Updated April 2025

Real talk – fried chicken might just be the GOAT of comfort food. Crispy, juicy, golden perfection that hits all the right notes whether you’re nursing a hangover, hosting a backyard feast, or chasing down childhood nostalgia. If you’re a meat-eater, there’s a 99.9% chance (totally unofficial stat, but come on) you’ve got a soft spot for a good piece of fried bird.

This iconic dish has deep roots brought over by Scottish immigrants who introduced the deep-frying technique to the American South, where it got a serious flavor glow-up thanks to generations of soul food magic. Today, it’s more than just food, it’s tradition, celebration, and straight-up joy in a crispy shell.

So if you’re gathering your crew for a bucket full of crunch, sides that hit like home, and a cold drink in hand, here’s where to find the best fried chicken in Austin right now.

Tumble 22

Multiple Locations | Tumble 22 features a menu of chicken-fried specialties with a fiery uniqueness all its own.  At it’s core, Tumble 22’s offerings is the chicken itself, which is all-natural, sourced in Texas and contains no additives. The chicken is tumbled in seasoned flour, fried and coated in Chef Harold’s special secret blend of seasonings.  When the chicken meets the sauce, it is dipped in a choice of four chef-made sauces: Wimpy, Hot, Dang Hot and Fire in the Hole. It’s crispy, juicy and second to none.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

2529 South Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Straight outta Nashville and now holding it down in South Austin, Hattie B’s is all about that crispy bird and spicy kick. Their menu hits with heat levels from “Southern” to “Shut the Cluck Up” — seriously, it’s a challenge. Expect golden-fried chicken stacked high, killer sides like pimento mac and black-eyed pea salad, and a chill indoor-outdoor spot perfect for post-lunch naps or pre-night-out fuel. It’s loud, proud, and unapologetically Southern — just like Austin likes it.

Roots Chicken Shak

Inside Main Streat Food Hall – 1801 E 51st St, Austin, TX 78723
Chef Tiffany Derry isn’t messing around — at Roots Chicken Shak, the fried chicken is cooked in duck fat, and yes, it tastes as luxurious as it sounds. This isn’t your average grab-and-go spot; it’s Southern soul food with an elevated twist. Whether you’re going for the OG duck fat-fried wings, the juicy chicken sandwich, or those dangerously addictive duck fat fries, you’re in for bold flavor in every bite. Nestled inside the Main Streat food hall at H-E-B Mueller, it’s a low-key gem with high-key flavor. Pro tip: grab extra napkins. You’ll need ‘em.

Dang Hot 89

10001 Metric Blvd, Austin, TX 78758
If you’re chasing that fried chicken fire, Dang Hot 89 is the truck to track down. Posted up at Celis Brewery in North Austin, these folks aren’t playing around when it comes to heat or crunch. Their Nashville-style hot chicken brings the burn in all the right ways — crispy, juicy, and dripping with spice. Choose your heat level wisely (they weren’t kidding with “Dang Hot”), and don’t forget the seasoned fries and slaw to cool your tastebuds down. It’s backyard beer vibes with bold flavor energy.

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

117 San Jacinto Blvd. | Memphis based Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken may not technically be a local spot, but I dare you to eat it without calling it one of the best in town.  Each piece of chicken is fried to a golden crisp, all while staying perfectly moist and juicy inside with a slight spicy kick to it. Every plate comes with their standard side of beans, coleslaw and white bread just as does in it’s Tennessee flagship.

Colleen’s Kitchen

1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 100 | Colleen’s offers some of the finest buttermilk fried chicken in Austin, which is offered in a six piece box of breasts and thighs, or in a meal that offers two pieces with a house made biscuit, greens, and mashed potatoes. For brunch get their fried chicken and waffles meal special.

Hoover’s

2002 Manor Rd. | Hoover’s Cooking has been serving honest-to-goodness classic Texas home cooking on Manor Rd. for the last 15 years by native Austinite Hoover Alexander. He grew up helping his family hand pick farm fresh produce carrying the tradition on to his restaurant making him a pioneer in Austin’s famous farm-to-table movement before it was cool! Their fried chicken is a classic crispy recipe full of flavor and a home cooked touch.

Lucy’s Chicken

3 Locations in Austin | Lucy’s is one of Austin’s favorite homegrown restaurants that just happens to be known for its amazing fried chicken where you can literally get a bucket of fried chicken the way our founding fathers intended it to be served (not really).  Is it weird that my personal favorite is the cold chicken?

