How about Churches fried chicken?

I like it, I admit I have probably never met a fried chicken I did not like, just some more than others.

John

My prefrence is broasted... If you havent tried it, do so. Churchs will no longer be on your list.. (Can be found at many small and mid size mom and pop shops).

Churches Ok if you happen to arrive right before a fresh dump from the fryer. I understand they have spicy now? FYI: Most Churches stores owned now by a LARGE (originally) Popeye's franchisee out of Orlando, FL. The Cajun Rice at Churches is rather good, also. Much better than Popeye's version of same.

There's a Church's near my office, but it's in a VERY scary part of town and doesn't have a drive through, so unless I take an armed guard with me I'll just have to live in ignorance.

How scary can Richmond be? Is Grant still there with a few of his troops? You want to see scary come to Boston I'll take you to Matterpan or the Berry now that can get scary. Chow Jim

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

There's a Church's near my office, but it's in a VERY scary part of town and doesn't have a drive through, so unless I take an armed guard with me I'll just have to live in ignorance.

Walk tall, act natural; look no one directly in the eyes until you get to the restaurant. Order what you want. Return to your office in the same way; having comfort in knowing that your PPK is secretly awaiting to assist you should the need arise. My Walther PPK; my friend and a daily companion.

Just my opinion, but of all the fried chicken chains out there, I find Church's to be the least desirable. In my experience it has been generally tasteless and most often comes very, very dry. Prefer Popeyes, Publix, PoFolks, and sometimes KFC (which is a gamble as it's sometimes good, but more often not so good). But if Church's is tasty in your area, "that's a good thing."

quote:

Originally posted by Jimeats

How scary can Richmond be? Is Grant still there with a few of his troops? You want to see scary come to Boston I'll take you to Matterpan or the Berry now that can get scary. Chow Jim

Having been to both, there are areas I wouldn't venture at night in either area... and I think parts of richmond are as bad or worse than the areas of boston you mentioned Jim. Richmond has maintained a top ten spot for most dangerous cities for awhile now. The southside can be, and often is, lethal. Spent some time there in the early 90's selling medical equipment...wasn't fun.


I like almost all spicy chicken...churchs spicy will do but I haven;t seen a churchs in some time.

The new ones around here are inside of convience stores.

For a time Richmond had the highest murder rate per capita in the United States--it's improved a bit, but not much. The company I work for, which is located on the other side of the James River from downtown Richmond, routinely has a patrol going through the parking lots because just beyond the parking lots are ... well ... slums. Before the patrols, there were regular car thefts and break-ins and a few people got mugged--in broad daylight. The Church's is about three blocks into the 'hood. I am a small white woman in a small bright blue SUV. If there was a drive-through, I wouldn't have a problem--I go to the Popeye's on Chamberlayne Avenue pretty regularly and that also is not in the best area. But it doesn't, and it also has bulletproof glass. I know there's some who will happily descend into urban warzones for good eats, but I'm a bit more cautious.

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

There's a Church's near my office, but it's in a VERY scary part of town and doesn't have a drive through, so unless I take an armed guard with me I'll just have to live in ignorance.

Walk tall, act natural; look no one directly in the eyes until you get to the restaurant. Order what you want. Return to your office in the same way; having comfort in knowing that your PPK is secretly awaiting to assist you should the need arise. My Walther PPK; my friend and a daily companion.

Yep, me too, different make but it's always with me. It's big brother is in the glovebox and it's bigger brother is in the trunk.

John

quote:

Originally posted by BTB

Just my opinion, but of all the fried chicken chains out there, I find Church's to be the least desirable. In my experience it has been generally tasteless and most often comes very, very dry. Prefer Popeyes, Publix, PoFolks, and sometimes KFC (which is a gamble as it's sometimes good, but more often not so good). But if Church's is tasty in your area, "that's a good thing."

"In my experience it has been generally tasteless and most often comes very, very dry." Don't buy it from the rack. Either wait for a new dump from the fryer or ask that your order be fixed from a NEW dump. (10-15 min. waiting time.) KFC is a waste of time. They have sucked since '68.

I like Church's the best out of all the chix franchises. They don't mess around with spices or extra coating. Very lightly floured and then fried, real simple, very good. Their biscuits are the best too.

The one I go to is very busy, so I've never had a problem with dried-out chicken.

I live in piedmont NC and Bojangles is the fried chicken place of choice if you want spicy (although not as spicy as it once was).

I think anywhere in North Carolina...Bojangles will be the chicken of choice....they are everywhere.

I can't wait for them to open another restaurant in Kentucky. We had them in Louisville, Lexington and Richmond but they all folded. Now the rumor is one is on the way to Ashland...I can't wait. I love their chicken.

And, I didn't respond to the forum question.......I have never had any problems with Church's, unlike KFC and Lee's.

One thing I've always liked about Church's is the jalapeno peppers on the menu. Twenty or thirty cents each for a pickled pepper just makes my day. The only one I know of in Charlotte is in a, shall we be kind, shady part of town. Pawn shop next door, strip club (THE Paper Doll) and porn shop a block away.

Pack heat and only go for lunch.

John

My Colt 1911A1 is my friend. Another problem is that I drive past Price's Chicken Coop and three Bojangles before getting to this Church's from my old office.

Way back when I was in school, I spent a couple years broasting chicken and then moved on to frying chicken at Church's. I was in the management program, we would have lines out the door at 10:00 AM. Our lunch rush would go for 4 hours or more. We'd get an hour break then dinner rush would hit. People loved the chicken!

If I can't get broasted chicken, Church's is still one of my favorite places to get fast food fried chicken. Over the past 20 years I have never had the dry chicken exerience.

I would not go to any place that is that unsafe.

There are no Churches on the left coast that I know of, it sounds as though the quality depends on the individual store.

Here in Nashville the Churches are in with White Castle. Hard to order just chicken without getting a sack full of SLIDERS!!! Although the chicken at Churches has gotten much smaller and more money than when they had their own freestanding outlets

I agree...the chicken is getting much smaller at Church's

I'll stick with Lee's or KFC

Haven't eaten a Church's in quite awhile.There are two in my area,here in Schertz and one in Universal City.Both are on main streets.Schertz one is on Farm to Market Road 78,which goes to Seguin
lots of trafic day and night,and the UC on is on Pat Booker Road.It's the main drag through town.Lots of places to eat but it does get backed up with people going back to work at Randolph AFBase from lunch.Solid line of cars sometimes so you have to wait a while before you can go and get out of Mc Donald's or Wendy's etc. We also have some small italian places there.And You can always go over to the Olympia Forum to eat at Sea Island a local San Antonio chain,Red Robin.Panda Express,louie Le Deux,etc.
Sometimes Church's can be greasy,so I may get the chicken strips which are good.
I don't know of any scary areas really in town,but the east side and west side of SA can be.But not like Richmond. Downtown SA is pretty safe lots of cops on patrol on bicycles to watch out for the tourists.Most people in SA are nice.

Hmmmmmm

I thought KFC was alot smaller than it used to be, I never been to a church's!

garryd451,
my husband, The Old Fart agrees with you.
he gets churches when it's fresh; when it sits it seems greasier.

I used to work at Church's Fried Chicken in the 1970s . It was delicious back then. But, since then they have changed their recipe and it tastes horrible now. If I had a choice between Church's and Grandy's I would take Grandy's anyday of the week.

my girlfriend likes churchs. She brings it home a lot for dinner.

Church's is everywhere; so is KFC. The quality of these two apparently depends on the ability of the cook at each store.

PoFolks is apparently a rare bird now, with most franchises in Florida and a scattering elsewhere (found and checked their website). I liked PoFolks chicken much better than either of the above.

Albuquerque (where I live now) has Popeye's, whose chicken tastes better than either of Church's or KFC, but Popeye's sides aren't very good. Grandy's just went out of business here. ChickFil-A has a few stores here, but that's mostly chicken sandwiches (they're tasty, but are not the same as regular fried chicken).

