The Best Gas Station Fried Chicken In The US, According To Customers

Everyone has their classic gas station order. Partway through an hours long road trip, driving around town with your friends, or stopping for a treat on the way home from work, there is nothing better than grabbing your convenience store favorites. For some people, their favorite snack at the gas station isn't a bag of chips, salty sunflower seeds, or hearty beef jerky. It is hot, fresh out of the oil, fried chicken. 

Gas station fried chicken is a nationwide trend. From San Francisco to New York State travelers will find fried chicken across the interstates to satisfy their hunger. Chicken sandwiches, tenders, thighs, and even gizzards are sold at gas stations around the country. From large chains to humble hidden gems, this list highlights all of the gas station fried chicken options that customers are raving about in reviews. Before you stop at KFC, don't count these shops out of the fried chicken game. 

What doesn't Wawa have at its plethora of convenience store locations? Fried chicken is an American staple, so it's no surprise that Wawa has fired up its fryers and put it on the menu. Across the east coast, travelers can stop for a crispy bite while they fill their tanks. Fans of the brand love it and say that Wawa's chicken can compete with more well known fast food fried chicken.

This gas station menu includes convenient finger foods like chicken strips. Crispy chicken sandwich lovers can find a variety of house recipes stacked on brioche buns: classic, spicy, hot honey, and Parmesan. If none of those are to your liking, Wawa's sandwiches are customizable for a more personalized experience. Customer's find that the generous portions make for a satisfying meal, and reviewers note that the fresh ingredients and tasty sauces pair perfectly with the savory chicken. 

The crispy chicken on the menu can also be an accessory to Wawa's signature hoagies, with chicken strips adding texture and juicy flavors. The hoagies come in two styles: Buffalo, which includes Buffalo sauce and American cheese, and barbecue which tops the cutlets with barbecue sauce. Fans of the departed McDonald's Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap will be pleased to know Wawa offers a very similar item on its menu to fill the void left in its wake. 

Next time you go to your local 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp or Slurpee, consider picking up some irresistible fried chicken. This classic gas station has a surprisingly large array of fried golden chicken on its hot food menu.

The chicken selection goes beyond the classic tenders and patties with a selection of fried breasts, thighs, and drums. It has something for dark meat lovers, white meat lovers, and those who need to sample it all. Crispy chicken patties are laid on shining brioche buns topped with pickles and spicy mayo. As expected, there is a spicy chicken sandwich option too, with a flavorful smoky, spicy breading coating the meat. Plus, chicken wings and chicken skewers are available for commuters looking for a small bite on the go.

Redditors discussing the fried goodness offered up at their local 7-Eleven say it's better than Popeyes or KFC. The Canadian chicken is hand breaded and seasoned generously, and fans rave about the signature sauce that clings to the meat. Overall, customers find that 7-Eleven chicken is juicy, tender, and difficult to put down.

Stewart's Shops are a darling convenient store chain in the North East, in New York and Vermont. Stewart's prioritizes the quality of its products, creating a positive customer experience. Stewart's milk has been awarded the top prize in New York State for three years in a row, and when it comes to food offerings like hot fried chicken sandwiches, the same dedication to quality applies.

The shops serve up crunchy chicken goodness in all different forms. Basic tenders can be bought in orders of four or served wrapped in a soft tortilla. Crispy chicken sandwiches are made on soft butter rolls with the option of classic or spicy, each topped with sour crispy pickle chips. 

Most interestingly, the menu includes a Spicy Chicken Wafflewich, which consists of a fried chicken patty sandwiched between two pillowy waffles. People on Reddit recall initially writing off Stewart's Wafflewich as bad, before finding themselves thoroughly enjoying it. Customers love the sweet and spicy combination of the maple-infused waffles and the chicken patty's surprisingly potent kick. People also note the familiar smell of the dish, comparing it to a McDonald's breakfast sandwich. 

Rutter's is a beloved gas station and convenience store brand in Pennsylvania that's been around for nearly three centuries. The brand began as a farm and expanded to opening gas stations that sell its farm products alongside typical gas station goodies. Food has always been a priority for this agricultural brand, so it is no surprise that Rutter's hot food menu is extensive and impressive. Of course, among these options is delicious crispy fried chicken.

Delectable chicken tenders, crunchy boneless wings, jumbo wings, and a fried chicken slider can all be found on the menu. It also includes a wide range of sauce options, some of which are made in house. For example, the classic R' sauce is a kimchi aioli with a smoky taste, creamy texture, and a hint of spice. Meanwhile, Rutter's Bada Bing sauce is like a sweet Buffalo sauce. The typical assortment of condiment options are also available to order on the side, like BBQ, Buffalo, spicy, and Chesapeake.

Truckers love taking a stop at Rutter's on their long treks across the country, sharing their passion for the store's delicious food with other fans on online platforms. The flavorful juices trapped inside of the crispy breading is a fan favorite feature of the chicken. For fans, there is no good answer to the brand's slogan "Why Go Anywhere Else?".

Buc-ee's has more to offer than just its adorably goofy beaver mascot and its fun over-the-top Southern atmosphere. Inside the convenience store you can find snacks, apparel, and delicious food. The crispy chicken served up is as charming as the marketing.

