Fried chicken is one of the ultimate comfort foods.
Whether it’s buffalo wings, popcorn pieces, southern fried or stuffed into a bao bun, nothing quite beats the combination of crisp spiced breadcrumbs and juicy meat.
There’s lots of great places to eat fried chicken in Cardiff and here, in no particular order, are some of the best...
Read more: 23 cheap eats in Cardiff that will leave your mouth watering and won't break the bank
1. Chronic Fried Chicken
Based at The Deep in Cardiff city centre, Chronic Fried Chicken serves delicious and “dirty” buttermilk fried chicken stuffed into Alex Gooch potato rolls. Creative flavour combinations include the ‘nduja buffalo burger and the kiev burger with garlic butter and truffle parmesan mayonnaise.
Where: 21 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1PL
2. Scruffy Pups
An unassuming dog cafe in Llanrumney, Scruffy Pups isn’t perhaps the most obvious place where you’d expect to eat some of the best fried chicken in Cardiff. But, their buttermilk fried chicken is marinated for 24 hours, resulting in a seriously good sandwich containing juicy meat cocooned in a golden gnarly crumb.
Where: Ball Lane, Llanrumney, Cardiff CF3 4JS
3. Ji Fried Chicken
This Taiwanese fried chicken shop serves crisp crumbed chicken which can be seasoned with a huge range of different flavoured seasoning powders from plum, cheese and lemon to paprika, garlic and numbing chilli. I particularly enjoy the popcorn chicken which is served by the bagful.
Where: 231 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF11 9AL
4. Bao Selecta
Bao Selecta specialise in Taiwanese bao buns, fluffy steamed buns which are loaded with a range of fillings. Their fried chicken options include a sticky and spicy Korean fried chicken bao and they even do a vegan version too.
Where: Around Cardiff but currently at Venue Whitchurch until Sunday, October 31
5. Wingman
Hang Fire Southern Kitchen’s former head chef serves delicious chicken wings at Wingman, his new street food business. Double-cooked for extra juiciness and crispness, they’re available in multiple flavours including classic buffalo, garlic parmesan and lemon pepper.
Where: Boom: Battle Bar, The Old Brewery Quarter, Cardiff CF10 1FG
6. Cafe Milkwood
The talented chefs behind this former high-end Pontcanna bistro now serve excellent all day brunches, sandwiches and salads including a deliciously messy buttermilk fried chicken bun topped with sriracha mayo, cheese and house pickles.
Where: 83 Pontcanna Street, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9HS
7. Dirty Bird
Probably best known for their phallic logo design, Dirty Bird are one of the oldest names in the south Wales street food scene. Their menu of gourmet fried chicken features loaded fries, chicken katsu curry or straight up chicken and chips.
Where: Across south Wales
8. Thomas by Tom Simmons
Tom Simmons' high end comfort food is some of the best in Cardiff and has been praised by national restaurant critics and celebrities alike. One of his star dishes is a snack of tea-brined fried chicken. Ridiculously juicy and crisp of crumb with a background chilli heat, the pieces of chicken are topped with a richness balancing lime mayo.
Where: 3 & 5 Pontcanna Street, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9HQ
9. Mr Croquewich
Owned by a chef who spent five years cooking in the French alps, Mr Croquewich sells absolutely belting parmesan fried chicken sandwiches. Take their bee's knees burger, which combines juicy brined chicken in a cheesy golden crumb with crunchy slaw, cleansing pickles, sweet and warming honey mustard mayo and crispy bacon.
Where: Friday and Saturdays at The Bridge Studios, 454 Western Avenue, Cardiff CF5 3BL and Friday to Sunday at Barry Goodsheds
10. Hot Damn
Hot Damn originally ran a tiny chicken wing shop in the Bridgend village of Aberkenfig where queues of up to three hours for a table weren’t unusual.
However, post-lockdown, Hot Damn closed their shop and hit the road, and now make regular appearances in Cardiff as well as across the UK. Their buffalo wings are particularly worth keeping an eye out for as they were named the judges’ runners-up at London’s Wing Fest 2021.
Where: Thursdays at Academy @ Platform, Bute Street, Cardiff CF10 5LE
11. Brother Thai
One of the breakout stars of Cardiff’s street food scene, Brother Thai now has a bricks and mortar roti bar.
They’re particularly renowned for their flaky rotis topped with spice-packed toppings including sticky spicy beef and roasted jackfruit. But, their side dish of crisp and sticky Thai fried chicken is equally worth checking out too.
Where: 35 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JN
12. Wingstack
Wingstack serve an eclectic mix of flavours with their chicken and cauliflower wings. Jerk, salt and pepper, buffalo and sticky BBQ are some of their regular varieties whilst their current special is rose harissa. They're currently popping up at Corporation Yard street food market but they plan to open a restaurant on Whitchurch Road imminently.
Where: Corporation Yard, 188 Cowbridge Rd East, Cardiff CF5 1GW
13. Fowl and Fury
If you’re looking for a chilli hit, then check out Fowl and Fury’s Nashville hot chicken. Available in a range of heat levels from country all the way up to fury (accompanied by a pair of plastic gloves), I wouldn’t recommend starting above the mild... it’s hot! Fowl and Fury will shortly be taking a break until February 2022, as the couple behind it are getting married and going on a fried chicken research trip for their honeymoon.
Where: 199, 201 Richmond Road, Cardiff CF24 3BT
14. Matsudai Ramen
Matsudai Ramen serve epic bowls of Japanese ramen from garlic-twanged Vampire Slayer tonkotsu to deeply savoury miso. But, they also make cracking fried chicken - their karaage is soy-marinated and triple-fried for extreme crispness and topped with a majorly addictive curry mayonnaise. Whilst Matsudai is now away on tour around the UK, they’ll be back in Cardiff with details of their next project soon.
Where: On tour around the UK but back in Cardiff soon
15. Pasture
If serving some of the best steaks in Cardiff wasn’t already enough, Pasture also serves top notch fried chicken. Thankfully you don’t need one of their sought after table reservations to enjoy their crispy fried chicken wings with a soy and bourbon glaze as they’re available on their walk-up terrace menu.
Where: 8-10 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1BB
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