Seattle ain't a midnight kind of town when it comes to satisfying the munchies. In the desperation only felt when you're staying at a discounted Holiday Inn, Jamie W. and I wanted a procrastinator's dinner but found few options open past 9PM. I found Ezell's on the Yelp list for late-night eats, so we trundled off into the dark unknown of the Central District. Upon first sight, Ezell's really looks like a converted Church's franchise. Upon second, third and fourth look for that matter. They even offer original recipe and spicy crispy options like any fast-food chain. The staff is genuinely friendly for a group surrounded by used frying oil, and there were so many variations on fried chicken parts that I was like a kid in a poultry slaughterhouse. Jamie went straight away for the $5.49 basket of Chicken Strips which satisfied his McNugget fix (see photo). I was torn since my default order at $7.59 is the combo two thighs and drumstick with cole slaw and dinner roll (see photo). However, I was also tempted by the $3.49 half-pound order of Fried Gizzards (see photo)... yes, Fried Gizzards, which I grew fond of at Harold's Chicken Shack near the University of Chicago campus. Memories. So I got both, dammit, and stop judging me. Thems gizzards were chewy good especially doused with hot sauce, and the dark meat pieces were fine although honestly nothing you couldn't get at a Church's franchise. By the way, you can't eat there. You wouldn't want to anyway. FOOD - 3 stars...good chicken, great gizzards AMBIANCE - 2 stars...rows of florescent lights and running chickens hand-painted on the window SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a friendly crew who gets along TOTAL - 3 stars...pretty good considering the fast-food vibe read more

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I came here on a Sunday evening to be a fat kid thinking that no one would be here. And the result? Long ass line! There's a reason for the high demand: the chicken here is just amazing! I've had original, spicy, chicken tenders, dark chicken, and all the different sides (e.g. mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, cole slaw). Below is my 2 cents for each one: Original v. spicy = SPICY is BETTER, so choose it! It is actually not that spicy if you compare it to other spicy food. Good kick that gives it some flavor, but does not detract from the overall intended taste of the meat. Chicken tenders = warm and tender and not too dry! I usually get the tenders with honey mustard (you get a choice of sauce), but the place also has ranch and BBQ sauce. Dark chicken = this is my usual go to (e.g. "3-piece dark") when I go to Ezell's. It is just so finger lickin' good I don't even how to characterize it! Rolls = warm and moist (funny how some people don't like the word 'moist'), but honestly I grew up with Popeye's and like their buttermilk biscuits more. That's probably just me though. Other sides = mashed potatoes and coleslaw are solid and complement well with the chicken. Plus, if you're like me, you'll feel a little bit healthier and less guiltier by eating them. Both are essentially vegetables, no? Just as a forewarning this place is not a sit down because there are no tables, but I guess you can sit on the hood of your car as you eat in the parking lot. Also, sometimes the credit card machine there does not work; I've had that happen to me maybe a few times. And word on the street is that Oprah will sometimes order Ezell's to have it flown over to her. That's how good it is! read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Two 3-piece dark and spicy on Memorial Day! - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Overhyped. Greasy. Taste just like regular fried chicken. No seating, just a to-go place. A little far from any other tourist destination, maybe because it's not one. Ezell's is so popular. Oprah is crazy about it. Eater says it's really good too. But after trying it ourselves, a little disappointed. Very greasy. And taste just like any other fried chicken, nothing special about it. Fries was the same, greasy and nothing special about it. I except that they serve crinkle fries. We also had the chicken tenders, same. The rolls were OK too. It's cute that it's served with a wrapper like muffin, but soft like cupcake. There is also no seating. So we brought them to our hotel room. But maybe that's just the way it is. Not a very big deal. Looked like we were the only tourist coming in that night. Maybe not a very popular tourist place. read more

I really want to support a local business. But this is hands down the WORST fried chicken you can find in Seattle. The chicken they serve is way too old, it is lukewarm at the best (yes, I ate it in my car right after I received it) and barely has any flavor. read more

