Best Spots for Fried Chicken in San Jose 2024
Fried chicken lovers are in for a treat in San Jose, with several spots serving up crispy, juicy, flavorful fried chicken. From local gems to big chains, there are many options when looking for the best fried chicken in San Jose. With so many places to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which spot truly has the best fried chicken in town. Read on for some of the top restaurants for the best fried chicken in San Jose.
1. Jackie’s Place
Jackie’s Place is a local favorite that serves up delicious homestyle comfort food, including what many consider to be the best-fried chicken in San Jose. Jackie’s Place is a cozy welcoming restaurant serving up comfort food in baskets on checkered paper. Their fried chicken wings feature a secret blend of herbs and spices in the crispy batter coating. The chicken wings are always juicy, tender and bursting with flavor.
Locals rave about their fried chicken and flock to Jackie’s Place for a taste of some Texas-style soul food. Don’t skip the menu items like collard greens, mac and cheese, iced cold peach tea or cornbread to complete your fried chicken feast.
Jackie’s Place relies on a QR code ordering system but we found the food to come out quickly and hot. While online ordering is encouraged, Jackie’s Place still has counter service available for those who prefer to order and pay the traditional way. Despite the digital ordering process, there were Jackie’s Place staff walking around and checking on patrons. There is a dedicated parking lot at Jackie’s Place but with one way in and out, navigating it can be tough during busy times. Jackie’s Place is a dine-in establishment and has limited outdoor seating.
Address: 840 N First St, San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 490-4653
2. Chick ‘N Bros
This new fried chicken food truck is making waves on the San Jose fried chicken scene with fresh spicy chicken sandwiches. Chick ‘N Bros has contactless ordering on an iPad attached to the truck. Located usually on Story Road, Chick N Bros also can be found at food truck events, local breweries, and flea markets. Their fried chicken is double-fried for an extra crispy exterior that stays crunchy even when sauced. The spicy option features a pleasing kick of heat and if sandwiches aren’t your thing, you can order spicy chicken tenders separately.
Their good portion sizes combined with the satisfying crunch of double frying make this an amazing large fried chicken sandwich spot in San Jose.
Address: 3098 Story Road San Jose CA 95127
3. Bonchon
Fried chicken fans love this Korean fried chicken chain and we think this particular location is the best in San Jose. Their signature chicken is double-fried and offered in crispy, crunchy, or soy garlic variations. The crispy option stays true to classic Korean-style fried chicken with its juicy meat and crackling crunch. The soy garlic sauce adds sticky sweet and salty flavors.
While some chain restaurants sacrifice quality, Bonchon uses fresh frozen chicken and homemade batter and has interesting signature sauces that make for consistent excellence. The San Jose location upholds the chain’s reputation for serving up some of the best Korean fried chicken and other items like mango soju.
This Korean restaurant chain location is on the back side of Starbucks and faces the street. The location has ample parking and this location while much smaller than some of our other Bonchon restaurants was clean and the service quick.
Address: 7026 Santa Teresa Blvd Ste 30 San Jose, CA 95139
(408) 300-0927
4. Angry Chikz
Angry Chikz is a popular local chain of restaurants serving fried chicken and other tasty comfort foods in the South Bay. Known for their freshly prepared, hand-battered extra tender fried chicken, Angry Chikz offers one of the best fried chicken sandwich options in San Jose. Their menu features fried chicken sandwiches, and tenders in heat levels that range from “Country” which is no heat to “Angry” which you have to sign a waiver to eat.
A delicious sauce is included but they are careful to put the perfect amount that doesn’t make the sandwich soggy. Sides like mac and cheese, rice, tender fries, and coleslaw perfectly complement the juicy, flavorful chicken. We recommend getting a combo chicken slider (2 sliders, fries, and 1 drink) and adding a few sides like the angry mac n cheese to try.
Angry Chikz uses high-quality ingredients, evident in the tender and delicious fried chicken. With multiple locations across the Bay Area, it’s easy to get your fix of this local favorite’s piping hot fried chicken and Southern-inspired sides. Angry Chikz is a go-to for any San Jose fried chicken lover in search of a crunchy, juicy, and addictive chicken meal.
Parking is abundant as this great place shares with several other businesses. Angry Chikz seems to always have 1-2 people working but they are friendly and efficient.
Address: 3001 Meridian Ave San Jose, CA 95124
(408) 622-6969
5. Jollibee
Jollibee is best known for its signature Chickenjoy – fresh chicken that is crispy and crunchy on the outside while remaining juicy and flavorful on the inside. Their chicken pieces are marinated to perfection with a secret blend of spices before being hand-battered and cooked to a golden crispiness. They have the original Chickenjoy and spicy and garlic variations and Jollibee’s fried chicken is always consistently delicious.
The San Jose location serves up this famous Chickenjoy along with other Filipino favorites like sweet spaghetti, peach mango pie and palabok. This Jollibee is perfect for a work day lunch or a takeout Sunday dinners. This Jollibee is a decent size, brightly lit, and very clean with lots of parking available as it is located in a shopping plaza.
Address: 2008 Tully Rd San Jose, CA 95122
(408) 238-8763
6. Krispy Krunchy Chicken
Krispy Krunchy Chicken in East Side San Jose brings their trademark Southern-style fried chicken to the city. This quick-service restaurant was a local food recommendation made to us and we like their fresh, never-frozen chicken batter-dipped and fried to perfection for an extra crispy and crunchy texture. Their signature chicken features a secret blend of Cajun spices and seasonings for delicious flavor in every bite.
In addition to individual pieces, Krispy Krunchy Chicken offers fried chicken meals, sandwiches, tenders, wings, and family-style buckets perfect for sharing. Sides like mac n cheese, coleslaw, biscuits with drizzled honey, jambalaya, and red beans and rice make for the ideal fried chicken feast.
The comfortable, laid-back vibe and indulgent comfort food at Krispy Krunchy Chicken have already made it a go-to destination for fried chicken enthusiasts in San Jose. Their commitment to quality ingredients and scratch-made recipes means each order of fried chicken is consistently delicious, keeping customers coming back again and again.
Krispy Krunchy Chicken is a little bit of a drive deep into east San Jose but it’s one of the most affordable places that serve comfort food in the South Bay area.
Address: 3303 San Felipe Rd San Jose, CA 95135
(408) 238-2590