THE SOUTH`S BEST

THE SOUTH’S BEST
Fried Chicken
After 10,000 miles, hundreds of drumsticks, and gallons of sweet tea,
our resident connoisseur found the pick of the chicks.
Fried chicken feeds the soul of the South. This regional favorite ranks right up there with God, Mama,
and country. Authors have penned tomes on the subject. Feuds have erupted over whose fried chicken
tastes the best. Some cooks even guard their recipes with the zeal of armed guards at Fort Knox.
Now, some might consider it folly to step into the midst of such a debate. Not me. I was raised on fried
chicken. I learned the recipe at my mother’s elbow. On occasion, I was even called upon to select dinner
from my very own feathered flock. So I know chicken. It’s as much a part of me as my eye color.
To find the South’s best, I relied on
many sources, but the most valuable
turned out to be you, our readers. We
received hundreds of letters nominating favorite restaurants. But perhaps
the most eloquent summation came
from Florence Bishop of Richmond,
Virginia. She writes, “I’ve always
thought that if I make it to heaven,
every meal will be fried chicken,
fresh asparagus, and strawberries.”
Amen, Ms. Bishop! After months
of searching, I can tell you one thing
for sure. You’ll find a little bit of
heaven here on Earth if you visit one
of these great chicken places.
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House,
Roanoke, Texas
If we were offering a Readers’ Choice
Award, it would go to this Texas spot.
In fact, we received more letters
about Babe’s than any other place.
This chicken shack occupies an
old hardware store in the heart of
left: A heaping platter of fried chicken
guarantees happy faces at Babe’s.
Roanoke, a tiny town northwest of
Fort Worth. Though sprawling suburbia is quickly closing in, the town
maintains its dry, dusty Texas character. A big neon chicken sign points
the way to the simple brick building,
though it’s not as if you could really
miss it with the crowd gathered on
the front porch.
Once you’re seated at one of the
tables with funky mismatched chairs,
a waitress hurries over with a big
Texas-style welcome, passing out
warm plates and cold bowls. Then
she cheerfully asks, “Fried chicken or
chicken-fried steak?”
The meal starts with a simple iceberg lettuce salad with vinaigrette
dressing to fill the chilled bowls.
Then heaping platters of chicken
come steaming from the kitchen, followed by bowls of cream-style corn,
mashed potatoes, and cream gravy.
Plentiful homemade biscuits finish
the parade.
“The only thing we cook up ahead
of time is the cream gravy,” owner
Paul Vinyard observes. “That gravy
gets a little better the longer it sits,
but the others—mashed potatoes,
corn, chicken—we just do them over
and over in small batches. When we
make biscuits, we make one little-old
pan of 20 at a time.”
“We work so hard at keeping it
fresh,” says Mary Beth (aka Babe),
echoing her husband. “It tastes just
like it came out of your grandmother’s kitchen. That’s really our goal—
to make you feel like you’re eating
in your grandmother’s home.” 104
North Oak Street, Roanoke, Texas;
(817) 491-2900. Platter of chicken
with all-you-can-eat sides: $8.99.
Bubba’s Cooks Country, Dallas
While feasting at Babe’s, I can’t
shake the feeling that I’ve tasted this
food before. That’s when I discover
that Paul and Mary Beth Vinyard
own another of my favorites, Bubba’s
Cooks Country in Dallas’s tony University Park neighborhood. In fact,
I like the chicken at Bubba’s—dare
I say it—just a trifle bit better than
that at Babe’s.
b y C a s s a n d r a M . Va n h o o s e r / p h o t o g r a p h y C h a r l e s Wa l t o n I V
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July 2004 91
“It’s the same recipe,” Paul assures
me. “There’s no difference between
the two.”
It turns out that Paul, a food company executive-turned-entrepreneur,
started Bubba’s in 1981, long before
there was a Babe’s. “My wife, Mary
Beth, and I both grew up in small
towns,” rumbles the Turkey, Texas,
native. “We liked the food that we
grew up on in West Texas, and we really couldn’t find it in Dallas.”
The restaurant is located in a
dolled up 1928 Texaco gas station
across the street from Southern
Methodist University. It’s called
Bubba’s, not because that’s Paul’s
nickname as most people think, but
because it was the complete opposite
of the upscale offerings nearby.
Here, customers step up to the
counter to order. In addition to fresh,
hot chicken, they offer mashed potatoes with cream gravy, green beans,
coleslaw, baked beans, and fruit salad. Other veggie selections change
daily. Heavenly homemade yeast
rolls top off the meal quite handsomely. They’re made especially to
be served with the sorghum and
Texas Hill Country honey that sit on
each on the table. Paul and Mary
Beth are planning to open two more
restaurants, making the score Babe’s:
5, Bubba’s: 2. Original Bubba’s
Cooks Country: 6617 Hillcrest, Dallas; (214) 366-4464. Three-piece dinner: $7.35.