Ambience. D Service. B Food. B Price. B Same old dingy not so pretty store front that looks like it's the origins and never updated. I just wanted wings, but didn't know they came attached to the breasts. So the pieces are huge and cold since I was at the late night takeout window. At least the skin and crust was still crunchy. Just heated until in oven for few mins to warm back up. Okay. Service was just lackluster but helpful when needed. $12 For 4 wings and 2 rolls...! . The takeout window is open after hours until 11:00 pm! I'd rather order during day when fried chicken comes out fresh and hot! read more

Needing a quick meal before going to a concert, I decided to get spicy chicken tenders at Ezell's. Having Ezell's at other locations before, I already knew what to expect. However, I found these chicken tenders to be the best I've had out of all the other locations. The breading & meat was cooked into perfection, making it stand out from all the others. The fact that it came out quickly as well makes me want to go the extra distance just to get it again. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Spicy Chicken Tenders at Ezell's. - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Gross don't recommend, first piece was dry and 2nd smelled and tasted funky. The Mac was good but that's about it, go to simple soulful further down the road if you want some good chicken. read more

Ok so here's the thing about Ezells. If you go in on a random night when business isn't good and get some lukewarm food sitting around then it's going to not taste as good as you were expecting after being told by someone that this is Oprah's fave fried chicken. Now if you go when they are cranking out hot fried chicken then you will most likely be happy with just about everything you order. The peach cobbler is a must. My only bit of feedback and what could really take this place to the next level is sometimes I can taste the oil it was cooked in and it doesn't taste very good. It's 2021, maybe try cooking in an oil that's not so bad that one can fry with. I think it'll pay off big time for them and immediately up the food quality. Otherwise love this spot. read more

The chicken was so tasty - Coming at the recommendation of my sister who lives in Seattle I just had to indulge for our picnic on the water. Their yeast rolls are so soft a d tasty with a crisp outer layer- likely the best ones I've had ever, anywhere!!! Ezell's tenders, lightly seasoned, crispy fried, the most delicious treat! Add in some Cajun fries and the meal is complete. I'll definitely be coming back for more read more

Oprah's favorite fried chicken so I definitely had to give it a shot Verdict? Some of the crispiest skin I've ever eaten but that's where the fun stops. The chicken itself was mad oily and had very low flavor profile. The tenders were just bad, regular and "spicy". Mad dried with no taste The dinner roll was ok Expensive, easy parking, and staff were ok read more

Visited Seattle with my husband and being the fried chicken lover himself, he was adamant that we tried this place out! Fantastic fried chicken! Love the thick batter coating and crunch at every bite! Husband enjoyed their gizzards also. Came here twice (almost three times) during our stay. We will be back during our next visit! They definitely need a location in California! read more

Finally tried this spot and am not sure why this place is so popular. The sides are not good and the chicken itself is way too old when received. Nothing is near fresh. I'd definitely rather go to Popeyes. read more

COVID-19 Review~ Super disappointed with our meal here. We were craving some fried chicken and decided to check our Ezell's. They have take out and delivery and we opted for take out. Got the 8 piece combo original with mac and cheese and the creamy slaw. Not sure if it's because business is slower or what, but everything was bland, tasteless. (1) Chicken: tasted like it had been sitting out for ages - very dry layer under the skin, no flavor. I had to bust out some bbq sauce to make it edible. The skin was a good crispy but no flavor at all. (2) Sides: both were really bland. (3) Bread rolls: read a review that said these were great. Tasted like regular white bread. Didn't think there was anything special about it. Overall super disappointing meal. KFC and Popeyes have way more flavor compared to Ezell's. Not sure we'll be back. read more

Ezell's chicken at Garfield is TERRIBLE/ it is Extremely dry, the chicken is cooked so dark it looks burnt. Even my babies didn't eat it they only ate the fries. The chicken is NOT FAMOUS... in fact Ezell would NEVER serbe this Garbage cardboand so call chicken. It's horrible & then they got the nerve to want a tip!... Here's one for you! TIP: learn how to cook chicken I spent 18$ for chicken I could not eat! Y'all got to do better , because right now it's BAD TTHAT BIRD IS DEAD! read more

The best location. Rolls are way thicker than other stores and the 1lb of tenders is actually 1lb. Other locations seem to skimp.

