Zelma Stennis, who found success with the Chicken Roost in her native Detroit, debuted Golden Bird in South Los Angeles in 1953. Over the years, she built her concept into a fried chicken powerhouse. The remaining three branches of a long-proud chain are still best known for fried chicken, which features thick, golden batter alongside house-made sides. However, at the Manchester Square location, where “It’s All About the Flava,” their soda collection may be even more exciting, color coordinated and organized by variety, with bottles costing either $2.29 or $3.

If you’d like to drink a dozen different ginger ales with your chicken, Golden Bird can make that happen. Their ginger ale selection includes Bruce Cost, Sprecher, or Vernors, an old favorite from when my Dad used to bring home bottles from business trips. Golden Bird shelves also stock a bevy of root beers, colas, citrus sodas, or offbeat options like strawberry. This isn’t Galco’s, a Highland Park market famous for their vast soda selection. Some of the labels are faded, so you might find a soda that’s a little less carbonated than optimum. Still, this is clearly the best place to get a soda fix in South Los Angeles.