I've been going to Hodaks since I was a young enough to sit in the high chairs. It is one of my favorite places to eat back home. I typically get the chicken tenders or cheeseburgers with French fries or mashed potatoes. They give you a lot of food that leaves you just enough to take when you go. For dessert I have a slice of cheesecake with strawberries-- the best way to top off a filling dinner. I'd go back any day! read more

I was looking for a great fried chicken place in the Lou after I briefly moved to the midwest for grad school. I saw this restaurant as it was featured on the food channel's Diners Drive Ins and Dives. It was my birthday weekend and I begged my boyfriend to make the drive out from neighboring Illinois. I loved the crispiness of the skin and the juicy meat inside. I ordered a side or crinkle cut fries and cole slaw that is obviously made in house. It was both sweet and tangy. Our server was very pleasant and informed me that had I actually come on my birthday I would have received my meal free of charge! This place is great for everyone, couples, families or even a single person who wants to sit down for a peaceful lunch. I would definitely recommend this place, if you want to break away from the usual fast food fried chicken joints. read more

Okay..lets be serious if u like bland fried chicken and sides eat here! The only thing decent is the sticky wings everything else is bland and non flavorful! I'm really upset cause I heard good things but Popeyes chicken is way better than this. I'm from the south and this may be a standard for STL but I doubt it the only reason this establishment stays in business is cause of old Caucasian people going there but I'm sorry I can't stand by bad food. Please don't make a mistake and eat there if u do. You have been warned! read more

The best food and great atmosphere. You have to dine here as St Louis staple. If you like home style meals and good service. read more

DINERS BEWARE -- AVOID THE CATFISH AT ALL COSTS. Usually, the food (especially fried chicken wings are GREAT!). Today (1PM) was very busy. My husband, daughter and I got a whole catfish. It tasted strange -- I thought it was the oil they used. Then my daughter said it was bad and tasted strange. My husband then said he didn't like it. I was eating at the tail end and it wasn't thick there. Then I moved up toward the gills/head and noted it wasn't flaking well and then saw it was translucent. By then we were all finished with our more than half uneated fish. My husband said there was water on his plate which accounted for the catfish not being completely thawed and flash fried which made the coating golden brown and done but raw in the thicker parts. My son-in-law rated his burger as mediocre. For a grand total of about $70, we could have all eaten for $25 at White Castle and at least the catfish nuggets would have been done. Shocked that they did not use a thermometer on the fish for the safety of their diners. Undercooked fish (I now know) can cause scombroid and ciguatera fish poisoning. Hope we all get through the remainder of the night okay. It will be a long time before I ever eat there, if ever again. They're fried wings are great but it will be awhile before I have the stomach for a repeat visit! read more

I have been going to Hodak's ever since I could remember. My cousin used to work there too, so for all family functions we had Hodak's chicken. It is a staple in my life. Be prepared to wait most of the time for a table, generally the line goes pretty quickly, because the service is quick and good. It is very reasonablably priced as well. I say this is the best chicken to be had in the city. However, a newcomer to my taste buds... Young's, out in Valley Park, might have the best chicken in the metro area! Either way, if you are in the mood for chicken, you can't go wrong with either! read more

Holy fried chicken!!! You know it's going to be good when the place is packed. We had the toasted ravioli and fried chicken. Perfect southern comfort style! Loved it! read more

The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! The have great fried chicken, and the best chicken fingers with honey mustard dipping sauce in the world! read more

Believe the hype. Worth a detour. NOW... having said that, sometimes I think there should be a special section on Yelp for burgers, pizza, barbecue, and fried chicken -- all items where passions run high and friendly disagreements can turn into fights to the death! I thought the fried chicken I had here was terrific. I would describe the crust as medium-thick. (Which is to say, too thick for some people and not thick enough for others! Go figure.) I ordered the dinner of five wings. (Not like Buffalo hot wings -- these wings are HUGE, apparently from some sort of giant chicken!) I had them with fries and coleslaw. Both were fine, but not life-changing. (How's THAT for an unreasonably high bar!) I sat at the bar, and the bartender was friendly and attentive, speedily refilling my iced tea glass. If you're in the area definitely make a trip. (Right before you head across town to Ted Drewes!) read more

This restaurant is really mediocre. I stopped here while on a road trip, so we were able to eat and be on our way, but the food is very bland and the brown gravy tastes weird. I ordered the chicken fried chicken and then didn't eat it, but it looked like it was probably good? The mac and cheese was pretty good, but like I said, pretty much all the food we got was just mediocre. read more

Service was fine and friendly, but I have no idea how it's been voted "best chicken St. Louis." Everything was edible, but completely bland and disappointing. I doubt we'll be going back again. read more

Had the half fried chicken dinner. The chicken was very good. They serve the bird piping hot and crispy. Good food at great prices!!

