logo
Reddit's Ranking Of The Best Fast Food Fried Chicken Is A Battle Of The Top Chains

Reddit's Ranking Of The Best Fast Food Fried Chicken Is A Battle Of The Top Chains

Yahoo20-04-2025
No matter how you fry it, restaurant fried chicken just tastes better. It's no wonder that the global fried chicken market is such a booming business, poised to reach $9.48 billion by 2029, per The Business Research Company. Clearly, folks love their fried chicken -- which restaurant serves up the best poultry, however, is a matter of some debate.
When it comes to ranking fried chicken chains from best to worst, people have very definite opinions. Users on Reddit have narrowed the field to a handful of fast-food chains they consider to be the best cluck for your buck. To suss out the winners, Food Republic dug into the comment threads to see which chicken had folks salivating. The clear standout among Reddit users was Popeyes, that Louisiana-born chicken chain offering crunchy, battered poultry with a kick of Cajun and Creole-inspired spices. This fried food spot received the most callouts for being top dog among chicken chains.
The online discourse also pointed out certain runner up chains, as well as one famous chicken joint that apparently no longer has a great reputation. The Colonel's chicken, KFC, has fallen pretty far since its glory days and didn't make the top rankings -- or even come close. The fried chicken champion of former times drew some criticism from commenters who claimed it is not as good as it once was, citing a drop in quality at the once-dominating chain in the decades since it became corporate owned, and subsequently changed hands multiple times.
Read more: Ranking Fast Food Burgers From Worst To Best, According To Reddit
From the spice to the texture, Popeyes chicken is the hands-down (wings-down ... ) favorite among users in the r/fastfood subreddit thread, who engaged in major discussion over the ultimate fast food fried chicken. But the high-ranked spot is not without its flaws: the food itself is beloved, but the problem seems to be getting Popeyes restaurants to properly serve the famous fried poultry.
Commenters pretty unanimously cited consistently bad service at Popeyes restaurants. In the same sentences praising the deliciousness of the food, issues like wrong orders, completely forgotten orders, or not being able to order at all were brought up in tandem. "Popeyes is undisputed [number one] for taste and texture in my book, but service is abysmal," one Reddit user stated. Another wrote, "I used to live across the street from one and was hooked. But [it's] almost impossible to order from. They always get it wrong. They're always packed and slow. The ratings for the one near me are abysmal." One Popeye's lover shared that they've experienced bad service at the fast food restaurant in the past, but now live near a franchise where the service is good. A fellow Reddit user quipped in response, "Never move. Hold on for dear life."
The bottom line seems to be that Popeyes has the best-tasting fried chicken. The catch, however, is identifying a restaurant location where you can enjoy it without a major hassle.
It wasn't just Popeye's that received love in the online discourse via Reddit thread -- California-founded Bojangles was the second-ranked favorite among commentators for it's crispy fried chicken and fan-favorite iced sweet tea. One user stated that Bojangles is "almost as good" as Popeyes, but the service is much better, so they take their business to the competing chain. Another Reddit user shared that they prefer Bojangles to Popeyes simply because the former is generous with their sauces (both sauce cup portions, as well as servers who are happy to dole out extras on request). The user compared this saucy experience to Popeye's, where getting an extra dip is like "pulling teeth." Popeyes is now putting its sauces on grocery store shelves, though, so those craving more have the option of purchasing it by the bottle.
Ranking third, per Reddit, was Church's Texas Chicken, serving up fried chicken, biscuits, and sides along with other items like fried shrimp and fish sandwiches. The chain touts its large food portions and bold taste as being quintessentially Texan. Reddit users specifically like the drumsticks and sides. Once again, though, this restaurant can't seem to get out from beneath the Popeyes shadow. One Reddit user called it, "A pretty great substitute for Popeyes," with another commenter claimed it is "a close [number two,]" with better service and a larger menu variety. Clearly, the best fast food fried chicken is still anyone's game -- and the quality of the food isn't the only thing customers are taking into consideration.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time.
Read the original article on Food Republic.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