The best fried chicken in Albuquerque is at the four Golden Fried Chicken restaurants, which have both very good fried chicken, and smoked chicken. I have no idea what they put in their breading, but the chicken is moist and tasty. They also have New Mexican food. They're owned by the Frontier (reviewed elsewhere) and serve the Frontier Roll and smaller breakfast burritos.

We used to have PoFolks here in San Antonio.They pulled out of here.Course the shooting death of the manager of the one on Walzam during a robbery didn't help any.
There are Golden Fried Chicken here,but mainly in places like New Braunfels,Gonzales and some of the other small towns around the area.

Haven't been to Popeye's in ages or KFC for chicken.

Unfortunately, I recently ate at Church's.

We still have a few here in southern Louisiana.

Not nearly what I remembered.  They served large hot pieces of chicken, lightly seasoned, and fresh when I was a kid.  I also like the pickled jalapenos and the thick fries.  Now you get a couple of pieces of cornish hen, dried out, with cold fries.  The peppers are still pretty good, though.

cy

MandalayVA


There's a Church's near my office, but it's in a VERY scary part of town and doesn't have a drive through, so unless I take an armed guard with me I'll just have to live in ignorance.

Heh, most of the  Churchs in the Richmond area  are in , well, marginal neighborhoods.  I wouldn't be afraid to go, but then again I AM armed lol.  But I would not go with my kids, that is for sure. 

I haven't had it in years, it was not that different than popeyes except they didn't have spicy.

Since it is a lot closer to go to Lee's Famous I go there instead if I have a hankering (or go west out to Charlottesville for Wayside)

About 5 years ago here in NYC, there were a lot of White Castles that also sold Church's Chicken. They just never made an impression on me. I just checked their directory, and they now only list one in NYC (in the tourist hotel section of Manhattan.) The next nearest one is in Philadelphia. I would like to confirm the accuracy of their store locator by veryifying local White Castles dropped Church's Chicken. I tried it once and I can't remember anything about it.

Well around here , in New Braufels  and Seguin there is a Chicken Express out of Dallas, and a Bush's Fried Chicken in Converse,one on FM78 going towards San Antonio, and another on Topperwein Road and Kitty Hawk across from the Block Buster. Haven't tried either one yet, and there still is Church's around here.

Every Church's I have been to in this area, I've had poor service. Won't ever go back.

the health dept. fined the one here for roaches.
ate there once, not bad. the roachs probably added more flavor.

My office when I first moved to town was next to whats probaly the last surviving Churches in the Dayton Metro Area.  The food used to be quite good.  I do remember the "batter girl" that was always manning the fryer(the line was always to the door back in 87)  She was always covered head to foot with flour and and batter!  I took my wife ther the last time maybe 3 years ago and the place was filthy.  There were stacks of paper products on the floors behind the counter and general disarray!  it smelled so bad we actually left!
There was a good one in Kettering for awhile.  it was one of the combo joints.  This was the White Castle/Churche that used to be around.  The last trip there the prices had just gone up and the pieces were so tiny it was a shame.  Smaller than KFC tried years ago.  ACtually would have been a tie for a Agme hen size.  The worst was both meals had a wing.  They both had the full pin feathers sticking out of the flapper!  14 bux for 2 2piece meals with only fries, roll and 2 drinks.  It was so sad that I brough them back un touched and asked for a refund.  my wife wouldnt touch it with the big feather sticking out.  the counter guy got really nasty.  I even offered to pay in full for the drinks and fries just returning the chicken if that was the best he would do.  He got nasty and almost calle te cops when i demanded a supervisor.  When one finally came, she said she couldnt help.  Even tho she was the on duty manager she was a White Castle employee and didnt have access to the hurches register except to Z it out at shift change!
 The last Churches I know of are the one in Springfield which is boarded up and accross from the Metro Housing in the hood, that one was burned out years ago and just sits there an eyesore and saaaafety hazzard!
Good bye churches of Yore!
Now I id love Jim Dandy's.  my first was in Biloxi Mi back in 70 than i lave accross the street from one in denevr in the Mid 70s.  They had the first "spicy" chicken i ever tasted and boy did I love it!
All we have locally is our Dear Col!  Its a good 20 mi to a Popeyes and all the Lees have closed up near me!

