35 Best Chicken Restaurants near Cambridge

“Best Nashville hot sandwich along with fantastic southern sides hands down! No other competition out there, it’s just that good!“

“If you had told me my biggest highlight of flying into town this weekend to shoot exterior scenes for an upcoming horror film wouldn't be the set, but a chicken joint in Saugus, I would’ve called you crazy. But here we are.

I’ve seen the videos online for ages and it always piqued my interest. We might have some hiding down home in South Carolina, but the Saugus crew just made a lifelong fan out of me. Being completely new to the menu, the guy at the counter broke it down for me. Then, my eyes locked onto it: REAPER.

Fun fact about me—pain is the name of my game. I am an absolute sucker for the spiciest things you can possibly throw at me (for context, my current record is the Toe of Satan lollipop at 9 million Scoville units). So naturally, I was ready to dive face-first into the Reaper. But homeboy looked out for me BIG time. He gave me the ultimate insider tip: go with the Extra Hot first for the flavor, then tackle the Reaper.

He was not wrong. This was easily some of the most delicious food I've ever had. I still signed the waivers—one for the store, one for me to keep as a souvenir—and they hooked me up with some Carolina fries to try, which I devoured like candy. For the normal crowd, yeah, it’s got a massive kick. But for me? It was pure perfection.

I don’t think they’ve ever seen someone absolutely champ their way through that without breaking a sweat. I could see the literal shock in their eyes, and honestly, I don't blame them! I’m an outsider just rolling through town, but that large Extra Hot meal was a flawless 10 out of 10. I am so glad I trusted my gut instinct to finally try this place, and even happier that this location was my first introduction to the brand.

Amazing food and an amazing experience, but most importantly, an incredible staff. Huge shoutout to the absolute dream team working the floor: Tico, Olivea, Chad, David, Jessica, Oswaldo, and Betty. You guys made a chaotic travel and film weekend unforgettable. I fly back home tomorrow, but I have more scenes to shoot in the area in a few months. Let's be real: even if I didn't have a movie to film, I’d fly back just to eat here. If you haven't been yet, fix that immediately. Amazing food, stellar service, and top-tier people. 5/5 stars all day!“

“Thank you so much to tylar for the help today what a kind person.. the staff here is so nice and happy. It's so rare to find people who enjoy what there doing!!!! 10 star visit. He recommended the new trio meal and omg it was amazing. I love the cheesey sticks I hope they are here to stay“

“Hands down best hot chicken I have ever had.
Rarely I say any place is worth visiting, but this one is.
Caution: if you have high heat tolerance, only go as high as Hot. 🥵 anything hotter is at your own risk.
Definitely worth any detour to get a piece of Dave’s hot chicken“

“Great food and even better service. I wish I could remember the cashier’s name, maybe Earl. He was amazing and had everyone engaged and dialoguing. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it in a fast food environment.“

“I don’t think I would ever come to Dave’s chicken if it wasn’t for my guy Amine. He has the best customer service I’ve ever seen in my entire life and my food came out hot and ready and it was the best fried chicken I’ve had in a damn while. Definitely coming here again, but only on Amines shift.“

“Very yummy 😋 I ‘m coming back !!!“

“Customer service chick at the register was super c😎😎l and accommodating. That (ALWAYS) makes the difference. And although my GPS confused me, I was relieved I didn't have to drive all the way to Legacy Place👍“

“Birdies Hot Chicken is a locally owned spot that has quietly built one of the stronger reputations for fried chicken in the Boston area, and the tenders are where that reputation is easiest to understand.

The chicken comes out juicy and well crusted, with a batter that stays crispy without being thick or greasy, and the seasoning underneath does more work than most hot chicken spots bother with. The heat is the headline but the flavor is what keeps you coming back, and the two are balanced well enough that even at higher spice levels the chicken still tastes like something rather than just burning.

The spice levels are worth taking seriously. The extra hot is genuinely challenging and rewarding in equal measure if you have the tolerance for it, but the mid-range levels give you enough of the flavor profile to understand what the kitchen is doing without requiring a recovery period afterward.

The seasoned fries are a natural companion and hold up well alongside the tenders, and the sliders are worth knowing about if you want to build out a larger order across a few different formats.

The restaurant is clean and comfortable with a good energy and staff that moves quickly without making the experience feel transactional. For halal hot chicken in downtown Boston that takes both the heat and the flavor seriously, Birdies is the spot to know about.“

“The front of the house Drew is so cool guy, introduced to me to try the Dave’s Meal, had some questions and he’s helped me solve it and I’m really happy about the experience at Dave’s Hot Chicken, completely five stars. He deserve a race.“

“The best chicken..:definitely“

“great service and quality of food. the salads mac and cheese,chicken and ice cream are delicious. manager Heather helped me buy a gift card in drive-thru. then when order was delayed she delivered our meal and complimentary ice creams! so wonderful and hospitable. we will be back soon!“

“Love the food it so good !“

“Best chicken in town“

“I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken sliders which is flavorful and satisfying. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy inside, Dave’s sauce add the perfect tangy balance. Spice levels are legit, so you actually taste both heat and flavor. Portions are big for ‘sliders’ and overall quality feels more premium than typical fast food. worth it if you love good hot chicken.“