5 things to know before the Thursday open: Meme stock revival, Trump's Fed visit, Uber's gender feature
5 things to know before the Thursday open: Meme stock revival, Trump's Fed visit, Uber's gender feature

CNBC

timean hour ago

  • CNBC

5 things to know before the Thursday open: Meme stock revival, Trump's Fed visit, Uber's gender feature

It's safe to say that meme stocks have made a resurgence. Wednesday's session brought another pair of consumer-friendly names into the fold: Mountable camera maker GoPro surged more than 12%, while donut maker Krispy Kreme's shares ended the volatile session more than 4% higher. These stocks, like other meme-y names that have emerged this week, share a few qualities. They tend to have high short interest and drum up some interest on the Wall Street Bets Reddit page, and most also have built-in name-brand recognition. Stocks trading around all-time highs also helps give these speculative trades oxygen. Of course, the eye-popping intraday moves for these names seem to be more about vibes than business fundamentals. CNBC Pro subscribers have exclusive access to a special screener for what names could be on deck in the meme stock revival. The action didn't end with Wednesday's closing bell. Investors turned attention to Tesla and Alphabet earnings as the first megacap tech stocks to report this season. Tesla, which has underperformed other Big Tech names this year, missed analyst expectations on both lines. Google-parent Alphabet, on the other hand, beat Wall Street expectations and hiked up its guidance for spending. These reports come during a busy week for earnings. Follow live market moves here. President Donald Trump will visit the Federal Reserve on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET, according to the White House. This marks the latest escalation of Trump's tensions with central bank chair Jerome Powell, whom the president has chastised for a lack of downward movement on interest rates. Additionally, it will be the first time in nearly two decades that a U.S. president has made an official trip to the central bank, which is known for its political independence. Trump's visit comes ahead of the Fed's policy meeting scheduled for next week, though Fed funds futures are predicting a more than 97% likelihood of the central bank once again holding rates steady, according to CME's FedWatch tool. Trump trumpeted his trade agreement with Japan on his Truth Social platform, calling it "massive" and "perhaps the largest Deal ever made." Online, Trump said there would be a 15% "reciprocal" tariff and that Japan would invest $550 billion into the U.S. But an analysis from CNBC of a photo posted by the White House's deputy chief of staff shows there were some last-minute edits and discrepancies. For one, the board apparently containing details of the plan showed a figure crossed out with another, larger number added above. The plan for tariffs also appeared more nuanced than what Trump announced. The White House did not comment on the contents of the picture. Beginning next month, Uber will pilot a program in select U.S. cities that will allow women drivers and riders to opt out of being paired with men. Following the launch, women in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco will have the option to match with same-gender counterparts, and riders can pre-set preferences in the app. It's one of multiple updates that ride-share platforms have rolled out in recent years aimed at increasing safety and security. The feature has been tested in countries such as Argentina, France and Germany. —

What meme stock mania says about the market rally
What meme stock mania says about the market rally

