Tucked into a small Nashville, Tennessee, food court, 400 Degrees’ hot chicken is the real deal, available in four heat levels from zero to screaming hot. Owner Aqui Simson’s creation maintains a crisp crust under all that heat, and it has locals lining up every day to try it. Their massive fried pork chop sandwich is also worth seeking out. Read more...

Tomken’s Bar and Grill, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, standby, serves fried chicken “hobo-style,” with fries, coleslaw and Italian bread, and the thin batter that doesn’t let the crunch overpower the poultry’s natural flavor. If the “sauce of the week” happens to be Nutty Rooster, made of peanut butter loosened up with some with Sriracha, don’t miss it. Read more...

There’s only one thing that can make a perfectly cooked fried chicken even better: being able to eat as much of it as you want. That’s the deal at Northwest Arkansas institution Monte Ne Inn Chicken, which has been serving Southern classics family-style for nearly 50 years. Pull up a chair and help yourself to all the fried chicken, bean Read more...