The Famous Fried Chicken Chain That's 'School Cafeteria' Quality, According To Customers

Fried chicken is arguably just as American as burgers and fries, and that's why there are nearly as many fried chicken fast food establishments as there are burger chains. The oldest, and one many consider among the best fried chicken chains in the US, is KFC. And yet, despite its constant presence in the industry, customers have become increasingly disillusioned with the brand. In fact, in a Reddit thread, disgruntled KFC customers weren't shy about expressing their outright disdain for the once beloved chain. While Tasting Table ranked KFC's chicken sandwich above Popeyes in a taste test, a scathing Google review complained it was "so bad that I lowkey managed to eat the chicken only." 

But even the fried chicken itself has left a bad taste in customers' mouths. Most Redditors reckon it's only okay, and often overly greasy. One user bemoaned the sogginess, arguing it's "caused by sitting under heat lamps longer than an hour." Even worse were KFC's sides, which regular customers really railed against as "school cafeteria level," including claiming that KFC's biscuits "taste like flour and salt" and likening their mashed potatoes and gravy to "sludge" and "wallpaper paste." As one customer confessed, "It's the sides that keep me from going to KFC," noting, "The Mac n cheese tasted like yellow paste." We weren't exactly impressed with KFC's french fries, either, ranking them quite low in our taste test, while KFC also paled in comparison to Burger King's french fries in another taste comparison.

While KFC's fried chicken is famous for its secret, 11-spice-and-herb blend recipe, not to mention proudly being among the fast food chains that use 100% chicken, customers have noted a gradual downhill spiral over the years. "I'm pretty sure that Colonel Sanders would be spinning violently in his grave right now if he could see what has become of his beloved Kentucky Fried Chicken empire," one Redditor snarked. Boomers and Millennials alike reminisced about how KFC was their go-to chicken joint in the 1980s and early 1990s thanks to now discontinued perks like buffets and Chicken Littles, aka small chicken sliders that debuted in the 1980s. 

To that effect, one Redditor lamented, "I think it was sometime in the mid 90's when YUM bought them out and rebranded to KFC." Customers complained that since the merger, prices have sky-rocketed, portion sizes are smaller, and the overall quality isn't nearly as good as it once was. Many even argued that the original recipe that earned the brand its longstanding acclaim has been changed too. It's worth noting that Kentucky natives have reportedly all but abandoned KFC in favor of Lee's Chicken (co-founder Lee Cummings was the nephew of the Colonel Sanders).

KFC may have gone downhill stateside but, as one Redditor pointed out, "They could never serve another piece of chicken in the United States again, and they would still be one of the largest food conglomerates in the world. KFC is so huge in Asia it's outrageous."