Yahoo Movies What is a Cluckin Hot Chick? Take a look at these new fast-food places in South Florida
Chicken, chicken, chicken.
We love you so.
At least that’s what chicken chains must be thinking as they expand in Florida.
Several out-of-town fast-food restaurants specializing in chicken have moved into Miami-Dade and Broward.
They join a crowd that includes PDQ, KFC, Popeyes, Pollo Tropical, Las Granja and Chick-fil-A, along with all the fast-food burger places that like to show their chicken chops.
We haven’t seen so much chicken in Florida since the birds started crossing the narrow streets of Key West and Ybor City. Or at least since Kenny Rogers Roasters and Boston Market came to town.
Here’s a look at what’s new:
Cluckin Hot Chicks
About: First of a chain has brought Nashville-style hot chicken to South Florida. Nashville chicken is marinated, breaded, fried and coated in spices.
Locations: In Dania Beach at 645 S. Federal Hwy.
Chicken menu: Fried or grilled chicken in sandwiches, nuggets, tenders, wings, quarters, halves or whole. Douse your bird with a choice of nine sauces, from “mild” to “can’t feel my face.”
Mad Chicken
About: The small Midwestern chain prides itself on fried chicken in a variety of ways “made fresh to order using real, natural ingredients.”
Locations: Recently opened in Hollywood at 1100 N. Federal Hwy.. Other locations are in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Chicken menu: Tenders, wings, sandwiches, hoagies, wraps, bowls, salads.
Raising Cane’s
About: Louisiana-based chain is named after a dog (not the University of Miami nickname) and specializes in chicken fingers.
Locations: South Beach at 1651 Washington Ave. More Florida locations are on the way, including Doral, Cutler Bay and Pompano Beach, joining 600 other restaurants across the country.
Chicken menu: It’s all about the chicken fingers. Even the sandwich features three chicken fingers on a bun.
Jollibee
About: The Filipino fast-food phenom is best known for its fried chicken, which it calls Chickenjoy. The mega-food company that owns Jollibee started as an ice cream parlor in Manila in the mid-1970s.
Locations: Jollibee opened this year in Orlando and opened a Pembroke Pines location in West Broward in 2021. Other spots in Florida are in Pinellas Park, near St. Pete, and in Jacksonville.
Chicken menu: A favorite is the chicken sandwich, original and spicy, hand-breaded and “cooked with precision.” There’s also chicken by the bucket, a familiar site to Colonel Sanders fans.
Wawa
About: Wawa pumps gas and sells sandwiches, salads and soup.
Locations: Wawa made its debut in Miami in 2019, after opening stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties in 2017. Twelve more of the Philadelphia-area chain’s convenience stores are opening across South Florida.
Chicken menu: The eat-here-get-gas place known best for its hoagies also has a thing for the bird. In addition to its Philly chicken hoagies, Wawa is promoting its chicken sandwich, which it serves starting at 4 p.m. for dinner.
Culver’s
About: Culver’s is a Wisconsin-based fast-food chain specializing in burgers, fried chicken and fish, frozen custard, and sides including fried cheese curds.
Locations: A Culver’s will open this year in Cooper City in Southwest Broward. Another location is planned for Tamarac in Northwest Broward. There’s a restaurant in Margate in northern Broward County and in Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County. You can find Culver’s locations mainly on Florida’s west coast, including Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples and Tampa.
Chicken menu: Chicken sandwiches come grilled, fried or spicy. Tenders come regular or buffalo-style.
