Brothers Kelly and Calcie Fiorella brought their family’s legacy and incredible fried chicken to Gentilly in early 2016. Dating back to 1940s Central City grocery Fiorella’s Fine Food, the near-perfect chicken at Fiorella’s has just a hint of spicy heat and is served over toasted white bread.

Black checkered floors, a Coke machine, walk-up counters for ordering, and no dining tables don’t make for anything fancy, but McKenzie’s Chicken in a Box is a local favorite serving crunchy fried chicken that’s never greasy. This inexpensive grab-and-go spot is as good as it gets.

Manchu is a Seventh Ward hole-in-the-wall place, known for fried chicken wings and yak-a-mein. It’s also local legend Big Freedia’s favorite fried chicken in New Orleans. The fried wings are insanely delicious (with a spicy kick on the finish), awesome for party platters needed on the cheap and quick. There’s also fried boneless chicken used in Chinese dishes like fried rice. Parking is tough, but don’t let that scare you off.

Often considered one of the best fried chicken offerings in the country, this Treme landmark’s wet-batter recipe sets it apart from nearly every other fried chicken in town, with a crispiness beyond reproach.

The menu is vast at Morrow’s and reflects both Southern and Korean soul thanks to co-owner chef Lenora Chong’s heritage. Besides the likes of chargrilled oysters and Korean barbecue, there’s a mighty fine fried chicken plate served with two sides that includes Korean rice and garlic mashed potatoes. Don’t come in a hurry, the service can be glacial.

Dooky Chase is a Treme institution known for many things: its iconic late chef and owner Leah Chase, the incredible gumbo, its place in the Civil Rights Movement. The fried chicken is a star, available to take out and dine in Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner. Reservations recommended.

Key’s, a gas station on the Treme side of Rampart Street just outside the Quarter, is another example of the supremacy of New Orleans gas station chicken. Painted blue and orange and unassuming as expected, Key’s is constantly churning out fresh batches of savory, rich fried chicken, with a crust more like Willie Mae’s than McHardy’s, for example. The best part may be the prices, which make it easier to add a seafood platter to your order.

This Jefferson dive is the bomb, a diamond in the rough for fresh, crispy, flavorful chicken with just a hint of spice. Add in Highway Fried’s family sized meals along with hand battered onion rings, tasty red beans and rice and damn good biscuits and dinner’s done.

Luckily, chef Carl’s fried chicken Mondays at the Roosevelt are back and better than ever in the hotel’s Fountain Lounge. The set menu offers fried chicken, biscuits, coleslaw, red beans and rice, and cobbler, and it is some of the best chicken in town.

Gas station fried chicken is kind of Louisiana’s thing — man stations in the greater New Orleans area have chicken that would rival any found at sit-down restaurants. And Brother’s is known for having the best of the best, which is probably why there’s more than 30 locations across the metro area. The Carondelet shop, while not a gas station, is one of Brothers’ best locations for crunchy, not-greasy pieces, as is the gas station in New Orleans East on Crowder.

New Orleans may not have needed another chain fried chicken place, but no one complained when a location of Tennessee-born Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken landed in the Warehouse District. Crowned the winner of the 2019 fried chicken festival, Gus’s is loved nationwide for good reason — the never-frozen chicken is marinated for 12 hours before being fried in peanut oil.

Chubbie’s looks like a fast food chain, but is actually just a legit neighborhood spot for fried chicken (and fried seafood) on the West Bank in Algiers. It’s widely regarded as one of the top spots in all of New Orleans, especially for fried gizzards and livers.

Former Commander’s Palace chef Cory McPhail claims to have visited more than 80 fried chicken spots before landing on the recipe for his crawfish boil hot fried chicken for Picnic Provisions & Whiskey, a partnership between Commander’s Palace and Reginelli’s. Made using heritage boneless light and dark meat chicken and topped with a Crystal hot sauce “pulp,” this fried chicken is one of the spiciest on the map.

Chicken’s Kitchen in Gretna is New Orleans homestyle cooking at its best, serving large portions, delicious chicken, and great mac and cheese and smothered okra. But back to the chicken — these pieces are expertly fried; juicy, tender, and crispy. Try a 2-piece plate with a choice of sides on Monday or Wednesday, or go on Friday for a 3-piece tenders plate.