Fried Chicken

Inky Critic Craig LaBan Says Believe the Hype About Federal Donuts’ Fried Chicken

Bird is the word!
Bird is the word! Photo: Khyber Pass Pub

If you had any lingering doubts about whose fried chicken is the best in Philly, you might be interested in hearing what Inky critic Craig LaBan has to say. He weighed in on the subject earlier this week during his online chat, which the newspaper puts into its print edition on Thursdays. In the past Bon Appetit’s Andrew Knowlton has pledged his allegiance to the crispy fried bird that comes and goes from the menu at Resurrection Ale House, and former Inky columnist Rick Nichols gushed over Matt Levin’s at dearly departed Adsum. We’re guessing that the fried chicken Levin’s turning out from his new perch at Square Peg is equally as good.

And it’s worth noting that David Katz, who may have kick-started this trend with his Thursday-only lunch special at Meme, serves one of the city’s most talked about birds. Still, LaBan kind of dropped a bombshell when pressed with the question the other day.

A reader wrote: “C’mon, admit it — Federal Donuts’ chicken is overrated, right? What’s the best fried chicken place in Philly?”

To which LaBan replied: “No, it isn’t overrated. I don’t think there is a better fried chicken in Philly.”

So there you have it. Federal Donuts, with its twice-fried Korean style chicken, rules Philly’s fried chicken roost.

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Inky Critic Craig LaBan Says Believe the Hype About Federal