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Louisville's Favorite Fried Chicken UPDATED

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With a downtown dominated by a giant structure known as "The Bucket" after the iconic offering of Yum! Brands "finger lickin' good" founder, it's somewhat ironic that last year an Eater reader expressed some difficulty finding good fried chicken in Louisville. As we are a responsible, semi-democratic site, Eater asked readers to vote on which Louisville restaurants did fried bird best. Only five restaurants were named, and we dutifully produced a map. Looking back on last year's bird hunt, we decided to combine readers' contributions with our own asking around, and came up with a more plentiful list of favorite fried chicken places around Louisville. We hope we did Colonel Sanders right, but as always any objections, additions or observations are welcome in the comments.


· Readers Vote: Louisville's 5 Best Restaurants for Fried Chicken [-ELOU-]
· All Eater Louisville Maps [-ELOU-]

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Indi's Fast Food Restaurant

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Owner/chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia told Esquire Magazine that "fried chicken in Kentucky is the best in the world, and the fried chicken in Louisville is the best in Kentucky, and the fried chicken at Indi's is the best in Louisville ... so, transitive property, Indi's fried chicken is the best in the world." Lee recommends "the spicy version plus the special hot sauce for twenty-five cents extra." [Photo: Yelp]

Proof on Main

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Talented Chef Levon Wallace takes a page from Nashville and takes 21c to the "Dirty South" with his lunch offering of "Hot" Fried Chicken on white bread with corn relish and bread-and-butter pickles.
The Hyatt says Sway "brings Southern fare inspired by the rich heritage of the region to Fourth Street." Southern Fried Chicken with Creamy Mashed Potato, Southern Greens and "Natural Gravy" certainly seems to fit the bill. [Photo: Facebook]

Harvest

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This ultra-local, laid back restaurant is where Chef Coby Lee Ming offers buttermilk fried chicken with "savory bread pudding, smoked peppercorn gravy [and] seasonal hot sauce." [Photo: Facebook]

Cottage Inn

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Levon Wallace of Proof on Main has been known to stop by this restaurant that been open since The Great Depression (and probably served fried chicken during that downturn, too). [Photo: Yelp]

Chicken King

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Chef Joe Banet of Rye on Market told Eater that while his "standard order" is a dark & spicy 10-piece with a side of potato wedges, he sometimes gets "20 or even 30 pieces of Louisville's finest fried bird" to bring to parties as a "sure fire way to make a friend or two when you show up with handfuls of spicy hot goodness."

Check's Cafe

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Former CJ critic Marty Rosen praised the "sizzling hot, dark mahogany finish" of Check's fried chicken, available along with cold, cheap beer and an honest-to-goodness 1940's atmosphere. [Photo: Facebook]

Four Pegs Beer Lounge

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This Germantown "beer lounge and social eatery" offers a quite popular chicken and waffle sandwich.

Shelia's Southern Style Cuisine

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Sheila's offers "Southern Grilled, baked or fried" chicken "cooked the way you like and served with two sides of your choice." Trust us, "the way you like" is fried.

Dasha Barbours

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Former CJ critic Marty Rosen wrote that "if the kitchen can figure out a way to keep up with the demand, Dasha Barbour's Southern Bistro has the potential to become one of the city's premier chicken shacks — or, given the pleasant appointments, the city's premier fried chicken bistro." There's also chicken & waffles.

Charim Korean restaurant

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Charim wings are Korea's kick-ass answer to Southern style breaded, buttermilk-soaked birds. Thin battered then slowly and carefully fried to a delicate crispness, these wings are crunchy and delicious.
Dean Corbett's smashup of this St. Matthews fine dining stalwart with adjoining sidekick Jack's Lounge did not stop the serving of Equus' popular fried chicken with whipped potatoes, braised kale, cornbread and gravy.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House

