7 Fried Chicken Chains Ranked From Worst to Best by Shoppers
Americans love chicken and there’s no shortage of fast-food joints to satisfy a craving, but not all are created equal. When you’re in the mood for crispy, golden fried or grilled chicken, it’s disappointing to get just an okay meal, so to help narrow down the plethora of options, we did the research for you.
Eat This, Not That! scoured through countless reviews to find chicken chains that customers complain and rave about the most. Whether you’re planning on hitting the drive-thru soon, or just curious how your favorite place ranks, here are seven fried chicken chains ranked worst of best based on diner reviews.
KFC
KFC is one of the most popular global chicken chains, but despite being one of the most iconic the company has faced criticism for inconsistent quality across locations. In addition, sales were down in the U.S. 5% in the third quarter, Reuters reported. Traffic has been down 2% to 12% every quarter in 2024 and 2025, per Food Republic.
From customer service problems to a decline in quality, diners are not happy with KFC.
One customer reviewed the Highland, CA location on Yelp and wrote, “Save your time and find another KFC this one is by far the worst one around. Multiple times I’ve been served food that was not up to par with KFC standards. Need to be closed down TBH. Stopped by today and little miss drive through seemed to have an attitude. I said Nevermind on the food thank you and kept it pushing I’d advise you do the same.”
Another Yelper shared their experience at a KFC in San Bernardino, CA and wrote, “Knowingly serving old Chicken…It’s take it or leave it…The Manager don’t GAF…It’s constant BS at this restaurant…definitely need to stop hiring Children….KFC fell off.”
Others have complained about the price and value. There are plenty of threads on Reddit calling out KFC for their high costs.
While there is a lot of negativity around KFC, many still appreciate the classic taste of the Original Recipe, and it’s a go-to for big family orders.
One wrote, “Just got the KFC bowl 10 dollars it’s a rip off.”
Popeyes
In 2023, Popeyes became the No. 2 chicken chain surpassing KFC, CNBC reported. While Popeyes’ chicken is often praised for its bold seasoning and crispy texture, customers have griped about the lack of customer service and bad food.
One Yelp reviewer for a location in Los Angeles wrote, “They never answered the phone. Not once for the last 6 hrs! Ridiculous! Had to Uber eats and the order came to me completely wrong.”
Another shared, “Ordered take out from this place yesterday. Food was cold and dry like it’s been out all day. The mashed potatoes had a weird smell like dirty sink water. The shrimp was definitely old. I couldn’t even finish it. Just straight to the trash. Gave me and my wife the runs in the middle of the night. Never again. I can’t wait until they get robots in these restaurants. These kids don’t deserve jobs.”
But Popeyes is still a fan favorite for the spicy chicken, chicken sandwiches, and sides like biscuits and Cajun fries.
Church’s Chicken
Church’s Chicken has had a loyal following for years, but diners are in shock over the outrageous soaring prices and terrible quality of food.
One Redditor wrote, “After 12 piece bucket went from $32 to $64 I stopped going to churches.”
Another shared, “Church’s definitely went down on quality. I bought one recently expecting the usual, and it was worse I felt like nobody gave a crap about making it.”
Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s is giving other chicken joints some serious competition. There will be five new locations, which is part of a big expansion plan. CNBC reported the chain now has more than 900 locations, but just five years ago had over 500. In 2024 Raising Cane’s opened 118 new restaurants while another 100 are expected to open this year with 200 more in development.
With that in mind, customers are not happy with the portions or quality.
One Yelp reviewer wrote, “Not level of quality from when they first opened. Strip sizes are really small, not crispy. This is literally a kids meal. This place is overrated and overpriced.”
Another shared, “Ordered from the drive thru at 9:43 PM, got home ready to dig in but they forgot to put the canes sauce. Idk how to enjoy these dry fingers without the sauce. Called the store twice because nobody answered the phone the first time.”
While there have been mixed reviews, customers enjoy the chain for their “amazing” dipping sauce, Texas toast, chicken fingers and fries, per Reddit comments.
Zaxby’s
Zaxby’s offers a broad menu that includes fried chicken, chicken fingers, wings, and more. While the chicken is crispy and flavorful, it lacks the “wow” factor compared to other chains and prices have gone up.
One Redditor wrote, “Why do I feel like the quality of the chicken is decreaseing Everytime I get it, it always taste weird, I don’t know how to explain it, it’s also always dry, or just tastes only like salt, the sauce is usually what saves it, but I feel like not even the sauce can cover the flavor of it anymore.”
While others agreed, some defended the chain.
A Redditor shared, “Hmmm, I went to Zaxbys last week and it tasted better than I’ve ever had from there. Maybe it was just your store?”
Slim Chickens
Slim Chickens is a fresh made to order chicken joint that’s earning high praises for its wide-variety of sauces, tasty, crispy chicken and wings.
On Yelp one person wrote, “We ordered the chicken bites, wings, and a waffle on the side and all were so delicious! Everything came out fresh and perfectly cooked.”
Another wrote, ” We ordered the chicken bites, wings, and a waffle on the side and all were so delicious! Everything came out fresh and perfectly cooked.”
Chick-fil-A
And the top chicken chain is Chick-fil-A. It stands out for its consistently high-quality chicken, including its signature chicken sandwiches and nuggets. The chain’s emphasis on customer service and clean, well-maintained locations also contributes to its No. 1 spot. Plus, there are alternatives for health-conscious diners.
On Reddit, there are threads dedicated to commenting on the flavor and value and one customer wrote, “they’re kinda pricey, but the macro value far exceeds anything else you can get from fast food. And they taste so good!”
Another shared, “Chik fil A is my goto for fast food when I’m travelling or don’t have any food. Lots of options that are pretty good. You can do a grilled chicken sandwich, grilled chicken by itself, a salad with grilled chicken on top, fruit, etc. Pretty solid overall if you choose right.”
