As a self-proclaimed fried chicken aficionado, I took it upon myself and three of my friends to find the best fried chicken place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. In the past, I’ve enjoyed fried chicken from places in Philadelphia, examples including Asad’s Hot Chicken, Nanu’s Hot Chicken, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bonchon, and others. However, I’ve never explored a good local spot for fried chicken, and I think it’s time to find a few.
To find out the best places in Delco for fried chicken, I had to get only the most authentic opinion, and that, of course, was Haven’s student body.
I went around lunch asking for recommendations and received some answers.
Most interviewees responded with Popeyes, a restaurant chain known for their flavorful fried chicken. On the other hand, a minority of interviewees would respond with other places, mostly local businesses.
Every establishment’s chicken is judged on crisp, taste, and juiciness. To maintain fairness between the ratings, a fried chicken mixed entree will be ordered at every establishment.
Popeyes: 7.1/10
First, we went to Popeyes. A popular fast food chain across the world, known for their fried chicken and delightful mix of flavors.
I would give Popeyes’ fried chicken a 7.1/10. It’s an inexpensive, reliable choice. It has great crisp, great flavor, and decent juiciness.
My main critique of Popeyes chicken is the overbearing sweetness of the breading. It’s just a little too much for me, but if you enjoy an incredibly sweet and flavorful breading, Popeyes is for you.
Junior Jack Logue gave the chicken a 6.5/10.
“I think the breading is really good, it’s got a really nice crisp, it’s not too thick… But the actual chicken itself isn’t amazing, it’s normal, pretty standard. You can’t go wrong,” Logue said.
Our average rating of this chicken was 7.1/10. It’s not a bad choice for someone looking for fried chicken on a Friday night, but there’s better out there.
Crown Chicken: 7.1/10
Next up was Crown Chicken, a business located in Chester.
An extremely moist and crispy chicken, I gave this chicken a 6.8/10. It’s not a go-to place for me, but it’s still not a bad choice. However, it lacks in the flavor department, and is a bit too juicy for me. There’s dry chicken and juicy chicken, but this chicken crossed the juicy line. That, and the average flavor, hold this chicken back from being a 7/10 or above.
Logue, however, thought otherwise, holding it in high regard. He gave the chicken an 8.
“[It] had a nice juiciness, nice crispiness, the grease was a little bit much. They could’ve toned it back a little bit,” Logue said. “I just appreciated the flavor of the actual chicken more.”
Our average rating of this chicken was 7.1/10.
Crown Chicken is a specific niche of chicken: the ultra-juicy, crispy chicken. It’s an acquired taste, and if you like that type of chicken, then it’s for you.
Crisp Chik’n: 8.7/10
Last and certainly not least, Crisp Chik’n. It is a business located in West Chester and Lansdowne.
Our average rating of Crisp Chik’n’s fried chicken was 8.7/10.
Their fried chicken was phenomenal. I’d heard about this place from people in school before, and I’ve been told that people swear by the chicken. After trying it, I see exactly why. This doesn’t come without drawbacks, though.
Most importantly, the taste was amazing. It was juicy, tender, flavorful, and everything you could want in chicken. The second I took a bite, I knew that it was the best chicken out of the places we went to. On top of this, this was the only place that had an original sauce, and the sauce was on point.
Ironically, the only factor that held this chicken from being in the 9-10 range was the crisp. It wasn’t crispy compared to the other businesses, and was more of a softer, flavorful chicken.
Junior Mikey Maltese, who gave the chicken an overall 8/10, had a great comparison for the crisp.
“The crispiness was just not there. It was a little bit crunchy, kind of like soggy cornflakes… The crispiness [alone], I’d give that like a six,” Maltese said.
All three options are great for your fried chicken needs, but the definite favorite was Crisp Chik’n. Ultimately, it all comes down to your specific preference of chicken.
