. And, yes, I’m talking to all of you Bojangles lovers out there. I, too, once claimed the Cajun Filet Biscuit as the king, but after one bite of Biscuitville’s Spicy Honey Chicken Biscuit, you’ll be sure to put that in the past.
With locally sourced honey, made fresh right-in-front-of-you biscuits, and perfect kick of spices, it’ll be hard to forget this one. Plus at only around $4, its value can’t be beat.
(9) Chicken King - Chicken Filet Sandwich
2301 The Plaza
Open: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Price: $5.25
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 7
Patty Size: 8
Bite: 8
Bun: 9
If you’re looking for the quintessential, textbook definition of a fried chicken sandwich, then look no further than the famous yellow corner spot, rightfully named Chicken King. The iconic takeout-only establishment has been serving up delicious fried chicken and fish for years now and has established itself as a local legend.
The construction of the sandwich is simple: A thin but wide, lightly breaded chicken breast, iceberg lettuce, a healthy tomato and a dollop of mayo. While the breading on this sandwich wasn’t as crispy as I would have liked, the crunch from the lettuce and tomato were there to pick up the slack and make this a memorable sandwich, Plus for only about $5, it’s hard to beat the price and quality.
(8) Heist Brewery - Chicken and Waffle Sandwich
2909 N. Davidson St., Suite 200
Open: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price: $11
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 6
Patty Size: 7
Bite: 8
Bun: 8
Picture this: It’s 11 a.m., and you’ve just woken up from a long night of drinking. You’re hungry for breakfast, but the two eggs left in your carton and lack of milk for cereal leave you longing for something greasy and filling. In steps the Chicken and Waffle Sandwich from Heist Brewery, and a small tear falls down your cheek. It’s everything you wanted: A sriracha-spiced fried chicken breast, scrambled eggs, carefully placed strips of bacon and a side of maple syrup sandwiched between, you guessed it, waffles. It’s a breakfast sandwich that’s equal parts delicious and creative.
The waffles did get a little bit soggy while I waited to eat them, but this was expected, and it did nothing to diminish the quality of the sandwich, nor deter me from enjoying it as much as I did.
(7) Leroy Fox - Honey Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwich
1616 Camden Road, Suite 150
Open: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price: $14 with side
Juicy Chicken: 8
Crispy Skin: 7
Patty Size: 9
Bite: 10
Bun: 8
Honey buffalo was a flavor combination that I was surprised to see, but I was even more surprised that I hadn’t heard of it or seen it before, as it was seemingly so simple, yet so genius. The skin on this sandwich wasn’t particularly crispy, but the pickle chips that sat atop did a nice job of carrying that extra weight to provide a bite that was still very enjoyable.
I skipped on the bleu cheese it normally comes with, as I can’t do the moldy stuff, but I could see how it would have been a nice accompanying flavor. While the chicken itself was very tasty, it was the tangy and spicy sauce, with sweet undertones of honey, that left a perfectly savory taste on my tongue and a memorable impression on my mind.
(6) Po Boy’s Low Country Seafood Market - Fried Chicken Po Boy
3022 Freedom Drive
Open: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Price: $6.95
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 8
Patty Size: 10
Bite: 9
Bun: 8
Now, now, I know what you’re thinking. Why in the world would I add a seafood market to the list of the best fried chicken sandwich restaurants, especially when, if anything, it’s more of a fried chicken sub? Because it was that freaking amazing, that’s why. To be completely transparent, I didn’t have much hope for this sandwich, particularly after realizing that it was compiled of chicken tenders. But all of my fears washed away after that initial bite, and boy was it a big one. Stuffed inside that delicious hoagie roll were some of the best chicken tenders I have ever had.
Pro tip: Order it Cajun style, and be sure to try their award winning Po Boys Sauce. That hint of spice that the two provided paired perfectly with the shredded lettuce and tomatoes inside that roll. Plus, the service was excellent, as one of the employees came outside unprovoked to give me extra napkins as they saw me demolishing this sandwich on the trunk of my car.
(5) Horace’s Hot Fried Chicken - Horace’s Favorite Fried Chicken Sandwich
327 S. Tryon St.
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 11a.m.-7 p.m. (Takeout only)
Price: $12 with side
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 9
Patty Size: 12
Bite: 10
Bun: 8
Let me give it to you straight — this sandwich is an absolute monster. When I lifted up Horace’s signature cake box holding the sandwiches for my friend and me, I couldn’t believe the weight of it. When I opened the box, I was actually convinced there was a mistake and that there were 4 sandwiches sitting in front of me, until I picked one up and saw that it was not 2 sandwiches stacked on top of each other.
