Which Charlotte restaurant has the best fried chicken? Vote for your favorite.
In the South, the love for fried chicken runs deep — so it’s no surprise that we received a long list of nominations when we asked our readers where to find the best fried chicken around Charlotte.
From classic eats to new soul food favorites, along with the fan-favorite chains, the city’s culinary scene is full of flavorful fried chicken spots that cater to all tastes. Of course, we excluded past winners and fan-favorite chains with more than 50 locations, but y’all do love your Bojangles, Chick-fil-A and even the local Publix delis.
In fact, our readers have already voted on where to find the best wings (shoutout to winners Wing King Cafe and Moosehead Grill). So we excluded places that only sell wings. We also excluded those that have only tenders, chicken sandwiches or chicken and waffles. This narrowed your list down to the places offering what Southerners think of when someone mentions fried chicken: Bone-in, served up as white meat or dark, in breasts, thighs or legs.
And now, it’s time to determine which local spot has the best fried chicken. (Note: This is not a scientific poll or survey. If you have more than one favorite, you are welcome to refresh the poll and submit a second vote.)
Here are the details:
- Round Six will determine the winner. It is live until noon Feb. 4.
Editor’s note: If you’ve reached your free article limit for content from The Charlotte Observer, you will have to subscribe to cast a vote.
Best of Charlotte: Coffee Shop | Chicken Wings | Doughnuts | Burgers | Ice Cream | Brewery | Pizza | Sushi | Tacos | Food truck | Bar | Ramen | Brunch | Patio | Barbecue | Pie
Top 2
Original Chicken & Ribs
Londa’s Place
Top 4
Londa’s Place
- Midnight Diner
- Haberdish
Original Chicken & Ribs
Top 8
- Midnight Diner
- New South Kitchen and Bar
- Londa’s Place
- Original Chicken & Ribs
- Leroy Fox
- Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish
- Dish
- Haberdish
Top 12
- Midnight Diner
- Londa’s Place
- Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish
- Haberdish
- Dish
- Leroy Fox
- Original Chicken & Ribs
- Bar-B-Q King
- Chicken Box Cafe
- Mert’s Heart & Soul
- New South Kitchen and Bar
- Shrimp Boat
Top 26
- Midnight Diner
- Circle G Restaurant
- Haberdish
- Londa’s Place
- Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish
- Quick Shoppe (South End)
- Leroy Fox
- Angry Ale’s
- Mert’s Heart & Soul
- Shrimp Boat
- Smithfield’s Chicken & BBQ
- Cajun Yard Dog
- Chicken Box Cafe
- Hathaway’s Fried Chicken
- Original Chicken & Ribs
- Diamond Restaurant
- Dish
- South 21 Drive In
- The Eagle
- Tupelo Honey
- Bar-B-Q King
- Nana Morrison’s Soul Food
- New South Kitchen and Bar
- Seoul Food Meat Company
- Sports Page
- US Fried Chicken
Top 39
Angry Ale’s
Location: 1518 Montford Dr, Charlotte, NC 28209
Bar-B-Q King
Location: 2900 Wilkinson Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28208
Boudreaux’s Restaurant
Location: 501 E 36th St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Cajun Yard Dog
Location: 8036 Providence Rd #900, Charlotte, NC 28277
Chicken Box Cafe
Location: 1331 W Sugar Creek Rd, Charlotte, NC 28262
Church and Union
Location: 127 N Tryon St #8, Charlotte, NC 28202
Circle G Restaurant
Location: 4818 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Diamond Restaurant
Location: 1901 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Dish
Location: 1220 Thomas Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
The Eagle
Location: 2120 South Blvd #1, Charlotte, NC 28203
Haberdish
Location: 3106 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Harlem Nights
Location: 9539 Pinnacle Dr #200, Charlotte, NC 28262
Hathaway’s Fried Chicken
Location: 1310 W Roosevelt Blvd, Monroe, NC 28110
Horace’s Hot Fried Chicken
Location: 327 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Kitchen + Kocktails
Location: Queen City Quarter, 210 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Kopper Kettle
Location: 11000 Nations Ford Rd, Pineville, NC 28134
Leroy Fox
Location: 1616 Camden Rd Suite 150, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 705 S Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
Londa’s Place
Location: 1540 West Blvd Suite 102, Charlotte, NC 28208
Lulabelle’s Restaurant
Location: 9335 Center Lake Dr #100, Charlotte, NC 28216
Mert’s Heart & Soul
Location: 214 N College St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Midnight Diner
Location: 420 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish
Location: 8006 Cambridge Commons Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
Location: 1116 McAlway Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
Location: 3100 Statesville Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206
Nana Morrison’s Soul Food
Location: 2908 Oak Lake Blvd Suite #106, Charlotte, NC 28208
Location: 3824 Corning Pl A, Charlotte, NC 28216
Location: 9725 Red Stone Dr, Indian Land, SC 29707 (opening soon)
Nellie’s Southern Kitchen
Location: 36 N Main St, Belmont, NC 28012
New South Kitchen and Bar
Location: 8140 Providence Rd #300, Charlotte, NC 28277
Original Chicken & Ribs
Location: 1100 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Providence Road Sundries
Location: 1522 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207
Queen’s Soul Food
Location: 7308 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28227
Quik Shoppe (Shell Service Station South End)
Location: 201 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Selwyn Pub
Location: 2801 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28209
Seoul Food Meat Company
Location: 1400 S Church St a, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 421 E 26th St A, Charlotte, NC 28205
Shrimp Boat
Location: 1411 Cherry Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29732
Smithfield’s Chicken & BBQ
Location: 5121 Trojan Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28278
South 21 Drive In
Location: 3101 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28205
Sports Page
Location: 8400 Bellhaven Blvd # H, Charlotte, NC 28216
Stockyard Restaurant
Location: 4925 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Tatsis Restaurant
Location: 2328 N. Graham St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Tupelo Honey
Location: Multiple
US Fried Chicken
Location: 310 E Trade St Suite A150, Charlotte, NC 28202
Location: 9605 N Tryon St Z, Charlotte, NC 28262
Location: 2823 W Sugar Creek Rd, Charlotte, NC 28262
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This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM.