What Makes Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken So Special

Considering how many people grow up on chicken nuggets and chicken tenders, it's not that surprising that as adults, so many of us go wild for fried chicken. But there's a chance that even if you love fried chicken, you haven't tried the most popular Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken menu item, including its namesake fried chicken. That's because, even though USA Today named Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken the best fast food fried chicken in the U.S., it only has 135 locations spread across 12 states. So what makes this fast food fried chicken so special compared to the top fried chicken chain in the U.S., KFC, which has almost 4,000 stores in the country?

Like its competitors at KFC, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken is pressure fried to ensure it stays moist and juicy inside even after it's been fried to a crisp. But before it's cooked, the fresh and never-frozen chicken gets dipped in honey, and is then handbred in a proprietary blend of flour, herbs, and spices. The honey and custom spice blend give Lees' Famous Recipe Chicken its signature flavor. Another thing that sets Lee's apart is that some locations (the menu varies at different locations, possibly because franchises have input on what items to serve) serve livers and gizzards, which you won't find at KFC or Popeye's.

While Lee's does use its own method and recipe for honey-dipping, breading, and seasoning its chicken, it actually does have a connection to KFC. That's because one of the company co-founders, Lee Cummings, was the nephew of Colonel Sanders. Yes, the very same Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Clearly, the family had fried chicken in their blood, because both chains still exist to this day, more than a half-century after being founded.

What do customers have to say about Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken? Positive comments include "it is the ONLY chicken worth fighting for," that it is "the best chicken I ever had," and that it is "by far the best chain chicken place." The chain's mashed potatoes and coleslaw also received praise on Reddit. One YouTube reviewer said they liked the chicken juiciness, spiciness, and crunchiness, and the pot pies at Lee's also get rave reviews. Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken may have a smaller footprint than many other fried chicken chains, but according to its fans, it's chicken that's worth seeking out.