We tried Calgary’s most famous fried chicken shop, and here’s the verdict
There has been an influx of chicken joints seemingly making their way to Calgary of late, from huge chains such as Dave’s Hot Chicken announcing their impending arrival and the long-awaited landing of Chick-fil-A last year.
While the hype is certainly there for the newbies on the block, when you talk about fried chicken in Calgary, one name is pretty much always guaranteed to come up in conversation: Chicken On The Way.
The iconic chicken shop, known for its iconic yellow and red branding, is the OG when it comes to fried chicken in the city, and despite living here for a few years now, I hadn’t ticked Chicken On The Way off my Calgary foodie bucket list.
Part of Calgary’s history
Charlie Hart/Dished
Chicken On The Way has been a staple for all things delicious and fried in Calgary for over 50 years now. While the original location was in Edmonton, Chicken On The Way has become a household name in YYC since it opened its first restaurant at 14th Street and Kensington Road in the city in 1965.
Still at the same location to this day, Chicken On The Way is a familiar sight to most Calgarians, partly due to its striking yellow signage and partly due to the giant chicken statue outside.
Chicken On The Way has since opened several more outposts across the city.
Trying Chicken On The Way
Charlie Hart/Dished
Considering its longstanding history in the city, I decided to finally go and check out the iconic chicken spot to see what all the hype is about.
It seemed only fitting to visit the first outpost, where I was greeted with that much-loved chicken statue and headed inside to place my order. Even on a weekday lunchtime, there were a fair few customers already waiting patiently for their orders.
While fried chicken is obviously what the spot is most known for, there was plenty of choice, from fish and chips to shrimp dinners. Chicken On The Way also serves its famous corn fritters, which I was told were non-negotiable.
Charlie Hart/Dished
I decided to stick to the chicken, ordering the bonus order, which included three pieces of chicken, fries, a corn fritter and gravy and came in at $12.75, considerably cheaper than other options such as Popeye’s, where a three-piece combo costs around $18.29.
The chicken pieces were huge; there were tons of fries and a hefty fritter, so the value for money seemed pretty fair. But most importantly, I had to see how it tasted in comparison.
The chicken was cooked to perfection, juicy but still super crispy on the outside. While delicious, it wasn’t any more flavourful than the chicken I’ve had elsewhere.
While the fries and gravy weren’t much to write home about, the corn fritter was the sleeper hit of the whole meal. The soft and fluffy cornbread had the perfect crispy crust. Just make sure to pick up some honey mustard for dipping.
Overall, Chicken On The Way was good but not mind-blowing to me. A solid B grade. The corn fritter, though, may be worth the journey alone.
Chicken On The Way
Address: Multiple locations in Calgary
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