13 Best Chicken Restaurants in Irvine

“I usually don’t like writing reviews, but Austin at the Dave’s Hot Chicken drive-thru in Irvine really inspired me to write one. He was honestly one of the friendliest employees I’ve ever interacted with. His enthusiasm and kindness made the whole experience feel really positive. It’s rare to have someone be that genuinely nice and energetic, especially in a quick drive-thru interaction. Austin definitely deserves recognition for making my day better.“

“As others have said, tastes great, but the value isn’t there with the tiny portions. Owners, Please take a look at your portions and cogs. At the current price point, I don’t understand why a healthy serving isn’t possible. Even the soup is only half the container… come on.“

“My meal was very good. I ordered Nashville Hot chicken sandwich, with side of Mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was very average, but satisfying. The sandwich was wonderful. Very crunchy, well seasoned, good sauce, pickles, fresh lettuce, delicious bun. The man who gave me my order was very kind and gave me a sample.
I definitely recommend to anyone who likes chicken sandwiches.“

“This is the first place I have found in Orange County that makes a hot chicken that is legitimately too hot to handle. And I say that as I sweat through the next 3 tenders. It's fantastic but I'll actually order something a little milder next time. Get Clucked means business.“

“I love this place. Good delicious wings, good fries and good beer. Sports on their big screens. I order on their simple website for pick-up and it is consistently good. I just eat a few wings (take the rest home) and drink a mango cart. All things considered, prices are reasonable.“

“I was just casually grocery shopping and couldn’t resist the smell of frying chicken, so naturally I ordered some—lol. It turned out to be such a pleasant surprise! I love that they offer so many different flavors to choose from. The chicken was perfectly crispy, incredibly juicy, and packed with flavor. The white dipping sauce was amazing. Highly recommend!

Update
I had to come back — this place seriously has the best fried chicken in town. I ordered three half chickens (onion, hot honey, and spicy garlic), and every single one had perfectly crispy batter. I also love that they give you two full packs of pickled radish.“

“This is one of our best and fav place. They are 5 stars in all areas. We visit very often.

Food (5/5) : Chick-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich is our all time favorite and The Best. No one can beat them!

Service (5/5) : I observed some management change in recent past and after that they have improved a lot in this area.

Drive through wait time (5/5) : Very fast. Great work.

Atmosphere (5/5) : highly cleaned inside and we have a fav high table (road side). The best.

Overall we enjoyed all our visits and repeat customer for Sure.

Appreciate the team for their great 👍 work“

“Great 👍 n very patient servers! Always helpful.“

“Logic is missing those days. Young kid cuts me off in line. Turns out he is only applying for a job. So instead going ahead with customers she ask the manager regarding job openings... Let's see how the food is... Usually eat at in and out because over there the always made fresh when ordered. In the past here felt like sandwiches keept warm. Food was good. Service some senior girl didn't listen asked for no salt. Fries 🍟 still full of salt :-( Ohh told her for here but everything packed up to go. Look at how much we wasted for a small sandwich... No wonder we are the most wasteful C in the world. Staff need better training!“

“This has became one of my go-to spots in Irvine when I’m craving popcorn chicken, and honestly it might be the best popcorn chicken in Irvine. The texture is perfect—super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside—and the seasoning is really flavorful. It’s way better than typical fast-food fried chicken, which often has bland meat and thick batter. The batter here is light and crispy, and the chicken inside stays really juicy.
I also highly recommend the spicy chicken fillet, which is pretty unique compared to other fried chicken places nearby. The spice has great flavor and the chicken stays crispy and juicy. It’s one of those items that once you try it, you’ll want to order it again.
My coworker ordered the chicken sandwich and loved it too. She even said it was better than Chick-fil-A, which says a lot because she eats there all the time. According to her, the chicken was bigger, crispier, and tasted fresher.
Definitely one of the best fried chicken spots in Irvine.“

“I ordered the spicy original and the soy garlic wings. The wings are fairly large (compared to Wingstop) so the 8 piece small is enough. Both flavors were really good with the spicy original being more like just a just a small kick than actually spicy.“

“The fried chicken is on point. Good crunch, taste, everything right. The fries could be good, but they’re always soggy when doing take away. Soggy already at pick up. I really wish you would stop using closed boxes, trapping all the moisture. Instead use the same type of boxes as for the chicken, so the fries stay crunchy as well.“

“Absolutely love the food and service here! Their chicken is always flawlessly crispy, tender, and juicy. I've ordered through uber eats a number of times and the food arrives in the same condition as if you just picked it up. The skin remains just as crispy and crunchy. I highly recommend you get their spicy chicken joy bucket and the ube pie is to die for.“