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2 SC restaurants have among the best fried chicken in the US, new ranking shows. Have a look

Patrick McCreless
·3 min read

When it comes to fried chicken, let’s face it, Americans aren’t hurting for options.

From fast food to local restaurants or even the Publix deli, there’s plenty of fried chicken available.

Whether most of it is top quality is another matter.

With that in mind, national food website Eater, which covers cuisine in more than 20 cities, has taken upon itself to pick the best fried chicken joints across the United States.

“Fried chicken is the perfect canvas on which to apply the lenses of culture, history, and personal experience,” the website states.

Focusing on regions of the country instead of all the individual states, the site ended up choosing two South Carolina restaurants for the South — Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles in Columbia and Bertha’s Kitchen in Charleston.

Kiki’s Chicken

Kiki’s has been a fried chicken staple in Columbia ever since it opened in 2012. It currently has two locations at 7001 Parklane Road and 1260 Bower Parkway.

“On a menu full of soul food classics, the signature dish is served with four fried wings or two fried breasts, alongside one warm, fluffy Belgian waffle,” the website states. “You can get your waffle in flavors like blueberry, walnut, pecan, sweet potato, chocolate, or red velvet, and for an extra $1.25, upgrade to the Mama B’s version, which comes with a wing, bone-in breast, leg, and thigh (it’s worth the extra mess).”

Owners Kiki and Tyrone Cyrus have hosted the likes of former NFL player Deion Sanders, President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Coach Dawn Staley.

Bertha’s Kitchen

Founded in the 1979 by the late Albertha Grant, Bertha’s is inexpensive and informal, but all meals are prepared exactly to order. It offers quintessential Lowcountry soul food, including red rice with sausage, pork chops, macaroni and cheese, and yes, fried chicken covered red-gold crust.

“The sounds and smells of bubbling pots of buttery lima beans and porky collards welcome the crowds of Charlestonians and vacationers who stop by Wednesdays through Saturdays for a chance to try the legendary fried chicken at Bertha’s Kitchen,” Eater states. “Of course, no one behind the counter will tell you the secret to the crackling, golden birds, but each piece is inevitably crispy and crunchy, with attention lavished on the skin’s seasoning and the plump pieces of meat underneath.”

Bertha’s can be found at 2332 Meeting Street Rd, Charleston, SC 29405.

Here are other restaurants with some of the best fried chicken in America, according to Eater.

The South

  • The Chicken Hut: Durham, NC

  • Chik’n & MI, Louisville, KY

  • Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Birmingham, AL

  • Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, Nashville, TN

The Midwest

  • Belgrade Gardens, Barberton, OH

  • Eischen’s Bar, Okarche, OK

  • Great Sea Restaurant, Chicago, IL

  • Pollo Chapin, Detroit, MI

  • TomKen’s Bar & Grill, West Allis, WI

The West

  • The Chicken Supply, Seattle, WA

  • Hat Yai, Portland, OR

  • Lucky Wishbone, Anchorage, AK

  • Monroe’s Hot Chicken, Phoenix, AZ

  • Noble Riot, Denver, CO

The Northeast

  • Eatery 19, Syosset, New York

  • Freakin Rican, New York

  • Roy Boys, Washington, D.C.