If you’re in the mood for comfort food, fried chicken is tough to beat. There’s something uniquely satisfying about biting into a crunchy shell to savor the tender, juicy meat inside. For many of us, fried chicken was a staple of family gatherings growing up, so it brings back happy memories with every bite. And, of course, fried chicken is a cornerstone of southern soul food, one of the foundational pillars of American cuisine.

These days, there seems to be a fast-food chicken franchise on every other corner. Grand Rapids certainly has its share of these familiar national brands – but when we asked our social media followers to recommend their favorite fried chicken restaurants, they cast the most votes for locally owned eateries.

Here’s where locals say you should go for the best fried chicken in Grand Rapids:

Cousin’s Tasty Chicken

Serving Grand Rapids since 1983, Cousin’s Tasty Chicken was far and away the top vote-getter in our poll. Operating out of a strip-mall storefront on the northeast side of town, about eight minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, Cousin’s has won numerous local awards for its tasty chicken offerings – wings, nuggets, tenders, sandwiches, breasts, dark-meat combos, chicken & waffles, and more.

Cousin’s is also beloved for its fried seafood selections, and there are several fish-and-chicken combos on the menu, along with an array of dipping sauces and a wide range of classic sides, including fries, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, macaroni salad and biscuits & honey.

Family Destinations Guide included Cousin’s on its list of “7 Legendary Restaurants in Michigan Serving Finger-Licking Fried Chicken,” writing that “The chicken here lives up to the restaurant’s name. It really is tasty – incredibly tasty. Every time you visit, the chicken tastes exactly the same – perfectly delicious.” Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. 1209 Leonard St NE.

4 Brothers Chicken & Fish

Named for founder Isam Abdelqader’s four sons, 4 Brothers Chicken & Fish has been a local favorite for nearly two decades. The restaurant bills itself as “your go-to spot for mouthwatering comfort food with a crispy twist,” and customers old and new wholeheartedly agree.

The chicken menu includes tenders, gizzards, nuggets and wings, all fried to golden perfection. There are a number of chicken-and-fish combos, budget-friendly daily lunch specials and sides both fried – including fries, onion rings, okra, mushrooms and mac & cheese – and not (coleslaw, potato salad and macaroni salad).

4 Brothers is located in a residential Southtown neighborhood just across from Garfield Park, 36-acre greenspace whose many amenities include picnic tables – you can order takeout from the restaurant and enjoy it in the park. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 1975 Madison Ave SE.

Hancock

Hancock brought Nashville-style hot chicken to Uptown Grand Rapids in 2019, and it soon proved one of the most popular draws in the walkable shopping-and-dining neighborhood. Hancock serves authentic Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, tenders and half or whole birds,  available in sweet, traditional, hot, hotter and hottest versions.

Also on the menu: hot chicken & waffles, smash burgers, salads, classic Southern sides like baked beans and drop biscuits, and southern dessert favorites banana pudding and carrot cake. Hancock has a liquor license, so you can enjoy beer, wine and cocktails with your meal as well as non-alcoholic sodas, slushies and housemade sweet tea.

Part of Hancock’s appeal is its ambience – it’s located in a fully renovated historic gas station with a large outdoor patio featuring ample seating and a convenient takeout window. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 1157 Wealthy St SE.

Great White Fish & Chicken

Eight in-house seasonings and eight sauces allow customers to personalize their chicken experience at Great White Fish & Chicken in GR’s Southtown neighborhood. The chicken menu features whole wings, boneless wings, wing dings, tenders, breasts, wings, legs, thighs, livers and gizzards, with lots of combo specials available. If you’re hosting a big party, you can order large quantities – like 100 whole wings and 96 legs and thighs.

Seafood offerings run the gamut from perch, shrimp and tilapia to catfish nuggets, bluegill and clams. Chicken-and-finish combos and an assortment of classic sides round out the menu. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday. 4201 Kalamazoo Ave SE.

Three plates of Southern comfort food, including fried chicken, mac and cheese, cornbread, and greens, are arranged on a dark surface with a beige tray in the background.
A man in a white jacket smiles as he eats fried chicken, with a drink and side dishes on the table in front of him and a blurred background.

Taste the love of the southern soul food served up at The Candied Yam.