“Delish food, parking a little difficult“

“This place is great! I get the carne Frita with arroz de morro y yuca con cebolla . (Pictured on my review)If you want chicken, the combo Dominicano is also amazing - you get a half roasted chicken with 2 sides - they have cho fan rice which is Chinese rice aswell. The relleno de yuca is so good too must try! There is no seating , you just grab your food to go. They definitely give you a good amount of food,which is why I love it there,they have small medium and large portion sizes .“

“Car broke down in parking lot, almost every employee came to check on us to make sure we were okay. If I could give the store manager 10 stars I would, he was very understanding about the time that the tow would show up. The closing night manager on 8/7/2026 was amazing. Great chick fil a.“

“My husband and I Went in at 7 pm at the Saugus facility to order for a cheerleading squad but was totally ignored and not a word from any employee that we will be with you shortly. They looked at us and kept on working. We waited over 5 minutes and walked out and went to raising canes, I tried to call to complain the next day and they don’t even answer their phone. I’m not sure why the patrons should be ignored, I would never give them my money again !“

“Crazy good chicken, crazy popular, awesome service - the owner is alright.“

“Mini shrimp w/ fish and fries. The fries are really good and someone in another review mentioned how they’re appreciative of the food not tasting highly processed and fresh. I second that statement in regard to the fish and shrimp. Also receive great service.Unfortunately I can’t try their chicken yet but I’ll be happy to update the review once I do.Reason for the 3 star is because of how cold it was in there.“

“Great place to eat. The staff are great. The prices are better. The food is clean and hot. Their condiments are great. Only problem is the hygiene of the tables. They can clean those a bit faster. Save the tables, this place is really good.“

“From the moment you enter this place the personel give you a pleasant feeling. Very congenial hosts, it is a nice place to enjoy with friends and colleagues or with your date. heavenly meals, experienced chef de cuisine, modest price and attentive service. Warmly recommended.“

“Staff was extremely nice and helpful and the food was excellent“

“Chicken is really really good, way better than KFC, Popeyes, ect. If u never had crown fried chicken I guarantee u will be hooked. For some reason though every location I've been too it does look dirty and run down, but the chicken tastes fresh. U know when chicken is cooked in old oil, this chicken always tastes fresh the Jamaican beef patty is also delicious.“

“I love this place. Great food served with love and care no matter how tired and busy you will always get friendliness and kindness ???❤️ definitely delicious chicken and fair portions for the money. We love you New York Chicken ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“I've been once before did not really care for the flavor of the thai style fried chicken sandwich I got last time. This time I got the Seoulja boi tenders with cheddar cheese tots as a take-out order. The chicken was great! The sauce was addictive and just the right amount of sauce to chicken ratio. The fresno chili's added a nice heat that complemented the sweet/sour Korean style sauce. Even though the tots had cooled down by the time I got home they were still quite tasty. The young man at the counter was pleasant. Parking is easy...free garage just across the street. I actually managed to get one of the limited street spots right near the restaurant on this visit. I'd recommend this place for a quick lunch or dinner with quality food.“

“You can't go wrong with this location. Absolute worst case scenario, you might have to wait a little while for a fresh batch of chicken (which could also be seen as a best case scenario, if you have time to spare). Staff is nice and works very hard, place is always busy but very clean.

I'm not going into detail about the quality of the food. It's the best. It's resplendence is exceeded only by the quetzal.“

“The food was very good but I'm really giving 5 stars because I was so pleased with the customer service. The staff was very pleasant and polite. Something you don't see often nowadays so I had to come give props where it's due.“

“Stopped by for some chicken with my family and ended up really liking the whole place. The food was great… super juicy, well seasoned, just like Popeyes.

Also, the lobby is actually really nice! I would say it’s the cutest lobby of a Popeyes Restaurant. Clean, looks put together, and just has a good vibe when you walk in.

Nayeli helped me out and she was the best, super chill, friendly, and made everything feel easy. You can tell she cares about what she’s doing!

Definitely coming back. BIG shoutout to Nayeli :)“

“Tuesday 1/24/23 on my lunch break at work in beacon hill, ordering here for the first time . I went with the 5pc mix chicken with a honey biscuit, also ordered 3 honey biscuits side order. I got 2 thighs, 1breast, 1wing, 1drumstick. The chicken had a well balance seasoning, very crispy not covered in heavy batter, chicken was cooked fully and moist inside very tasty was very happy with the quality and tasty of chicken! The honey biscuits where delicious it was sweet with a glazed over the top they had blueberry’s inside and like a cake not dry and very good! If you haven’t tried this spot it’s a must TRY! I was very satisfied with my lunch and ready to get back to work from my half hour break. Check out my pictures below!“

“This place has good chicken tenders - I live down the street so I don’t know what the delivery situation is like. Sounds like they use partners like Uber Eats and it hasn’t been working out great for other people based on other reviews.As for this place not being a real restaurant - it is, sort of. These tenders are made in the Rock Bottom kitchen (you can check the Google maps and compare addresses). In fact you can find the same exact tenders at Rock Bottom on their menu. Looks like they just rebranded just the chicken part of their menu to sell.Either way, here’s what to know:- no, there isn’t a separate “Twisted Tenders storefront). But you can eat in if you’d like at Rock Bottom- yes, the chicken does taste good- I’d recommend going to pick it up rather than delivery purely based on experience of others.“

“This location is the best! The staff was polite and knowledgeable they got my order correct the 1st time. The staff works efficiently at the drive through as well as inside. The food was delicious and everything was done in a timely manner. I highly recommend this location!“