Long relegated to menu-afterthought status here in NYC, the fried chicken sandwich has grabbed the spotlight in the recent years, both as the centerpiece of restaurant chains and even nudging aside the burger as the crowd-pleaser "safety dish" at a wide range of spots. And it's about time, really — fried chicken is delicious and, in some cases, is even more delicious when slathered in sauce and put between a biscuit or bun. Here are the best versions of these beauties out there right now.
Hot Breast, $12. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
The Commodore
It's been eight years now since Stephen Tanner left Pies 'n Thighs to open this delightfully faux-divey bar in Williamsburg (it's dark, it has wood paneling and taxidermy, there's pinball) which, given all the changes that have happened to this area since 2010, almost qualifies it for neighborhood institution status (RIP Black Betty). And here's hoping The Commodore lasts literally forever! Not as a hang out, necessarily—it can get irritatingly loud and crowded—but for its superb "Hot Breast" sandwich, a shockingly juicy hunk of spicy, crisp-fried white meat, a bit cool slaw and pickles providing the only condiments you'll need. Perfection.
Located at 366 Metropolitan Avenue at the corner of Havemeyer Street (718-218-7632)
Byg Chyck, $13.50. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Byggz
The years-in-the-making sandwich shop of Wylie Dufresne's dad Dewey finally opened last fall, but even though the initial hype has died down these guys are killing it on Clinton Street. Everything is fantastic here (it's one of my overall favorite places to eat in Manhattan), and the piled-high Byg Chyck is no exception. This beautifully balanced beast is stuffed with tender breaded breast, a hunk of creamy mozzarella, sauteed onions and mushrooms pickles for earthiness, welcome hits of acid from pickles and apple cider jelly, bitter arugula and tangy mayo rounding things off. Oh and the focaccia corn meal bun is sublime.
Located at 37-39 Clinton Street between Rivington and Stanton (212-475-0040; byggyz.com)
Korean Fried Chicken, $6.75. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Red Star Sandwich Shop
Red Star has been quietly holding it down for about four years now on notoriously fickle Smith Street, serving up a tight menu of terrific sandwiches in a room that feels more coffee lounge than lunch counter. Anchoring the offerings here is Red Star's trio of fried chicken sandwiches, including an exceptional Korean Fried Chicken, the bird thick (and red!) with sweet/spicy gochujang sauce, the toppings trio of pickled daikon, dill, and lettuce adding crunch and complexity, with a slathering of mayo on top.
Located at 176 Smith Street between Warren and Wyckoff in Cobble Hill (718-935-1999; restarbk.com)
Spicy Chicken, $16. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Emmy Squared
The Emily/Emmy empire makes some of the best pizza in town, and the best wings, and the best curly fries (the Crowlers at Emily West Village), and... well you get it. These are some world-class casual food restaurants. And now, thanks to this spectacular Spicy Chicken creation available only at Emmy Squared, they appeared to have mastered the fried bird sandwich game as well. It's huge, it's fiery as hell, the soft double-decker breasts somehow stand up to the barrage of Salsa Pico and red ranch, and the pretzel bun completely falls apart but tastes good doing so. You will get sloppy; you will fall in love.
Located at 364 Grand Street at the corner of Marcy in Williamsburg (615-248-2662; emmysquared.com)
Fried Chicken Sandwich, $14, includes soup or salad. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Tender Greens
I admit to being a bit of a sucker for these sorts of healthy-seeming, fast-casual, "build-a-meal" places/chains that have sprouted up all over town (Sweetgreen, Dig Inn, Made Nice, et al), but cheffy California import Tender Greens might be the best of them all. Case in point: the beautifully fat and full-flavored Fried Chicken Sandwich, a monster stuffed with bird breast, crisp cabbage, sweet and spicy pickles and chili aioli for a bit of extra oomph. And the seedy roll does its job with aplomb. Get this with whatever soup they're ladeling that day, a cookie for dessert, and you have an excellent under-$20 supper.
Located at 900 Broadway between 19th and 20th (212-339-7425; tendergreens.com)
Hot Chicken Sandwich, $12. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Peaches Hothouse
Not every Best Fried Chicken spot in NYC also serves up a Best Fried Chicken Sandwich, but Bed-Stuy's friendly neighborhood joint Peaches Hothouse is one major exception. Juicy, crackling, and if you order it "hot" (which you should), just exactly spicy enough to seize your attention without making you suffer, the bird itself is nicely complemented by a tangy sauce, crisp slaw and pickles, and a side of decent fries.
