I stumbled across an article bestowing a pretty major title: the best fried chicken in the United States. To my surprise, Kimchi Red, the restaurant awarded the title, is only a couple towns over from me in Alpharetta. This small Korean restaurant did not disappoint, but keep reading to find out if it’s truly the best fried chicken in the country.

If you’re driving down Old Milton Parkway, you might not even notice this small strip-mall restaurant. When you park and approach the door, however, you can see all the major publications endorsing Kimchi Red as the fried chicken champion.

How to Eat the Fried Chicken at Kimchi Red

When you order the fried chicken at Kimchi Red, you’re automatically given utensils, napkins, and a bunch of disposable gloves. If you’ve ever watched Korean TV shows or movies, you probably already know what the gloves are for. For those unfamiliar, it’s fairly common to use gloves to eat fried chicken in South Korea. This is meant to keep your hands free of grease and sauce when eating your favorite foods. When you’re finished, you can lose the gloves, and your hands will already be clean—no disposable wipes needed.

What We Ordered at Kimchi Red

Unlike usual, we only tried a couple menu items. The portions here are truly huge, so if you visit, make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach. The staff will tell you that an order of chicken is meant for two, but we found it could easily serve up to four people. Without further ado, here’s what we had from their menu:

Spicy Jeonju – Mild, Medium or Hot. Super crispy fried chicken tossed in a mild sweet tangy soy sauce with red pepper oil. Serves 2

K-Mega Fries – Topped with stir-fried kimchi, BBQ Jeyuk, and homemade melted cheese sprinkled with tomatillo, onions, and cilantro.

We also ordered some unusual drinks here:

Bruce Cost Unfiltered Ginger Ale: Blood Orange with Meyer Lemon – To be honest, the blood orange flavor really didn’t come through. There was a very dominant candied ginger note, that was still pretty good, however.

Chilsung Cider – A fairly popular drink in South Korea, Chilsung Cider isn’t really a cider at all, but a lemon-lime soda.

My Favorite Dish at Kimchi Red

We only tried two dishes here, so this isn’t exactly definitive, but I really enjoyed the fried chicken. It had excellent flavor, exceptional crunch, and it held up too. Despite being in the spicy Jeonju sauce, the breading did not become soggy at all. The last piece of chicken was just as delightfully crisp as the first, even though it was absolutely coated in sauce.

The fries also held up really well, despite being piled with sauce and other wet ingredients like tomatillos. My biggest takeaway from Kimchi Red is that however they fry the food, the crunchiness holds up.

The Jeonju sauce itself had a sour, citrusy quality that made it like your favorite orange chicken on steroids. Less sugar and of course much more spice. Just like my advice at Ma Der Lao Kitchen: be careful with dried peppers.

• Top tip – Most dishes are served ‘mild’, but we requested medium and got some fairly hot chicken. If you aren’t the biggest fan of spice, be careful.

Is Kimchi Red the Best Fried Chicken in the United States?

I know, this is what you’ve been waiting for. I haven’t tried every chicken joint in this massive country, so I can’t give you a conclusive answer. What I can tell you though, is that Kimchi Red serves some pretty remarkable fried chicken. If you’re a chicken fan or enjoy Korean food, this place is an absolute must try in North Georgia. The service was also excellent, especially for a fast-casual kind of establishment, with special attention given to people with dietary restrictions.

The Final Verdict

Is Kimchi Red the best chicken in America? I can’t say for sure. But I insist you try this place if you’re near Alpharetta. You won’t be disappointed, even with all the hype.

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