My Kids Stopped Eating at Chick-fil-A, These 8 Fried Chicken Places Are Just Better

When it comes to cuisine, nothing says American quite like fried chicken. It is believed this crispy delight originated in West Africa, China, and the Middle East centuries ago, but it's a very different dish from the American-style fried chicken enjoyed today. Born in the Southern U.S., fried chicken is one of the most popular dishes, enjoyed just about anywhere, and there are many fried chicken places found nationwide.

Chick-fil-A is one of the most popular friend chicken chains in the United States, but my kids hated waiting in the long lines, wanted to eat on Sundays when Chick-fil-A is closed, and as a parent seeing the 140 calories in just a single 1oz Chick-fil-A sauce, made me consider looking elsewhere.

And while I appreciate Chick-fil-A's relatively healthier choice of peanut oil to fry it's chicken compared with other brands, the flavor profile isn't what our kids are looking for and we try to be very careful about potential allergy exposure. With peanut allergies on the rise and affecting 2.2% (one out of every 50!) of US children, it just seems like the safer option to look elsewhere.

If you’re looking for some of the best fried chicken, check out one of these fast food restaurants.

Jollibee is a fast food chain based out of the Philippines that now has 78 locations in the U.S. While this restaurant does serve other items, such as pasta and burgers, it’s known for its Chickenjoy Fried Chicken.

Jollibee has over 1,000 store locations across the globe, but it’s starting to grow in the U.S. as well. Despite the many other delicious items on the menu, they’re best known for what they call the Chickenjoy, which is their signature fried chicken. Their fried chicken is juicy, crunchy, and full of flavor. You can order it in buckets with sides such as fries, mashed potatoes, or Jolly Spaghetti.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken serves Cajun fried chicken that’s freshly made and hand-breaded. Although most of the locations are located within a gas station, they have some of the most highly rated chicken tenders out of any fast food restaurant.

A gas station may seem like a strange place to find some of the best fried chicken in town, but anyone who has tried Krispy Krunchy Chicken will tell you how good it is. The first Krispy Krunchy Chicken was opened inside a convenience store in Louisiana.

There are over 3,000 locations today and 97% of them are in gas stations. No matter the location, the hand-breaded fried chicken from Krispy Krunchy Chicken is worth the stop.

Raising Cane’s is a fried chicken restaurant that was started in Louisiana. The restaurant has grown significantly since the first location opened in 1996 and there are now over 800 different locations nationwide.

Raising Cane’s knows how to make delicious chicken fingers. The fried chicken tenders at this fast food restaurant are juicy while still having a satisfying crunch on the outside. Raising Cane’s gets their chicken to taste so good by marinating the tenders for 24 hours. The fried chicken at this fast food restaurant is always fresh as well.

Popeyes is one of the most popular fried chicken spots out there. This fried chicken restaurant is known for its famous fried chicken and biscuits. Popeyes was created in Louisiana and has now grown to be one of the biggest fried chicken chains in the country.

Popeyes has some of the best fried chicken out of any fast food restaurant. When you eat the delicious, buttery fried chicken from Popeyes, every bite has the perfect amount of crunch. The buttermilk coating on the fried chicken keeps the chicken juicy without sacrificing the crispy breading on the outside.

KFC was the first fast food restaurant known for serving fried chicken on the menu. Compared to many other restaurants that serve meals you can eat on the go, KFC serves family-style meals with fried chicken and delicious sides.

KFC was not only the first fast food restaurant known for its fried chicken but it has also grown into one of the most recognized and well-known fried chicken restaurants. What makes KFC fried chicken stand out from the rest is the seasoning they use on their chicken. The restaurant is also known for its delicious sides like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw.

Zaxby’s is another fast food restaurant that specializes in different types of fried chicken. The first Zaxby’s location opened in Georgia in 1990 and the chain has since grown to over 900 locations across the country.

Zaxby’s is known for its chicken fingers, chicken wings, and signature sauces for dipping. When you order from Zaxby’s, you can choose to have your chicken fingers tossed in a variety of sauces. They have different options such as hot honey mustard, barbecue, and buffalo garlic blaze. Zaxby’s also offers chicken finger plates that include fries, coleslaw, and Texas toast.

There’s no doubt Chick-fil-A is one of the top fast-food restaurants in the country. It's known for its excellent service and delicious chicken sandwich. You can’t go wrong when you order chicken nuggets, chicken strips, or a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A.

Aside from the delicious seasonings that go into the batter, the secret to the success of Chick-fil-A’s chicken is the fact that they pressure cook it. This is what keeps their chicken juicy in every bite. No matter what type of chicken you choose to order at Chick-fil-A, it’s delicious when dipped in the signature Chick-fil-A sauce.

Guthrie’s Chicken carries the name of the “original chicken finger restaurant.” This fried chicken restaurant was first created in Alabama and has been serving delicious chicken fingers since 1965.

Even though Guthrie’s only serves chicken fingers, there’s no need for any other meals on the menu. When you go to Guthrie’s, you can order what’s known as a “Gut Box,” which is a meal that contains the delicious signature chicken tenders, crispy crinkle cut fries, coleslaw, Texas toast, and Guthrie’s signature sauce.