(KTLA/NEXSTAR) – A recent evaluation of the top fried chicken eateries across the U.S. and Canada has crowned a California-based chain as the leader.
Howlin’ Ray’s, which started as a food truck in Los Angeles back in 2015 and subsequently launched brick-and-mortar outlets in L.A., Pasadena, and Las Vegas, has been acclaimed as the best fried chicken venue in North America by the Yelp Elite Squad, a group of enthusiastic Yelp contributors.
The Yelp Elite Squad lauded Howlin’ Ray’s for being a “legendary destination” celebrated for providing “Nashville-style hot chicken that attracts crowds with its intense spice and perfectly crispy, juicy texture.”
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.
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.
