An early stage fried chicken renaissance is happening in Denver. Restaurants are elevating the game for the brined, flour-coated, and hot-oil-bathed bird to their menu. From the Post's irresistible (and gluten-free!) creations to the must-have potato-flour-dredged bird at the Squeaky Bean and the weekend-only offerings at Comida and Work & Class, there is a lot of eating to be done. Our hearts are still broken that Tom's Home Cookin' and the BSide shuttered but the fried chicken at new spots like the Wild Standard and Royal Rooster are easing the pain.
If we missed you favorite, please leave it below in the comments.
Disclosure: the editor is married to one of the developers behind The Source.
Eight piece chicken is dry-rubbed and left to rest for 12 hours. Then it is tempura battered and fried at a low temp to crisp the skin and not dry out the chicken. To order, it is flash fried at a high temp. It is then wok-tossed with a gochujang honey sauce, lime leaves, Thai chilies, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. The bird come atop kimchi, garnished with sesame seeds.
The Fried Chicken Option is offered on the Mexican cantina's brunch menu. Buttermilk fried chicken is served with chimayo chile over roasted garlic mashed potatoes, jalapeño bacon jelly and spicy collard greens.
Next time you work up an appetite strolling the 16th Street Mall, pop into Honor Society and order the gluten-free chia seed fried chicken. You can get it as a sandwich or on its own with sides.
Chef Frank Bonanno offers Nashville-style fried chicken so hot and blistering hot that the amazing side will be a welcome break. You can order it medium or hot, but it is all served naked. Don't miss the black eyed pea salad side.
Royal Rooster is Justin Brunson's newest addition to Denver's fried chicken renaissance, and it is a lunchtime only fried chicken sandwich eatery, a la David Chang's wildly popular Fuku concept, housed within Old Major. Red Bird Chicken from Englewood supplies the birds, which come with house-made buns and sides.
The kara age, Japanese style fried chicken, offered as an appetizer at Sakura House in Sakura Square, is an excellent option by itself or as an precursor to a heaping bowl of ramen.
Eight pieced all natural chicken is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours and then tossed in seasoned flour and fried at a low temperature to crisp the skin and cook the chicken through but keep it juicy. Then, to order four pieces (a half chicken) is refried to heat through and served with mashed potatoes, biscuit, and chicken gravy.
For a fried chicken fix on the go, look no further than the Cluck Truck. The mobile food vendor can be found posted up in front of your favorite breweries like Black Shirt, Copper Kettle, and Strange Craft serving expertly fried chicken with sides of thinly sliced, tart yet slightly sweet pickles, and spicy ranch-type sauce.
The fried chicken at the Post is a specialty. The buttermilk-drenched bird is cooked in a pressure-cooker, a process that allows it to retain its flavor without making it greasy. A bucket of 12 pieces is available for $32. The chicken is gluten-free.
This fried chicken, served at dinner only, is buttermilk brined, potato flour dredged with classic spices, and fried in peanut oil. It comes served with a succotash made with vegetables from Bean's farm and a buttermilk foam.
An oldie but a goodie, the Welton Street Cafe has been serving soul food to Five Points for many years now. The fried chicken is not to be missed and comes with a variety of sides.
Boulder's Wild Standard serves up a mean bird of the Pok Pok variety. The Pok Pok fried chicken on the dinner menu comes with local greens, mint, cilantro, and sweet basil.
A weekly occurrence, this fried chicken shows up for Sunday supper only. It is served with house-made buffalo sauce. A variety of sides are available to accompany the fine bird.
Eight piece chicken is dry-rubbed and left to rest for 12 hours. Then it is tempura battered and fried at a low temp to crisp the skin and not dry out the chicken. To order, it is flash fried at a high temp. It is then wok-tossed with a gochujang honey sauce, lime leaves, Thai chilies, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. The bird come atop kimchi, garnished with sesame seeds.
The Fried Chicken Option is offered on the Mexican cantina's brunch menu. Buttermilk fried chicken is served with chimayo chile over roasted garlic mashed potatoes, jalapeño bacon jelly and spicy collard greens.
Next time you work up an appetite strolling the 16th Street Mall, pop into Honor Society and order the gluten-free chia seed fried chicken. You can get it as a sandwich or on its own with sides.
Chef Frank Bonanno offers Nashville-style fried chicken so hot and blistering hot that the amazing side will be a welcome break. You can order it medium or hot, but it is all served naked. Don't miss the black eyed pea salad side.
Royal Rooster is Justin Brunson's newest addition to Denver's fried chicken renaissance, and it is a lunchtime only fried chicken sandwich eatery, a la David Chang's wildly popular Fuku concept, housed within Old Major. Red Bird Chicken from Englewood supplies the birds, which come with house-made buns and sides.
The kara age, Japanese style fried chicken, offered as an appetizer at Sakura House in Sakura Square, is an excellent option by itself or as an precursor to a heaping bowl of ramen.
Eight pieced all natural chicken is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours and then tossed in seasoned flour and fried at a low temperature to crisp the skin and cook the chicken through but keep it juicy. Then, to order four pieces (a half chicken) is refried to heat through and served with mashed potatoes, biscuit, and chicken gravy.
For a fried chicken fix on the go, look no further than the Cluck Truck. The mobile food vendor can be found posted up in front of your favorite breweries like Black Shirt, Copper Kettle, and Strange Craft serving expertly fried chicken with sides of thinly sliced, tart yet slightly sweet pickles, and spicy ranch-type sauce.
The fried chicken at the Post is a specialty. The buttermilk-drenched bird is cooked in a pressure-cooker, a process that allows it to retain its flavor without making it greasy. A bucket of 12 pieces is available for $32. The chicken is gluten-free.
This fried chicken, served at dinner only, is buttermilk brined, potato flour dredged with classic spices, and fried in peanut oil. It comes served with a succotash made with vegetables from Bean's farm and a buttermilk foam.
An oldie but a goodie, the Welton Street Cafe has been serving soul food to Five Points for many years now. The fried chicken is not to be missed and comes with a variety of sides.
Boulder's Wild Standard serves up a mean bird of the Pok Pok variety. The Pok Pok fried chicken on the dinner menu comes with local greens, mint, cilantro, and sweet basil.
A weekly occurrence, this fried chicken shows up for Sunday supper only. It is served with house-made buffalo sauce. A variety of sides are available to accompany the fine bird.
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