Cincinnati's 5 Best Fried Chicken Restaurants To Satisfy Your Cravings

When you think of the best fried chicken spots, the South may be the first region that comes to mind. But in the Midwest, you'll find an unexpected food haven. Cincinnati brings together Southern flair and Midwestern charm to cook up delicious fried chicken. One of the best ways to explore a new city is to eat your way through it, and Cincinnati is a great place for that, ranked as one of the most affordable, entertaining destinations of 2025. 

To compile a list of the best fried chicken joints in Cincinnati, we researched which restaurants were the most highly rated and reviewed, and selected local favorites from hometown publications. We selected restaurants representing a variety of styles, including traditional options and saucy creations, and even included a surprising gas-station fried-chicken find. There is no specific order to the list, just the top-five fried chicken spots we found in the Queen City. 

Korean fried chicken made it to the top of the list in Cincinnati, with the Liberty Township location of CM Chicken – Korean Fried Chicken named as the best fried chicken spot in Ohio by Yelp Elites. The Korean fried chicken spot has a large menu with flavors of fried chicken ranging from original to garlic soy and cheese monster. CM Chicken – Korean Fried Chicken was rated highly on Yelp, with reviewers writing that the chicken comes out hot and crunchy. And, many reviews mentioned not only the fried chicken, but their positive experiences with customer service. 

CM Chicken is a chain restaurant with several locations. Joey S on Yelp says he usually wouldn't prefer fried chicken from a chain restaurant. "Small mom and pop places are my favorite," he wrote. "With that said, wow this is some yummy crispy chicken." 

Several reviews say that the garlic soy and garlic spicy wings are the best flavors to try while at CM – Korean Fried Chicken, and suggested adding the cheese monster curly fries. The quick grab-and-go style restaurant lends itself to a quick lunch, and they even have a lunch special. Mid-week, you can grab the Dosirak Special for some tenders or wings and fries for just $10.99. Molly L said she understands why it was rated #1 in Ohio, and wishes she had more room to try more flavors. 

Over in downtown Cincinnati is The Eagle, with a location in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. When you look at their menu, it's clear that fried chicken is a big part of the restaurant's offerings. They have options from just drumsticks up to a whole chicken to satisfy your fried-chicken cravings. Their fried chicken is served with hot honey, which reviewer Kayla K wrote is "to die for," saying that it takes the delicious chicken over the top. With nearly 1,800 five-star reviews on Yelp, The Eagle is a favorite with customers, writing it's a treat every time they get to go. Bennet K. says when he craves fried chicken, he gets it from the Eagle. "Crispy, seasoned skin and juicy, tender meat," he wrote. "What more can one ask for?" 

To go along with the fried chicken, there are several Southern comfort sides to enjoy, including collards, mac and cheese, and spoonbread (iron skillet cornbread with maple butter). The Fried Chicken BLT seems to be a big hit on the menu as well, with Yelp reviews saying that the BLT was recommended by their server and several reviewers continue to recommend this sandwich as a must-try. While you're in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood to enjoy fried chicken, there are also enough murals to make for a walking tour, which are worth a look, as Cincinnati takes the crown for the most spectacular street art in America.

Another spot in the Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood to get some Southern-style fried chicken is Soul Secrets. The family restaurant started with a focus on catering, and now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant for people to sit down and enjoy their soul food offerings. One of their main customer favorites is the fried chicken. Briana S. said, "the pièce de résistance was the three piece dark fried chicken. It was excellent, truly 10/10 no notes."

The paired down menu has a clear focus: traditional Southern favorites, including fried chicken and catfish. One reviewer, Colton Robert Dale Brewer, said he didn't even go to Soul Secrets intending to get the fried chicken but "when I say this was the most tender chicken with the crunchiest crunch! 10 Stars!" More than 20 reviews mention the portion sizes, with customers happy that the portion sizes are worth the $20-25 cost of the platters. While you can enjoy their fried chicken and other Southern style favorites inside their restaurant, they also offer catering services. 

The fried chicken isn't alone in the rave reviews. Customers speak highly of the sides as well, saying they complement the fried chicken well. Jade W. said it was some of the best soul food she's had. "The sweet potatoes were divine," she wrote. "The Mac and cheese was super thick and yet creamy...REAL CHEESE! I would fly back into Cincinnati just to get another meal."

This local favorite comes from an unassuming gas station, but Jay's Chicken is ranking high for best fried chicken in the Cincinnati area. While Jay's Chicken serves chicken from the chain Krispy Krunchy Chicken, as many customers say, this location's food just tastes the best. 

The Tenders Krunch box is $11.99 for three pieces of Cajun-spiced fried chicken, a side, and a honey biscuit. Customer reviews on Yelp mention how good the biscuits are in addition to the chicken. The menu is simple with different quantities of tenders and fried chicken, with a few other items such as shrimp or jambalaya, but the biscuits and the fried chicken are what bring people to Jay's Chicken.

And as reviews mention, it must be tasty, because the fried chicken often sells out. Lainy C. says it's "surprisingly good fried chicken for a random gas station," and checked out Jay's after finding the positive reviews on Yelp. As Ellen E. wrote, if you can get a hold of the chicken, it's worth it: "Chicken is awesome, but hard to get at the end of the day because he sold out." So, if you're looking for a quick fried chicken hit at the right time, Jay's Chicken might be one to check out. 

The Hitching Post is a local favorite for fried chicken, with its signature breading that makes its classic fried chicken stand out. This diner dates back to 1968, and was once part of a chain. Tim H. wrote on Yelp, "There used to be one in my hometown of Madeira many years ago. It was always such a treat to go there." It was listed on Cincinnati Magazine's list of favorite spots, and is nostalgic for many as a classic diner-style restaurant with tasty fried chicken. 

The diner is unassuming on the outside and stays lowkey on the inside. Ericka B. writes, "It's a cute little 'off-the-beaten-path' diner, geared towards takeout." But people come back time and time again for the fried chicken. 

With little-to-no online presence, the restaurant is very old school, with a classic diner menu of burgers, fried chicken, and other staples. You can get chicken by the piece or by the bucket, depending on just how much fried chicken you want to satisfy your craving. They also have full fried chicken dinner plates, and tenders for a boneless option. More than 20 Yelp reviews mention the word "home," saying the food felt like home-cooking or the ambience made them feel at home. Ben C. said, "If you haven't tried this place then you must. The food was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was warm and playful and welcoming. I honestly felt like I was at a family gathering."

In order to curate a list of Cincinnati's five best fried chicken restaurants, we consulted Cincinnati Magazine, which published a list of their 16 favorite fried chicken joints, and cross-referenced that list with Yelp reviews, including the Yelp Elite list. There are many highly ranked spots, so we compared the Cincinnati Magazine list with the top-rated restaurants based on customer reviews, and narrowed down the list to five spots. 

We also included a variety of styles of fried chicken, from traditional Southern style to Korean fried chicken, with the restaurants ranging from unassuming hole-in-the-wall restaurants to bustling beer halls. If you're still hungry for fried chicken after eating your way through Cincinnati, head to the opposite corner of the state and check out Barberton, Ohio, the wildly underrated "Magic City" with a destination lake, delicious chicken and pretty parks.