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8 Places to Find Terrific Fried Chicken in Jacksonville

Crispy fried chicken can be found almost everywhere in Jacksonville

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Fried chicken is a Southern staple, and in Jacksonville there’s no shortage of restaurants making juicy and crispy fried chicken. In fact, locals will drive across the city to get their hands on their favorite fried chicken and all the fixin's. Many of the places on the list have been around for decades, while some newer joints are popping up in trendy Duval neighborhoods. These are the eight best fried chicken restaurants in Jacksonville.

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THC Trap house chicken

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Trap House Chicken (THC) is best known for its Southern-style fried chicken, most notably its fried chicken wings — but the chicken sandwiches and fried ribs also shouldn’t be missed. For something a little sweet consider the fried waffles and chicken, which comes with two fluffy waffles and fried chicken wings, which THC says is just like the fried chicken served on Sundays after church. 

The Hangar Bay Café and Gallery

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Hangar Bay is a fusion soul food restaurant where the fried chicken and ramen are the stars. The fried chicken is just as flavorful as one would expect from a Southern fried chicken with a crispy coating that locks in all of the juices from the chicken. And if the fried chicken isn’t enough, Hangar Bay Cafe also dishes out fried chicken livers and gizzards for the more adventurous crowd. 

Silkie's Chicken and Champagne Bar

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When it comes to fried chicken no one is doing it better than chef Kenny Gilbert at his Springfield restaurant Silkies Chicken and Champagne Bar. The counter-service restaurant is known for its chicken biscuit sandwiches piled high with unique topping options. The most popular dish on the expansive menu is the FB Hot made with a crispy fried chicken thigh with spicy hot sauce, creamy Alabama white barbecue sauce, and cool dill cucumbers piled onto a cheesy jalapeno cheddar biscuit. This is the chicken sandwich that Oprah was served by Gilbert, which automatically makes it a win. 

Coop 303

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Coop 303 has been showing Jacksonville how fried chicken can go from a humble dinner to something truly special. The chicken and waffles are anything but the standard variety, topped with a sweet maple crema, spicy Fresno hot jelly, and a sweet and savory onion jam. For something more traditional, the fried chicken basket comes with either four or eight pieces of chicken that is brined in dill pickle juice and pressure fried so the interior of the chicken is tender while the outside crust doesn’t get too dark.

Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken

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Locals and visitors flock to Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken for Hughes Brown’s fried chicken, and like any good Nashville-style hot chicken, the spice level ranges from a no heat fried chicken to a scorching “hotter than a mother clucker” level. Diners can order everything from a quarter or half chicken to crispy fried tenders for kids. The side dishes here are just as tasty as the chicken with items like corn and tomato salad or collard greens. 

Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners

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Since 1939 Beach Road Fish House and Chicken Dinners has been serving Jacksonville some of the city’s best seafood, along with some equally as appetizing fried chicken, which is light and well seasoned, while the chicken is so tender it almost falls off the bone. The chicken dinners here come as a quarter, half, or whole fried chicken, and are served with a choice of sides and a buttery biscuit.

Metro Diner

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This Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives favorite serves its fried chicken in a few different styles like its chicken and waffles with strawberry butter or the more traditional fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and gravy. No matter how it’s ordered, be sure to dunk each bite of chicken into Metro Diner’s sweet and spicy sauce, which is a mix of maple syrup and hot sauce that gives the chicken even more flavor.

Shut Em Down Authentic Southern Restaurant

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Since 2014 Shut Em Down has been serving the city its beloved fried chicken along with all of the Southern comfort favorites. The breading on each piece of chicken is light while still maintaining a nice crunch. After biting through the crust, the juicy chicken is bursting with flavor. Dinners here are a deal at just $10.49 for fried chicken, two sides, and a big piece of cornbread. Locals also say this is some of the best banana pudding in town, so be sure to get some, even if it’s to-go. 

THC Trap house chicken

Trap House Chicken (THC) is best known for its Southern-style fried chicken, most notably its fried chicken wings — but the chicken sandwiches and fried ribs also shouldn’t be missed. For something a little sweet consider the fried waffles and chicken, which comes with two fluffy waffles and fried chicken wings, which THC says is just like the fried chicken served on Sundays after church. 

The Hangar Bay Café and Gallery

Hangar Bay is a fusion soul food restaurant where the fried chicken and ramen are the stars. The fried chicken is just as flavorful as one would expect from a Southern fried chicken with a crispy coating that locks in all of the juices from the chicken. And if the fried chicken isn’t enough, Hangar Bay Cafe also dishes out fried chicken livers and gizzards for the more adventurous crowd. 

Silkie's Chicken and Champagne Bar

When it comes to fried chicken no one is doing it better than chef Kenny Gilbert at his Springfield restaurant Silkies Chicken and Champagne Bar. The counter-service restaurant is known for its chicken biscuit sandwiches piled high with unique topping options. The most popular dish on the expansive menu is the FB Hot made with a crispy fried chicken thigh with spicy hot sauce, creamy Alabama white barbecue sauce, and cool dill cucumbers piled onto a cheesy jalapeno cheddar biscuit. This is the chicken sandwich that Oprah was served by Gilbert, which automatically makes it a win. 

Coop 303

Coop 303 has been showing Jacksonville how fried chicken can go from a humble dinner to something truly special. The chicken and waffles are anything but the standard variety, topped with a sweet maple crema, spicy Fresno hot jelly, and a sweet and savory onion jam. For something more traditional, the fried chicken basket comes with either four or eight pieces of chicken that is brined in dill pickle juice and pressure fried so the interior of the chicken is tender while the outside crust doesn’t get too dark.

Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken

Locals and visitors flock to Bold Birds Nashville Hot Chicken for Hughes Brown’s fried chicken, and like any good Nashville-style hot chicken, the spice level ranges from a no heat fried chicken to a scorching “hotter than a mother clucker” level. Diners can order everything from a quarter or half chicken to crispy fried tenders for kids. The side dishes here are just as tasty as the chicken with items like corn and tomato salad or collard greens. 

Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners

Since 1939 Beach Road Fish House and Chicken Dinners has been serving Jacksonville some of the city’s best seafood, along with some equally as appetizing fried chicken, which is light and well seasoned, while the chicken is so tender it almost falls off the bone. The chicken dinners here come as a quarter, half, or whole fried chicken, and are served with a choice of sides and a buttery biscuit.

Metro Diner

This Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives favorite serves its fried chicken in a few different styles like its chicken and waffles with strawberry butter or the more traditional fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and gravy. No matter how it’s ordered, be sure to dunk each bite of chicken into Metro Diner’s sweet and spicy sauce, which is a mix of maple syrup and hot sauce that gives the chicken even more flavor.

Shut Em Down Authentic Southern Restaurant

Since 2014 Shut Em Down has been serving the city its beloved fried chicken along with all of the Southern comfort favorites. The breading on each piece of chicken is light while still maintaining a nice crunch. After biting through the crust, the juicy chicken is bursting with flavor. Dinners here are a deal at just $10.49 for fried chicken, two sides, and a big piece of cornbread. Locals also say this is some of the best banana pudding in town, so be sure to get some, even if it’s to-go. 

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