Thank you so much for the report! Excellent as always. So sorry to hear about Crawford’s but thank you for saving me a trip, I was curious about their OG location. LOL, maybe you’ll go there next 
? (Jk)
I’m glad you got to try Shaq’s place, because that was another place that just came up for me a few weeks ago, and bookmarked. I had no idea he had a restaurant downtown called Shaquille‘s.
Looking forward to Hungry Fox and their corned beef hash!!
Thanks for another awesome thorough report!!
Couple notes…I still haven’t been to Gus’ fried chicken, but the chicken in your pictures looks seriously delicious. I’m not sure if they changed the temp they fry them since they first opened, but doesn’t look as dark and it looks perfectly crispy. I need to make a visit.
I freaking love Jim Dandy’s. I don’t think any place can compete in their price point. You can get 18 pieces for $20!! That’s crazy talk! I enjoy both the original and spicy, but their spicy is not really spicy like the newer spicy chicken places. Still delicious.
Next time you’re in Glendale area, try Rockbird. I had a really solid chicken sandwich there.
Crawford’s closing up shop by end of the month if they haven’t already.
Hi @Chowseeker1999 -
So, I guess you didn’t like Hotville Chicken. 
But your Gus’s Fried Chicken looks greatly improved. I’ll give them another try!
Which Popeyes locations did you go to? My favorite is at La Brea/Jefferson. I had the sandwich a couple months ago and thought it was definitely the best fast food Chicken Sandwich. Doubt I’d order it again because I don’t love Fried Chicken in a sandwich. Surprising, I know. I haven’t even had Howlin’ Ray’s yet. My go to at Popeyes is the Red Beans & Rice w/Spicy Chicken Cracklins on top! 
Just for the record, folks. I don’t think anybody was actually killed or wrecked their car over a Chicken Sandwich. There were a few crazies doing what crazies do, act crazy. There are over 3,000 Popeyes locations in the U.S. and the media uses a few jackasses to paint all Popeyes customers with one big negative brush. 
Tremendous research as usual! Thanks! 
Cluck, Cluck.
It was a bloodbath! 
What an amazing report, @Chowseeker1999. Totally epic!!!
Question: do you think the Huckleberry version is worth ~$17? They also do “hot chicken nights” (https://www.huckleberrycafe.com/hot-chicken-nights-thursdays-fridays/), and I am thinking of going. But $17 for the plates they’re showing on-line seems a bit… precious?
Hi @Gr8pimpin,
Thanks. I had heard about Shaquille’s in Downtown before, but figured it might’ve just been for tourists at L.A. Live, but after they announced a new place focused just on Fried Chicken Sandwiches, we figured it might be worth checking out. 
Hope you like Hungry Fox when you visit. Please report back on how it compares with your favorite corned beef hash dishes.
Hi @tailbacku,
Thanks, and thank you for the heads up on Rockbird; I’ll have to give it a try next time I’m in the area… and when I can eat another fried chicken sandwich.
Hi @TheCookie,
Thanks. Yah our visit to Gus’s OG location was better than our previous ones. It might’ve been the immediate contrast of having gone to Hotville (and the mediocrity we had), and then we all drove up to Gus’s right after and had that experience (to make it that much better), but it was solid.
Popeyes, yes! The La Brea/Jefferson one was our go-to as well. And another one was in Pasadena when we visited our friends in the area. I’m like you: I prefer bone-in classic Fried Chicken vs. having it in a sandwich, but you should definitely try Howlin’ Ray’s Sando just once to understand why people love it so much.
For the Popeyes madness, actually I think it really did happen. Here’s one news article link to the murder. And I saw a video posted months ago when 2 customers were fighting to squeeze into the drive-thru of a Popeyes (huge line / deadlocked) and one driver was so desperate they squeezed against a concrete column and scratched up / tore up their car in the process, just to cut ahead of the other car(!). 
I finally tried Popeye’s, didn’t enjoy it, batter to crunchy (hard?) and very salty. It’s a decent effort, not my cup of tea, prefer Chik-Fil-A for fast food option.
agree with you!!
The Popeyes sandwich is COMPLETELY different than the rollout. I was there the first week and had one. Super thick, bun was different.
When I had the sandwich a few weeks ago, I had to research online to see if there had been a different preparation method, like something was missing. Because it was so completely different. Even the pickles, while they tasted good, weren’t the same.
I’ve had it two more times since.
The chicken is much thinner and the sandwich is now only suitable for conveniently scratching an itch.
Corporate denies that there’s any difference, but we aren’t the only ones noticing the change.
The biggest difference I noticed is they were making them 40 at a time so they sat under heat lamps for far too long.
Thank you. 
About Huckleberry, that’s tough. I know you value QPR a lot (which is good), and when you consider that Howlin’ Ray’s Sando (easily #1, not even close), and that’s only $12 (w/ no sides, though), and Huckleberry’s is $17 (w/ a side salad), it’s not too far off.
To be fair the Mixed Green Salad that comes with the Huckleberry Sandwich is pretty fresh, vibrant (doesn’t taste like the generic “Mixed Green” wholesale product you see at many restaurants). Considering you don’t have to wait in a massive line for the Sandwich (like you do for Howlin’ Ray’s), it is certainly very good.
But ultimately it’s your call: If you feel $17 is pushing it, then it might be best to wait until you get to Howlin’ Ray’s again, but if you’re in the mood for a very good Fried Chicken Sandwich (Organic), without a long wait, then it’s worth it. 
I wanted to try their hot chicken nights, but every time I remember about it, it’s too late, and we already have dinner plans. 
I’ll report back if I finally remember to try it.
Ahhhh how wonderful…3 hours of jubilance, cheeriness and fun in a beautiful environment. Why in the world would anyone even go to Hawaii?
Hi @Chowseeker1999 -
Yes, I’m definitely getting the HR Sandwich on the next visit. Everyone seems to love it and HR posts the darn thing on IG almost everyday like some kind of brainwashing technique. 
It’s so hard to get into the place that I only ordered what I really wanted. But I 
the Tenders and am sure the Sandwich will be delicious.
I’m sure your reaction to Gus’s was helped by the extremely bad experience you had at Hotville. But the Chicken you posted looked much juicier than the times we had it.
Haha… Yes, I know the incidences actually happened at Popeyes and have seen more than one video… Cray, Cray! But people don’t behave that way over a Chicken Sandwich. They behave that way because they have issues. The media narrative that Popeyes’ customers (predominantly black) are so desperate to get their chicken that they’re ramming cars and killing each other kinda’ sucks. The other day I witnessed the same behavior over a parking spot by a Beverly Hills matron in a Mercedes. She dented a car and almost ran over a child. The police just stood there pleading with her to calm down.
Happy Fried Chicken Eating!
Funny!!!
This is a must. Not brainwashing, its tastebud washing.
I’d just pre-bang next door at Pearl River Deli 3 or 4 times.
wish Lasa was still open for lunch. I was a big fan of their pansit