Chicken might not be the most flavorful meat on its own and, yes, it’s easy to overcook. But don’t underestimate the true glory of chomping down on an order of perfectly-prepared wings, says food blogger Glenn Robinson.
“Something about ripping it apart,” he says. “It's so barbaric, but it makes me feel good.”
Robinson, who is behind Hood Dude Food Reviews online, is a big proponent of what he calls “club chicken.”
“When you're at the club or you need something, especially late at night, you should go down to 18th and Vine and go to Smaxx,” he told KCUR’s Up To Date. “I know it’s going to be cooked the way that I want it to be cooked.”
Kansas Citians also know you can’t mention fried chicken without bringing up Stroud’s. The iconic, pan-fried chicken establishment has been around since Prohibition and received a James Beard Award in 1998.
“Stroud’s is famous around here for a reason: It is fantastic,” says KCUR Adventure! writer Shannon Carpenter. “Everything is homestyle and family-style.”
Natasha Bailey, head chef of Thelma’s Kitchen, heads to Wah Gwan near 63rd Street and Troost Avenue for a delicious meal of Nigerian and Jamaican cuisine.
“I know a lot of people go for the jerk chicken,” she says. “I love the chicken stew with jollof rice.”
Bailey, Carpenter, and Robinson suggest below their top picks for chicken in the metro.
Natasha Bailey:
- Cru Bistro and Bottles has a fried chicken sandwich on the lunch menu with iceberg lettuce, pickle, and red chili aioli all on a brioche bun and fries. Seasoned to perfection, juicy, and fried crispy, this sandwich gives Popeyes a run for its money.
- Ragazza Food & Wine is a neighborhood staple for homemade Italian fare. Their Chicken Piccata with lemon, capers, butter, creamy polenta, and arugula makes my heart feel like when Norah Jones plays on a rainy day!
- Howlin’ Fowls, from the owner of Distrikt Biscuits, keeps the chicken crispy, whether it’s the Howlin’ Hot Mac with Hustle hot chicken, bacon jam, and hot honey sauce, or the Hot Honey Chicken and Waffles. This chicken is consistently on fire!
- 92 Chicken Overland Park is in the Indian Creek Shopping Center and serves incredible Korean fried chicken. The Honey Garlic Chicken is amazing but, if I’m feeling spicy, I go for the Red Hot Pepper Chicken to turn up the heat and light a fire!
- Cafe Jo’el is a catering company run by chef Natasha Ellington. She makes the best smoked wings; not too much smoke and seasoned to perfection. They’ll be gone before you even think about adding sauce.
- Noka’s Nightmarket Chicken Wings pack a ton of flavor, with Szechuan spice, brown sugar and five spice. Noka is aesthetically breathtaking, and the dry-aged duck breast with plum sauce and Szechuan honey carrots is another option for poultry eaters.
- Wah Gwan, near 63rd Street and Troost Avenue, is where I go when I just need a meal that melts away the day’s stress. I go for Brown Chicken Stew with jollof rice, two beef patties and four plantains.
Shannon Carpenter:
- Stroud’s is the home of pan-fried chicken — floured, seasoned, and then cooked in a cast-iron skillet — and it lives up to the name. To take it up a notch, their chicken noodle soup is amazing; a deep-tasting and calming chicken broth.
- Third Street Social serves a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich that literally clears your head and brings you to attention. It’s ridiculously big, overtaking the bun, but it works in every way. It’s just the right amount of heat, a big crunch and extremely filling.
- Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, while technically not from Kansas City, is a go-to spot in the metro. Started 60 years ago, it expanded out of Tennessee and serves hand-breaded chicken with all the fixings, made in-house. It still hits the spot.
- Lula Southern Cookhouse, in the Crossroads, feels like you’re walking into a grandparent’s home. Their menus feature buttermilk biscuits, homemade donuts, shrimp and grits, and blackened catfish. Their chicken pot pie is next on my must-try list. Plus, they serve alligator.
- Rye KC serves farm-to-table American fare and cocktails in a farmhouse setting. Southern favorites like chicken liver and gizzards make their way onto the menu here, served with a housemade hot sauce and gravy. Rye also serves classic chicken and dumplings.
- Go Chicken Go is a great spot for when you’ve got a family to feed. The Kansas City, Kansas, franchise easily satisfies everyone, and has gained a cult following over their 50 years.
- CM Chicken is a Korean fried chicken spot in Overland Park where the birds are double-fried and excellent. There are so many flavors to explore, such as Curry Chicken and Red Hot Pepper Chicken.
Glenn Robinson:
- District Fish & Pasta House, off 63rd Street and the Paseo, has an incredible chicken sandwich that is butterflied and fried just right. Plus, they serve a mean order of chicken wings.
- District Biskuits in North Kansas City may be newer to the scene but it’s already one of the most iconic spots for chicken. Biskuit has some of the best chicken tenders and sandwiches, plus Nashville hot chicken.
- Wings Cafe, with locations in the Northland and Westport, has some of the best wings in the city with an abundance of sauces and dry rubs. They also serve seafood.
- Corvino in the Crossroads serves a fried half chicken with red jalapeño butter and pickles. They season the flour, too, and brine that bird for a long period of time. An elevated take on fried chicken.
- Smaxx, off 18th and Vine streets, is where I go to get my “club chicken.” Something about liquor and chicken just hits different. These whole wings are served late into the night.
- Kobi-Q is where I get KFC — Korean Fried Chicken! It’s fried triple hard with an exquisite crunch. The dry rub is excellent, but that spicy garlic glaze does something to me.
- Wing Lovers USA, on East 12th Street, is the real deal. They season the flour and the chicken, plus the meat is halal. Either sauced or seasoned — K.C. you’ve got to get it!
KCUR listener and staff recommendations:
- Chewology — Taiwanese fried chicken
- El Pollo Rey — wood-fired whole and half chickens
- Anthony’s on Grand — fried chicken on Sundays
- Niecie’s Restaurant — fried chicken
- Johnny Cascone’s Italian Restaurant — chicken spiedini
- Fannie’s West African Cuisine — House Wings
- Nour’s — Lebanese lemon chicken
- Buck Tui BBQ — Smoked Wings
- Baba’s Pantry — chicken shawarma
- Cosentino’s Food Stores — fried chicken from deli
- Pho Lan — chicken pho
- The Peanut — chicken wings
