A recent ranking of the best fried chicken restaurants in the U.S. and Canada placed a California chain at the top of the pecking order.
Howlin’ Ray’s, which launched as a Los Angeles food truck in 2015 and later opened brick-and-mortar locations in L.A., Pasadena and Las Vegas, was named the No. 1 fried chicken restaurant in North America, according to the Yelp Elite Squad, a collection of active Yelp members.
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Members of the Yelp Elite Squad described Howlin’ Ray’s as a “legendary spot” known for “serving up Nashville-style hot chicken that draws crowds for its fiery flavor and crispy, juicy perfection.”
The chain is known to offer customers their preferred spice level, which ranges from “Country,” which is essentially plain fried chicken, to “Howlin’,” which requires guests to sign a waiver before eating it.
“Wow wow wow, I see the hype,” one recent customer wrote in her Yelp review, before adding, “They take spice seriously here.”
“I love chicken and I love spice even more and this place is the perfect spot for people like me,” another added.
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Howlin’ Rays, however, is just one of many top-tier chicken chains found throughout the U.S., according to Yelp’s Elite Squad. Their complete rankings include restaurants in 18 states, including 9 restaurants in California, five in Florida and four in Texas. Ten restaurants in Canada, including six in Vancouver and four in Toronto, also made the top 50.
Have a look at the top 10 below, then check out Yelp’s collection for the complete rankings.
- Howlin’ Ray’s — Los Angeles, California
- Monell’s Dining & Catering — Nashville, Tennessee
- Tanioka’s Seafoods & Catering — Waipahu, Hawaii
- Ekiben — Baltimore, Maryland
- Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room — Savannah, Georgia
- Mike’s Chicken — Dallas, Texas
- BirdHouse — Page, Arizona
- Biscuit Head — Asheville, North Carolina
- Screen Door Eastside — Portland, Oregon
- Daybird — Los Angeles, California
To compile the rankings, Yelp’s analysts studied only the rankings and reviews from its “Elite Squad” — a group of users who have demonstrated a knack for going “above and beyond” with their reviews and photos, according to Yelp. The platform’s analysts also tried to limit the list to restaurants with a “passing health score” in instances where that information was available.
More information on Yelp’s Elite Squad, and how to become a member, are available at Yelp’s official site.