Photo by Bryan Esler for Experience GR

The Candied Yam

“Delightful Southern Cuisine” is a promise deliciously fulfilled at The Candied Yam, a rustic boutique restaurant serving fresh, from-scratch food rich in heritage. Owner Jessica Ann Tyson brings her philosophy that food is “meant to be cooked with love” to each dish.

The soul food restaurant’s menu includes fried chicken wings, legs and thighs along with baked chicken, catfish, meatloaf, ribs, pork chops and perch, and scratch-made sides such as black-eyed peas, dressing, collard greens, mac and cheese, desserts and, of course, candied yams. Desserts – including banana pudding, peach cobbler and red velvet cake – are to die for. The beverage menu, featuring lemonade, sweet tea and orange Kool-Aid – is a nostalgic throwback to a simpler era.

The Candied Yam has two locations to serve you, both south of downtown GR: 932 Division Ave S – which includes an events venue – is about two miles away and 2305 44th St SE is approximately 10 miles from the city center. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

Wing Kingz

Wing Kingz serves up its signature Wing Dingz, boneless wings, whole wings, tenders, legs, thighs, skins and chicken sandwiches, with numerous sauces available to suit your taste. You can also get chicken & perch and chicken & shrimp combos, plus a variety of waffle meals, fried seafood selections, hot dogs and burgers, including an olive burger, a local favorite.

There are all sorts of fried sides to choose from along with coleslaw. You can order a soda or a Kool-Aid to accompany your meal, and a whole Kool-Aid pie or individual cookies, cupcakes and other desserts.

Wing Kingz is in northeast Grand Rapids, not far from the Creston business district, and about 10 minutes from downtown GR. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday.

Garage Bar & Grill

The River North neighborhood of downtown GR is the setting for Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill, which wins local kudos for its chicken tenders, chicken sandwich, chicken wrap and chicken & waffles. The restaurant also offers burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads, tacos, a wet burrito and other elevated bar foods, plus beer, wine, spirits and cocktails.

Garage Bar & Brill is also a great place to listen to live music, watch sports on big-screen TVs and relax on the spacious, dog-friendly front patio, which is covered to protect you from the elements.

Chicken dishes are also available at sister restaurant Ada Garage Bar & Grill, about a 15-minute drive from the original location. It’s in walkable downtown Ada, not far from the historic Ada Covered Bridge.

Both locations are open daily for lunch and dinner – and for late-night cravings on Friday and Saturday: the Ada location until midnight, the Grand Rapids location until 2am.

A burger and fries sit on a table in front of a Coca-Cola cup, with a colorful wall and teal chair in the background.

Try delicious chicken sandwiches at Nonla Burger.

Photo by Courtesy of Nonla Burger

Nonla Burger

How did a burger joint make it onto our list of best fried chicken restaurants? By supplementing its burger menu with two delicious fried chicken sandwiches – Crispy Chicken Sando and Hot Chicken Sando – and Nonla Wings, giant-size chicken wings tossed in a hot honey fish sauce garnished with green onions and chopped peanuts.

There’s also a BBQ Chicken Club featuring grilled chicken, and all three sandwiches can be made with Nonla’s plant-based Chik’n if you’re cutting down on meat. Fries and fried brussels sprouts are perfect accompaniments to your meal.

Nonla Burger is situated in the Bridge Street Entertainment District of downtown GR, a walkable stretch lined with restaurants and bars. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday.

Honorable Mentions

Pizza Ranch is a chain restaurant whose Kentwood location includes fried chicken in both its daily buffet and its regular menu.

Family Fare is a local grocery chain offering crispy, deli-counter fried chicken at its 20+ West Michigan locations.

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is a national chain with six Grand Rapids locations.

Russ’ Restaurant is a local family-dining chain serving much-loved chicken tenders at its six Grand Rapids area locations.

Frosty Boy of Cascade and Frosty Boy of Lowell are known for their ice cream their “broaster chicken” – marinated, breaded and cooked in a pressure fryer – is also a local fave.

Social Misfits is a downtown GR eatery serving a killer chicken & waffles dish.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a national chain with three GR locations.

Hours and menu items are subject to change, check restaurant web pages and social media platforms for the latest information.