Gladys Knight and Ron Winans
Chicken & Waffles, Atlanta
I’ve eaten so much chicken that I can
almost tell just by looking if it’s going to be good. The second I spy the
waitress carrying my plate here, I
know it’s going to be superb.
The skin on the chicken shimmers
with a golden hue. Marinated overnight in a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, and other secret seasonings, it’s a
crispy masterpiece on the outside,
tender and juicy on the inside. The
sides sing with flavor too. There’s
cheesy macaroni; rice with cream
gravy; and tender, succulent collards
seasoned with smoked turkey. I
crumble my cornbread in the pot
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counter occupies a simple redbrick
building in the shadow of downtown
Charlotte. I arrive at three o’clock in
the afternoon only to find a line trailing out the door. At lunchtime, it is
not unusual for the line to stretch
around the block.
Once inside, I realize that this is no
feel-good, what-can-I-get-you-honey
kind of establishment. The white cinder block walls are unadorned. A
hand-lettered menu hangs above a
long white counter where a halfdozen cashiers buzz around taking
and filling orders. Behind them,
white-jacketed fry cooks stand over
bubbling vats of hot oil, cooking
chicken as fast as they can.
left: The Atlanta restaurant that bears
Georgia-born singer Gladys Knight’s
name serves up Nuevo Soul Food.
below: “We make the chicken using
Mother’s recipe,” says Paul Vinyard,
co-owner of Babe’s Chicken Dinner
House and Bubba’s Cooks Country.
Maybe it’s the anticipation that
makes it taste so good, but it’s all I
can do to make it to the parking lot
before ripping into the flat white box.
All around me, others sit in their cars,
radios and air conditioners blasting,
delving into their own boxes filled
with tater rounds, mayonnaise-based
slaw, feather-light hush puppies, and
scorch-your-fingers hot chicken.
Price’s opened in 1962 to cater to
blue-collar workers in the area who
had only 30 minutes for lunch. Little
has changed, except now it’s as popular with downtown businesspeople as
it is with construction and factory
workers. 1614 Camden Road, Charlotte; (704) 333-9866. Half-chicken
dinner: $6.10.
Kessler’s 1891 Eatery and Pub,
Versailles, Kentucky
I expected to find dozens of momand-pop joints in out-of-the-way
places that would vie for the title of
best in the South. Not so. Most have
gone the way of country stores and
full-service gas stations.
But this tiny Kentucky town, right
in the heart of horse country, claims
such a treasure. The chicken dinner
comes with a small salad, lackluster
green beans, and a baked potato or
fries. Locals know to substitute the
homemade coleslaw or potato salad.
Still, the chicken is golden brown,
lightly seasoned, and oh-so juicy.
Every order comes out steaming hot
and cooked to order.
Manager Todd Geising, who followed his dream of becoming a Thoroughbred exercise rider to Kentucky,
started working at the restaurant just
a year and a half ago. The menu features 35 items, including the popular
half-pound, handmade hamburgers
and the fried chicken. “I put love in
every plate of food I make,” Todd
says. “That’s really the key to my
fried chicken.” 197 Main Street, Versailles, Kentucky; (859) 879-3344.
Three-piece chicken dinner: $10.95.
“It tastes just like it came out of your
grandmother’s kitchen. That’s really our goal—
to make you feel like you’re eating in your
grandmother’s home.”
Mary Beth Vinyard, co-owner of Babe’s and Bubba’s
liquor from the greens so I can savor
every drop of goodness.
Then there are the waffles. Made
from a malted batter, their sweetness
blends harmoniously with the savory
chicken. “Food should be a party in
your mouth,” says executive chef
Reginald Washington. “A blending of
sugar and salt really brings out the
rich flavor in our food. That’s why the
combination has been so successful.”
Reginald didn’t invent the chickenand-waffle craze, but the Alabamaborn chef added his own twist to the
trend, serving up what he calls Nuevo
Soul Food. “It’s a little lighter, but with
a different flair to it,” he explains.
As you might expect, the restaurant looks more like a chic lounge
than a chicken joint. The walls boast
rich, warm paneling adorned with
music memorabilia and celebrity
photographs of Gladys Knight, Ron
Winans, and friends. Caramel-colored
leather covers the comfortable booths
and chairs. The restaurant stays open
late on weekends to serve entertainers and other night owls. 529
Peachtree Street NE., Atlanta; (404)
874-9393. Three-piece dinner: $11.50.
Price’s Chicken Coop,
Charlotte
There’s nothing fancy about this
restaurant. In fact, there’s not even a
place to sit down and enjoy your
meal, but we sure got lots of letters
singing the praises of Price’s. One
reader even went so far as to visit
www.mapquest.com and print out
directions for us to follow.
