Fried Chicken, Turnip Greens and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy from the Carriage House in Natchez, Mississippi. The “after” photograph was just a pile of bones on an empty plate.

What you see here is the best fried chicken in America. I know that sounds like a really strong statement and you’re probably thinking that I shouldn’t make such a claim, having not eaten all of the fried chicken offered in the United States. I don’t need to eat them all. I’ve had the stuff that Bingo and his crew make at the Carriage House in Natchez, Mississippi and I can just stop there.

It’s not a fancy recipe. I really think it’s just some salt, pepper and a buttermilk/flour batter, but it really is special.  It’s moist without being greasy. It’s crispy without being a batter-bomb. Best of all, they keep it fresh. Bingo’s cooks don’t make a huge batch and let it sit under the heat lamp waiting all through lunch. They make it in many small batches so you can rest assured that your order will not have been long out of the fryer.

With a new Natchez project in the works I’ve been going down there more often than usual and on every trip I make a point to drop by and see the back of house staff at the Carriage House. I act like I’m there to see Bingo and to say hello, but I’m really there to get my fix. Even if I’ve had lunch somewhere else I still pop by for at least one wing, usually eaten standing up in the kitchen.

Do yourself a favor and go try this stuff. You can disagree with me and I hope you vigorously defend your disagreement in the comments, along with pictures, but you’ll still be wrong in my mind.

Make sure you get a “Bourbon Slushie” to go with it.