445786 Fri Sep 28 11:18:33 -0700 2007 20 6 Southwest 0 2985969 Inspired by Utah's thread. favorite FC in the AZ? Mabel Murphy's (Scottsdale) - All you can eat Southern Fried Chicken on Tuesday's, and they use a delicious honey batter. Baby Kay's (Phoenix) - Lulu's Famous Cajun Fried Chicken on Thursdays. You get 1/2 a chicken. Super crispy, and lots of spice! Roaring Fork (Scottsdale) - A Boneless Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast. It may be boneless, but don't be taken back by that. Chelsea's Kitchen (Phoenix) - Dixie Pan Fried Chicken. Much better since they switched off the free range chicken. It's nice in theory, but I was never a fan. Plus its served with a cinnamon roll! AND OF COURSE Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles (Phoenix) - Its the signature dish, so that about says it. Fri Sep 28 11:18:33 -0700 2007 129910 ValleyFever 1 2986025 Chelsea's fried chicken is possibly the worst fried chicken I've had at a remotely upscale restaurant. It was dry, flavorless, and for the price, a total rip-off. The piece was so thick that it had to be fried into a desert-like state before the middle reached temperature. Fri Sep 28 11:37:18 -0700 2007 2985969 21290 Firenza00 2 2986038 Thanks, honey, I was just about to post the same thing. The chicken was so dry it was hard to chew and when I swallowed it, I felt like I had to cough. I know our opinion of Chelsea's Kitchen didn't make us very popular, but this was a big reason why we didn't like it. I agree on Baby Kay's, though - we found the chicken there to be prepared perfectly and the chicken was juicy and flavorful. Fri Sep 28 11:41:11 -0700 2007 2986025 90732 tara17 3 2986072 The Fried Chicken @ Harold's in Cave Creek is great! you can order a half or a whole. The sides are just ok...but the chicken crisp and juicy...not greasy. http://www.haroldscorral.com/Harolds-pg3.pdf Fri Sep 28 11:51:22 -0700 2007 2986038 16764 ciaogal 3 2986079 Have you guys had it since they switched from free range? I never did like when they carried that, but since they've switched, I decided to give it another chance and I am glad I did. Mine wasn't dry at all. It was moist juicy, and I love that they serve it less than hot. Reminds me of after church picnics growing up in the south. The free range I had there was super chewy. Lots of cartilage. I'll never order free range again. Fri Sep 28 11:52:02 -0700 2007 2986038 129910 ValleyFever 4 2986142 When did they switch? We werent to CK the end of May/beginning of June. The chicken wasn't the only reason we weren't impressed with them, so even a switch to something else honestly won't tempt us back. The overall experience was just lacking in general. If something had been decent, we might go back, but at this point, we won't. Fri Sep 28 12:07:47 -0700 2007 2986079 21290 Firenza00 5 2986404 They switched before that. It must have just genuinely been bad. Then again, as stated below, its on the kicthen, not the chicken itself. Fri Sep 28 13:10:50 -0700 2007 2986142 129910 ValleyFever 4 2986313 the proportion of cartilage to chicken has zero to do with whether or not it's free range. that's the sole domain of whomever prepped the chicken. in short - it's the kitchen's fault. Fri Sep 28 12:49:29 -0700 2007 2986079 60025 winedubar 3 2987544 I was trying to recall the folk, who did not like CK. When I saw it on the above list, I hesitated. I see it (on my way to Vincent's), and wife keeps saying that it looks good. I bring up past CH reviews, and she changes her tune - until the next tiime. Since I have had the pleasure of dining on the best "Southern" fried chicken in the history of things culinary, I usually do not give restaurants a test, just knowing that they will fail. This is true in PHX, and throughout the whole of the Deep South. I'll have to give Baby Kay's a go, however, as it sounds good. We still are trying to replicate the fried chicken from Alamo (long gone) in Biloxi, MS. They set the bar way too high. Right now, my wife's attempts at duplicating this dish, though she never had the pleasure of actually tasting it, ranks up there with the best that "Southern Living" has ever printed. Time to get out of my fried-chicken-shell, and see what is out there. Hunt Fri Sep 28 19:47:10 -0700 2007 2986038 11329 Bill Hunt 1 2987091 Gotta remember Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe... Mrs. White is Lo-Lo's grandma, so you KNOW her fried chicken is going to be out of this world. Fri Sep 28 16:08:22 -0700 2007 2985969 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 2 2987742 Shhez, Jester, beat me to it. Mrs. White's it is ... Fri Sep 28 22:18:48 -0700 2007 2987091 85615 misohungrychewlow 2 2994195 Not having been at Mrs White's, I'd rank Lo Lo's fried chicken as the best I've had. The funny thing was when we were there, there was a couple who said Mrs. White had sent them over to her nephew's as she didn't have fried chicken that day. Mon Oct 01 16:16:04 -0700 2007 2987091 80169 ccl1111 1 2996017 Has anyone tried the fried chicken at Ranch Market? It's really very good and isn't coated with a ton of stuff like most commercial fried chicken.I have a hard time passing it up when I'm there. Tue Oct 02 08:56:01 -0700 2007 2985969 27510 twodogs 1 2996810 I am partial to Lo-Lo's...Satisfied Frog (&Horny Toad) in Cave Creek Tue Oct 02 11:44:24 -0700 2007 2985969 13373 Molto E 2 2997654 I used to live in Cave Creek and went to the Horny Toad many times, including once to try their "famous" fried chicken. I wasn't impressed at all, but then again, I've never been really impressed by anything I've eaten there. Tue Oct 02 14:54:05 -0700 2007 2996810 111656 rxenergie 1 3001009 I have tried Lo-Lo's, Restaurant 28, and Lil mama's fried chicken. By far, Lil Mama's is my favorite. It's light and crispy, and just the right amount of salty. Wed Oct 03 13:21:53 -0700 2007 2985969 88339 grrlscout 2 3001321 where is Lil Mama? Wed Oct 03 14:30:05 -0700 2007 3001009 13373 Molto E 3 3001406 its on 7th ave, just north of indian school, not too terribly far from the fry bread house. i haven't been there in forever!!! thanks for the reminder! Wed Oct 03 14:48:28 -0700 2007 3001321 60025 winedubar 1 3001716 Dropping in some place links Wed Oct 03 16:16:13 -0700 2007 2985969 86822 hohokam 2 3004295 Apologies for the duplicates. For some reason, when I was viewing this thread yesterday, none of the places linked by JK were showing up over in the "Places Mentioned" box. Thu Oct 04 10:51:19 -0700 2007 3001716 86822 hohokam 3 3004814 Yes, the Places and Links to them is definitely still a "Beta." I've chosen a few, only to have that system default to restaurants in other parts of town, or even other cities. It does, as it wants to, and that's it for now. Maybe soon? Hunt Thu Oct 04 12:35:22 -0700 2007 3004295 11329 Bill Hunt