When you think of fried chicken, maybe your first thoughts are of the fast food type. It is fried and it is chicken (I think) but beyond that it leaves much to be desired on the palate. Thankfully, there's something of a fried chicken renaissance happening in Portland. Well, at least to me it's a renaissance... Here's my 5 favorite fried chicken spots in Portland:
1. Basilisk
You'll find this spot in the Zipper over on NE Sandy @ NE 28th. If you like your fried chicken hot (spicy not haaah haaaahot) you'll love this spot. It's sorta like Nashville Hot Chicken, but it's not. It's in its own world. Order the chicken sandwich, no need to send a thank you card... I get it.
2. Chicken & Guns
This gem of a food cart is in the pod on the corner of SE Hawthorne and SE 12th. It's fried chicken with a South American flair. Paired perfectly with chimichurri and potato wedges. Legend has it the owner was in Peru when he came up with the concept, they had this amazing street food cart with the best fried chicken he'd ever had... and the streets of the village he was in were filled with armed military - hence the 'guns'. Get the 1/4 or 1/2 chicken with extra chimichurri.
3. OK Omens
This is not a fried chicken spot, it's a wine bar - this is something you should know, as this spot is very different than the others on the list. This restaurant is on SE Hawthorne @ SE Poplar. I love the fried chicken here. The chicken nor the breading are special, it's the Szechuan pepper they use to dust it. If you're not in the know, this tasty spice has the power to numb your lips so you don't feel the burn. This means you just get that decadent flavor. While you're there, enjoy the playfully written menu, order a glass of wine, and don't forget the fried chicken.
4. George's Corner
This is a dive bar. The kind of diver bar that if you're not prepared for it, you may hesitate to order. Don't. This place is a stand out for the Dive Bar Diners Club (that's my social dining club), it's one of our regular meeting spots. It's out in NoPo on the corner of N Interstate and N Killingsworth. It's solid, no frills fried chicken. Just the right amount of juicy and greasy (get extra napkins). They also have pudding shots, which, if you've never had, order them (if you've had them, you know).
5. Reel M Inn
This is the spot that inspired this post. Arguably the best fried chicken in Portland. This is another dive bar, very divey. My kind of spot tbh. There's one person working the bar and the fryer, so wait times can get pretty long... but definitely worth the wait. I think the secret is in the oil, it's most likely the same oil that's been in the fryer since 1979 which is what gives it that perfect crispiness. I was seriously sad when I read they closed due to COVID, and then I lost my proverbial shit when they reopened seemingly out of nowhere. There's a method to the madness here: 1. order your basket, 2. eat 1/2 the wedges FIRST, 3. test the temperature of your chicken, 4. get a Rainier to cool off your lava mouth, 5. eat some more wedges, 6. eat that chicken, 7. jello shots for desert.