Britt,
You do tell a wonderful story. Even if it not about a pleasant subject.

Sorry to be a downer.  there is nothing i love more than a great fried chicken-Spicy Breast for me please!  Now my only choices seem to be the dear old bearded guy and what they offer at the delis in my grocers.
i wwill say some of the very best chicken i have ever had the pleasure of was at ThriftWay stores in Cincinnati.  They were part of the Wynn-Dixie family.  it was so moist and juciy it took a napking in each hand!
I used to really enjoy Broasted chicke but I must have had a change in taste as it always seems to be dry anymore to me.
I want trying to make the poor batter gril seem like a health hazzard.  it was just incredible to see how she just dove right in and got the job done.  I will always comment on a rude or uncaring food servic worker or manager.  The bottom line is satisfaction.  We pay a good dollar for or food these days and deserve that best they are able to provide with what they have to offer.

If you get Church's chicken soon as it's out of the fryer, it's very good actually.
I have a weird thing I do when I want Church's chicken FRESH  hahah I wait till I know they are busy, I constantly let customers in front of me knowing they will get all of the old chicken, soon as I see the fresh chicken coming up, I put myself back in  hahahahahah ppls look at me weird but who cares...I have blazing hot chicken going home to munch on
Pam

Churches always seems so greasy to me.

Still got Church's Chicken around San Antonio area for sure. I don't know about the Church's Chicken in your areas, but I saw an ad on TV  for some new platter deal they have. They have it looks like a battered boneless chicken breast which you can get with cream gravy or some kind of nacho cheese sauce, and all the trimmings and I think a drink.I'll have to check out their website. Best fried chicken I ever ate (commercial that is) was at Youngblood's Chicken down on Broadway near the Witte Museum back in the 1960s when I was a kid.
 

I use to live directly across the street from the first Church's Chicken in Springfield Ohio on South Limestone St. At that time, it was better than KFC or Famous Recipe. The pieces were huge, and it was always fresh. You could watch the person prepping it in the window. They were always covered in flour. That was in the early 70's, and the place closed down in the 80's.

The last time I ate at a White Castle/Church's I was really disappointed. The chicken pieces were smaller, and had a completely different batter taste. Nothing ever stays the same...Sigh!

  I just went to a Churches for the first time.... it is not bad.  The spicy is hotter than Popeyes, and I like that!  seems to have more flavor. 
 

John A


I like it, I admit I have probably never met a fried chicken I did not like, just some more than others.

John

When I lived closer to DC many, many years ago (like 15 or more) there was a Churches on Georgia Ave (very busy main strip that runs through NW DC) I really liked the way the chicken tasted and loved the rolls (they were not biscuits) I would drive 3o minutes one way at night when ever the urge hit me. I kid you not it seemed like you got a million pieaces of chicken for like $7 bucks. Everyone I know in Maryland would make the same run to DC for Churche's. I will never understand why they closed and there are no more around here. Ever time I went there the place was very busy.

As for the late night runs there, it didn't hurt that they had strip clubs a few minutes down the road. Man I use to love those Penthouse club memories.. (those of you from DC know what I am talking about)!! :-)

I was driving through Inglewood, CA last Thursday and there it was.... Church's.

I had to try it so I did a little car maneuvering without getting a ticket.

I haven't seen a Church's in many years.

My first comment to the girl behind the one inch thick protective glass wall:

You don't have clams!  That's what I used to have at Church's.

Anyway, I ordered 2 three piece meals, one dark and one white.  The dark was for me.

First bite I said that the coating needed salt.  I was met with a "NO! from the white eater.

Then I got in to the meat.  

All of the chicken that I bought had been over-brined. The meat of the chicken was exceptionally salty.

Pollo Campero is still number one!

I just ate at a Church's while in Nashville yesterday. I got the spicy chicken with a wing and a leg. The wing was the biggest I had ever scene, with loads of white meat...the leg was also large and both were very tasty. On the other hand...the mashed potatoes had a thimble-full of gravy on them, and their famous honey-biscuits, while very good, were just a little larger than a fifty-cent piece.