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We had to include this Shelbyville "family style" restaurant, originally started by KFC founder Harland Sanders and his wife Claudia a few years after he sold what has now become Yum! Brands. There's of course plenty of fried chicken on the menu, and the new owners assert the place has an "air of Southern Hospitality." (Which could well be otherworldly vibes from the Colonel, or at least Claudia.) [Photo: Yelp]

Science Hill Inn

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For an old-timey, courtly dinner in "the finest Kentucky tradition," it's hard to beat Science Hill, a former girls' preparatory school now known for its lovely dining room. The fried chicken is quite delightful as well. [Photo: Yelp]

Indi's Fast Food Restaurant

Owner/chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia told Esquire Magazine that "fried chicken in Kentucky is the best in the world, and the fried chicken in Louisville is the best in Kentucky, and the fried chicken at Indi's is the best in Louisville ... so, transitive property, Indi's fried chicken is the best in the world." Lee recommends "the spicy version plus the special hot sauce for twenty-five cents extra." [Photo: Yelp]

Proof on Main

Talented Chef Levon Wallace takes a page from Nashville and takes 21c to the "Dirty South" with his lunch offering of "Hot" Fried Chicken on white bread with corn relish and bread-and-butter pickles.

Sway

The Hyatt says Sway "brings Southern fare inspired by the rich heritage of the region to Fourth Street." Southern Fried Chicken with Creamy Mashed Potato, Southern Greens and "Natural Gravy" certainly seems to fit the bill. [Photo: Facebook]

Harvest

This ultra-local, laid back restaurant is where Chef Coby Lee Ming offers buttermilk fried chicken with "savory bread pudding, smoked peppercorn gravy [and] seasonal hot sauce." [Photo: Facebook]

Cottage Inn

Levon Wallace of Proof on Main has been known to stop by this restaurant that been open since The Great Depression (and probably served fried chicken during that downturn, too). [Photo: Yelp]

Chicken King

Chef Joe Banet of Rye on Market told Eater that while his "standard order" is a dark & spicy 10-piece with a side of potato wedges, he sometimes gets "20 or even 30 pieces of Louisville's finest fried bird" to bring to parties as a "sure fire way to make a friend or two when you show up with handfuls of spicy hot goodness."

Check's Cafe

Former CJ critic Marty Rosen praised the "sizzling hot, dark mahogany finish" of Check's fried chicken, available along with cold, cheap beer and an honest-to-goodness 1940's atmosphere. [Photo: Facebook]

Four Pegs Beer Lounge

This Germantown "beer lounge and social eatery" offers a quite popular chicken and waffle sandwich.

Shelia's Southern Style Cuisine

Sheila's offers "Southern Grilled, baked or fried" chicken "cooked the way you like and served with two sides of your choice." Trust us, "the way you like" is fried.

Dasha Barbours

Former CJ critic Marty Rosen wrote that "if the kitchen can figure out a way to keep up with the demand, Dasha Barbour's Southern Bistro has the potential to become one of the city's premier chicken shacks — or, given the pleasant appointments, the city's premier fried chicken bistro." There's also chicken & waffles.

Charim Korean restaurant

Charim wings are Korea's kick-ass answer to Southern style breaded, buttermilk-soaked birds. Thin battered then slowly and carefully fried to a delicate crispness, these wings are crunchy and delicious.

Equus

Dean Corbett's smashup of this St. Matthews fine dining stalwart with adjoining sidekick Jack's Lounge did not stop the serving of Equus' popular fried chicken with whipped potatoes, braised kale, cornbread and gravy.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House

We had to include this Shelbyville "family style" restaurant, originally started by KFC founder Harland Sanders and his wife Claudia a few years after he sold what has now become Yum! Brands. There's of course plenty of fried chicken on the menu, and the new owners assert the place has an "air of Southern Hospitality." (Which could well be otherworldly vibes from the Colonel, or at least Claudia.) [Photo: Yelp]

Science Hill Inn

For an old-timey, courtly dinner in "the finest Kentucky tradition," it's hard to beat Science Hill, a former girls' preparatory school now known for its lovely dining room. The fried chicken is quite delightful as well. [Photo: Yelp]