BEST CRISPY NON-OILY BROASTED CHICKEN OUT THERE. Their Tenders are equally Excellent. I'm a 20+ year Bell Gardens located Roofing Contractor and I treat my office & sales staff lunch from Pioneer a couple times monthly as zero us left over... Royal Roofing (.com) Company Owner Steve read more

Honestly the food critics on social media overhyped this place. Pros: Chicken tenders (not in pic) was crispy & juicy, mac salad & mash was good nothing spectacular, nice batter on fish Cons: Batter on chicken tasted like burnt chicken or old oil, fries were mid not that fresh, the biscuits werent biscuits its basically a cooked dinner roll super dry. The chicken thigh was super dry as well. Tried this place out because we saw the foodie ppl on socials going crazy bout it but definitely overhyped, wont come back again. I'll give this place a 5. read more

Pioneer Chicken - Fish & chips, 3 piece chicken dinner with mac salad & mash missing: "biscuits" - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

Yes! I took a couple of pics this time! First of all, if you live near this gem of a chicken spot, you better feel grateful! :) You are one of the lucky ones. Lol Flew down to LA on a business trip. Picked up my rental and guess where I drove directly? Yup, you guessed it, Pioneer Chicken! I spent my early teens and high school years down here in LA, well, Cerritos to be exact. And back then (the 80's) there were quite a few of these chicken spots, I think they had like 20 or 30 of them sprinkled all throughout the Los Angeles area. I use to frequent the one in Norwalk...ALL THE TIME! Back then I did a lot of drugs and a lot of Pioneer Chicken! Ha! :) Today I walked in and nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks! I literally almost cried. After, what, like 30 plus years, here I am again. My goodness, my meal was heavenly, delicious and yes, I can't wait to return! The only thing different this time around is the customer service. I don't remember the staff being so nice as they were. The staff here were so kind and I absolutely loved their smiles. Food does taste way better with a happy heart. That is why restaurant people, customer service is a cornerstone in having a yummy and thriving restaurant. Our senses are all so tightly connected. Oh, here I go digressing again. Anyways as I was saying... Perhaps they understood and knew they were working for an establishment that is truly epic! Or, they themselves loved chicken and secretly deep down inside they knew after their shift... they were about to get some! Chicken that is! Hahha :) I loved the simplicity of this place, and the feel/vibe was about the same. Essentially the ambiance was quite the same as before. The smell was the same of course. Oh, and the mac salad, good Lord! Tasted exactly the same as I remember. My biggest motivation to acquire more accounts in LA? You guessed it, so I can go again to this amazing chicken spot! I love you, Pioneer Chicken! Sincerely, a silly Gen X'er, fried chicken-oholic! :) read more

Wow what a blast to the past stepping foot inside Pioneer Chicken! It looks like nothing has been updated since it was built and I love that! The food was made fresh as I had to wait for it and it was piping hot when I got it. And to have an orange bang with it was icing in the cake! Chicken was nice and crunchy and tasted great. The spicy rice was really good and I wish I ordered a large side of it to take home. The biscuit was good and the wedges were nice and crispy. Next time I'm in the area I'll definitely be back! read more

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Hella old-school fried chicken! I wish they had locations closer to me, but whenever I'm in the area, I'll definitely make a point to visit. I got the 3-piece combo with all thighs, rice, and coleslaw for $15 out the door--that's not bad. I was mainly looking for chicken-only deals, but still good. It's been so long, I forgot how spicy the rice was, and the coleslaw was nice and crunchy! The guy taking my order said fries came with the meal, but I didn't get them?? Overall, bomb chicken. read more

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I came here after seeing Joshua Weissman give this place an S tier review in a Youtube video. Never having heard of this place, I really really wanted to try it. I'm always up for good fried chicken! And it was a solid recommendation! This is probably one of the crispiest fried chicken I've ever had. He was right in describing it as almost glass like? It doesn't like cut you're teeth, it just kind of shatters in a very very satisfying way. That being said, the only reason it's not getting a five star is that I think it's lacking in the flavor department? If they had a spicy option I'd totally get that instead. Or any sort of seasoning. As is, it kinda tasted bland to me? It's fine when it's hot and fresh I supposed, but I found myself wishing for the flavor profile of places like Jollibee's and Popeye's. Interior was clean and quite classic! read more

