Critic's Choice: 7 best restaurants for fried chicken in Palm Beach County

The beauty of fried chicken is often in the eye of the beholder. Some like it brined and battered, others with the barest of coatings. Some prefer their crispy chicken on the bone, others go for the tenders. And if the “Chicken Sandwich War” of a few years ago is any indication, many can’t get enough of fried chicken on a bun, loaded with toppings.

Luckily, a fried chicken fan can find all the above and more in Palm Beach County, which recently welcomed two outposts of Raising Cane’s, the Louisiana chicken-finger chain with a cult following. The welcome from eager fans created a two-hour wait and a traffic jam in Boynton Beach.

If  you’re still on the hunt for your “best fried chicken” in town, here are seven of our favorites to explore.

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Sassafras, West Palm Beach

Chef John Thomas’ lightly smoky fried chicken at Sassafras Southern restaurant in downtown West Palm Beach has been so popular that it is boldly highlighted on the dinner menu as “Our Famous Fried Chicken”. And he stands behind it.

“It’s a very popular item that’s been on the menu since we opened and it’s here to stay,” Thomas said via text.

The crispy chicken gets a dusting of piment d'Espelette (for the light smokiness), and it’s served with local honey and pickles.

At dinner and weekend brunch, Sassafras also offers a crispy chicken sandwich, with the chicken served on pimento cheese and topped with chow chow.

At brunch, which is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, chef Thomas makes fried chicken and waffles, spicy honey on the side.

105 S. Narcissus Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-323-7007, Sub-Culture.org

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The Regional, West Palm Beach

An acclaimed chef Lindsay Autry adds a refined touch to the dishes she creates at her two Southern-inspired, Palm Beach County restaurants, The Regional and Honeybelle. That goes for her various takes on both restaurant's popular fried chicken offerings.

The fried chicken at The Regional in downtown West Palm Beach was declared “Best Fried Chicken” in Florida by the Food Network a few years ago.

At dinnertime Monday through Saturday, The Regional serves Autry's beloved sweet-tea-brined, fried chicken thighs with hand-chopped coleslaw and seasonal pickles.

Autry also offers fried chicken and biscuits with honey and hot sauce on The Regional’s newish Sunday brunch buffet.

651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-557-6460, EatRegional.com

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Coolinary, Palm Beach Gardens

The fried chicken and waffle dish is one of the dishes chef/owner Tim Lipman can’t (and won’t) take off the menu at his Coolinary restaurant. In fact, shortly after he first opened his popular spot in 2012, he had to temporarily stop serving the combo when the waffle iron broke. When they heard there would be no chicken and waffles that day, customers walked out, he recalled recently.

Fortunately, there have been no such mechanical impediments to what has become one of the county’s destination dishes. The crispy boneless chicken pieces get a light maple-mustard glaze and sit atop a jalapeño-cheddar waffle. They’re served with coleslaw and a grilled half lemon.

4580 Donald Ross Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-249-6760, TheCoolPig.com 

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Voodoo Bayou, Palm Beach Gardens

When it was just days old, this New Orleans-themed restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens became a takeout sensation in the early days of the pandemic, all thanks to its fried chicken and biscuits.

“We were expecting to be a Cajun-Creole restaurant when we opened. Now we’re turning into a fried chicken-and-biscuits joint, just like that,” owner Curtis Peery told The Post at the time. “It’s going to be a good story to tell years later.”

Of course, that fried chicken can now be enjoyed at the indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar. (And it’s still available for takeout/delivery.)

Voodoo Bayou offers the crispy bird in three different ways at lunch and dinner: the classic, four-piece chicken and buttermilk biscuit meal, the fried chicken sandwich on brioche with jalapeño-ranch slaw and remoulade, and the fried chicken with cornbread-cheddar waffle that’s served with bourbon-maple syrup.

11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. (Downtown Palm Beach Gardens plaza), 561-888-6703, VoodooBayou.com

Honeybelle, Palm Beach Gardens

Located in the PGA National Resort, Autry’s Honeybelle restaurant serves a well dressed crispy chicken sandwich for lunch. The sandwich gets a creamy touch from buttermilk ranch dressing, a crunch from shredded lettuce and some zest from bread-and-butter pickles.

On the dinner menu, Honeybelle features a pickle-brined, organic fried chicken (half bird) with buttermilk biscuits, hot honey and sides.

400 Avenue of the Champions (PGA National Resort), Palm Beach Gardens, 561-627-7015, HoneybellePBG.com

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Fran’s Chicken Haven, Boca Raton

This Boca Raton storefront spot has been a neighborhood go-to for nearly 60 years. (Fran’s was founded in 1964.)

Breaded with an original seasoned flour recipe, a large variety of crispy white and dark-meat chicken is offered on and off the bone, by the piece, in a bucket or in a combo meal that’s served with fries, slaw and a roll.

There are also various sandwiches that feature a boneless breaded chicken thigh, breaded and “naked” chicken wings and boneless, breaded chicken tenders.

For chicken-and-waffles fans, Fran’s Chicken Haven offers crispy breast and thigh served atop a waffle that’s sprinkled with powdered sugar, syrup and butter on the side.

1925 N. Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, 561-395-0781, FransChickenHaven.net 

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Bud’s Chicken & Seafood, various locations

A local institution since 1957, the Bud’s Chicken & Seafood family of fast-casual restaurants has six locations in the county. They are usually easy to spot — just look for the line of cars waiting to reach the takeout window. The fried chicken and the fish sandwiches are that popular.

White and dark-meat fried chicken is offered in dinner combos as well as in lunch and snack boxes. Bud’s also offers fried chicken sandwiches and a variety of chicken wings.

Bud’s has locations in Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Greenacres, Royal Palm Beach and North Palm Beach. To find one, visit BudsChicken.com.

Do you have a favorite restaurant for fried chicken? Tell us!

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best restaurants for fried chicken in West Palm Beach, Boca, Gardens