$5 Fried Chicken Sandwich on brioche from Open Crumb in Anacostia (photo by Barred in DC)

Who has the best chicken sandwiches in DC?

Crowdsourced then validated via Twitter poll

Last Updated: May 25, 2022

THE ROAMING ROOSTER TIER

• Roaming Rooster (Woodridge, U Street, Tenleytown, Skyland Town Center, Foggy Bottom in DC)
  • $10 (+$4.39  fries)
  • Buttermilk fried chicken breast sandwich:
    • The Buffalo: blue cheese & buffalo sauce
    • Honey Butter: smothered with honey butter & cheddar cheese
    • OG Nashville: house made vinaigrette slaw & pickles
    • The Club (50 cents more): applewood smoked bacon, LT, ranch
  • 56% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 97% are fans; 85% have eaten

THE GOLD TIER

• Honeymoon Chicken (Petworth)
  • $9.50-$10.50 (+$3.50 fries)
  • crispy chicken breast sandwich
    • Honeymooon Chicken: crispy honey dusted, cheddar, cilantro-lime slaw, pickles, comeback sauce on toasted bun
    • Hot Honey Dipped Chicken: heavily dipped in sweet/sticky/spicy/smoky honey, spicy pickles, crispy onions, lettuce, ranch on toasted bun
  • 32% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 91% are fans; 22% have eaten
• Service Bar (U St)
  • $11-13 (+$4 fries)
  • fried chicken thigh sandwich on sesame seed bun
    • Original: Pickles and special sauce
    • Hot Spice Dust: pickles and special sauce
    • Buffalo: buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing, lettuce, pickles
    • Jerk: marinated/seasoned, apple slaw, apple butter, jerk mayor and pickles
  • 32% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 91% are fans; 22% have eaten
• Mélange (Mt Vernon Square)
  • $13-15 (+$4 fries w/ sea salt)
  • 3 Kinds
    • The Original: Buttermilk fried chicken, shredded lettuce
    • Hot Hot Chicken: mitmita, butter poached daikon radish, spicy yogurst dill pickle ranch on jalapeno cheddar bun
    • The National: – Spicy doro wat style fried chicken, kebe aioli, turmeric slaw, fried or hard egg
  • One of the top 4 burgers in DC, but not the point of this post
  • 29% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 93% are fans; 19% have eaten
• Maketto (H Street)
  • $12
  • Num Pang Sandwich: fried chicken, housemade bread, house spread, daikon, jalapeno
  • 31% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 92% are fans; 31% have eaten
• Lucky Buns (Adams Morgan, Union Market)
  • $13 (+$6 or $8 fries)
  • Fried chicken thigh sandwiches
    • Hot Tiger Bun: spicy, sichuan peppercorn spice paste, pickles, onion, buttermilk ranch mayo, chinese yellow mustard
    • Dirty Bird: white onion, pickles, lucky sauce, shark sriracha, iceburg lettuce
    • Mumbo Bun: Thai chili Mumbo sauce, curtido, dill pickles, ranch mayo
  • One of the top 4 burgers in DC, but not the point of this post
  • 21% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 90% are fans; 48% have eaten

THE SILVER TIER

• ChiKo (available at Dupont for lunch only)
  • $18 (only part of snack + side combo)
  • Sichuan Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich: Chili aioli, pickled daikon
  • 14% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 90% are fans; 25% have eaten
• Boundary Stone (Bloomingdale)
  • $11 (+$5 fries)
  • Fried Honey Hot Chicken: blue cheese, honey hot sauce, lettuce, pickles, brioche bun
  • 12% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 82% are fans; 22% have eaten
• Right Proper Brewing Co. (Shaw)
  • $15 (+$1 fries or kettle chips)
  • Chick-Filet: boursin cheese, pickles, LT, brioche bun
  • 9% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 87% are fans; 35% have eaten
• Federalist Pig (Adams Morgan)
  • $10.25-12.50 (+$2.95 seasoned with house bbq rub fries)
  • fried chicken breast on sesame bun
    • The Music City ($10.25) spicy, greens, pickles, buttermilk ranch,
    • The Jimmy Muscles ($12.50) pork belly, jalapeno relish, sticky garlic sauce, ranch, herbs
  • 12% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 86% are fans; 25% have eaten
• Astro’s Doughnuts & Fried Chicken (Downtown)
  • $9 (breakfast) $11-12.75 (lunch options). No fries available
  • Breakfast and lunch varieties. Can make your own, including with brioche bun, cheddar biscuit, savory or old bay doughnuts
  • 12% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 78% are fans; 48% have eaten
• The Pub and The People (Bloomingdale)
  • $15 w/ fries
  • The Heidi: chicken breast, cheddar, bacon, smoked guac, chipotle aioli
  • 14% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 76% are fans; 20% have eaten

THE BRONZE TIER

• The Royal (LeDroit Park)
  • $17 (w/ fries)
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich: pickled fresno, grilled cappage, jalepeno aioli
  • 2% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 92% are fans; 15% have eaten
• Chicken & Whiskey (14th St/Logan Circle)
  • $13.50 (+$3-4 sides)
  • Pollo Frito: cassava breaded chicken, jalapeno cheddar roll, amarillo mayo, LT, bacon, pepper jack cheese, Greek yogurt mustard sauce
  • 5% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 77% are fans; 39% have eaten
• Pogiboy (Downtown)
  • $10 (+$3.50 fries)
  • Double Sinigang Fried Chicken Sandwich: sesame bun, secret sauce, pickles, shredduce, sinisang fried chicken
  • 16% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 78% are fans; 13% have eaten
• DC9 (Shaw)
  • $12 (w/ garlic fries)
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich: pickle brined breast, jalapeno slaw, bread and butter pickles and tabasco aioli
  • 13% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 81% are fans; 13% have eaten
• Roy Boy’s (Shaw)
  • $13-14 (w/ fries or waffle fries)
  • 4 varieties of fried
    • The OG: Shredded lettuce, B&B pickles, fancy saucee
    • Drop It Like It’s Hot: Nashville basted, slaw, B&B pickles, buttermilk ranch
    • Buffalow Ryder: Blue cheese drizzle, shredded lettuce, buffalo sauce, pickled red onions
    • Ain’t Nothing to Cluck With: Mango BBQ, spice slaw, mango salsa, drip drip sauce
  • 8% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 71% are fans; 31% have eaten
• Bluejacket (Navy Yard)
  • $16.50 (w/ fries or tots)
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich: choice of house buffalo, mumbo sauce, or sweet/smokey dry rub; coleslaw, pickles, potato roll
  • 6% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 79% are fans; 36% have eaten
• Swizzler (Navy Yard)
  • $7.25 (+$3.15 w/ fries)
  • Crispy Chicken Sandwich: shredduce, signature sauce, crisp pickles, on griddled potato bun
  • 8% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 73% are fans; 15% have eaten

NEED MORE EATERS

(Less than 1 in 8 of you have eaten these, so hard to compare, but strong results

• Garden District (14th/Logan Circle)
  • $14 (w/ fries)
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich: breast on sesame bun w/ spicy jalapeno coleslaw, pickles and touch of mayo
  • 10% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 85% are fans; 10% have eaten
• Purple Patch (Mt Pleasant)
  • $16 with fries
  • Spicy Adobo Fried Chicken sandwich: thighs marinated in soy/vinegar/chili peppers/garlic/bay leaves/black peppercorn on pan de sal bun, topped with fried egg LTO.
  • 12% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 75% are fans; 12% have eaten
• Open Crumb (Anacostia)
  • $7 (+4 sides like fried cassava)
  • Chicken sandwich: Greek yogurt marinated chicken thigh, comeback sauce, choice of toppings (LTO and pickles free)
  • 16% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 66% are fans; 3% have eaten
• Moreland’s Tavern (16th Street Heights)
  • $16 (w/ fries)
  • Fried Chicken Sandwich: LTO, pickles buttermilk ranch, on brioche
  • 16% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 74% are fans; 5% have eaten
• Lulu’s Winegarden (U Street)
  • $15 (+$9 fries)
  • Crispy Chicken Sandwich: dill pickled cabbage, fermented chile sauce, house pickles, challah
  • 3% who’ve eaten said best in DC; 82% are fans; 11% have eaten