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I honestly don't understand why I have never stepped foot in this establishment since my childhood or most of my adulthood. Today was finally the day! Haha. I ordered the 9 piece chicken strips side order of biscuits and onions rings. All I gotta say is wow. The batter is light and crispy the tenders just come apart the biscuits are sweet soft and airy and the onion rings were legit too. I am definitely a customer now and will come back to both locations! Service is great and ambiance is clean and straight to the point. Give this place a chance and explore their entire menu. read more

Pioneer Chicken - The meal - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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Pioneer my all time favorite chicken place I grew up with it Damon huge hugs and lots of fun blessings and memories the chicken is always good and fresh the best way is when they first open its the secret that works every time it's a awesome chicken joint my favorite 8am friends with the owner Mike he is so Cool and nice it's a good place to have Golden fried chicken let's build more of them in the future Damon blessings. read more

Pioneer Chicken - My best friends and me Damon - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

Amazing chicken from my childhood just as good as I remember. Back in the day I was lucky to have a Pioneer Chicken in the city I lived in. Sadly they are down to 2 locations in Southern California so this was a treat. Brought chicken to bring to my brother's house all the way in Long Beach and it was still warm and crispy! Had to get strips and corn on the cob too. Was low key hoping to see the corn on the cob rolling in circles in the yellow butter sauce. LOL. Cashier was patient while I tried to decide how many of each thing to order. The dining room is straight out of the 80s but it was clean and well maintained. I brought home the leftover chicken to eat the next day and it was just as delicious. I just microwaved it a bit then threw it in the air fryer. read more

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(4/5) Tried Pioneer Chicken and went with the 4-piece chicken strip meal with potato salad, coleslaw, and a biscuit. * The chicken strips were well-seasoned and juicy, though the portions ran a bit on the smaller side -- still the standout of the meal (5/5). * The potato salad was better than I expected, just could've used a little more flavor (3.5/5). * The coleslaw leaned slightly dry, but the seasoning was solid (3.5/5). * The biscuit looked promising but didn't quite deliver in flavor (3/5). The drive-thru took a bit longer than expected, but the staff was friendly and professional. I didn't dine in, so I can't fully speak to the ambiance; however, the interior decor felt nostalgic and brought back childhood memories of going to Pioneer with my family. Overall, a solid experience, but at $19, the portions should be more generous. For a four-piece meal with two sides and a biscuit, no one should be left hungry. I'd still come back to try other menu items and see how they stack up. read more

Pioneer Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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Thank god this place isn't close to me. I'd eat here all the time. Chicken tastes how it did when they were all over the place in the 90's. Service was great and the seating area was clean. read more

This location is an iconic spot it's been here for years and always hits. There chicken is prepped and cooked to perfection. I love their chicken strips and sides. For as old as this place is it's still clean and up to date. Plus the service is always friendly will definitely return. read more

I had no idea there was a Pioneer Chicken so close to where I work until my best friend picked me up for a birthday lunch. We were heading somewhere else when we spotted the sign and instantly decided to stop. Growing up in Los Angeles, my family would order Pioneer Chicken often, so seeing one still around brought back a flood of nostalgia. We parked in the lot and placed our order at the counter. I'm happy to report that the food still tastes just like I remember from my childhood--crispy, flavorful, and comforting. The restaurant itself feels like stepping back in time, with that old-school charm intact. They accept cash, card, and tap payments, and even have a drive-thru for added convenience. I couldn't resist grabbing some extra food to take home and share with my wife. It was such a fun surprise to rediscover a piece of LA history that's still serving up great fried chicken. read more

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Best chicken ever! I wish there were more locations. I drive the 100 miles from Palm Springs just to have a piece.

First off, this review will probably end up hidden under "other reviews that are not currently recommended." Yelp isn't fair about when you leave an honest review & will either delete this review or hide because this is no longer an honest review site. Anyways, I hadn't had Pioneer in about 35 years so we decided to go! The service was slow & it took some time for our order to be ready. The chicken was not too greasy & was tasty. Everything was crispy & hot. The takeaway was there's no free refills on drinks! Also, they nickel & dime you on condiments. Why do this to your paying customers? Nothing on the tables either. At least put napkins because it's fried chicken! The booths were uncomfortable too so when you're done eating, you want to leave. I guess that's why they designed them like that. I'd go back again. read more

