Curly’s Fried Chicken

I really wanted to like Curly’s more than I did. I have to say, the service was great (as many other reviewers have said), and the establishment definitely has charm. However, I felt like the chicken lacked flavor. Maybe it’s an unfair comparison when you have fried chicken places like KFC and CFA that put lots of salt and flavor on their chicken, but there’s also a reason those restaurants do well.
They make the chicken per order so it was freshly fried, as any fried food should be. I really appreciate that they don’t fry it and let it sit for awhile just so they can get your food out faster.
The curly fries were delicious and definitely recommended!

The food here is cheap and you can tell its freshly made. I got the fish and shrimp this time around and it was good! The shrimp are a good size, so you don’t feel like you’re getting little baby salad shrimp. The fish portion was large as well, combined with the fries, it was definitely a good meal for the $ 7 or so.
I also tried a drumstick, which was perfectly cooked. There wasn’t a lot of seasoning, but if you dunked it in their sauce, it was delicious.

Starting with the good. I really liked the cajun rice. I would order a large size of that and be happy. They have Kool-​aid! We were never given Kool-​aid as children so it sparked memories of going to a neighbors house to play sinceI knew they had Kool-​aid. I ordered purple. =)
Didnt care for the chicken. I dont know what it is but I thought is was equal to the wings from Harolds. They lacked flavor and seemed overcooked.
But again, the rice was good!

A friend brought us here while visiting… in dire need of delicious wings!
Interesting set up with a drive up window and with little benches on the outside to eat your wings!
The Menu: you can order combos or order chicken pieces individually. We ordered the wings and thighs and breast… and they came out freshly HOT!!!
They gave us a container of hot sauce that accompanied with our order.
The sauce and the chicken in general were effn delicious!!! i’d have to say one of my favorites!
Of course I had to wash down fried palate with some sweet tea… little sweeter than most places, but I have a sweet tooth and it hit the spot after devouring the fried chicken with spicy hot sauce!
Service: The staff was super friendly… talk about that «southern hospitality»…you got it here!!! (just read their signs haha love it!!!)

My god, I LOVE fried chicken. It’s like I smell it and become some sort of crazed beast. If I actually indulged for every time I wanted fried chicken I would probably be dead by now. The dorms are only about a 10-​minute walk from here so I gathered a few friends and came here on a whim.
Yes, their fried chicken is pretty good, a little expensive imo. Publix chicken costs $ 7. 50 for 8 pieces, and they’re fairly fresh and juicy as well. Here, $ 7.50 covers Shay’s combo, 2 pieces of chicken, side, and a drink. Sides are good for sharing (8oz fries are like the size of someone’s face), mac and cheese was delicious (smaller size since it weighs more).
Customer service was top-​notch. Super friendly, went out of his way to serve us. True southern hospitality.
I’ll be back. Though not too many times… eating fried chicken every week can’t be healthy… right? Right?!
TL;DR: down south comfort food (such as huge portions of fried okra, mac and cheese) and cooked to order fried chicken (though if you come within an hour of closing they pre-​fry the chicken in a huge batch). There is a 10% student discount if you bring your ID.

THEY MAKE FRIED OREOS! This is the most important piece of information you can get from this review. I really shouldn’t even have to say anything more… but I guess I’ll go on.
Holy fried chicken on the side of the road. It’s not like «side of the road» as in shack or out of someone’s truck. It just seemed to come out of nowhere to me. and there’s no «inside» for diners. Just outdoor seating, or your car. How have I missed this place?
Shay’s Combo — 2 pieces of white meat chicken, bread (basically a slice of Wonderbread), cole slaw, a drink and a side — I chose curly fries — for $ 8. Not bad. very tasty and chicken is moisssst.
Bummer, though, drinks are in plastic bottles — not from a fountain
They also play some super sexy and smooth late 90s R&B loud enough to hear it from inside your car. I dig it.

What’s crazy is I drive by the place all the time and always say I’m a check it out, I’m a check it out. Didn’t even look at the Unilocal reviews prior and did this on the fly. Finally remembered while in route. Pimpin’…This place is off the chain. Definitely one of my favorites for sure now! It’s got 5 star potential for sure and will just get that after I evaluate more visits. But whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, that food hit the spot! Got my hands on that Dre’s Combo. My ninja — talk about some banging chicken! Haven’t had friend chicken this banging since my grandmama’s. It almost tastes just like it. Got the three thighs with a side of mac & cheese. The seasoning on that friend chicken was spectacular. Very on point. Fried perfect I tellz ya! The mac and cheese was on point. It’s probably top 5 mac & cheese in Atlanta from a restaurant. JMO! The best thing is its filling and under $ 10 including the tip. A bang for your buck kind of establishment — my kinda establishment! Parking is limited though, food came out pretty quick, probably because it was an evening run for your boy.
Grade: B+/A– (disclaimer…it’s probably going to reach 5 stars very soon)

Dear God and baby Jesus, thank you for the blessing that is Curlys fried chicken! They have the BEST chicken tenders I’ve ever had in my life! These arent your run of the mill tiny tenders, I was full eating just 2 of them with no sides!
Any place you can buy kool-​aid, not by flavor, but by color, is my kinda place! The Kool-​Aid was a flashback to childhood and is so sweet you could fill humingbird feeders! Refills are free if you smile and of course having junk in the trunk tends to help too!
The chicken is moist, fresh and the bredding isn’t too thick leaving the massive piece of chicken the main focus. We got 7 tenders, 2 breast pieces, macaroni and cheese, slaw and 2 red Kool-​Aids. To say this was a feast was an understatement. We had so much food we were tempted to give samples to the people waiting in line but were too busy smiling at eachother after each bite to notice anyone or anything around us. I wanted to take pictures but the chicken put me under a delicious voo-​doo!
We foolishly bought 2 apple pies to go but I couldn’t even eat a bite! I was told they were amazing but I’ll have to take his word. I was too busy focusing on not falling asleep in the passenger seat and licking my lips.

At first I wanted to give this place 3 stars, but little details had enough leverage to buy an extra star.
GOOD: Curly’s is awesome in many ways for being a little chicken shack on Howell Mill Road. First of all, this place is JUST a shack — but a really nice, new, clean-​looking shack. The menu is short and simple and the combos are an outstanding value. All of the chicken is high-​quality, natural meat that you rarely (if ever!) find at this price point (combo meals $ 7-​$ 9). Fried chicken, shrimp and white fish, mac ‘n cheese, fried okra, etc. I got a meal with 3 tenders, one side (mac ‘n cheese), a tiny bit of decent, vinegar-​based coleslaw, a drink and a piece of white sandwich bread. The slaw and bread were disappointing, but the chicken and mac ‘n cheese were delicious and filling. The tea was SUPER sweet, ahem, for my skinny white ass.
BAD: My meal took 30 minutes to make. THIRTY MINUTES! Fast food! I understand that my chicken was made to order, and I know that takes a hot second. But damn, 30 minutes was way too long. Yes, the chicken was perfectly crunchy and flavorful and fresh and moist and delicious. Yes, the mac ‘n cheese was gooey and hot with chunks of molten white and yellow cheeses. But waiting on that tiny, unshaded patio with the sun melting your face is no fun, and I actually watched several people walk away after waiting for 20 minutes or so…
FOR THE WIN: The staff behind the counter are AWESOME. The pretty young lady that took my order was fun and happy and helpful, and the gentleman helping in the kitchen was joyful and entertaining and equally helpful. And, Curly was frying my chicken! The staff here were honest from the start about a long wait to get fresh, cooked-​to-​order chicken that was sure to please, and they sincerely wanted me to enjoy my lunch.
I’ll be back, but only if I manage to call my order in 20 minutes ahead of time. I’m not a very patient man.

Love this place and the best part is the not chicken. Don’t get me wrong the chicken is great but its the sauce that compliments the chicken. The sauce is just the right spiciness and have a bit of sweetness to it without being overly sweet. On my last visit I ordered chicken and fish. I was not disappointed. I asked the guy at the counter if they sell their hot sauce by the bottle for my sister. Bad news they don’t sell but I was told they in a few weeks they will. So I’ll be buying a few bottles.

