Charleston, SCFried Chicken

This Upper King spot, opened in an old body shop by restaurateur Brooks Reitz, pairs lightly battered fried chicken with chargrilled oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp and a crab Louie salad. Charleston Magazine's dining guide calls the chargrilled oysters a trademark. Order the fried chicken alongside a half-dozen chargrilled oysters and a glass of the rose on tap.

A Victorian townhouse on Queen Street since 1976, serving Southern fare that runs to she-crab soup and banana pudding alongside its brunch chicken and waffles. The Post and Courier's Building Blocks series breaks down that dish: quartered waffles under two fried chicken breasts, berries and powdered sugar. Order the chicken and waffles at brunch.

Family-run Gullah-Lowcountry cooking for 40+ years: chicken, crab rice, shark steak.

This North Charleston soul food counter has served hand-made Gullah-Lowcountry cooking under family ownership across four decades, per the Post and Courier's A to Z guide to Charleston's influential restaurants. The steam table runs to fried chicken, lima beans and collards, cafeteria-style. Order the fried chicken plate with two sides.

Boxcar Betty's has served fried chicken sandwiches since opening its first West Ashley store in 2014, since adding Summerville and Mount Pleasant locations. The Post and Courier profiled its shredded-lettuce topping and the chicken itself, which one customer called really good even while disputing the lettuce cut. Order the Boxcar sandwich as it comes.