Those who didn't already have a hankering for juicy chicken do so after reading this, as the description of the chicken's coating of specific seasonings, sauces, and other crushed treats is likely to do the trick. Listed here are the best places in Melbourne to get some fried chicken.
Biting into a golden, crispy piece of fried chicken or sucking the meat off a soft chicken wing are two of life's greatest joys. It doesn't matter how it's prepared—floured, battered, unseasoned, pan-fried, deep-fried, or pressure-fried—fried chicken is a global phenomenon and a Melbourne staple. The city of Melbourne even hosts its own celebration, "The Big Chicken Festival," when locals can feast for three days on chicken from their favourite fried chicken joints. Here is the definitive guide to the finest wings and fried chicken in Melbourne, whether you're looking for a quick bite or an all-night fried chicken marathon.
Those in search of Melbourne's top fried chicken joint face a daunting number of options. All throughout the world, fried chicken may be found on the menus of cafes, restaurants, and bars, where it is given new life through a variety of flavours, textures, and cooking methods.
Some of them are so consistently delicious that they make the Colonel's secret recipe look like child's play when compared to their gourmet fried chicken.
In Melbourne, Australia's de facto culinary epicentre, you may choose from a wide variety of excellent fried chicken establishments. If you're looking to get your hands as dirty as possible in 2022, here are our recommendations for the best fried chicken joints in Melbourne.
Sonny's Fried Chicken & Burgers
The John Curtin Hotel is known for both its excellent Sonny's Fried Chicken and its reputation for hosting the best live music in all of Carlton. Chicken and burgers are Sonny's speciality, and while the burgers are excellent, it's impossible to beat the restaurant's pressure-fried, 24-hour-brined chicken for crispiness.
White meat, dark meat, and whole chickens are all on the menu, with a selection of sauces to dip them in. Corn on the cob, velvety potatoes n' gravy, and deep-fried pickles are just some of the fantastic sides available at Sonny's. And last, wing lovers, on Wednesdays after 5 o'clock, you can enjoy a bucket of chicken at Sonny's for only $26.
In Carlton, you'll find the John Curtin Hotel, a popular hangout for those in search of fried chicken and live music. Presently, the pub is hosting a regular appearance by Sonny's Fried Chicken & Burgers, whose American-style chicken is a perfect complement to the pub's concert schedule.
The namesake bird gets its signature crispiness from being brined fo 24 hours and then pressure-fried. From a simple two-piece serving of darker or white meat to an entire bird cut into "eight pieces of amazing," this menu has something for every chicken fanatic. Southern staples like tangy bean salad and buttery mash doused in house gravy are just two of the many available sides.
Pelican
Pelican, a brand of Korean fried chicken restaurants, has quickly grown popular in Melbourne. There are 11 tasty sauces to choose from, including hot and spicy, candied bacon, garlic, white cheese, and Pelicana's own sauce, and you can get a half or a whole chicken, tooth or boneless.
Famous fast food franchises from throughout the world rarely live up to their reputation when they arrive in Australia. Pelicana is a tasty, crispy, golden, and rare deviance from the norm.
Pelican, a long-time leader in the Korean fried chicken industry, opened its first Australian location in Melbourne in 2019. With its extensive menu of strong flavours and RSPCA-approved, 48-hour marinated chicken, the restaurant immediately gained a devoted local following.
Whether to utilise the secret household marinade, some fiery, smoky chilli sauce, or the sweet honey butter, the options for cooking your chicken here are varied and challenging. Instead, choose from 11 various coatings for a half or whole chicken, and can either boneless with bone-in pieces. Drumettes and wingettes can be your ticket to the top. Plus, they'll provide gloves to make sure your hands stay clean.
Juanita Peaches
Some gourmet fried chicken eaters in Melbourne, Australia, consider Juanita Peaches, located in Brunswick East, to be the mecca of all things greasy and crumbed. It's difficult to disagree once you've popped one of those lovely golden drumsticks onto your mouth and sunk your teeth into the warm, meaty, expertly seasoned flesh behind the crisp, spicy skin. When you consider that Juanita Peaches is made by the same man responsible for one of the nation's most popular eateries, Beatbox Kitchen, the extra weight is well worth it.