Went here one night for a UYE hosted by Tom E. A little out of my way for friend chicken but it’s friend chicken from a shack… how could I turn that down? I’ve had hot wings from a shack before but never friend chicken.
So located on Howell Mill right next to La Fonda, it’s almost a hole in the wall minus the bright blue neon sign that says «Curly’s»
Here’s a tip: Don’t park RIGHT in front of everyone and then wonder why it’s not ready on the spot. There are a limited (like 5) spots directly in front of the place for parking as well as parking spots in the rear of the establishment. So go ahead and just park there, it’ll be about a 20 minute wait before you can get your order.
Ordered a Shay’s combo with dark meat with a side of coleslaw and fries and a lemonade to drink. The chicken itself is pretty good. Skin is thin without much fat so it gets really crispy, maybe a bit too crispy since you can rip it off the skin all in one bite. But the meat itself is juicy all the way through. A portion of each piece is a little small I have to say if you compare it to a churches (gotta say, that’s my favorite). The coleslaw was a little bland in my opinion and the fries didn’t have much flare. I thought to myself «some cajun spice would be really awesome with these fries» at one point, so if someone is reading, make it happen!
Overall, not too bad of an experience. I wasn’t wow’d about the food but I’ll remember Curly’s from hanging out with awesome people.

Since I loved this place so much, I decided to have a UYE to celebrate the wonderful food they have. Last night, I felt like I had steered Unilocalers in the wrong direction.
Came here around 835PM, and there was a nice crowd all the together. I ordered my usual– 6 tenders dipped in Buddy’s sauce and a ½ gallon of red kool-​aid.
I knew it would take a while (which I didn’t care, since I KNOW that they do it right every time and it comes out AWESOME) — it gave me plenty of time to chat around with the people awesome enough to come. Hell, we even had an Elite from Miami join us!
They forgot about my kool-​aid first (maybe they knew I would have consumed it before the food came) — but I got it quickly, that was ok. They finally called my name, and I knew something wasn’t right– my tenders weren’t dipped! WTF!?! I asked for 2 things of buddy sauce, but it was too late. The secret to the tenders– they gotta be dipped the minute they finish frying them. It retains the juiciness and the flavor knocks it out of the park. As I said earlier, I don’t mind when it takes a while, but when it takes a while and the order doesn’t come out right, I have an issue.
Because they were not dipped, they were too damn dry– unsalvageable even after pouring the sauce on them. In fact, it was so dry, that I drank the entire half gallon of kool-​aid before I could even eat 4. This was the first time (after 7 visits here), I could not finish my food. It kind of made me cry on the inside.
Another thing, it was hot as hell– I know it is an outside joint, but the heat lamp they have outside literally even had my Desi buddy tell me it was HOTTER THAN CHENNAI!!! I wish I was kidding. Thankfully the AC in the car works well.
I will probably come back, but not as frequently as I used to. And don’t even think about handing me undipped tenders again!
All in all, I was really excited by the turnout, but I felt awful in the end. There went my Unilocal credibility…