One of their employee didn't wear her mask on while packing the food. We asked for a new order with her face mask on, but she only covered her mouth...... It makes me feel very uncomfortable and unsafe buying food here, especially they talk a lot and loud. Due to the Covid 19, I will never come back. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Good chicken went yesterday and I was surprised on how good it taste and my standards can be pretty high

Nostalgia. You were fried out of your mind when you were 15 and you ordered a basket of tenders in the CD in the summertime with your buddies when the newest rap album released and you felt like you were flying. You know why you're here again, don't lie to yourself, nostalgia and simpler times. read more

A lot of friends kept raving about Ezell's and I finally got to try it before hopping on a ferry. Its definitely worth a visit! They give you huge portions, the skin is perfectly crispy and in the center a nice hot juicy piece of chicken. Of all the sides they offer I think the mashed potatoes and gravy hits it out of the park. There is no seating, you walk in order and go back to the parking lot. You will most likely have to wait in line as it gets packed quick read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I used to go here at least 2x per week. The quality and consistency has really dropped off the past year at the 23rd, Bellevue and Factoria locations (they are my go-to's). Chicken is very dry (refried to reheat), lacks flavor and is occasionally burnt from the refrying. The tenders used to be amazing but the refrying to reheat has rendered them dry and tasteless. Spicy is now almost no spice. Grew too fast I guess and not enough quality auditing. It looks like management does reach out to bad reviews but there is a definite trend in the past 1-2 years about the chicken being dry and lacking flavor so seems like a systemic issue that is not being addressed. And the issue is across multiple locations. read more

Food was delicious....at the least the food we actually received was. When we received our order we were missing multiple sides and had no utensils. I don't know what happened but hopefully this doesn't happen again . read more

While in Seattle... I had this craving for fried chicken. After searching Yelp and seeing pictures, we decided to get lunch here. Price - reasonable for what you get. But seriously who pays for hot sauce? I think it was 50 cents for hot sauce. Isn't this part of the condiments? Like honey and butter or salt and pepper? Food - our fried chicken was dried. I'm a legs and thighs kinda girl and my other half is a breast and wing kinda man. It was disappointing because I was craving for fried chicken. I can't recall the sides we got, but those didn't matter because I really just wanted fried chicken. Will we back when in town? Most likely not. read more

This was a mixed experience for me. The food was great. The chicken tasted fresh and it tasted like a home cooked chicken I ate as a kid. It was soft and juicy. The fries were good too. The bread roll had a good flavor. Now the service was not good. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good either. My cashier acted like I was disturbing him. It's as if they all didn't care if customers went to the store to buy their product. It was not busy. There was only one other customer and there were 4 of them just standing there talking. The price of the food was really good because of the quality of the food. I only gave it 3 stars because of the customer service. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - My receipt. I stopped by inside because I wanted to buy a drink. I ended up buying a meal. - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I Love Ezell's chicken! The best in Seattle! :) Their mashed potatoes are the bomb. Not to mention their gizzards. I could eat that all day. I think their spicy is the best. I love going to Ezell's and it's family owned. I will go to Ezell's over KFC and Popeye's! Their biscuits are warm and soft. Ps. I don't mind the location read more

Finger lickin' good fried chicken from an affordable Seattle's institution! We stopped by this place to grab some chicken/sides for a dinner meal and were not disappointed. You get to choose whether you want spicy or regular chicken (for us, we tried both and both preferred spicy one...because it has more spice to it...wasn't spicy though!) and some sides to go along with it (we picked mashed potatoes & gravy and bbq baked beans...they were ok.nothing to rave home about). What we loved though were the hot rolls that came with it...the rolls were hot/warm and were so soft that when you I honestly could just eat the rolls alone without the chicken and be completely happy with my meal. Sadly though, we had some leftover rolls the next day, and they didn't taste anywhere close to the night we got the meal though..so be warned..and eat your rolls immediately! :) Overall, this place has no tables to sit. It's literally just a kitchen/cashier...you can park your car in a lot, get your chicken..and eat in a parking lot..or else..just take them to go at home. Wouldn't mind stopping by again next time if I craved fried chicken comfort for sure. read more

