When it comes to fried chicken, some would say no special occasion is required.
That’s especially the case for a city that claims fried chicken as one of its homegrown delicacies. Louisville’s thriving food scene has plenty of love for the Southern staple, with national and local chains such as CM Chicken, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Joella’s Hot Chicken and Indi’s Chicken planting roots across the area. Higher-end restaurants dish it out, too.
At Ensō, 1758 Frankfort Ave., acclaimed chef Lawrence Weeks includes Japanese Fried Chicken with lemon, jezebel sauce, Alabama white barbecue sauce, butter lettuce and pickled pepper on the menu. Cask Southern Kitchen, 9980 Linn Station Road, has carved out spots for chicken and waffles and a buttermilk Southern fried chicken sandwich, and at Buck’s Restaurant, 425 W. Ormsby Ave., fine dining features the option for fried chicken livers. Chicken King, 639 E. Broadway, has fried chicken boxes to feed the whole family. Plus, you’ll find weekly fried chicken specials at unlikely places such as Mellwood Tavern, 1801 Brownsboro Road, where homemade fried chicken and Southern sides are served Tuesdays and Thursdays at the bar with roots going back to 1885…