Curly’s Fried Chicken replaced LeRoy’s Fried Chicken which closed Fall 2011. Curly’s is located next door to La Fonda and directly across the street from The Real Chow Baby on Howell Mill Rd. in Westside. This is a chicken shack, but it’s a nice chicken shack. It’s clean and new-​looking (thanks LeRoy’s). It’s mainly a take-​out joint, but they do have a few small tables on their tiny patio. Two of the tables have umbrellas.
This place does get hopping and there’s limited parking in the front. Fortunately, there’s additional parking in the back. Just pull around the corner behind La Fonda. It’s a safe and nicely paved lot. You can also park at the law firm’s parking lot next door in the evenings and weekends (when the law firm is closed).
A lot of customers like to pull up to Curly’s and temporarily block people in. This can get annoying because they expect quick service, but it’s anything but (unless you call ahead). Orders don’t come out as quick as you think because each order of chicken is fried fresh for each customer. Thus, there’s a sign at one of the windows that warns of a 15-​minute wait.
Curly’s giant menu proudly boasts the use of locally grown, hormone, steroid, and antibiotic-​free chicken. I honestly can’t say I taste a difference, but it doesn’t matter because I think the chicken is pretty good. Wings, legs, and thighs are $ 2 each, breasts $ 3, and buckets (two of each) are $ 15. Also for sale are chicken tenders, «white» fish (not sure what kind of fish), jumbo shrimp, and Southern sides and desserts. Sides come in two sizes and are $ 5 or less.
You can order everything a la carte or try one of the restaurant’s many combos. One of the best values is «Shay’s Combo,» which comes with two pieces of chicken, 4-​oz coleslaw, 8-​oz side, a slice of white bread, and a drink for $ 7 (dark meat) or $ 8 (white meat).
I like the beverage options which include three different flavors of bottled Fanta (orange, strawberry, and grape), «Aunt Gail’s Famous Sweet Tea,» and three flavors of Kool-​Aid (lemonade, red, and purple). You can order up to a ½ gallon of sweet tea or Kool-​Aid! I watched Tom E. down an entire ½ gallon of red Kool-​Aid in one sitting. (Tom, why do you do that to yourself?)
I’ve tried the following:
Dark Meat:
Thigh
Leg (Drumstick)
Sides:
Curly’s Seasoned Curly Fries
Mama Jean’s Macaroni & Cheese
Aleane’s Cole Slaw
Chantel’s Fried Okra
Notice how everything on the menu seems to be owned by someone?
I think the fried chicken is good. While it’s not substantially better than Popeye’s (Popeye’s is good), I do believe the quality of the meat is better. Curly’s chicken is consistently more tender and juicy throughout. It’s not overly greasy. The batter seems light and crispy. My only complaint is giant chunks of batter can easily slide off when you bite into the chicken, leaving a bunch of exposed «skinless» meat for you to finish.
The sides are very good. Not only that, but one thing I like about this place is they give you nice big servings of sides. A lot of times, these chicken, BBQ, and Southern «to-​go» joints give you measly helpings. Not at Curly’s. You get nice, big, 8 or 12 ounce servings.
If you like your fried okra crispy, then you’ll love the fried okra here. It’s extra crispy. Almost burned to a crisp, but it’s great. The mac & cheese has appetizing chunks of cheese. A lot of the cheese is of the delicious, charred, and crusty variety. The fried okra and mac & cheese are two almost must-​order sides. The curly fries and slaw are just OK.
The chicken comes with a side of «Buddy’s Secret Sauce.» I like fried chicken by itself, so I never use the sauce. It’s a bit spicy and quite vinegary.
Service is friendly and hospitable. All orders are served in white paper bags with chicken and sides in a tray along with a set of disposable silverware, napkins, and a moist towelette.
I give Curly’s 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I like having this place in my neighborhood!

Love curly’s! I’ve been twice and both times I have really enjoyed the chicken. The skin is YUM!
The mac n’ cheese is not so great. The ice tea is kinda bad. The cole slaw is good, but you only get a tiny portion.
Stick with a basket of fried chicken and curly fries and you can’t go wrong!
Oh, and parking can be tricky. Get there early for a space in the front. I think there is parking in the rear as well. And there are only a handful of tables on the patio.

Fried chicken can make my day.
I was craving comfort food on a particularly stressful day, so he picked up take out from here. It survived the 2 mile drive back home and was still hot and crispy. It’s not drenched in batter — it’s lightly battered, thin & crispy, so you don’t have to dig through layers to get to the chicken. Perfectly seasoned, I didn’t even want to dip in hot sauce. But their hot sauce is also a little weird. They gave us a big container of it, and it’s spicy-sweet…not really what I was looking for. Their sides are just ok, def not the highlight. Collards need some salt and some heat, and the mac & cheese was clumpy. And I wish they served biscuits instead of a white bread.
A much needed alternative to chainified fast food fried chicken. Supposedly hormone-free…bonus! Now if they only delivered…

I’m a northerner, and not super accustomed to fried chicken, but this place is amazing. I can definitely tell why this stuff is popular. Their hot sauce they have with the chicken is also very good. Everything is very fresh, hot, and not dried out.
They have only outdoor seating, and its pretty limited.
*10% off for student discount

My first 5-​star review, and Curly’s deserves it. I’ve eaten here twice and already the staff welcomes me like a regular. That kind of personal connection goes a long way in a city like Atlanta where a lot of people in the service industry are generally unfriendly.
The chicken is delicious — my favorite is Dre’s combo; three thighs, a side, a small thing of coleslaw and a drink. The chicken comes out hot and non-​greasy. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The sweet tea was like a sucker punch to the tastebuds, perfectly complementary to whatever is in seasoning makes that chicken so good. As far as sides go, I’m a fan of the cajun rice and mac & cheese, they’re both pretty tasty. It’s just good down-​to-​earth food for a reasonable price — $ 7 or $ 8 for the combo choices.
I went there right after dusk on a perfect Atlanta night and chowed on the patio. Good people-​watching and a nice, friendly vibe. I can see parking being problematic, but there’s a lot happening on that stretch of Howell Mill so parking’s already a headache in the area.
I’m going to keep going back.

