Southern California has lots of options for reasonably-priced, ready-made, easily accessible tasty meals. When it comes to crunchy, drool-inducing fried chicken, you can even get it at a local supermarket like Albertsons, Gelson’s, and Ralphs.
“It winds up being that perfect go-to meal, especially in times when we require comfort,” says Eater LA reporter Mona Holmes.
Holmes says that Ralphs has some of the best fried chicken in the city, but there is another great option in Long Beach: Ma ‘n Pa Grocery. “This market is actually 100 years old. … And on Wednesdays, they make delicious fried chicken right in the store.”
Holmes adds that another highlight is Qchon Chicken from S-Mart in Torrance. “One thing I noticed more than anything is when I brought the bag of drummettes into the car — is the smell. … There would be no escaping from this aroma. It was outstanding.”
One more to try is Krispy Krunchy Chicken, says Holmes, which people can find all over Southern California. “They’re Louisiana-based, and they just have managed to put together a couple of stops in grocery stores throughout Los Angeles but also gas station mini-markets. … And just like the name says, it’s crispy crunchy, kind of overwhelmingly so in a great way.”