I'm from the south so i have high expectations for fried chicken. Ezells will satisfy that craving for fried chicken and i recommend to go spicy as it isnt overbearing. That said, the chicken is quite dry and lacks a distinct flavor - they could up the seasoning in their breading and fry via a different method that locks in juices. The okra was also fine, but terribly dry and again the breading lacks flavor. read more

This was the restaurant that was made famous by Oprah Winfrey and they for really popular and expanded. Maybe if the chicken wasn't already fried and sitting under the heat lamp for awhile, it probably would be better. The mashed potatoes were very airy to me and the potatoes salad was ok. There's no real "wow" to this restaurant. I wish I could say it was the best ever, but it's not. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Maybe we got a bad batch but I'm not seeing what the fuss is about. Since nobody had eaten lunch, the five of us got the 16 piece meal with some fried okra and crinkle cut fries. Needless to say, the first piece of thigh felt gloriously crispy and tender. But as I kept eating, the feeling of good fried chicken started to fade and the feeling of oiliness crept up. Some of the pieces ended up being dry on the inside and needed ketchup/hot sauce to give it a boost. The okra was over-fried, giving it a dark crunchy taste, and also oil-laden. The fries were unremarkable. The breaded muffins were good though, soft and pillowy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I'd come back but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so. read more

This Ezell's restaurant used to be the place to get some of the best chicken, rolls, potatoes, and other sides in the Central District. I have been dining there since 1990. My "Go to Order" was always a chicken breast and a chicken leg, with a biscuit. Oh, and a jalapeno pepper. I would squeeze some jalapeno over the chicken, break off some, and then pop it in my mouth followed by a bite of jalapeno, then a bite of the roll. Unfortunately, over the years over the years, and most recently, I have witness Ezell's Famous Chicken start dying a slow death. Now don't get me wrong, there will always people flocking to this restaurant, primarily because of the high school right across the street. At lunch time Ezell's is filled with students on their break. However, I have come to realize that it is a fact that kids will eat just about anything. Well maybe not broccoli, spinach, lima beans, and peas, but they will eat Ezell's Chicken regardless of whether it's good or not so good. Nowadays Ezell's chicken is is insanely dry and has lost its natural juiciness. Even my jalapeno juice from the peppers can't bring back the moisture to the chicken. And the rolls they used to have a tinge of sweetness to them are just not the same anymore. I did get some fried okra there not that long ago. And it was quite good. Although I'm pretty sure it's not worth the hassle to park, get out of my car, and go in and just order fried okra. So I have no more reason to go to Ezell's! read more

Really was expecting a lot from Ezell's. Walking in, I saw how busy it was, so my hopes were for them to be finger-licking good! Looking back on reviews saying Oprah liked it and so did Guy Fieri, so I had really high expectations. The cashier was quick, friendly, and to the point when it came to ordering. She knew how to handle the rush of people. Came here as it was requested for our potluck at work by actual Seattleites. Super bummed that it was similar to how grocery store fried chicken is. Maybe if I got the spicy one it would've been tastier? Who knows. It just wasn't salty, didn't have enough crunch to it, all in all very 'meh.' The chicken meat itself was not moist, it was actually dry and felt over cooked as far as texture goes. Perhaps I should've eaten it spicy or with the cornbread or biscuit or muffin or sides but I feel like if I'm here for fried chicken it should stand on it's own just fine. It was not the best fried chicken I've had. Sad to say but Popeyes chicken is better y'all! read more

This place is all about the chicken. Get it hot and eat and enjoy. The location itself is a little rough, it's one of those restaurants that is always so busy that they don't have to worry about anything but getting more food out to the people that want it. In the case of Ezell's, that means that there is no place to sit and eat your food there. It is all takeout. The staff is pretty darn good, you can tell they are working to get you your food and care about the customers. Sometimes this isn't the case with restaurants with strong followings like Ezell's. The parking in the area can be rough. The Ezell's parking lot itself is somewhat small and always full with people trying to get some of the best chicken in Seattle. The prices are reasonable and the selection of food is vast. There are many different things to get here, some of them I've never tried, like fried gizzards. Definitely stop in and get some food here. read more