I don’t know what everyone’s talking about… I love Curly’s!
We ordered Shay’s combo for about ⁷⁄₈ bucks … okay, so it looked as if they fried up some anorexic chickens… but it was perfectly seasoned. I didn’t too much like the taste of the green beans (had a little sourness to it) … but I liked how they had small potato pieces in it. The coleslaw was good … not the best… but good. Loved the mac-​n-​cheese. It had the perfect amount of cheese … and I liked that they used eggs in it. I didn’t like the sauce that came with the meal … was a little sweet… but my gf liked it… so I guess it’s all about taste buds.
There are only about 4 tables outside…3 two seaters and 1 four seater. Small parking lot… fits about 4 cars.
Would I go back … yes.
Oh…and I’m sure it sucked bad for the poor man that didn’t see that big drop of a curb and hit the front and back bottom of his beamer … ouch!

I was at a party on a Saturday night this past weekend and the food choices there were not quite to my liking, so I left buzzed and hungry. On my way home I decided to stop by this new place (other Unilocalers have reviewed it recently) so I decided to try it out.
Curly’s is in the former space that was once occupied by the now defunct LeRoys. I never went to LeRoys so I can’t really compare and contrast the two places. Curly’s prices didn’t seem too overpriced; however, prepare to pay more than you would at Churches, KFC or Popeyes.
I paid almost $ 9 for a Shay’s combo which consisted of 2 pieces of chicken (a breast and a wing), coleslaw, 1 piece of white bread, 1 side (curly fries), a side of special peppery /​vinegary sauce (in which they offer to dip the chicken in), and a drink.
The side I got was curly /​spicy fries since I had been craving some of that spicy greasy goodness while imbibing at the aforementioned party. These fries are similar to the curly, spicy fries one may procure at any neighborhood Arby’s. I wish Curly’s version had a little more spicy bite to them, but other than that it fulfilled my craving quite nicely — piping hot and crispy.
I wasnt a huge fan of the coleslaw that came with the combo, but it was a free /​complimentary /​gratis item. Ditto for the special sauce for dipping.
I have to say that the chicken was pretty damn good. The chicken came out piping hot and steamy (cooked to order after 9PM) with a perfectly crispy crust that was surprisingly devoid of excess grease. Since the chicken is cooked to order be prepared for a nearly 15 minute wait. But the wait is worth it.
The crust was a tad salty for my tastes, but was still pretty damn fantastic. The breast was large and juicier than the wing; the wing was almost too dry for my liking. This fried chicken was pretty close to perfect though, even with the salty skin.
Had to eat in the car since the rain made the outdoor seating options unusable. Otherwise a great addition to the neighborhood food choices.

I was in Nashvegas this past weekend and kept meaning to get some hot chicken, but sadly I never got around to it. On my way home I decided to stop by this new joint and try it out. It is in the space that was once occupied by the now defunct LeRoys. I never went to LeRoys so I can’t really compare the 2. I do however remember people bitching about prices. Curly’s prices didn’t seem all that bad to me. I paid $ 7 (plus tax) for Shay’s combo which consisted of 2 pieces of chicken (a breast and a thigh), coleslaw, piece of white bread, 1 side, and a drink. The side I got was mac n’ cheese since I had been craving some cheese n’ grease for a while now. I wish the macaroni had a little more bite, but other than that it fulfilled my craving quite nicely. I didn’t like the coleslaw that came with the combo. I’m a coleslaw purist (except when it comes to jalapeño coleslaw) and Curley’s version had pickle in it, which isn’t my cup of slaw. Finally on to the meat of the review; the chicken. The chicken came out nice and steamy with a perfectly crispy crust that was lacking in grease. The crust is a bit salty for my tastes, but was still pretty damn delicious. The thigh was much juicier than the breast. I don’t tend to love overly juicy chicken, it sort of grosses me out, but the breast was almost too dry for my liking. The thigh was pretty close to perfect though, even with the salty skin.
Curly and Shay and whomever else is in the kitchen I will be back once I save up another allotment of calories.