Pioneer Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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With just 5 booths and 4 tables, this Pioneer Chicken spot is smaller than expected. Opened in 1961, Pioneer once had 270 locations throughout the US. They sold the franchise to Popeyes back in 1993, and now there are only two stores left. Checking out the menu, I was surprised to see that they sell Fish N Chips. I didn't know if this was a new thing, but when I did a quick search, I found out that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did a Fish N' Chips TV commercial for Pioneer back in 1983 - So there it is! Now this was my first time back to a Pioneer since the Clinton Administration, so I was determined to have the 2-piece Chicken Dinner with Spicy Rice and Mashed Potatoes. I'm glad I stuck to my guns, because the meal was pretty darn good. The chicken was moist and tender and the orange batter was very crispy and flavorful. The Spicy Rice was tasty and actually spicy!!! The Mash Potatoes were fine, and the biscuit was not at all dry. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. The food and a fountain drink with tax, was under 15 bucks! At those prices, I can't afford NOT to eat here!!!! Next time back, I will have the Chicken Tenders, and maybe I will try the fish. Nostalgic and tasty, Pioneer Chicken does harken back to another era, and that's a good thing. read more

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This is my first time coming to Pioneer Chicken in a long time more than forty years, I have try their chicken I remember it was golden brown and crispy when taking a bite. They are only two Pioneer chicken restaurant left one of them is Boyle Heights and this one that my wife and I are at is in Bell Garden. When we stepping into Pioneer Chicken you go back to Pioneer Chicken in the 80's it hasn't changed it looks the same can I remember. The menu looks the same but the prices went up it's not 80's prices. We were looking at the menu and decided what to order we decided order a three piece meal with two side on the side we ask for potato salad and mashed potatoe and also including a biscuit. Then my wife wanna get a fried fish she remember get them years ago. We waited for our number to be called then we notice more people were coming in to the restaurant and ordering Pioneer Chicken famous crispy golden brown chicken. They call our number then I went to pick up our meal,the chicken looks golden brown delicious. Took a bite of the chicken one bite I can hear that crunch biting in the chicken it was tender and juicy and batter was crispy and golden brown it was so good. My wife said the chicken was juicy and tender and that crunch that she remember then my fish took a bite of the fried fish it was gold brown and really good. I took bite of the potato salad it was good and then the mashed potatoe it was so good and I can taste the chicken gravy it was good. The biscuit was good but I add it some of gravy to the biscuit it add more flavor that was mind blowing. Overall the staff was really friendly and the restaurants always look clean we need to come back again. read more

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I grew up in SoCal and I remember coming to Pioneer chicken in the late and early 1990s. I remember coming to Pioneer chicken for a full chicken meal up until my family moved to Texas. The last time I had pioneer chicken, was over 20+ years. What I walked in and reminds me of what it was before old school menu, old school diner meal, if I like a time capsule from 1990s. The chicken was exactly how I remembered it, beer battered, not a thick batter, but thick enough that it was ultra crispy. Juicy tender interior meat. I don't know how they were able to cook a crispy exterior with such juicy wet interior meat but it was awesome. Normally I rip off the skin and just eat the chicken but coming to pioneer I have to eat every single last piece, including the fry. The fish was good too, had like a tad sweetness to the white meat. I'm assuming it's cod. Great spicy hot rice so it's nice to mix the rice and a creamy cold cole slaw. When you eat into the rich fried chicken, add a little bit of hot sauce to sort of change up the flavor profile. Then when you take another bite, add that creamy cold coleslaw, and it reset your palette. Go for another bite and take a bite of that meaty rice and I really appreciate that. It has a little bit of spice to it with chunks of chicken meat in it. The fish definitely is a good choice. You can't go wrong with it and I love how it comes with a side of tartar sauce. Nothing special about the tartar sauce just good tartar sauce overall great meal how to get a hat so I can wear it and represent Pioneer chicken in Texas. The biscuit on the other hand, nothing sucked. It was dry no flavor. I took one bite and didn't even touch it again. It needs moisture butter something. They do not accept credit card so if you use your debit card, they charge you a $.75 fee so if you don't want to pay by debit bring cash. read more

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Do you want good chicken you come to this place it does not accept credit cards but it takes a debit cards. Trust me better chicken than Popeyes KFC churches in my personal opinion. read more