This is the place to be if you like excellent homemade fried chicken. You definatley get your money's worth at Hodak's. I think fried chicken is the 1st thing you should order but i also tried the country friend chicken there which was delicious topped with country style gravy. I think the fries are also nice and crispy and not greasy at all compared to other places i've ate at. If you're visiting St.Louis this is a place to visit for lunch or dinner. Also great service and always friendly and helpful staff. read more

Who said that this was the best chicken in St. Louis. ....well they lied I wasn't impressed. ...did they forget to add the seasoning.....the pasta I had along w/ the chicken was over cooked....someone prior to me wrote this place is for old ppl well they were right. ....next time I want fried chicken I'll stay hm and cook it myself. ...bty the potato salad was bland read more

On my third visit to STL, our group let me pick a place to dine. After reading the peer reviews, I selected this place. The reviews did not lie. We were sat quickly. Our server, which I assume to be the owner, was friendly. The portions were HUGE and very reasonably priced. I had the fried chicken, which everyone raved about, and it did not dissappoint. I will return here at least once more before leaving. read more

We love Hodak's I have been going there ever since I was a child. We would order Jack samon plates to go. My aunt and uncle would always get the chicken. It's been the go to place for good comfort food. The place is still the same after all these years. read more

Hodak's, oh, Hodak's. How I love coming to eat some of your fried chicken. Now, with that said I can say that I love this place for more than the chicken. I am a fan of the catfish as well PLUS all the fixings. They have great space for just a supper or for a party as well! read more

I am not from stl so maybe it's a stl thing. This chicken has zero flavor under the breading. It's so boring and bland. I just don't get what all the fuss is about. They have literally added no flavoring to the chicken! Zero taste! read more

Best fried chicken ever! And it's really dirt cheap, which is great. They don't take reservations and can get insanely crowded, but the line generally moves quickly. Best time to go is during the day; I've never had to wait in as long of a line for lunch. The sides aren't anything special, but you won't have room for them anyway after all the chicken you'll eat. read more

The food was nothing to brag about. Chicken was super unappealing...... almost disgusting. NO breading on it at all, basically plain chicken dropped into the deep fryer.... go down the street to rally's you would be better off read more

Famous for the fried chicken dinner (~$6.50 for 4 large pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, slaw, and the vegie of the day). I had the roast beef dinner and it was really good. I wish I could give this place 4.5 stars, but it's getting 4 stars because I don't like fried chicken. read more

Bring on the fried food. I feel my arteries clogging already. Not the type of place that I could go very often.

I didn't understand the hype until my last piece of chicken. Their Mac&Cheese is alright but not too big of a deal. I went piece by piece thinking the breeding was different but not too big of a deal. After biting into the chicken breast I was impressed. It was delicious, juicy, and succulent. It really hit me at the peak of fullness and I was astonished. It's been a while since I'd had as nice of a piece of chicken. Anyways, the place is decked out with a very homey feel to it with pictures brandishing the walls. If you're in the mood for chicken or just a decent meal and decent service this is definitely worth a try. read more

I love to support local business and this place is one of my favorites! Great food, great service, great amounts of food for your dollar! I'd recommend any visitor of St. Louis to drop by for a lunch or dinner here. You'll enjoy the atmosphere. Sunday's are pretty busy but still worth the wait. read more

Not sure I get it. The fried chicken was good, the sides are edible. This place is a St. Louis favorite--I'm just not sure why. I'll give it another go in the future. read more

Ive had hodak's a few times the last couple of years including tonight. If this is the best fried chicken in the city than there's something wrong with the state of good fried chicken places in St. Louis. The chicken was fried finely but i think it was just missing seasoning. Something that makes me say wow. But overall its a cool place but the next time i go it won't be for chicken read more

