If you are in the mood for fried chicken, the good news is that you have excellent competitors vying for your love. While the debate always remains, there are customers who swear that the best-fried chicken restaurant out there is Raising Canes. While there are those who cannot be persuaded no matter what facts you present, that doesn’t mean Raising Canes is the undisputed best. In fact, I used to love Raising Canes, but these eight places have superior fried chicken. Don’t believe me? Just give them a try and see for yourself.
History of Raising Canes
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©AnnapolisStudios/Shutterstock.com
Raising Canes was the brainchild of Todd Graves. While the official restaurant opened in 1996, he dreamed it up far before that time. He had the idea for a restaurant that served only chicken fingers while taking a college class and was told it would never work. But Todd eventually saw his dream come to life despite any negative feedback.
Restaurants That Have Better Fried Chicken Than Raising Canes
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©"Raising Cane's" by dmott9 is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License
While there’s no debate that Raising Canes has amazingly delicious fried chicken, there are restaurants out there that have superior fried chicken. Or at the very least, fried chicken that is just as good as Raising Canes. Take a look at these nine chicken places that have superior fried chicken.
Chick-fil-A
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Chick-fil-A was opened by S. Truett Cathy in 1967. However, he had plenty of experience operating a small business and restaurant for years before. His first restaurant was opened in 1946 with his brother Ben.
Why Chick-fil-A’s Chicken is Superior
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Chick-fil-A has a secret recipe that has customers come back for more time and time again. Many people claim that the flavor is contributed to marinating the chicken in pickle juice. Regardless, the chicken is tasty each time!
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
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Popeyes Chicken officially opened in 1972, but it wasn’t named Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at first. The original name was Chicken on the Run. However, the restaurant wasn’t quite as successful as hoped at first. So, the owner, Alvin C. Copeland Sr. rebranded and changed the chicken recipe in an attempt to attract more customers. The rebranding was successful, and Popeyes has grown to become one of the more popular chicken restaurants in America.
Why Popeyes’ Chicken is Superior
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Popeyes Chicken has quite a kick to it. If you enjoy chicken with a spice to it, then Popeyes is the one to try.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
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©"KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC Restaurant Sign Logo Location Drive Thru KFC Pics by Mike Mozart of JeepersMedia and TheToyChannel on YouTube. #KFC #KFCSign #KFCLogo #KentuckyFriedChicken #TheColonel #KFCRestaurant" by JeepersMedia is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
When people think about fast food and fried chicken, one of the first restaurants that comes to mind is Kentucky Fried Chicken. Most everyone knows the famous Colonel, Harland Sanders. He opened his first KFC in 1952 after spending years perfecting his fried chicken recipe.
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken is Superior
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©NARUDON ATSAWALARPSAKUN/Shutterstock.com
Kentucky Fried Chicken is the best-known friend chicken restaurant around. While the chicken is crunchy and tasty, the meals level up the flavor to a whole new level.
Wingstop
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Wingstop first opened in 1994 to serve customers superior wings. The first Wingstop opened in Texas and quickly grew to over 2,000 restaurants in the franchise.
Why Wingstop Chicken is Superior
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©"Wingstop combo meal sauce on side" by coconut wireless is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License
Wingstop goes beyond fried chicken. The flavors of the sauce are extensive. Customers can choose a variety of spices and rubs that bring a unique taste to each meal.
bb.q Chicken
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©iStock.com/MarianVejcik
Bb.q Chicken began in Seoul, South Korea in 1995. The goal was to create Korean fried chicken that was both delicious and top-quality. There are over 3,500 locations all around the world. Which is a testament to how tasty and delicious bb.q Chicken has grown to be.
Why bb.q Chicken is Superior
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©"Crisp Korean Fried Chicken" by Edsel L is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
Bb.q Chicken restaurant gives customers a unique taste of fried chicken. Instead of Americanized chicken, you can enjoy Korean fried chicken. The flavor goes beyond anything you are used to.
Jack in the Box
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©iStock.com/Melissa Kopka
Jack in the Box is a burger joint, but they also sell excellent fried chicken. This restaurant opened in 1951 and quickly grew to become the place to grab delicious cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and tacos!
Why Jack in the Box Chicken is Superior
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©Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock.com
Jack in the Box carries more than just fried chicken. Yet, their fried chicken goes beyond just good. It has a tender center with a crispy and crunchy outside. The flavoring is just right, what more do you want in fried chicken?
Zaxby’s
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©"Zaxby's Wing-eating Contest" by LuAnn Snawder Photography is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License
Zaxby’s was started by Zac McLeroy and Tony Townley. The first restaurant was opened in Georgia in 1990. Zaxby’s was the passion project of two college friends who put in the hard work and dedication to create something incredible.
Why Zaxby’s Chicken is Superior
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©Fierman Much/Shutterstock.com
Zaxby’s focuses on high-quality chicken. Their food is fresh, flavorful, and crispy. Not to mention, customers rave about how the chicken at Zaxby’s is consistently great.
Slim Chickens
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©"Slim Chickens" by Mark Morgan Trinidad B is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
Hand-breaded chicken is a favorite of both adults and chickens. If you are craving chicken tenders, then Slim Chickens is the perfect place to go for lunch. This restaurant was started in 2003 by Tom Gordon and Greg Smart. Throughout the last 20 years, Slim Chickens has grown to over 200 locations throughout the United States and world.
Why Slim Chicken is Superior
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©iStock.com/VeselovaElena
Fresh is the priority at Slim Chicken. This means that the chicken sold here has a higher quality flavor than chicken that has been frozen.
One Last Note
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Sometimes, nothing hits the spot quite like fried chicken. While Raising Canes is a delicious option for lunch or dinner, there are so many other excellent choices. If you enjoy chicken with a little bit of kick, give Popeyes chicken a try. On the flip side, if you enjoy your fried chicken with a tasty burger, a joint like Jack in the Box is right up your alley. No matter where you like to buy your fried chicken, there’s one thing for sure, these eight places have superior chicken to Raising Canes.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©"Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (48609524093)" by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States is licensed under BY 2.0..