Was in the area since I got my car worked on and decided to pick up some good old nostalgic Pioneer chicken. I haven't been here since I was a kid. I ordered the Pioneer special eight piece chicken for $22. I ordered to the drive-through. Get ready to wait cuz BABY!!! I WAITED!!! Sheesh. It tookn forever for my chicken to come and only tattoo cats were in front of me. Plus they charge 75 cents for card. That's different. The flavor, the crisp, the color is all coming back to me. I swear the chicken got better and better with everybody. So fresh and cooked. So much flavor and goodness and everybody. I miss this. read more

Pioneer Chicken - Nostalgic - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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Soooo good!!! Just as delicious as I remembered! Chicken was hot and fresh and so crispy! Definitely recommend it! You will not be disappointed read more

Pioneer Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

Welcome back childhood! I was super juiced when I found out my childhood spot was still around after all these years. We had a few in the Bay Area, but they shut down and disappeared many years ago. Our community was devastated! The chicken strips with the perfectly crispy, flavorful batter was unmatched! Here we are several years later when I just so happened to be Google searching, only to find S. California has the last 2 left : I immediately called some friends and talked them into taking the 7 hour drive to LA, just so we could once again experience yummiest of childhoods. Not surprisingly, they did not disappoint! Same flavored batter, tender meat, and the seasoned fries. Good gawd! Worth every mile. Please Pioneers owners, bring at least one back to N. California. More specifically the Bay Area. read more

Omg. Just like remember it as a kid!! I was telling my son about how crunchy the batter was and only hoped it had not changed. It was exactly as I remember. Crunchy, flavorful & juicy on the inside. Only wish they had honey to go on the biscuits. Good service. read more

Food was cold I usually go to the one in ELA it's way better sadly disappointed even the glizzatds didn't taste good at all

I've been craving Pioneer Chicken. I haven't had this chicken since the 80's. It was a bit disappointing the chicken skin was not crispy and tasted a little bland. The mashed potatoes and gravy taste like I remember it. The service was great. They take cash and debt only. If you use debt. They charge you an additional 75 cents for the transaction fee. Inside was clean and well maintained. read more

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This place is still a piece of shit. Tonight they had no coleslaw and no biscuits. What kind of business is this? It doesn't seem like they like making money if they're always added something today was biscuits and coleslaw. Even if I'm back in the area, I won't waste my time, stopping here. read more

Going to pioneer chicken is like taking a visit into my past. Growing up in pico Rivera we had 2 pioneer chicken restaurants growing up. It was either pioneer or KFC. I loved pioneer and was always happy when this was on the menu u for dinner. Was sad when they started to close them down but since I worked in bell garden would frequent the one in bell gardens often. Moving away from here it was limited as to when I could come and get some and fortunately yesterday I was in the area and stopped and got some of their delicious chicken. The chicken was hot, juicy and tender and the breading just as delicious as I remember. I got the BBQ beans, mashed potatoes and a large side of their spicy rice. My favorite. I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of the rice but believe me it's a definite must. The place is like a time capsule with all the decor or a by gone ahead when things were simpler. Staff was friending and place had a nice vibe to it. Wish they start to expand their places as this would give most chicken places a run for its money read more

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Pioneer Chicken is a MUST have if you're in LA or Bell Gardens. There are only 2 locations remaining in the World! The food is fresh, hot and crispy. The ambience is Old School Original 80's-90's the location look and feel has never changed. I had to bring my friend visiting from Thailand for the first time. He absolutely loved it! read more

Pioneer Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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The chicken rice is sooooo good! My mom loves it here reminds her of back in the day ! Everything is sooo fresh and delicious from here. They have run out of rice multiple times and busy weekends! Get there early! Sooo worth it! read more

One star down because they didn't accept credit card (I ended up using cash to avoid using debit card), and one star down because they ran out of gizzards when I arrived on Sunday around noon. Ended up picking up some orders of the livers, and they were pretty good. Family enjoyed it when I brought it to potluck. read more

Best fried chicken. Tastes the same as when i was a kid, same great recipe. I would recommend.

