To say that Los Angeles has culinary diversity is an understatement. If you’re interested in Sri Lankan string hoppers, Nigerian-style jollof rice or the Uzbek noodle dish lagman, international specialties like that have become more readily available. The sprawling city I chose to live in also knows how to play more recognizable hits. It’s become pretty easy to find fantastic pizza, burgers, and fried chicken. Yes, global influences have been known to come into play for all these comfort foods. I’m a longtime fried chicken fan, particularly when it’s dark meat and on the bone. L.A. also excels at fried chicken sandwiches, especially when they feature thighs. Learn about my favorite Los Angeles fried chicken sandwiches.
Updates Since November 5, 2014
Additions: Chimmelier, Homage Brewing, Howlin’ Ray’s, Katsu Sando, Le Coupe, Okamoto Kitchen, Pikunico
Subtractions: Canelé (Closed), Cooks County (Closed), Food + Lab (Closed), Free Range (Closed), The Hungry Cat (Closed), ink. sack (Closed), MessHall Kitchen (Been Too Long), The Misfit (Been Too Long), Plan Check (Closed), Poppy + Rose (N/A), Simplethings Sandwich & Pie Shop (Closed), Son of a Gun (Closed), Trencher (Closed)
Chimmelier K-Chicken Burger – Westlake ↓
Homage Brewing Masa Battered Fried Chicken Sandwich (Special) – Chinatown ↓
Howlin’ Ray’s Luis Style Sando – Chinatown + Pasadena ↓
Katsu Sando Kimchi Brown Butter Chicken Katsu Sando – Chinatown + San Gabriel ↓
Le Coupé Fried Chicken Sandwich – Melrose Hill ↓
Night + Market Song Fried Chicken Sandwich – Silver Lake, Venice + West Hollywood ↓
Lou Amdur referred to chef Kris Yenbamroong as a “fried chicken demigod” in his newsletter. It’s unclear whether Yenbamroong is actually supernatural, but he certainly has a unique take on the Fried Chicken Sandwich. He tops a crisp-coated thigh with punchy papaya salad, ranch dressing (chef’s all-time favorite condiment), tomato, jalapeño and cilantro aplenty on a soft burger bun. Pair with a Thai table beer, or possibly a pet-nat.
Okamoto Kitchen Katsu Curry Sandwich – Van Nuys ↓
Pikunico Golden Chicken Sandwich – Arts District ↓
Standing Room Bok Bok – Redondo Beach + Torrance ↓
Lowell Bakke’s burger and sandwich spot with Hawaiian influences resides inside Redondo Beach’s Catalina Liquor and in a Torrance strip mall. Bok Bok plays on the sound a chicken makes, featuring sous vide chicken coated in spiced batter and deep fried to a crisp. Bakke piles on a melting slab of smoked gouda, spring mix, tomato, onion, spicy vin and Korean aioli.
Blog Comments
Los Angeles Fried Chicken Worth Seeking - Food GPS
November 20, 2024 at 10:04 PM
[…] chicken tenders. Boneless white meat strips are not for me. Chicken breast is sometimes welcome in fried chicken sandwiches, though thigh meat often fares better. Dark meat has a higher fat content, better skin to meat […]
nomsnotbombs
June 21, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Josh, these are some pretty bougie sandwiches for that intro! Haha.
Food GPS
June 21, 2013 at 4:25 PM
nomsnotbombs, Inflation might be to blame, but it’s hard to find a good fried chicken sandwich these days for less than $10. I tried a bunch of other fried chicken sandwiches for research’s sake, some at lower price points, but none of them were up to standard when it came to quality. For example, there’s a spot inside a Highland Park grocery store called Monte 52 that only charges $5 for their fried chicken sandwich, and it’s pretty good if you’re already in the neighborhood, but not worth a special trip.