The Worst Fast Food Chain For Fried Chicken Is One You've Likely Been To Many Times

Without question, fried chicken is among the most popular types of fast food, with countless chains across the U.S. alone. And each chain makes its own claims as to why its fried chicken is the best. Recently, Food Republic gave our ranking of 12 Fried Chicken Chains, and it may surprise readers that Kentucky Fried Chicken was ranked worst among them. While it may have just been a bad day, our taste testers found that the quality of both KFC's products and the restaurant environment were low compared to other establishments. It's not uncommon for changes to occur in a company as long-standing as KFC, but the findings are unfortunate when there are so many other (frankly, better) options from competitors.

In our ranking, the taster found the KFC chicken chewy, dry, and even stringy, with barely any breading — a far cry from the "finger-lickin' good" chicken the chain advertises. The restaurant also lacked atmosphere and was staffed by employees who seemed less than enthusiastic. This supports the idea that KFC is in decline. For instance, Colonel Sanders' secret recipe was recently revealed to contain monosodium glutamate (that's MSG for those keeping notes) as a major ingredient in its 11 herbs and spices. KFC is clearly aware of falling standards and launched its Colonel Quality Taste Guarantee program in 2016. Most notably, KFC vowed to remake any order that wasn't up to "colonel quality" standards.

KFC's late founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, was critical of the chain for years. Since selling to investors in 1964, The Colonel never minced words when it came to his disappointment in the chain's drop in quality, even calling the gravy "slop" at times. One KFC in Bowling Green would later attempt to sue the founder for libel. That case was tossed after establishing that Sanders was critical of KFC as a whole, not just the Bowling Green location.

While no one should be faulted for what they like, there are other (better) fried chicken options. Anthony Bourdain found Popeye's irresistible and was fond of the spicy fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and macaroni and cheese. When it comes to the best chicken sandwich, few can beat those at Chick-fil-A, which has a habit of cropping up in rankings of fast-food chicken. 

With that said, Food Republic found that Guy Fieri's Chicken Guy! reigns supreme. The restaurant's chicken tenders are generously proportioned with a juicy, flavorful bite. The coating, while not overly crunchy or thick, grants an even balance of spices and breadcrumbs. It's no wonder Chicken Guy! earned its crown as the King of Fried Chicken in our eyes.