The Best Fried Chicken in Indianapolis
The Iron Skillet
The skillet-fried main attraction at this northwestside fixture has gone in and out of style several times during the restaurant’s 63-year run. Platters of modestly crunchy chicken complement pickled beets, cottage cheese, and peppery whipped potatoes. 2489 W. 30th St., 317-923-6353
Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place
Old-fashioned chicken quarters and wings sport a thick, crunchy skin at this soul-food spot dating back to 1988. Jimmy Fallon and Barack Obama are among the diners who have bellied up to the red-vinyl tablecloths. 1831 N. College Ave., 317-926-4476
Maxine’s Chicken & Waffles
A trio of lightly crusted chicken wings straddles Belgian waffles at this restaurant that backs up to a downtown gas station. Maxine’s now offers variations like sweet-potato waffles and (gasp) boneless strips. 132 N. East St., 317-423-3300
The Eagle
The mound of fried chicken (order the whole bird or don’t bother) at this Mass Ave restaurant-bar boasts all of the fashionable descriptors: all-natural, free-range birds of Amish persuasion. The flecks of black pepper in the batter provide a gentle kick. 310 Massachusetts Ave., 317-929-1799
Metro Diner
Half a fried chicken, aggressively coated and salted, arrives atop a waffle at this chain where nothing is understated. Enlist the help of your friends to polish off the moist-to-the-bone breast, thigh, wing, and leg that make up a single order. 3954 E. 82nd St., 317-296-8262
Marrow
If you see chef John Adams’s tandoori fried chicken on the menu, consider it your lucky night. Adams soaks chicken thighs in tandoori masala before dredging them in seasoned chickpea-and-lentil flour and frying them to a deep-red hue. 1106 Prospect St., 317-986-6752