With the same brains behind Brunswick's Beatbox Kitchen and All Day Donuts, you know you're in for some good eats at this rock & roll diner. Juanita Peaches offers more than just burgers, burritos, and sangas; they also provide a small yet tantalising chicken selection that can be purchased individually or as part of a combo meal.
Honey mustard and a fiery homemade barbeque sauce are two of the featured condiments, while fries or a traditional bread roll with gravy are two of the featured carbohydrate additions. And the drinks menu is nothing to sneeze at, too; wash down all that delicious grease with some local wines, artisan beers, or margaritas.
Belles Hot Chicken
Chefs Morgan McGlone and Aaron Turner of Australia opened Belles Hot Chicken in Fitzroy after developing a craving for fried chicken whilst working in Nashville. That was a long time ago, and in that time, Belle's has become one of the most well-known and trusted names in fried chicken across all of Australia, from Melbourne to Sydney.
There are six distinct sauces to choose from when ordering wings or tenders, from mild Southern towards the tongue-burning Sex Panther. Besides the usual fare of chicken nuggets, sliders, and other appetisers, the Belles Chicken Sandwich has become a staple in its own right.
While the restaurant's consistency has let us down on occasion, Belles Hot Chicken is still a solid choice for anyone seeking a spot that cares about nothing more than perfecting the art of fried chicken.
All of their locations are listed on the website I've provided below, but if you're looking for the finest of the best, head to the one and only on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy.
Because of the success of Belles' interpretation of Nashville-style chook, the restaurant chain has expanded from a single Fitzroy location to an ever-expanding network of permanent and temporary locations in both Australia and the United States. Tenders, claws, and drumsticks are all the rage at both Melbourne locations.
You have complete control over the level of spiciness, choosing from settings ranging from a light sprinkle of poultry salt to "very f**kin hot," which will make you sweat. Examples include the "Belles Bucket," a group-friendly portion of 16 wings, and the "Spicy Chicken Sandwich," which features premium thigh wrapped in a special house seasoning. Furthermore, on the weekends only, the winning combination of hot chicken and waffles can be enjoyed at brunch.
Leonard's House Of Love
This 1970s Americana tavern, styled like a log cabin, serves some of the greatest fried chicken in Melbourne. Leonard's fried chicken sanga is the best thing on the menu and is worth the $16 price tag, but the popper chicken and XXX hot wings are excellent as well. This sandwich, featuring a big chicken thigh, curry mayo slaw, pickles, and American BBQ and ranch sauce, is truly one for the ages. And if that weren't enough, you can choose from a variety of upscale fries, such as bacon and egg fries or cheese and gravy fries.
It is common knowledge that fried chicken and an ice cold American beer at Leonard's House of Love will help alleviate any lingering effects of the night before.
This South Yarra eatery is well-liked by locals and visitors alike, and not just for its delicious American-style cuisine and stylish throwback ski lodge decor. You may satisfy your fried chicken needs with your burger and loaded fries cravings.
Enjoy a night of craft brews, rock songs, and pool with a side of succulent, juicy chicken encased in a crisp, flavorful batter. The more likely alternative is a serving of popcorn chicken bites or crunchy-coated tenders served with chipotle mayo. Alternately, the fried chicken sandwich is a menu mainstay that many customers appreciate. Fried chicken wing, American cheese, and barbeque sauce are stacked high on white bread to make up one tasty sandwich.
Gami Chicken & Beer
Gami Chicken & Beer is also another fried chicken mecca that has been open for almost 15 years and takes pride in providing only chicken that has been approved by the RSPCA. Despite the fact that Gami, which was founded by two buddies in a Carnegie suburb and now has thousands of locations across the country, maintains a consistently high standard of quality, the chain's popularity suggests otherwise. After all, it's one of the few brands that's sole focus is to replicate legendary chicken & beer joints that can be found all across Seoul.
This chicken is the real deal, straight from Korea, and it tastes as good as it looks. You can get a whole chicken, a variety of wings, or some chicken spare ribs, and you may pair them with one of two sauces. Gami also serves a broad variety of other Korean foods for those who tyre of the chicken but can't bear to try something else.