Pioneer Chicken is nostalgic for me. Back in the 80's there were locations in Northern California where I lived. But I came to LA mainly to pay a visit and try the food at one of the last two remaining locations here. So I tried to order everything on the menu: Three piece: 9/10 the chicken is crunchy fried delicious but be sure to eat it while it hot and fresh because it's not as good later after it gets cold. Chicken Tenders: 10/10 Best I've ever had. Crunchy, moist supple, tasty, excellent. Fried Gizzards: 10/10 they were fried to perfection. Fried shrimp: 10/10 like little popcorn style chicken. So tasty with the cocktail sauce. Spicy rice: 8/10 comes with big chunks of chicken and the heat will actually sneak up on you. Mashed potatoes: 5/10 probably the worst thing I ate. Gravy was plain Jane. Mashed potatoes were straight out of a box. Baked beans : 9/10 good for baked beans standards. Not too sweet and the right consistency. Macaroni salad & Potato salad: 9/10 both were equally tasty. The potato salad had a nice vinegar taste to it and the macaroni salad reminded me of Hawaiian Macaroni salad. Fried fish: 10/10 meaty chunk of fish in a crunchy and batter. The service was great and I wish I lived close to one. read more

Pioneer Chicken - Pioneer chicken Hat $20 - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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I feel like the other location in Bell Gardens is better. But the Florence location has the merchandise. It's delicious but it's also really expensive. read more

I did not know that Pioneer Chicken still exists! So it was a great surprise that I happen to see this place in Bell Gardens. This is certainly a trip down to memory lane for me. It was more than 40 years ago when I last had a 2-piece dinner plate at Pioneer Chicken. And actually it was the 1st time I tried American fried chicken, and it was with my dad. The first impression is, you literally feel you are back in the 70s with the signage is still the same, the plastic bright orange color booths, and the Puoneer wagon logo. I think most of the furniture and equipment are originals. But it does not look dated. The place is clean, and they proudly displayed the A grade from the health department. I ordered the 2-piece meal with spicy rice and corn, along with a side of livers and gizzards. The order taker was very nice and cordial. The food came out in about 3 minutes and was served on the orang plastic tray with a Spork! Now that screams 70s... One bite of the wet-battered chicken and all these memories come flashing back for me. The chicken is moist and flavorful, the crust is crunchy in its unique way. The livers and gizzards are lightly battered and also flavorful. Overall, I am fairly impressed and so glad for the OG look and feel along with the same menu. For that nostalgic feeling, this is a great experience. As for the food, Pioneer Chicken certainly can still compete with all the fried chicken joints! read more

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One of the best fried chickens I've ever had, Hands down! It's a mom and pop run chicken shop we heard about thru a friend. We knew it would be good when we walked in and saw the tables were all full. Chicken pieces were very crispy on the outside and both steamy and juicy on the inside. Sides were the perfect complements. Service was superb, very nice people! read more

Pioneer Chicken - Chicken tenders and biscuit - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bell Gardens, California

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I have been here a lot, lost track of how many times, and most of them it is because the livers and gizzards that my cousins crave for, one of them lives in Oceanside and sometimes she'll ask for this treat if she's planning on coming to LA county or if we're visiting her, the only thing is that I have to go as soon as they open because most of the time they sold out on this items, because is the only Pioneer Chicken that is still open, it just to be another one in Alhambra but close several years ago. And of course the fried chicken is the same recipe as back then when my cousins were kids. Thank you for staying open and continuing doing what you do, the good fried chicken with side orders and our favorite livers and gizzards, we definitely recommend you and we'll keep coming back. read more

Better than I remember from the 70's and 80's ..my goodness. Best fried chicken I've ever eaten in all my decades of walking on God's beautiful earft! read more

It has been a while since having this chicken. Was a little busy close to opening, they only had 1 person taking order from inside & drive thru & 2 cooks but the food was pretty tasty but the prices were really high read more

A local Los Angeles legendary fried Chicken. It's hard to believe there less than 5 of these restaurants still in operation. At the height there must have been over 100 locations world wide including one in Japan. The chicken is a fluffy crispy. It's the best way I can describe it. Although I remember it being a bit more red. The flavor is still there. I'm also excited they take debit cards now before it was cash only. The dinning room is full on 1980's vibe. Also miss some of the deserts in the display case. Now they only have waters. Please stop by and indulge in some fluffy crispy fried chicken. It's delicious read more

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I happened to be in the area and decided to stop by and try some nostalgia. Its been 30ish years since I had some Pioneer chicken so I was looking forward to the throwback. Wow! Soon as I took that first bight I was transported back to Friday evening dinners with my dad and brother. The crispiness, flavor and just pure joy of that fried chicken was enough to make this grown man yearn for those carefree days. If you havent yet made your way out to get some of this delight, dont delay. Its worth it. read more