Top 5 Fried Chicken Joints in Mississauga
Published September 23, 2014 at 5:31 am
I want to start by reassuring you that this city is becoming an absolute hotbed for fried chicken! Most may think fried chicken and immediately think of a classic southern style bird, often served with a sweet tea and maybe some cornbread or a biscuit on the side. While you aren’t wrong in doing so, this is only one of the many styles of fried chicken this city has to offer.
Being the cultural mosaic that Mississauga is, there are options for a Louisiana style fry (a tad untraditionally southern), Korean, Taiwanese, Filipino, Middle-Eastern, Caribbean, Chinese, Japanese, and so many more! As you can imagine, it’s quite the list, and to narrow that down to just five truly depends on one’s taste buds. I grabbed a friend to help get a more diverse opinion, and these are some of the best spots we found in the city (followed by some other notable venues):
Like an excellent traditional southern style fried chicken? If yes, then this would be the spot. Their O.D.B. chicken bucket is a huge crowd pleaser (I can’t tell you what O.D.B. stands for, I’m pretty sure our senior editor would omit it and give me a lecture on acceptable content)! Sitting in a bucket, this dish is served with four large pieces of buttermilk fried chicken on a bed of thyme fries. They also put out some deliciously warm country gravy and Kansas City style peach barbeque sauce. If you’re a flavour focused eater rather than a traditionalist, then mix and match as you dip. The mixture of sweet, savoury, crispy and salty might get that ‘eye-roll’ action going.
Why only have one style of fried chicken on the menu when you can have two? When both options are winners, I can understand why they made that decision. Their traditional southern fried chicken comes in a wax-covered deep fryer basket with red (looks purple) cabbage slaw, white peppercorn gravy, and cornbread. I may suggest pairing that with a Long Island or a lager if the thirst buds start acting up. The spicy fried chicken comes as an app, but it sure does pack a punch! The presentation on this one is just as good as it tastes. Honey hot sauce and cilantro buttermilk come together in a flavourful fiesta! Safe to say that both options prove to be winning selections in their own right.
Korean fried chicken isn’t as popular in Mississauga as it is in other areas of the GTA, but it’s getting there! These are big portions with big flavour! The food does take a little time to come out, but they do give you some delicious hot corn on a sizzler while you wait. If you’re comfortable using chopsticks, you can pick away at them one kernel at a time before the main event arrives (think of it as a character building exercise). Mains of fried chicken come in either 2.5 lbs for bone-in and 1.3lbs for boneless bites. Options include original, spicy, sweet & spicy, soy & garlic, green onion, snowing chicken (garnished with sweet cheese powder), as well as combinations of a few of these as a half and half serving. You’ll even get a few fries with your chicken to break up the taste – yes, the fries are good too! The flavours will keep you coming back here even if the portion sizes inspire a bit of initial guilt.
2) The Broast Inn Chicken and Waffles
Cooksville hosts another winner on this Top 5! This restaurant can best be described in two phrases. One: never judge a book by its cover, and two: good things take time. The picture below may not have the sauce and glamour as some of the others, but the quality here really shines! I’m sure 1 in 10 will tell you about this place and their chicken and waffles, but it’s pretty good without the waffle too. They do offer spicy fried chicken as well as a regular option. Their garlic sauce and fires stole the show for me. This is one of the few spots I visited that excelled in all three of these areas which makes each meal very comprehensive and complete. Why do good things take time here? Well, they didn’t have fried chicken sitting there under a heat lamp. They were putting them into the deep fryer as the orders came in. While there were only two occupied tables during my visit, the delivery orders were non-stop! Have you tried this hidden gem yet?
With only its second location in Canada, this Filipino resto has been creating quite the buzz in the GTA (you bet that pun was intended). We went to see what all the commotion was about and while there can be some long lines, the level of customer service is indeed that of the highest level experienced in many parts of Asia (yes, that’s a thing, if you’ve had a chance to visit, you’ll know). Servers will come into the line and take orders to help speed up the process at the counter, and while they might be busy, everyone has a smile on their face. I usually don’t mention the level of service to this degree, but being a fast food style outfit with extremely high volume, it’s noteworthy! I went here twice to validate both, the service and their food and I was impressed on both occasions. They do have a spicy chicken, and yes, it is actually spicy! If the chicken is warm (which it was on both occasions), it only fuels that fire, but WOW is it a tasteful heat! To wash it down, grab a Pineapple Quencher. The balance that the beverage provides is like Yin and Yang. Still feeling the heat? Their mashed potatoes may help, and so might their signature Peach Mango Pie to chase.
BONUS: The Fry
Here’s another spot some of you may have been expecting to see on this list, and I don’t blame you. With five locations in the GTA, The Fry is gaining a lot of popularity. This Korean fried chicken restaurant offers many choices when it comes to fried chicken. Similar to most Korean fried chicken restos, the prices are a little higher, but the quantity is quite large. It’s great to share with family, friends or if you’re just starving and don’t want to share them, that’s okay too (we don’t judge). Seating here is quite limited so be prepared to wait a little just in case.
Other Options:
- KAGE Restobar – Cooksville
- Katsuya – Credit Woodlands
- Nian She – Burnhamthorpe & Creditview
- RD’s Southern BBQ – Hurontario & Derry
- Willy’s Jerk – Cooksville
- Hot Star – *Coming Soon*
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