Austin’s Top Fried Chicken Hot Spots
Fried chicken is the pinnacle of Southern comfort food, and there’s a bounty of Austin restaurants that serve it piping hot with a side of Southern hospitality. Take your pick from these seven joints in town to sink your teeth into the next time you’re craving something extra crispy.
Spicy Boys Fried Chicken
440 E. St. Elmo Road
1701 E. 6th St.
8110 Springdale Road
Spicy Boys parked its first food truck at Zilker Brewing Co. in 2019, garnering attention for its fusion of Southern and Thai-inspired fried chicken, before adding three more to the fleet. You can keep it simple with an OG sweet chili honey chicken sandwich, crank it up a notch with some chili oil on the Hot Gai, or numb your mouth with the Tingly Gai, featuring Sichuan pepper.
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
2529 S. Lamar Blvd.
Hattie B’s made its way from Nashville to Austin last year to show Texas what Tennessee is all about with its first location on South Lamar. The hot chicken chain tests guests with juicy birds tossed in sauces ranging from zero burn for the novices to ghost pepper for the spice enthusiasts. Cool down with some banana pudding and scratch-made Southern comfort sides. And keep an eye out for an upcoming location within The Domain later this year.
Tumble 22
2304 Lake Austin Blvd.
7211 Burnet Road
Tumble 22 started as a solo food truck five years ago and has since blossomed into seven restaurants in the Austin and Houston areas. The Nashville-inspired joint serves Texas-raised chicken that’s tumbled in breading 22 times — hence the name — to ensure an extra crunchy skin. Make your way through the menu of fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, bone-in family platters, cobb salads and traditional sides, like BBQ beans and mac and cheese.
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
117 San Jacinto Blvd.
Though it hails from Tennessee, Gus’s earned its “World Famous” title for its Southern-style chicken that’s fried to order. The 60-year-old chain uses a top-secret recipe from founder Napoleon Vanderbilt to lure in guests from around the country. Its mouth-watering plates of moist white and dark meats are served with comforting sides of baked beans, fried okra or potato salad, which are best finished off with a slice of homemade pie baked daily.
Hi Wings
2525 W. Anderson Lane #135
If you’re looking to explore outside of the usual Southern and Nashville-style joints, give Korean fried chicken a chance at Hi Wings. Korean fried chicken has extra crispy, thinner skin that’s double-fried. Hi Wings serves it bone-in with the choice of a mix of dark and white meat or a whole dark platter. To mix it up, try the chicken thigh bites tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce or loaded with green onions among other varieties.
Top Notch Hamburgers
7525 Burnet Road
Get a taste of the Stanish family secret at Top Notch Hamburgers, where the fried chicken is just as notable as the charcoal-grilled burgers and hand-dipped onion rings. The iconic Austin restaurant, featured in “Dazed and Confused,” sources its chicken locally and batters and fries each piece to order. Get a two-piece dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw and Texas toast, or order the whole bird (12 pieces) for the whole family to enjoy.
Lucy’s Fried Chicken
2218 College Ave.
Chef James Holmes opened Lucy’s Fried Chicken, named after his daughter, in 2011. His golden batter first became a big hit as a Sunday special at his now-closed, farm-to-table restaurant, Olivia, also named after one of his daughters. Lucy’s menu not only serves it straight up in a four-piece basket but also adds a twist with fried chicken spaghetti, between buns with honey mustard slaw, with a side of Belgian waffles or as a gluten-free tender.