The 10 Best Fried Chicken Places in Kentucky
Happy National Fried Chicken Day, y'all!
The rest of the USA may have one day to celebrate this delicious dish. Of course, here in Kentucky, it's an iconic meal every single day, thanks to an enterprising Indiana-native businessman named Harland Sanders. (Fun fact: Colonel Sanders earned a law degree via correspondence course, and practiced law in Little Rock, Arkansas for a few years. His legal career ended when he punched a client during a courtroom brawl!)
Of course, my granny makes the absolute best fried chicken in Kentucky, but we may have to sweet talk her a little to get her to fry up enough for all the folks who read HerKentucky! So, in honor of fried chicken, the Colonel, and our awesome Commonwealth, here's our list of the 10 best Fried Chicken Places (that aren't my granny's house) in Kentucky.
10. Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg. Classic southern-style dinner at this boarding school - turned B&B. Don't forget to ask for some of their house label Kentucky Owl bourbon.
9. Blue Heron Steakhouse, Lexington. A hip new restaurant in Lexington's up-and-coming Jefferson Street district that serves have a bird with gravy and two sides -- what a perfect fusion of Kentucky's culinary past and future.
8. Greyhound Tavern, Ft. Mitchell. This legendary Northern Kentucky eatery serves up a crispy, delicious bird as its Monday and Tuesday special, and with waffles on the weekend brunch menu.
7. Colonial Cottage, Erlanger. Built in the 1930s to feed workers from nearby tobacco farms, the Colonial Cottage has become an institution on the Northern Kentucky food scene. Their chicken is the stuff of legends.
6. Joe's Fried Chicken, Isom. Joe's is one of those Eastern Kentucky dives where you just have to go with a local. It's well worth the trip.
5. Parkette, Lexington. Lexington's 1950s drive-up diner serves what many people call THE REAL KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. It's a must-visit for all Kentuckians!
4. Harvest, Louisville. This farm-to-table dining concept reimagines Southern cuisine with a few flourishes. Buttermilk-soaked chicken is served with a drunken pork biscuit hoecake, smoked peppercorn gravy, and seasonal hot sauce.
3. Claudia Sanders Dinner House, Shelbyville. Colonel Sanders' legacy was continued at this historic Shelby County mansion after the KFC chain was sold. Don't miss the Sunday buffet for all the fried chicken you could ever hope to eat!
2. Ramsey's, Lexington. I can't tell you how many weekend mornings I wake up and try to convince my beau to "just run over to Lexington" for the fried chicken at Ramsey's. This southern meat-and-three style diner is a Lexington classic, and the food never changes. You get great ingredients, huge portions, and you'll see everyone you know!
1. Merrick Inn, Lexington If you want to get fancy, it doesn't get better than this. Lexington's traditional "fancy restaurant" serves the best fried chicken you can find anywhere!
Did we miss anything? Who makes your favorite fried chicken?
(Here are the best and worst in Fried Chicken-themed goods. I have the Kentucky for Kentucky shirt; I think I'll skip out on the onesie, though.)
