Pittsburgh Fried Chicken List

Coop de Ville

I have probably attended almost every pop up of this Richard Deschantz fried chicken concept since it was first announced in 2017. I have eagerly awaited the opening of this restaurant which has finally happened in 2020. I’ve eaten a few different versions of their fried chicken sandwich and every time I finish it I was left hoping there would be another pop up soon. They use chicken breast for the frying and has a thinner, but still crispy breading that sticks well to the meat. The most impressive is the different options of the sandwich. Over the course of the last popup, there were several different types. I think I tried four or five of them. All fantastic.

Coop de Ville is located at 2301 Smallman Street

The Eagle

This great fried chicken and comfort food restaurant is located in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. I got to attend the restaurant’s soft opening weekend. The fried chicken was lightly breaded and super juicy from pressure frying. The sides were tasty. I’ll be going there a lot in the future. You can read more about the experience and this restaurant here.

The Eagle is located at 737 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh Sandwich Society

Any time Pittsburgh Sandwich Society is offering a fried chicken sandwich on the menu it is definitely the item to get. It has become one of my favorite fried chicken options because of the super crispy buttermilk breading for the fact they usually use thigh meat making it for a much juicier sandwich. This has become a staple of the Sunny Side Up Brunches they hold with Very Local PGH. I also really like their Nashville Hot for not being so overpowering that your mouth is on fire, but having enough heat to give it a strong flavor.

Pittsburgh Sandwich Society schedule can be found on their website.

Ki Pollo

I wrote about Ki Pollo when it first opened. I’m still a big fan. They fry the chicken in a tempura batter. I prefer the chicken sandwich here the most. They sometimes offer pieces of fried chicken as well. I’d recommend checking out my original review for more details.

Ki Pollo is located at 4407 Butler Street.

Bird on the run

They keep it pretty simple here with either sandwiches, strips and nuggets and it is white meat. The chicken is well breaded and juicy on the inside. The heat level is what can really sneak up on you here. On a 0 to 4 scale I like to go with just a 1 or 2 depending on how adventurous I’m feeling and the amount of other sauces on my sandwich. The waffle fries are also awesome here.

Bird on the Run is located at 128 S Highland Street.

Carmi Soul Food is located at 1825 East Carson St.
Carmi Express is located at 1219 Federal St.

Chikn

My one time eating at Chikn was after a restaurant tasting event which the restaurant basically forgot to feed us. However, they remembered to give us many, many cocktails. So I would be able to go home, I needed a dinner. Chikn was around the corner and a great choice. I decided to get their chicken and waffles with medium heat. It was delicious. I didn’t feel like my mouth was on fire but got a nice flavor kick. 

Chikn is located at 3712 Forbes Ave.

Home

The fried chicken at Home was so good, that a second restaurant, Which Came First was opened focusing on just chicken. The Nashville Hot Chicken and Cornbread at Home is an incredible dish. It is a mountain of chicken and bread. The spice level was a little higher than I prefer as I had to keep reaching for the water, but it was worth it. The menu at Which Came First gives more options for how you want your fried chicken. The State Fair brunch dish was a great twist instead of the usual chicken and waffles.

Home is located at 437 McKean Avenue in Charleroi.