When I was in high school and in my first couple of years of college in St. Louis County, on the radio, there used to be commercials for Hodak's every day. There wasn't a week that went by when I listened to the radio without hearing several commercials for Hodak's. But those commercials were never enough to get me to go there. It wasn't until just recently that I have been to Hodak's a couple of times. Both times, I got the roast beef dinner that came with mashed potatoes and two side veggies. The beef appeared to be deli sliced and had gravy on it; the mashed potatoes were instant and tasted like it, but they had gravy on it, too. Once I ordered onion rings; it doesn't seem to matter where you might go or who makes them, but there never seems to be good onion rings anywhere, and that includes Hodak's. Except for the onion rings, the food didn't taste bad, and it was reasonably priced, too. When I go back, I guess that I should get something other than the roast beef dinner. I ordered that because my friend whom I was with said that he always got the roast beef dinner because he liked that best, but he and I both didn't like the instant mashed potatoes because they were instant; you can just tell the difference. read more

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Their fried chicken is medium breaded, crunchy, and delicious. The sides are band and so so. Mac n cheese tastes like boxed kraft mac n cheese except slightly better. Fries were standard frozen crinkle cut fries. Wait staff were very friendly. Nice country style environment. read more

Ate there last night. Went for chicken, but had never tried the fish before. I wish I had stayed with the chicken. The cod was a step below Gordon's Fish Sticks. Stay with the chicken when you visit. My personal favorite is the wing dinner! Also, be aware that they will NOT seat partial parties. Make sure all of your guests are there or you'll wait! read more

Decent place for chicken and fries. They use a bleach cleaner that stinks but other than that if you want fried chicken than Hodak's is the place. read more

This isn't your typical fried chicken, which is why I think I like it so much! The outer "breading" is a little lighter which really brings out the taste of the chicken. This is good considering the gigantic portions you get! The fries are good too but if I'm being honest, I'm pretty positive the green beans were straight out of a can onto the plate. Our waiter Tim was great too which really helped the experience. I'll definitely be back. read more

Sabrina and Nicole are some of the most genuine and conscientious servers in the industry. At the end of my meal I asked for one of their special Hodaks to-go cups; they told me that it was 2 dollars but I didn't have any cash on me. Sabrina then proceeded to take 2 dollars out of her own pocket to cover the cost. How sweet is that? read more

this one is difficult for me to review because i prefer eating the freshest foods i can. i eat pretty healthy, but every once and a while you need to eat at a place like hodak's to remind you of all the different kinds of delicious foods there are in the world. i had their fried catfish, their most famous dish. it was absolutely worth savoring those bites. i couldn't finish the whole thing, and i ate around some of the fried batter. but i think if i was more use to eating this kind of food it would have been a lot easier to stuff down. it is not badly priced for what you get. i think my meal came out to be 10 for my catfish, and two sides. i would say the quality of their food is the kind that maybe come out of giant smart and final packages, but it is the atmosphere that really gets a hold of you. it's home to st. louis ancestors. you'll find a lot of senior citizens, middle aged people, and people getting to be middle aged. you see kids with their parents. for my first time in st. louis it was a really great place to experience. read more

When I don't feel like cooking there pots & skillet r on......the chicken is all american fare nothing fancy pancy......and always hits the spot.... read more

If your on a diet or thinking about eating healthy, Hodaks really isn't for you. The portions are huge, pricing is good, but I was expecting a little more, being from California. I was expecting a little more flavor...the food just didn't really have any 'kick' to it, and was average, at best. But I guess for the price you can't beat it... read more

The potato skins were probably the best I've ever had. The fried chicken, on the other hand, was just so-so. The pieces were large and juicy, and the prices were great, but the chicken breading was uninspiring. I prefer having some herbs or spices in my fried chicken breading. read more

Chicken has a nice coating with good crunch but could use more seasoning. I think the mashed potatoes are instant. This place is pretty cheap though. I liked that I was able to order a chicken leg dinner since they are my favorite. You get 4 legs and 2 sides. The cole slaw is vinegar based which I don't mind but just keep in mind if you're expecting creamy bc it's not. read more

They serve a Lot of food, you can definitely split one for two. The service was great and the food is tasty. Best fried chicken? Yes it is!!! read more

People have been telling me to try Hodak's since I moved to STL in fall of 2014 and now I know why. You want large portions of perfectly fried chicken? Hodak's. Want a place where every employee is friendly and helpful? Hodak's. You want cheap, down home cooking? Hodak's. St Louis has some great chicken places, lots have come and gone, but Hodak's is a St. Louis staple for a reason. Try it, immediately. read more

Well it's not southern fried chicken but it's ok. They were super busy on Friday night about 8pm but we didn't have to wait on a table and our food came out fast. Mac and cheese was ok, not the best, but I am super picky about my Mac and cheese. The fries were good and my husband said the Cole slaw was good. We probably wouldn't come again. read more