Best Fried Chicken in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis is a prime place for foodies, with everything from juicy gourmet burgers to rich barbecue dishes available throughout the city. There’s not much you can’t find here, and fried chicken is no exception. We’ve rounded up some of the best fried-chicken restaurants in the city, so you don’t have to waste any time on the hunt. Head to these hot spots for some of the best flavors in St. Louis.

Hodak’s Best Chicken

The fried chicken at Hodak’s Best Chicken has been voted the “Best in St. Louis” since 1991. This homey restaurant treats every customer like family and proudly serves up flavorful, hearty selections of down-home cooking. Their golden fried chicken is among their top specialties, with their cornmeal-based breading getting high marks for its nuanced flavor. You can order half a fried chicken or focus on your favorite piece of meat with a whole wing, drumstick, or chicken breast dinner. Meals come with french fries and tangy coleslaw.

If you prefer wings, you can order a hearty helping of whole or boneless wings in your choice of sauce. Chicken strips, chicken-fried chicken, chicken parmesan, and charbroiled chicken breast also grace the menu. If you want your chicken on a salad, you can get it breaded, charbroiled, or Southwest-style. Finally, you can pair your entree with satisfying sides, including mashed potatoes, baked beans, pickled red beets, onion rings, or macaroni and cheese.

Location:  2100 Gravois Ave., St. Louis.

Hours:  Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

Porter’s Fried Chicken

Porter’s Fried Chicken specializes in fried comfort food with offerings such as fried chicken, chicken tenders, and buffalo wings, as well as fried chicken livers and gizzards. Dinners come with mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a roll. You can also opt for a bucket of chicken and pick your own sides. Options include coleslaw, potato salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and pork and beans.

If you want to add a little something extra to your feast, consider some enticing appetizers. You can pick from toasted ravioli, corn fritters, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, okra, and mushrooms, to name just a few. Top off your meal with a brownie, cheesecake, or seasonal pie.

Location:  3628 S. Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis.

Hours:  11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.

Southern

The mouthwatering marinade and breading recipes at Southern are the result of a tasty collaboration among award-winning chefs from around the country. You’ll find satisfying soul-food flavors at this local favorite. Southern sticks to a small, simplified menu that makes it possible to truly master every option. The chicken platters come with your choice of chicken tenders, wings, legs, or thighs. You can even add catfish nuggets for a surf and turf meal.

Choose your heat level for the catfish and chicken, and enjoy the original seasoning with just a hint of spice all the way up to “Cluckin’ Hot,” which comes with a warning that it may still burn the next day. Every plate comes with bread and pickles. Pick two sides for your meal, or get three full pints of sides with the family meal deal. Options include mashed potatoes, collard greens, coleslaw, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, fries, and cucumber salad.

If you’re craving chicken breast, you can find the restaurant’s tender and flavorful white meat on its sandwiches. Order the Southern Chicken Sandwich with chipotle mayo and pickles or the Firebird Sandwich with romaine, tomato, pickles, and buttermilk-lime ranch.

Location:  3108 Olive St., St. Louis.

Hours:  11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Grace Meat + Three

Grace Meat + Three operates on the premise that every employee and customer should feel valued. The flavorful food strives to take you back to a simpler time and encourage a feeling of fellowship at the table. If you’re unsure what to order, make it easy with one of the famous fried-chicken deals. The meal deal features three pieces of Rick’s famous fried chicken tenders, Grace fries, Texas toast, sauce, pickles, and your choice of drink. The family meal features a whole bird, collard greens, potato salad, and cornbread, so you can keep everyone happy.

Maybe you’re looking for a smaller fried-chicken plate. If so, you can build your own with your choice of original or spicy chicken and then select a side, such as cornbread, butter beans, or roasted asparagus. The menu also includes fried-chicken sandwiches and chicken-fried chicken. Round out your lunch or dinner with decadent cranberry bread pudding or a  chocolate meringue hand pie.

Location:  4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis.

Hours:  11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Juniper

Juniper Southern Table and Bar serves New Southern cuisine and cocktails rooted in the tradition of the region. The restaurant’s famous fried chicken can be ordered in various configurations, including an eight-piece family dinner, a half-bird, a quarter bird, and chicken tenders. You can even order chicken pieces a la carte to get exactly what you want. Complete your meal with sides such as macaroni and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. Finally, satisfy your sweet tooth with an oatmeal cookie or “puddin'” at the end of your meal.

If you’re looking for fried chicken in a different form, try the Fried Chicken Sandwich with red pepper jelly, smoked mayonnaise, and dill pickles. The St. Louis Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich is a fiery option topped with St. Louis Hot Oil and Spice, red pepper jelly, smoked mayonnaise, and dill pickles. Stop in for weekend brunch, and you can get a chicken biscuit, fried-chicken sandwich, or chicken scrapple hash with savory sage butter.

Location:  4101 Laclede Ave., St. Louis.

Hours:  5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Carry-out is available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

So now you know all about our top picks for the best fried chicken in St. Louis. Did we miss any of your favorite restaurants serving must-taste chicken meals? Contact our team at AutoCenters Nissan and let us know. We love having the best recommendations in the city for our customers when they’re headed off the lot looking for a bite to eat.

Image by Shardar Tarikul Islam is licensed with Unsplash License