Located at 415 Tompkins Avenue at Hancock Street (718-483-9111; bcrestaurantgroup.com)
Signature Ugly Chicken Sandwich, $9.99. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Pelicana
There are now six outlets of Korea's beloved fried chicken chain in NYC—four in Queens (Flushing, Sunnyside, Bayside, Astoria), one in Greenpoint, one on the top floor of Food Gallery 32 in K-Town—and the even better news is this: more are on the way! Because even though most chains are sad and bad, Pelicana serves terrific fried bird in all of its formats, including this astonishingly rich and juicy Ugly Chicken Sandwich. Pictured is the Pelicana Signature with crisp-fried dark meat and their lively proprietary sauce, but the one with "spicy ranch" is equally good.
Multiple locations (pelicanausa.com)
Fried Chicken, $6.50. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Cheeky Sandwiches
Aggressively styled as a roadside shack on lower Orchard Street, Cheeky's has been feeding cheap, overloaded sandwiches to local cool kids (and tourists for some reason) for nearly ten years now, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Because what these hot-cooked beauties may lack in finesse, they more than make up for in gloppy appeal. The Cheeky Chicken is probably my favorite sandwich here, with the crunchy biscuit, purple pickled slaw, and a walloping dollop of white gravy all bringing a big-ass happy mess to your life.
Located at 35 Orchard Street between Canal and Hester (646-504-8132; cheekysandwiches.com)
Fried Chicken Sliders, $11. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Sweet Chick
This fried chicken mini-chain, co-owned by Queens legend Nas, can go overboard with its offerings (Salted-Caramel Chicken with Bacon-Cheddar Waffles, anyone?), but Sweet Chick's wonderfully simple sliders really hit the spot. The bird itself is heavily coated but plenty moist, the mini-biscuits buttery but with crunch, the pickle chips and judicious drizzle of honey finishing things off nicely.
Locations in Williamsburg, Long Island City, and Prospect Heights (sweetchick.com)
Koreano, $9. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Fuku
David Chang may have recently closed the original manifestation of his fevered, fried-chicken-sandwich-chain dream, but you can still get this thigh-meat delight at multiple locations around town, and later this year he'll be unveiling a much larger Fuku storefront up near Madison Square Park. Anyway, a recent late lunch confirmed that the spicy sandwich here is as delicious as ever, especially when ordered covered in pickled daikon as an "off-menu" Koreano.
Located in Battery Park City, FiDi, Midtown, Citifield, MSG (eatfuku.com)
Chicken Parm Sando, $12.
Loverboy
Most of the food menu at this hopping Alphabet City cocktail bar is devoted to very good, loaded-up pizza, but if you're in the mood for something that you can actually eat with your hands, the order here is this lovely Chicken Parm Sando. At Loverboy the fat fried breast is topped with marinara sauce, melted cheese (a "house blend"), and—secret ingredient alert—a heap of tapenade for extra kick. Owners TJ Lynch and Richard Knapp also run Mothers Ruin in Nolita, where the food is also much better than it probably needs to be.
Located at 127 Avenue C at the corner of East 8th Street (212-539-1900; loverboynyc.com)
Crispy Fried Chicken, $18. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Oxbow Tavern
Tom Valenti, once the fine-dining hero of the Upper West Side for his seminal, since-shuttered Ouest, returned to the neighborhood this spring with a more casual spot, Oxbow. And while the restaurant itself still feels a little sleepy, the Crispy Fried Chicken "dinner sandwich" is anything but. This full-sized meal (it comes with serviceable fries) is nicely seasoned, cooked with the technical skill you'd expect from a Valenti operation, and finished with fresh veggie toppings and a sauce gribiche.
Located at 240 Columbus Avenue at the corner of 71st Street (646-490-4075; oxbowtavern.com)
TFT, $7. (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)
Superiority Burger
Finally, could the overall best fried chicken sandwich in town not actually contain any chicken? At Brooks Headley's still-remarkable (and still super tiny) vegetarian spot Superiority Burger, anything is possible. Available only on Monday nights after 6 p.m., Headley's TFT (Tofu-Fried Tofu) is a huge slab of soybeans, seasoned and fried like a bird breast, tender as can be, topped with all sorts of slaw and pickles. And, of course, you should always get whatever gelato/sorbet combo is available that day.
Located at 430 East 9th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A (212-256-1192; superiorityburger.com)