Le Bon Ton
This late-night pub and restaurant with a New Orleans motif serves delicious food that will transport you to the American South. Le Bon Ton serves two delicious kinds of wings in addition to the prime rib, pork belly, and smoked steaks.
Southern fried chicken tenders dipped in buttermilk and seasoned with smoked paprika, white gravy, and jalapenos; traditional smoked hot dogs with cayenne pepper sauce and chipotle ranch. These two features make this restaurant in Collingwood well worth the trip.
Though it's known primarily for its pit-smoked Southern-style meats, Le Bon Ton also makes excellent fried chicken. While the chicken variety may be limited, it is sure to satisfy your appetite.
Fried chicken tenders marinated in buttermilk and topped with split pepper white ketchup and fiery jalapenos will have you in good hands. You can also get the same crunchy bites in a chicken sandwich, topped with American parmesan, onion, lettuce, and ranch that has a hint of dill. You want to look like you're trying to take care of your health, right? The Kitchen Sink Salad with Southern-style fried chicken is a must-try.
Fries And Tasty
Just as the name implies, Fried and Tasty is all about the sinful side of fried chicken, so put that diet on hold and prepare to indulge. Travel to the Brunswick East restaurant to try their unique Southern-style fowl, which is coated and fried to a golden crisp.
Sauces are a speciality here, and they range from the traditional to the exotic with ease. For those with a heartier appetite, we recommend the pail of chicken, which feature either a 12 wings or twelve pieces of hot or Er det chook and your choice of side.
Nene Chicken
NeNe Chicken, a franchise with several locations in Melbourne, Australia, brings the fried chicken that is so popular in South Korea to the city. The chain's name comes from the Korean phrase for "Yes! Yes!" for good reason: they serve a variety of fast, fried treats that are designed to satisfy customers' cravings.
Hearty servings of boneless and spine chicken pieces, wingettes, and drumettes are available, and they can be made more interesting by being doused in a variety of coatings and distinctive sauces. While the simple, clean crunch of the cake recipe bird will appeal to purists, experimenting with other flavours, such as bulgogi, garlic, "snowing cheese," and "freaking hot," adds a lot of variety and enjoyment. There are also a couple fried chicken burgers and some chicken wraps with a Korean twist.
Crazy Wings
If Crazy Wing's goal was to show us how tasty chicken wings could be, they succeeded. Chicken wings come in every imaginable flavour, and you can purchase as many as you want. At one of Melbourne's best chicken restaurants, you may try a wide variety of flavours, from Honey Spicy to Delicious Curry and Orleans to Lobster flavour.
Conclusion
It's no secret that Melbourne, Australia is home to a global phenomenon: fried chicken. Each year, Melbourne hosts "The Big Chicken Festival," a three-day event when residents can indulge in chicken from all their favourite fried chicken restaurants. Find the best wings and fried chicken in Melbourne, whether you're in the mood for a quick bite or an all-night fried chicken marathon, with this comprehensive guide. The John Curtin Hotel has earned a reputation as the best place in Carlton to hear live music, and its Sonny's Fried Chicken is among the city's best. Sonny's serves white meat, dark meat, and whole chickens that have been pressure-fried after being brined for 24 hours, and customers can choose from a variety of dipping sauces to complement their meal. After 5pm on Wednesdays, get a bucket of chicken for for $10.
The John Curtin Hotel is the place to go in Carlton, Australia, if you're looking for fried chicken and a good time. In addition to the pub's concert lineup, Sonny's Fried Chicken & Burgers, a prominent American-style chicken restaurant, is located inside. Since opening in 2013, Pelican, a chain of Korean fried chicken restaurants known for its broad menu of bold flavours and RSPCA-approved, 48-hour marinated chicken, has been a fast favourite among Melbourne locals. If you're looking for something oily and crumbed, look no further than Brunswick East, where you'll find Juanita Peaches. Pelicana is an unusual but welcome departure from the standard since it is crispy, golden, and delicious.
If you're in the Fitzroy area, stop into Juanita Peaches, a rock and roll diner with a limited but tantalising chicken selection available individually or as part of a combo meal. When ordering wings or tenders, customers can select from six different sauces, and the Belles Chicken Sandwich has become a fan favourite on its own. From its first location in Fitzroy, the restaurant group has spread across Australia and the United States with a growing number of fixed and pop-up outposts. If you're looking for a restaurant that puts in the effort to perfect the art of fried chicken, Belles Hot Chicken is a good bet. There is some of the best fried chicken in Melbourne can be found at Leonard's House of Love, an Americana bar decorated in the style of the 1970s.