Spicy Boys

1701 E 6th St. | Get down on Spicy Boys’ addicting signature fried chicken leg quarter topped with the signature spice blend, chili-honey, crispy onions and scallions.  Pair it with a cold one from Zilker Brewing and you’ve got yourself a real happy meal.  Try the crispy boneless wings, tossed in your choice of seven wing sauces, ranging from the mild Thai BBQ and Citrus-Miso to the numbing Lemon-Sichuan and the namesake Spicy Boys level heat, for *real ones only* bold enough to try.

Top Notch

7525 Burnet Rd | If you’ve lived in Austin for more than 5 years, you should already know everything there is to know about Top Notch.  It’s the same place on Dazed and Confused where Matthew McConaughey first said “Alright, alright, alright!”.  This classic burger joint has been serving up delicious and crispy Texas free-range fried chicken since the 1970’s, so your parents were probably chowing down on this back in their glory days.

Bill Miller BBQ

Credit – Hideaway Kitchen

Hideaway Kitchen & Bar

4323 South Interstate 35 | Hideaway’s community kitchen serves scratch-made comfort food and craft cocktails that Austinites and southerners love. Their 3 Piece Fried Chicken Dinner special features perfectly seasoned fried chicken pieces with potato salad and grilled corn-on-the-cob.

Hank’s Austin

5811 BERKMAN DRIVE | Super golden brown, crispy and bursting with flavor and a little bite of spice with a side of hot honey for dipping – all of what you want in fried chicken and so much more.  That’s what you can expect at Hank’s, as they’re delicious fried chicken can arguably hailed as one of the top offerings in town.  It’s available on the menu all day and is extremely addictive.  You’ve been warned.

Salty Sow

1917 Manor Rd | Salty Sow has the very best happy hour in town.  It also happens to be the only time you can get their amazing honey butter fried chicken and biscuit deal for only $5.  Add an order of their tacos duck fat fries, crispy brussels sprouts, deviled eggs, and a cocktail and you can actually walk out of their without spending more than $40.  After eating their chicken you’ll wish they offered bucket orders with biscuits, but I dream.

1886 Cafe & Bakery | The Driskill

604 BRAZOS ST. | The 1886 Honey Glazed Fried Chicken is cured overnight in a mix of thyme, rosemary, garlic, shallots, and salt, this southern favorite is then slow-cooked in duck confit and dredged in our famous hangover rub. Get it while it’s hot when it’s fried to order and topped with local Round Rock Honey.

Wu Chow

500 W. 5th #168 | Wu Chow’s Spicy Sichuan Fried Chicken features a spicy bowl of organic chicken, sichuan peppercorns and chilies are about as impressive as the upscale decor of the restaurant itself.  If spicy Sichuan tickles your tongue a little too much, I’m sure they’ll remove the chilies, but why on earth would you want to remove yourself from such a heated experience.

Thai Fresh

909 W Mary St. | Gluten-free fried chicken with a side of sticky rice and Thai sauce will hit the spot every single time.  If you don’t instantly fall in love with this chicken, you’re simply not human.

Donkey Mo’s Korean Fried Chicken

11301 Lakeline Blvd

Donkey Mo’s is a lowkey legend for Korean fried chicken lovers. Whether you’re going bone-in or wings, the magic here is in the double-fry method and sauces like garlic soy or spicy gochujang glaze that cling to each crispy bite. It’s a no-frills spot with major flavor — perfect for a fried chicken fix that doesn’t hold back on crunch.

Guppy’s

At Tweety’s Patio

Say hello to Austin’s first-ever Indian fried chicken sandwich, and it’s a wild ride in all the right ways. Guppy’s uses fresh, never frozen Halal chicken thighs marinated for 12 hours in spiced yogurt before being duck fat-fried to crispy, juicy perfection. It’s served on a buttery Martin’s Potato Roll and hits hard with flavor you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Bold, crispy, and beautifully spiced — it’s officially a fried chicken game-changer.

Loro

 2115 South Lamar Blvd. | The fan-favorite Chicken Karaage, which also appears on Loro’s regular menu, rounds out the happy hour menu at only $6.  Tyson Cole’s dry fried Chicken Karaage is dressed with sweet chili gastrique and topped with fresh herb salad and spicy aioli on the side. The chicken makes an outstanding addition to the restaurant’s variety of complex Southeast Asian cuisine, creating a balance that is the perfect counterpoint to the richness of a smokehouse.

Happy Chicks

FIXE

500 W 5th St, Austin | This chicken sandwich comes on a house-made sunchoke roll, along with sweet tea pickles, chicken mayo, a sunchoke & benne seed roll, and arrives with a side of salt & pepper fries.