Axios

timean hour ago

  • Axios

What meme stock mania says about the market rally

Meme stocks are back, with GoPro, Opendoor and Krispy Kreme rallying double digits this week thanks to retail investors and Reddit threads. Why it matters: The retail resurgence is the latest signal that investors are willing to take on more risk, as stocks keep hitting record highs and it gets harder to beat the broader market. What they're saying: "The environment is just kind of ripe for it. We're seeing it in crypto as well," Tom Bruni, editor in chief of Stocktwits, a social media platform for retail traders, told Axios. The meme stock rally comes as other parts of the market, from the broader index to bitcoin, are also hitting record highs. Catch up quick: The meme stock craze kicked off during the pandemic, when stimulus checks coupled with time at home to scroll through Reddit threads led to a retail trading boom. Amy Wu Silverman, an equity derivatives strategist at RBC, told Axios that moment represented a "sea change" that hasn't gone away, though there have been fits and starts of mania since 2020. The intrigue: The current moment is indicative of a challenge institutional investors also face: how to beat the S&P 500 when Big Tech is the dominant driver of returns. Retail investors are looking for "catch up plays," Bruni said. Institutional investors are looking for opportunity as well. "This is kind of…the deep dark secret, which is like, I don't know, do you have an edge?" Silverman said. Between the lines: Wall Street is paying more attention to retail activity. "The biggest question I've gotten recently from my clients is like, how can we get ahead of it?" Silverman said. "You need to read Wall Street Bets," she said, referring to the uber popular Reddit forum. How it works: Here's the anatomy of a meme stock, per Bruni and Silverman: Companies with high short interest (investors are betting against them). Nostalgia plays and brand names that people can get behind. A fundamental case for a revival, likely shared on a Reddit thread, which then goes viral and grabs the attention of other investors. What we're watching: When does the party stop? Watch for the short squeeze element to be over. Look for calls outweighing demand for puts on the options market. If that gets really high, it indicates "peak meme frenzy," Silverman said. Even if the meme stock rally loses some steam, the broader market rally is showing no signs of letting up in the near term. The bottom line: Meme stock traders are no longer a punchline. They've become a force that Wall Street, begrudgingly or not, has to monitor.

Kohl's Shares Shoot Up Over 105% as Meme Stock Dynamics Overwhelm Retail Issues
Kohl's Shares Shoot Up Over 105% as Meme Stock Dynamics Overwhelm Retail Issues

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Kohl's Shares Shoot Up Over 105% as Meme Stock Dynamics Overwhelm Retail Issues

Kohl's Corp. on Tuesday went abruptly from beleaguered broadline retailer and beaten-down stock to the big gainer on Wall Street as traders took their cue from social media and dove in. Shares of Kohl's shot up as much as 105 percent to $21.39 shortly after the opening bell on Tuesday — enough that trading in the stock was briefly halted to cool the market down. More from WWD Kohl's Upping the Ante on Footwear During Critical Back-to-School Season Kohl's Narrows Q1 Net Loss, Beats Expectations Kohl's Plans Refinancing With $360M Offer of New Senior Secured Notes The stock settled at an increase of 37.6 percent to $14.34, leaving the company with a market capitalization of $1.6 billion. There was no corporate news driving the big run-up, but a confluence of market dynamics. Sixty-six percent of the stock's float was sold short as of the end of June, according to Yahoo Finance. That has two-thirds of the retailer's investors betting the stock will fall. But if the stock rises, short sellers will eventually have to take the loss and those losses grow as the stock goes higher, creating a rush for the exit as the short sellers are squeezed. Short squeezes can happen when a troubled company bounces back, catching doubters unawares. But Kohl's is also caught up in the world of meme trading, where investors on sites like Reddit rally around a name and sway the broader market. Shares of videogame retailer Game Stop famously rallied in 2021 as a grassroots campaign sought to squeeze out the shorts on the stock. For the company in question, meme stock bumps and short squeezes can be distracting, but have limited direct impact on operations. However, the episode does highlight the tough spot Kohl's is in as meme investors tend to go after weaker stocks where they can move the market. And Kohl's has been in something of a perpetual turnaround. Former chief executive officer Michelle Gass was dogged by activist investors before she left to take charge at Levi Strauss & Co. Tom Kingsbury stepped in for two years as CEO only to see his efforts fall flat. The next great hope, CEO Ashley Buchanan, was fired after three months in April, after engaging in vendor transactions with a romantic interest under unusual terms. Sales fell 4.1 percent in the first quarter and the company projected the top line would fall by 5 percent to 7 percent this year. Now Kohl's is looking to turn that trend around, find a permanent CEO and navigate tariffs and cautious consumers — all while ignoring a new kind of chaos in the stock market. Best of WWD Harvey Nichols Sees Sales Dip, Losses Widen in Year Marred by Closures Nike Logs $1.3 Billion Profit, But Supply Chain Issues Persist Zegna Shares Start Trading on New York Stock Exchange

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store