I never go on Yelp to bitch and moan cause I understand not everything can go right all the time... and when things go wrong most make an effort to fix it when it is their fault, but I guess there is a first for everything. We heard so much about this place. Even though the neighborhood isn't the best and there's homeless hanging out by the door, we figured its still worth a try. We ordered a 4 piece meal (to go only) and later found at home the staff gave us only 2 pieces. I didn't think I had to check cause the guy who packed the meal (see picture) said, order #28, four piece dark. But now I understand, though don't agree, with the sign asking us to check our order cause that should be the employees job maybe? I called them when we found out. I fine having them adjust the price to account for the missing pieces since people make mistakes and I didn't want to drive all the way back. I did not want or expect a discount or compensation, only to pay for what I was given. The punchline was when lady on the phone insisted we had to drive all the way back to the store to talk to the manager. Really? What will that prove if we bring the by then two pieces of cold chicken back? Horrible customer experience for "okay" fried chicken. I'd rather pay a bit more to go to Mo'ana for better fried chicken and MUCH better service. On a side note, that signed autograph from Oprah was back when she was VERY skinny... I wonder how long ago that vote of confidence was. read more

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Just because it has a name doesn't mean it's good. Absolutely no seasoning on the chicken. The sides were terrible and the rolls weren't good at all. There are so many places in Seattle that have amazing fried chicken. This is not one of them.. Southern fried chicken...not even close! read more

It is finger licking good and STRAIGHT outta the south! The service was great and the staff was nice as well! You can choose whether you want regular or spicy so there is customization, although I am biased because the spicy is awesome. Be warned, there really isn't a "sit down" type of place. It is mostly just staff and you grab and go. SO if you are looking for sit down, you might want to go elsewhere. I moved here recently from the South. I don't miss much about the south, but one of the things that I do miss is the fried chicken. I can honestly say this is the BEST fried chicken in Seattle. The tenders are cooked just right without being too tender or crispy. They have just the right flavor. The mashed potatoes and gravy are to DIE for as well. Myself and my partner both enjoy Ezell' s. The service is awesome and the taste is delicious. I highly recommend if you are looking for some tasty southern style comfort food! :) read more

Solid chicken. Great sides. Affordable to eat. What else do you need? Service is fast and the food is still hot when you get home to chow down. So close to home and yet reminds me of Georgia at the same time! read more

Dude, they have roaches. 100% I seen one today after ordering my food, the cashier literally smashed it infront of me. Anyone contesting this argument, go an check out the store yourself. Just look around I guarantee youll spot one. It was huge too fully grown. Do not come here read more

Rude, blaming, inattentive staff.. Completely forgot my order, waited 15 minutes, then another worker blamed me instead?? Saying I forgot? I literally ordered at the counter and waited. You all forgot, and I don't appreciate being treated like this as a customer, telling me it's my fault that YOU forgot my order. Never going back! AVOID! read more

Still love the food, but if you're ordering through DoorDash you can almost guarantee that your order will be missing multiple items. It's happened to us 3 times and when you try to get the order resolved, the staff is super indifferent. Only about half of the staff are wearing masks and gloves which is super sketchy during a pandemic. We won't be back unfortunately read more

Literally the worst chicken I've had in years. I ordered a 4 piece white and got 4 thighs. When did thigh meat become white meat. It's was supposed to be spicy and it was not. Order 1/2 of chicken livers (spicy) and they were not spicy either. The mashed potatoes were terrible. Baked beans (straight from thr can). Best thing about any of the food I ordered was the peach cobbler. The sweet potatoe pie tastes like chemicals. It's horrible as well. Oh and the rolls were great. No pic needed. Stay away from this place at all costs. Second time trying the chicken here in 3 years. I won't make a 3rd order. read more

The original location in all its glory. Living a block away doesn't help in trying to walk to places more as opposed to driving. The smell wafts through the neighborhood. I enjoy getting the spicy two piece meal that comes with the bread. Just the right amount of juicy in the chicken. The sides are average and nothing to call home about. The downside of it is that sauces are charged extra. Definitely something to try when you're in Seattle and cravings hit you hard in the face. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Southern Near Me - Seattle, Washington