Based on reader suggestions, staff involvement, and national and regional best fried chicken stories, we have compiled a list of local favorites in honor of National Fried Chicken Day on Sunday, July 6.
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In business since 1949,
Dickerson Market
is also always in the conversation and is located near Sugarloaf Mountain, the Potomac River, and many other local attractions. The beloved spot is known for its fried chicken with a loyal following that includes customers traveling from DC, Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania for its famous chicken.
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Hershey s Restaurant
has been known for its fried chicken for more than a half century. Nestled next to the railroad tracks in Washington Grove (Gaithersburg), it was once a post office and train station and is described as a comfortable place to meet, relax, and enjoy a meal with family and friends. -
Jollibee s
signature fried chicken, Chickenjoy, was ranked first in USA TODAY s 10Best Fast Food Fried Chicken
this summer, edging out other major chains like Popeyes, Pollo Campero, and Bojangles to top the list. Jollibee opened its first DMV location right here in Montgomery County when it opened its long awaited Wheaton store (2800 University Blvd W) in February 2021 after the pandemic pushed back the opening date several times. While locations have since opened in Chantilly and Alexandria in Northern Virginia, the Wheaton store remains the only Jollibee location in Maryland.
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Review website
Yelp
released its list of the best fried chicken spots in each state. The list was created by the Yelp Elite Squad which is comprised of reviewers who have reached elite status in the website s tier system. The restaurant chosen for Maryland was
BRD
. Alex Janian, a former resident of Federal Hill and Baltimore native, founded BRD in 2017. The restaurant has two locations both in Baltimore. One is at R. House (301 W 29TH ST) and the other is at Federal Hill (1104 SOUTH CHARLES STREET). -
Cheapism, a website that finds and recommends high quality, yet inexpensive products in different consumer categories, recently examined customer reviews and expert recommendations to find
fried chicken joints in every state
that offer fantastic chicken in an unpretentious atmosphere. Two restaurants in Maryland made the list one for the state of Maryland and one as the selection for DC. In a surprising selection for Washington D.C., Cheapism went with
Chicken Basket
in Wheaton. This is surprising for two reasons the first is that the restaurant is located in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the second is that the restaurant has been closed for at least a year. With that said, the original Chicken Basket owners still operate theGaithersburg location
that reopened in the summer of 2023, so if you re interested in trying it out, you may just have to drive a little further out of the city (other Chicken Basket locations are not owned by the original owners of the restaurant).For Maryland, they went with Frederick County s
Thurmont Kountry Kitchen
, which has been serving the area for over 40 years. Per the article, the restaurant serves a little bit of everything in a homey dining room, from pancakes to quesadillas. The broasted chicken is a standout, though. It s got a thin, smoother coating than most fried chicken, letting the meat be the star. It comes with chunky, skin-on broasted potato wedges that are light and fluffy in the middle.
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Miss Shirley s Caf
has recently received numerous awards, including Best Sunday Brunch and Best for Visitors. If you find yourself in Annapolis, you can check out their seasonal diner specialties, such as the Benne Seed Chicken N Waffles, featuring fried buttermilk boneless chicken breast drizzled with honey mustard aioli, served atop cheddar green onion waffles. -
Ekiben
in Baltimore is always in the conversation for fried chicken. The restaurant started out in 2014, when college friends Ephrem Abebe, Steve Chu, and Nikhil Yesupriya (who left the restaurant industry in 2019) decided to start selling their unique spin on Asian and Ethiopian cuisine out of a hotdog cart at the Fells Point Farmers Market. Since those early days, Ekiben has been fortunate to find a loving and supportive community that has helped us grow across Baltimore, where we now have 3 brick and mortar locations (one each in Fells Point, Hampden, and South Baltimore) and a thriving catering operation.