Still, I was skeptical. The lunch
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Fiorella’s Restaurant, New
Orleans
When people tell you New Orleans is
not known for fried chicken, consider this: The famous Popeyes Chicken
& Biscuit chain started in the Big
Easy. Besides, any city with this
many soul food restaurants has to
have some fried chicken on the menu.
I ate enough in New Orleans to
make my belly ache, and still it was a
toss-up as to who had the best chicken. But I’m going to go with Fiorella’s
for one simple reason: personality.
This crispy bird has a kick to it. It’s
not hot enough to make you sweat,
but just spicy enough to get your attention. Mashed potatoes with real
potato chunks make a perfect pairing.
Just across the street from the city’s
busy French Market, this local dive
has the feel of a little country store.
The sloped porch roof looks as if it’s
about to fall in. Customers linger on a
painted concrete bench out front.
Screened front doors stand open in
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welcome, the oversize menu posted on
either side. Inside, a long mural of
shrimpboats trolling the coastal waters
offers great local color.
Though the menu is vast, owner
Victor Moran says fried chicken is
his best seller. His motto: “Fry it
fresh, serve it fresh.” Still, he attributes the great taste to a marinade he
slyly describes as “special seasonings…and stuff.” While locals make
up the bulk of the customers, Victor
says he has some out-of-towners, including several Hollywood types,
who make Fiorella’s their last stop so
they can savor the flavor before they
head home. 45 French Market Place,
New Orleans; (504) 528-9566. Fourpiece dinner: $8.25.
Seafood & Chicken Box,
Center Point, Alabama
It would be easy to overlook this 12table hole-in-the-wall. It’s tucked into
an inconspicuous strip mall in Center
Point, a small city on the northeast
above: Fiorella’s owner Victor Moran
(right), with manager Ron Villegas,
marinades his chicken in a blend of
“special seasonings…and stuff.”
below, right: Fresh, hot, and good:
That’s the mantra for making
delicious fried chicken at the
Seafood & Chicken Box in Center
Point, Alabama.
side of Birmingham. Yet, our very
own Editor claims the Seafood &
Chicken Box as his favorite.
That’s not the reason I chose it, of
course. I picked it because they serve
fresh, hot chicken, cooked to order.
That, and their secret seasoning.
When the platter of chicken arrives at
the table, the crispy brown crust glitters as if covered in diamonds. I try in
vain to get the owners, brothers Carl
and Paul Gagliano, to reveal their secret. “It’s a special herb,” says Carl.
“Or it could be a special spice,” says
Paul. “Or it could be both,” they say
in unison, smiling like Cheshire cats.
It’s delicious, and that’s all that really matters. Meals start with a bowl
of coleslaw or a house salad, followed
by homemade hush puppies and
crispy fries or a baked potato. The
chicken is exceptionally tender and
juicy, yet it features some of the
crispiest skin I’ve ever eaten. Carl
says the egg wash infused with buttermilk makes the skin so tasty.
Brotherly love keeps the business
running smoothly; Carl and Paul alternate days so that one of them is always on hand to fry the tasty fowl.
Don’t expect to get this chicken in
a hurry, no matter which brother is in
the kitchen. The menu instructs customers to allow 20 minutes for an order of chicken. You either wait or call
ahead. 1617-B Center Point Road,
Center Point, Alabama; (205) 8537414. Half-chicken dinner: $7.30.
ON THE SIDES
HONORABLE MENTIONS
■ Buckner’s Family Restaurant,
Jackson, Georgia
■ Dooky Chase Restaurant,
New Orleans
■ Gus’s World Famous Hot and
Spicy Fried Chicken, Memphis
■ Horace & Dickie’s Seafood,
Washington, D.C.
■ Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room,
Savannah
■ Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits,
Atlanta airport
■ Stroud’s, Kansas City, Missouri
While the chicken is the star, we couldn’t forget the side dishes.
Here are the best we found.
■ Appetizer: Shrimp and Alligator Sausage Cheesecake, Jacques-Imo’s,
New Orleans
■ Biscuits: Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Atlanta airport
■ Collard greens: Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles, Atlanta
■ Corn: Gladys Knight and Ron Winans Chicken & Waffles, Atlanta
■ Desserts: Homemade Carrot Cake, Shingles Chicken House, Tallahassee;
Sweet Potato Chess Pie, Twiams Chicken & Waffles, Louisville
■ Fried green tomatoes: Jestine’s Kitchen, Charleston
■ Green beans: Monell’s Dining & Catering, Nashville
■ Gumbo: Dooky Chase Restaurant, New Orleans
■ Hush puppies: Price’s Chicken Coop, Charlotte
■ Mashed potatoes: Barbara’s Home Cooking, Franklin, Tennessee
■ Yeast rolls: Bubba’s Cooks Country, Dallas
more reader-favorite fried chicken restaurants WEB southernliving.com/features
July 2004 95