Buc-ee's crispy chicken tenders are served in a yellow box with a generous helping of french fries to satisfy hungry travelers. The fried chicken sandwich has a flaky flavorful patty covered in a tangy aioli or honey mustard sauce on a soft brioche bun. Buc-ee's fanatics can not get enough of the sandwich, with many saying it is their favorite on the menu. Customers are pleased with the quality of Buc-ee's meat over typical fast food ground chicken. The soft sweet bun is the perfect contrast to the perfectly crisp chicken.

If you're looking to try this delicious chicken sandwich, you may want to call and ask if the particular Buc-ee's location carries them. To their dismay, customers have found that the fried chicken sandwich has disappeared from some stores, while others can order the beloved item with ease. If you're unable to find the chicken sandwich, the tenders are always a great substitution. 

Kanku's Chicken & Hot Deep Fried Shack is the epitome of a hidden gem. Kanku's is an unassuming corner store in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with ridiculously crispy, juicy, golden fried chicken. Customers love the fried chicken here, so if you're driving through the state, you should stop by and see what all the hype is about.

This Citgo gas station has all the classics: chips, drinks, lottery tickets, and beyond, but its crown jewel is the fried chicken and comfort food. Tenders, legs, wings, breasts, gizzard, and livers are all on the menu — which looks like it has not been changed in years.
There is no flashiness because the store doesn't need it. Order the chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra, or biscuits to really round the meal off. Take note that one Yelp reviewer said the shop had the best homemade biscuits in town. 

The store is so iconic to locals that Isaiah Rashad, a rapper and Chattanooga native, gives the chicken shack a shout out in his song "Free Lunch." Locals know that this gas station is legendary Southern gold.

This Southern gas station chain serves crunchy, flavorful fried chicken that does not disappoint. Parker's does not play around with this classic Southern comfort food. Many gas stations with fried chicken offer up a chicken tender or a chicken sandwich. Gas stations that go above and beyond offer a selection of white meat and dark meat cuts. Parker's goes even beyond that. Not only can you get the classic cuts, you can practically get the whole bird, with flavor packed gizzards and livers available.

This gas station chicken is so good that even professional chefs are huge fans. Chef David Thomas is a soul food connoisseur who stands by the chicken found at Parker's. The founder of Ida B's Table in Baltimore says that he always visits Parker's when he travels south. The gas station's wide variety of regional delicacies is just the homey comfort you need on the road. Hush puppies, fried okra, collard greens, biscuits and gravy — if you are craving it, Parker's has it.

The 4 Corner Chevron is not a chain, but rather one humble gas station that makes Mississippi's most phenomenal fried chicken. Located in Oxford, this gas station pulls in commuters from far and wide with the buzz around its scrumptious fried chicken on a stick. The location is so famous, it's on the official Visit Mississippi website.

The store's owner Ray Rupani calls 4 Corner Chevron's chicken on a stick an Oxford tradition, and it's worth the hype. What makes this chicken so great is not only its 30-year history at the location, but the community that has grown around it. After parties, sporting events, and exciting nights out, Oxford locals mosey on over to the popular gas station. The smell of this chicken on a stick brings many customers back to their college days at the University of Mississippi, when they would flood the store with hordes of hungry undergrads.

The chicken is handmade and fresh, double dipped in batter, and fried up hot, and customers can't say enough about the simple pleasure of fried chicken on a stick. For party animals craving a late night snack or locals grabbing gas, this ongoing tradition is a must try for anyone passing through Oxford.

If you've been to a Royal Farms, you know the chicken is a big deal. Royal Farms is not just another gas station that happens to serve fried chicken. The chicken here is self-proclaimed "world famous," despite being primarily located on the east coast.

The selection is so large the options take up nearly an entire page of the menu. There is a wide variety of chicken to choose from: tenders, spicy tenders, breasts, thighs, wings, and drums. The fresh never frozen chicken is served in meals with a side of Western style fries for one or in multipacks for fried chicken lover parties. The menu also features unique chicken bowls, combining the protein with melty mac and cheese, pillowy mashed potatoes, or waffles.

Royal Farms' loyal fans refer to the store as RoFo. As far as fast food chicken goes, customers on Reddit consider it high quality. Take note that Royal Farms enthusiasts say you have to get the chicken fresh out of the fryer for the best experience. Baltimore residents love the chicken, discussing the flavorful breading, fair price, and quality of the fresh meat on forums with reverence.

Fried chicken is an American delicacy that is easy to bungle. Soggy breading, flavorless chicken, and ground frozen meat can make fried chicken undesirable. When compiling the best chicken found at gas stations, reading customer reviews across several locations (when applicable), was integral to my process. Overall, I looked for the chicken to be described as flavorful, crispy, juicy, and fresh. 

It is also important that brands care about the customer experience and offer a variety of fried chicken options to choose from, sometimes from all parts of the chicken. As well, multiple chicken items on the menu such as tenders and sandwiches is a bonus. With the popularity of crispy chicken sandwiches in the fast food market, it is difficult to get away with having subpar fried chicken without online reviewers flagging it.