The solid food view in Charlotte is ever - evolving , but no matter what chef or newfangled concept derive to townsfolk , we ’re still a Southern metropolis with a Southern appetite . Frombarbecueto mac & cheese , we love our comfort nutrient to death – peculiarly good ol’ fried chicken . One purveyor of poultry that stands above the rest and sells the absolute in effect : Quik Shoppe .

Wait, the best fried chicken is served where?!

Yes , that ’s right . The best damn fried wimp in Charlotte is sold at a gas post .

Stay with me here . I hear about the Quik Shoppe fried crybaby for years before I finally decided to assay it for myself , largely because I was skeptical that it was , in fact , thatgood . But I ’m tell you , it ’s the well fry crybaby in all of the Queen City .

I headed to the Quik Shoppe , located in an retiring white building at the Shell post at the turning point of East Blvd and South Blvd . Walking up to the building , I straightaway noticed a sign on the door proclaiming that the " Best Fried Chicken in Town " was served here . unbelieving , but impressed by the confidence , I walked inside . And flat ahead of me , would n’t you guess , was a show sheath fill with that lucky fried good that deeply - fried dream are made of .

Fried chicken in Charlotte

Daniel Fishel/Thrillist

There were more legs and breast in that case than in all of the strip clubs in Charlottecombined . Green bean , tater , macaroni & cheese , spicy chicken , regular crybaby , downy roll , slaw , and banana pudding were on display , and I was like a shot reminded of the kinsfolk reunions of my young , when everyone cooked or else of ordering catering .

I checked the time . It was 11:15am , and a line of descent was already initiate to constitute for lunch . I link up the crew .

What do others have to say about the chicken?

I wanted to get an approximation of how serious these folk were about the crybaby . I expect the charwoman in front of me in line if she ’d had it before . Her response may have been too enthusiastic for fried wimp , and she informed me that she comes to the Quik Shoppe at least once a week for lunch . " This stead is the cause I process out . " She laughed , took her Styrofoam box seat , and filled it with blue Gallus gallus , green beans , and a roll .

I was next up to chiropteran . Overwhelmed by the choice of spicy or regular , wings or breasts , I asked the cleaning woman behind the counterpunch what to tell . Little did I know that this cleaning woman with bright eyes and a contagious grinning was also the cook .

Tracy Diggs is one of the trained cooks at Quik Shoppe . After sampling the fry crybaby at the Brookshire Blvd placement ( one of five locations in Charlotte ) , she made it a finish to work at one of the location , specifically build the chicken .

Fried chicken Charlotte

Erin Maddrey/Thrillist

“ I watched the website and expect until a job open up , ” said Tracy . “ I was determined to have that job , and once a position opened up , I applied for it and I get it . In August , I will have been working and cook here for a year . ”

I then asked her if I should try spicy or veritable first . She smiled and handed me the large drumstick I ’ve ever seen .

And for the book , it was the spicy one .

Woman working at chicken shop in Charlotte

Erin Maddrey/Thrillist

How the hell did chicken end up at a Shell?

The Quik Shoppe was plant by Bob Spivey , who built his first store in 1982 in what ’s now the Brookshire location .

“ He need to do something different than the standard convenience store – grocery item and gas – so food it was , ” said Bobby Spivey , Bob ’s son and the United States President of Quik Shoppe Food Stores . “ My grandfather owned a restaurant when my dad was a teenager , so Bob was no stranger to the food for thought business . ”

Bob helped in the restaurant and ran it after his father passed away . Eventually the state of matter of North Carolina took possession of the eating place to begin building I-77 . Although the restaurant was no more , Bob took his knowledge and sum a deli antagonistic to his store , serve sandwiches and other entrees . The fried chicken was the standout peach .

What makes it thebestfried chicken?

Quik Shoppe has been serving fried chicken using the same formula since 1982 .

“ We actually got the recipe from one of our food service equipment vendors back in 1982 , ” enunciate Bobby . “ Much of [ the taste ] has to do with the unsubdivided process we keep up , from once we get the poulet into the store , to the time it takes to go into the pullet . ”

Six days a week , sweet poulet ( not that quick-frozen shite ) is delivered by truck to every Quik Shoppe location . Bobby sound out having fresh chicken " is a Brobdingnagian part " of why it ’s the good chicken in township .

“ In our five Charlotte stores , we sell about 500,000lbs of chicken a year , which equates to about 1,370lbs a solar day – all stores blend , ” aver Bobby .

Once the poulet arrives , Tracy and the other cooks are in charge of washing and preparing each bit . Typically starting at 8:30am , the first batch is out right at 10 am for the early lunch bunch .

Trying to be sneaky … err , I mean journalistic … I call for Tracy to say me the recipe . She just smile and said that it ’s a secret . But she did say ,   “ We do n’t practice any seasoning for the veritable chicken . No Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , no white pepper , nothing . The only thing we do time of year is the spicy wimp . We will prepare seasoning for that and let the poulet fleece overnight in the seasoner before we throw the pieces in the frier the next first light . ”

The no - time of year rule is used to play up the natural feeling and the freshness of the meat .

OK, so how does it taste?

Back in line now , I was handed a coveted piece of savory fried goodness , and treat to an expectant smiling on Tracy ’s face . I was quick to see if all the hype was true .

I claim a bragging , brute bite – and then it got weird . As the taste hit me , my eyes immediately got large , and I uttered a suggestive groan . Crunchy peel ; a perfectly seasoned kick ; the meat was juicy and luscious . I looked up at Tracy and she hand me a grinning .

Then she express joy at my reaction , and gave me an befittingly confident , “ Right ? ”

She was so right-hand .

I wo n’t lie : I ’ve had some delicious fry volaille in my lifetime . Hell , I ’ve even made some myself . Butnothingcompares to this Gallus gallus . So much , in fact , that I could n’t await until I got home to end up it . I shoot some back to my car and did n’t leave the parking lot until I was done . I also noticed that the great unwashed in motorcar on both sides of me were doing the exact same matter . We afford each other a knowing grin as we watched a line begin to snake out of the door of patrons waiting to order .

How can I get some?

It ’s really easy : go to one of the five Charlotte locations and rank it ; the wimp is served all day until it ’s blend .

Per Bobby Spivey , the top sellers are the jumbo poulet leg and the jumbo crybaby wing . Other favorites admit fried chicken liver with onions and deep-fried chicken gizzard ( do n’t ask , just order it ) .

My personal suggestion : go to the placement at the corner of South Blvd and East Blvd . But verify you get there before 11:30am to avoid the lunch line . And make certain you say hello to Tracy . If you ’re lucky , she will give you the best wimp you ’ve ever had served with a side of her gorgeous smile .

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