To reiterate, this is not a first date type of meal. (Or is it?) But its massive, crunchy and kicking hot chicken will absolutely leave you satisfied and then some. Plus Horace’s accompanying thick pickle chips were tasty enough to convince me, a glorified pickle hater, into admitting that it was a pleasant addition. The mac n cheese is the safe bet side, as the thick shells and creamy sauce was the perfect accompaniment for the behemoth that is that sandwich.
(4) Pinky’s Westside Grill - Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
1600 W. Morehead St.
Open: Every day 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. (Sandwich only available Sunday)
Price: $9
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 7
Patty Size: 10
Bite: 10
Bun: 10
While Pinky’s may be well established in the Charlotte food scene, one not so well known item on its menu is their Sunday Special Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Like almost all of its burgers/sandwiches, this one comes dinosaur-sized with two honking spicy and delicious chicken breasts.
Now as I mentioned before, I’m not huge on pickles, but when I took off the bun to see if and how many there were, nothing could have prepared my eyes for the absolute mountain of green that lay before me. There seriously must have been at least 15 pickle chips. While I ate the pickles on every other sandwich on this list, this was simply too much, so I dishonorably picked them off. However, that had no effect on how delicious this sandwich was. The spice blend was absolutely killer, and it even put a spice king like me through a couple glasses of water while forking it down. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also tell you to also get it with a side of Pinky’s famous pimento cheese “Pimpin’ Fries.”
(3) Boxcar Betty’s - The Boxcar
1115 N. Brevard St., inside Optimist Hall
Open: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Price: $9
Juicy Chicken: 10
Crispy Skin: 7
Patty Size: 9
Bite: 11
Bun: 9
While all of the sandwiches at Boxcar Betty’s look incredibly enticing, I decided it was best to go with its namesake and order The Boxcar, and boy did it deliver. An incredibly tender and juicy breast lathered with pimento cheese, spicy mayo, (surprisingly delicious) thin pickles and a fantastic peach coleslaw. This was the sandwich that in my opinion had the best “bite” value, as the crunch from the pickles and sweetness from the slaw perfectly paired with the spicy pimento cheese and mayo. For a shop that only sells chicken sandwiches and fries, it is doing its job to the T and delivering in a huge way.
(2) The Goodyear House - Red Devil Chicken
3032 N. Davidson St.
Open: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price: $14 with fries
Juicy Chicken: 9
Crispy Skin: 10
Patty Size: 10
Bite: 10
Bun: 9
When The Goodyear House boasts that it serves “elevated comfort food,” it’s right on target. I would consider this a fancy pants sandwich, solely based on the quality of ingredients and the presentation of the food. I thought the price was reasonable considering the heaping portion of delicious crispy french fries that accompanied my sandwich (and to my surprise they didn’t get soggy on the drive home). Upon my first bite, I immediately recognized the craftsmanship that went into making the beauty that laid upon my hands. The giant red chicken thigh (its color derived from its habanero and brown sugar sauce) was the perfect texture, and wavered nicely on the line of sweet and spicy. The creamy slaw and tomato on top assisted in creating that glorious first bite, and once again I didn’t even mind the pickles. Also, The Goodyear House gets an extra gold star in my books for the toasted sesame seed bun.
(1) Mad Dash - Dasher Chicken Sandwich
2200 Thrift Road, Suite 3
Open: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 2-7 p.m. (Takeout only)
Price: $10
Juicy Chicken: 10
Crispy Skin: 10
Patty Size: 10
Bite: 10
Bun: 10
After consuming the number of sandwiches that I did, I felt it was my duty and obligation to let you all know that the chicken sandwich at Mad Dash is absolutely the best one I’ve ever had.
It was everything that you dream a chicken sandwich could be –– a large, incredibly juicy and flavorful thigh with a perfectly crispy skin, sandwiched between a toasted challah bun and topped with house-made pickles, coleslaw and a smear of signature spicy Dash sauce. Also a plus in my books were the blanket-sized napkins (seriously this was a huge thing for me) and their immaculate customer service. If you only go to one of the spots on this, let it be this hyper local Black-owned spot.
Still hungry? Axios Charlotte also has a guide to chicken sandwiches, with 21 of the staff’s favorites.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 10:30 AM.
