Esquire magazine’s “Eat Like a Man” blog announced Wednesday that Ezell’s Famous Chicken won its latest nationwide, internet poll in life-changing eating, this time for the best fried chicken in America, in the end, Ezell’s walked away with nearly 50 percent of the vote among the eight competitors.
“We’re blown away by generous support of our customers,” says Lewis Rudd, co-founder, CEO & President. Ezell’s has seven fast-casual restaurants in the Greater Puget Sound area. “Having this happen is about as big as when Oprah Winfrey mentioned it on her show, after we catered her birthday party at Harpo Studios.”
In recognition of being named America’s Favorite Fried Chicken, Ezell’s is offering all its valued customers a ‘Life-Changing‘ deal by pricing its popular two-piece dark meat menu item at $1.40 – the same amount charged in 1984, the year the restaurant first opened. The $4.39 two-piece dark with a fresh-baked roll priced at $1.40 special is for one day only – Monday, July 30, from open to close (while supplies last, limit one per customer.)
And if that’s not enough, Ezell’s will celebrate its post as America’s favorite and its founding birthday (1984) by introducing a new menu item beginning mid August:
The Life-Changing Chicken Combo ($19.84)
Includes six pieces of chicken, six fresh-baked rolls, one large side and two desserts of a customer’s choosing and two regular soft drinks.
Ezell’s has been serving up America’s Favorite Fried Chicken for more than 25 years in the Pacific Northwest, starting in Seattle’s Central District. The mission was simple: To provide always fresh, high-quality chicken along with good, made-from-scratch-daily side dishes and serve them with fast, courteous service. In short, Ezell’s had to be fresh, good and fast.
Ezell’s Famous Fried Chicken plans to add more neighborhood locations over the next year and is looking at sites in Mill Creek, Lynnwood, Redmond, Rainier Valley, Factoria, Federal Way and Puyallup, among other locations in the Pacific Northwest region.
“From the beginning, we chose to use the best product, the best ingredients,” says Rudd. “Even before trans fat-free was the law, we used trans fat-free oils and continue to use 100-percent vegetable oils for all our frying.”
Each restaurant marinates its own chicken using New Orleans-style Creole seasoning and a dash of cayenne pepper to the breading which gives added zing to the recipe. That marinating process, says Rudd, ensures Ezell’s chicken is flavorful to the last bite – and no doubt key to being named America’s Favorite Fried Chicken.
Founded in 1984 in Seattle’s Central District, Ezell’s Famous Chicken is a family-owned and operated company. Its chain of seven fast-casual restaurants are located in cities throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. For more information on the award-winning company, please visit www.ezellschicken.com, on Facebook at EzellsFamousChicken or on Twitter @Ezells_Chicken.
