Where can I get good takeout fried chicken in New York?

May 29, 2008 12:22 PM

Where can I get good, affordable fried chicken and biscuits in New York?

I'm having a birthday picnic on Saturday, 2pm, in McCarren Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And a birthday isn't a birthday without fried chicken and biscuits -- at least for me, a native Virginian. The thing is, I have no idea where to get good chicken and biscuits up here.

In Richmond, VA, Lee's Fried Chicken would have been perfect -- awesome chicken and sides and fast-food prices. Hardee's would have been a good backup.

But what/who's got the good stuff up here? I've had some repugnant heat-lamped stuff in Williamsburg before.

I just called a place called Maroon's in Manhattan, who'd want $140 for chicken, biscuits and collards for fifteen folks. That's a high price for me. I'm looking for chicken-joint chicken, cardboard-box chicken. Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

posted by chinese_fashion to food & drink (23 comments total)

The one time I went to Egg, I was totally underwhelmed, but I've heard really good things about their fried chicken from people I generally trust. I dunno, I can't speak from experience; you might want to do a recon run first.
posted by Greg Nog at 12:30 PM on May 29, 2008

328 Lenox Ave.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:42 PM on May 29, 2008

Some suggestions in this Chowhound thread (many closed now, unfortunately).
posted by Armitage Shanks at 12:43 PM on May 29, 2008

If Lee's would have been good for you, is their any reason you are ruling out KFC? I don't recall Lee's being that much different. Even though their website doesn't show it, there is one in Penn Station, and Google maps shows a bunch more.
posted by kimdog at 12:49 PM on May 29, 2008

$140 for chicken, biscuits and collards for fifteen folks.

Chicken and two sides for less than 10 bucks a person is pretty good for NYC, actually. Me, I have to admit a fondness for Popeye's, which would definitely be a lot cheaper, but it sounds like you want something less fast-food-y.

There's always Kennedy Pizza Chicken (or at least that's what the sign on the one in Fort Greene used to say when I lived in Brooklyn), I guess. I used to love their chicken sandwiches, and I heard their fried chicken was good, though I never had it.
posted by dersins at 12:53 PM on May 29, 2008

Oops, I missed Brooklyn, but Google maps shows them there too.
posted by kimdog at 12:55 PM on May 29, 2008

328 Lenox Ave.

I was going to suggest Sylvia's, but they'd certainly end up in the same price range that the OP said was too high. Plus, do they even do takeout any more now that they're a hige tourist destination?
posted by dersins at 12:55 PM on May 29, 2008

I don't know if they do catering, but Piece of Chicken on 45th and 9th in Manhattan is cheap and delicious.

How do you feel about Crown Fried Chicken or its variants? There's one place in Brooklyn near Bedford and Caton (I forget the cross street, but it's a couple blocks north of Caton on Bedford; warning, though, this isn't the hipster Bedford you're used to--it's way down in Flatbush) that used to be called Prince Fried Chicken but has since sold to Crown; their wings were incredible. I don't know if the quality has gone down since the sale last year but the proprietor seems to be the same guy.

In general, the rule is: the deeper in the ghetto, the better the chicken. I've found this to be by and large true, though I'm neither a southerner nor terribly picky. Go to Bed-Stuy, Flatbush, or at least East Williamsburg for your fix.
posted by nasreddin at 12:57 PM on May 29, 2008

Chicken and two sides for less than 10 bucks a person is pretty good for NYC, actually.

Only if you live on the Upper East Side! Cardboard-box chicken shouldn't run you more than $5.50 a person or you're getting ripped off.
posted by nasreddin at 1:01 PM on May 29, 2008

I'm having a birthday picnic on Saturday, 2pm, in McCarren Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Aren't meetup threads usually posted in MeTa??

Kidding. Anyhow, there's a Popeye's right off the First Ave. stop of the L, at like 13th Street. That's a really quick zip from Bedford.
posted by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 1:15 PM on May 29, 2008

I can attest to the quality of Korean fried chicken, but not the biscuits. See here for suggestions in NYC.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:20 PM on May 29, 2008

@kimdog -- I appreciate the help, but: Lee's Fried is no KFC, not by a damn sight. KFC actually just wraps its meat in spicy paper towels, I am convinced. Lee's has that spicy recipe that is that perfect tang, and their biscuits are like molten soul.

Mmmmmmm
posted by chinese_fashion at 1:21 PM on May 29, 2008

I think I am the third person to mention this but I find Popeye's chicken is absolutely amazing specially from the shops in brooklyn (I dont know why)
posted by The1andonly at 1:38 PM on May 29, 2008

Anyhow, there's a Popeye's right off the First Ave. stop of the L, at like 13th Street.

that popeye's closed fairly recently, alas—there's one on 14th st between 5th & 6th avenues (so basically two and a half blocks from an L stop either way) and another right off the essex/delancey stop of the f/j/m/z.
posted by lia at 1:45 PM on May 29, 2008

Bojangle's is fast food, but I'd consider them a notch above Popeye's and KFC -- in Bushwick on Broadway a little west of Gates.
posted by Jeanne at 1:51 PM on May 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Popeye's? Maybe Brooklyn style is different. But elsewhere, it's tasty skin stuck like Saran wrap on a steamed flavorless chunk of what must be chicken. The biscuits, though, can be good.

IMHO: Chick-fil-A>KFC>Popeye's, in chicken terms. Roy Roger's varies quite a bit. Regrettably, Chick-fil-A won't fit the OP's needs. Korean chicken, though . . .
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:53 PM on May 29, 2008

Crown Fried?
posted by shownomercy at 2:13 PM on May 29, 2008

Popeye's sucks!

If you go, you deserve any lower abdominal distress that their food will cause you...

Don't think Bojangles is up there, that would be a 'chain restaurant' ideal.

SOME entrepreneurial person has HAD to envision serving this type of meal to the NYC masses!
posted by littleredwagon at 2:22 PM on May 29, 2008

If you must go to Popeyes, be sure to ask for them to dust off some "Cajun Sparkle" a crack-like substance mainly made of MSG, salt, sugar and spices that you sprinkle on your chicken. Warning - coming off the stuff is a bitch.
posted by Pollomacho at 3:48 PM on May 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

not as cheap as you want it, but goddamn delicious. Chirping Chicken. and yes, that popeyes at 13th and A is gone and was really gross anyway.
posted by Mach5 at 7:37 PM on May 29, 2008

The Soul Spot, Brooklyn Heights. I don't know much about soul food, but their chicken and dumplings was salty. I didn't see biscuits on the menu though.
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 7:44 PM on May 29, 2008

A place on my block has chicken and waffles...they may have biscuits as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:36 PM on May 29, 2008

Just for posterity, this isn't convenient for your party, but the aforementioned Piece of Chicken on 45th and 9th is a buck a piece and just amazingly good - the best fried chicken I've had in NYC. It used to be Jezebel's - the restaurant closed but they kept the kitchen open and just started selling chicken out a window. Yummers. They also have fixings - and catfish - for a buck a serving.
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:19 AM on May 31, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]