Southerners Make A Pit Stop At This Gas Station Chain For Fluffy Biscuits And Crispy Fried Chicken

Kentucky Fried Chicken, who? There's another Southern fried chicken chain that people can't get enough of these days. Parker's Kitchen may be a gas station chain, and there are definitely some gas station hot foods to avoid, but not at Parker's. This chain is serving some of the most delicious biscuits and fried chicken you can get. Its first location opened in Georgia in 1976; today, there are more than 100 locations throughout Georgia and South Carolina, and it's planning an expansion into Florida, as well. While Parker's may only operate in a few states, it's got loyal fans everywhere, including celebrity Chef David Thomas. "It's some of the best fried chicken I've ever had," he told Garden & Gun. 

Parker's Kitchen fried chicken is double-battered before it's dropped in the fryer, making it extra crispy and delicious. One Redditor who claims to have worked for corporate says the "breading is a special blend of flour and seasoning. Tenders dipped in breading, then dipped in water/milk mixture, then breaded again." Yum. One customer calls it "the ideal chicken tender" and says, "These things are fresh, never frozen. ... You can taste the difference. They're so good. They make them all throughout the day, so ... they're always fresh."

As for the biscuits, in 2024, Garden & Gun held a competition for the South's Best Biscuit, and Parker's made it to the final round. In the South? That's saying something. 

The menu at Parker's is chock-full of different combos of chicken tenders, nuggets, legs or thighs, chicken sandwiches, and biscuit sandwiches, including the full gamut of breakfast offerings, like bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. But that's not the extent of the offerings at Parker's. 

In addition to standard fast-food fare like cheeseburgers, fries, and chicken sandwiches, Parker's has so many Southern staples. For breakfast, you can get biscuits and gravy or fried fish and grits. A first-time customer tried the fried fish and cheese grits for breakfast, saying in a TikTok review, "This fish is actually pretty good and well-seasoned. Like, it's seasoned all around, and the seasoning is balanced. It's really good, and it's fresh. Surprise, surprise, from a gas station!"

For lunch and dinner, there are fried pork chops and livers and gizzards. One devotee wrote on Facebook, "Their tenders are good, and corn nuggets, but the GIZZARDS ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD!" And Parker's Kitchen sides include mac and cheese and potato logs, which are breaded and fried potato wedges.

Even the drink offerings evoke the South. There's sweet tea and lemonade, and at the drink fountain, you can load up on what they call Chewy Ice, also known as pebble ice or nugget ice, which may be the worst choice for cocktails but is absolutely sublime when filled to the brim of a styrofoam cup holding fountain soda or sweet tea. Parker's Kitchen Chewy Ice is made from 100% filtered water, and you can even purchase it by the bag at any location.