Tourists and locals alike go there for the trendy retro ski lodge design and tasty American-style food. The fried chicken sanga is definitely worth the $16 price tag, but both the popper chicken and the XXX hot wings are also really good. The Gami Chicken & Beer has been serving up fried chicken and beer for nearly 15 years, and they're proud to serve only RSPCA-approved chicken. The chicken is authentic and imported all the way to Korea; it comes with two different sauce options. The late-night pub and restaurant Le Bon Ton has a New Orleans theme and serves wonderful meals that will make you feel like you've been transported to the American South.
However, the fried chicken tenders, which are soaked in buttermilk and then topped with split pepper white ketchup and hot jalapenos, are worth the trip alone. Must-tries include the Kitchen Sink Salad, which has Southern-style fried chicken, and Fried and Tasty, which focuses on the more indulgent aspect of fried chicken. Southern-style chicken is available at Melbourne, Australia's Brunswick East restaurant, which is covered in breadcrumbs and cooked till golden. The pail of chicken comes with your choice of side and includes either 12 wings or 12 pieces of hot or Er fried chook doused in one of a wide variety of sauces, both familiar and out of the ordinary. NeNe Chicken is a franchise with multiple branches in Melbourne that serves fried chicken similar to that which is popular in South Korea. At Crazy Wing, you may have chicken wings in every imaginable flavour, from Honey Spicy and Delicious Curry to Orleans and Lobster.
Content Summary
- We've compiled a list of the top spots in Melbourne to grab fried chicken.
- Every year, Melbourne hosts "The Big Chicken Festival," a three-day event when residents can indulge in chicken from all their favourite fried chicken restaurants.
- To those who have a penchant for gourmet fried chicken in Melbourne, Australia, Juanita Peaches in Brunswick East is the holy grail.
- Australia's Morgan McGlone and Aaron Turner, both trained as chefs, opened Belles Hot Chicken in Fitzroy after getting a hankering for fried chicken while living and working in Nashville.
- It is well known that a trip to Leonard's House of Love for some fried chicken and a nice American beer will help cure the hangover blues.
- Another fried chicken haven, Gami Chicken & Beer, has been serving up its signature dish for nearly 15 years. They take great satisfaction in serving only RSPCA-approved chicken.
- Le Bon Ton may be most renowned for its pit-smoked Southern-style meats, but its fried chicken is also top-notch.
- You really must get the Kitchen Sink Salad with Southern-style fried chicken.
- Put aside your good intentions and prepare to indulge in the naughty side of fried chicken at Fried and Tasty.
- Several sites of the NeNe Chicken franchise in Melbourne, Australia, provide the fried chicken that has become so popular in South Korea.
- If the point of Crazy Wings was to make us appreciate the variety of flavours that chicken wings may have, they were successful.
FAQs About Fried Chicken
I know I said that this list is unordered, but I'm going to come out and say right now that Korean-style fried chicken is the best-fried chicken in the world. The crispest, crunchiest, tastiest version I've had came from a small restaurant in Busan, on the southern coast of South Korea.
From the 17th to 19th Centuries, conventional wisdom designated the American South as fried chicken's native habitat. Southerners made it a centrepiece of their regional cuisine and boasted that only African Americans, mostly enslaved, could make "authentic" fried chicken.
You can do this overnight in the fridge or for just 30 minutes before coating and frying the chicken at room temperature. This salting step is critical for moist, flavorful chicken, as it gives the chicken direct contact with the salt.
This list includes casual dining, fast-casual, and fast-food restaurants that typically specialise in chicken dishes such as fried chicken, chicken and waffles, Chicken sandwiches, or biscuits. Sometimes a chicken restaurant may be referred to as a "chicken shack".
The best way to tell if your fried chicken is done is to use a meat thermometer. When the breast meat measures 165 F degrees, it's done cooking. The chicken is overdone if it shows no sign of browning and the pink juices.
