Not Popeyes Or KFC: The Fried Chicken Chain Reddit Says Has Them Beat

Whether it's through the great fried chicken sandwich wars of 2019 or the arguments about who has the best version of Nashville hot chicken, plenty of people have strong opinions on fried chicken these days. Of course, you have the usual heavy hitters in the fast food fried chicken game: KFC, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Jollibee, and Church's (our personal favorite chain). But there are plenty of smaller chains out there that don't get hype like the big guys while still producing just as good, if not better, fried chicken.

One example is Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken. The first Lee's opened in Lima, Ohio, in 1966 by founders Lee Cummings and Harold Omer. The fried chicken chain slowly expanded over the next few decades, and now it operates 131 locations across 13 states, plus British Columbia. If you're to believe customer reviews, that expansion was well worth it. Lee's has gained quite the following during that time.

When asked to compare Lee's to Popeyes, Redditors on one thread overwhelmingly supported Lee's. One Redditor puts it plainly, saying, "Lee's is so much better than Popeyes." Another commenter adds, "Lee's is fantastic, definitely have to go with the spicy in my opinion." One Redditor gave Lee's a 10 out of 10 and said the chain even catered his grandmother's funeral. To be fair, many commenters say they prefer the chicken sandwiches at Popeyes over the offering at Lee's. Most reviewers also have similar comments about KFC. One Redditor sums it up by saying, "Lee's tastes like what KFC used to be."

When we ranked eight popular fast food fried chicken chains, we thought Lee's was delicious — but we still slightly preferred Popeyes. The exterior was crispy and the seasoning was reminiscent of KFC, though a touch heavy on the salt. The chicken pieces were also slightly smaller than other chains, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because sometimes smaller chicken means higher-quality chicken.

If you're curious as to what's on the menu at Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, you find mostly standard fare that you see at other fast food chicken chains. The chicken options include breasts, thighs, legs, wings, and tenders, which you can order as part of a box that includes eight to 20 pieces, or as an individual plate. Sides include biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, green beans, baked beans, mac and cheese, Cajun rice, potato wedges, and okra. A few unique options you don't always see at other chains include a chicken pot pie, fried chicken livers, and fried gizzards. All of this at relatively reasonable prices. An eight-piece chicken meal with two sides and four biscuits costs $27.99, and a two-piece chicken meal with two sides and a biscuit sets you back $8.49.

So, while larger chains, including KFC and Popeyes, might dominate the fried chicken landscape, that doesn't mean there isn't room for more up-and-comers. At the moment, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken is a little harder to find, with 116 of its 131 locations residing in five states (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio). But, if you're ever on a road trip and happen to pass a Lee's location, it's well worth the stop.