Ezell's Famous Chicken

01/14/10

Bring on the Book Club!

by PierceMartin , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

In the past, I've generally tried to steer clear of most things that Oprah recommends, if for no other reason than because I take pride in my masculinity. However, Ezell's is so good, I may just be totally converted. Being a life-long Southerner let me just go ahead and confirm that Ezell's is as good as any deep fried poultry you'll find south of the Mason-Dixon. I know the place is kind of an institution around the Garfield High area, but even as I write this, I have hard time believing it' was as good as it was. From the breading to the chicken to the rolls, this place is definitely it for classic Southern comfort food. Maybe I should listen to Oprah more often...

08/21/09

I Heard That!

by CharlieHustle at Citysearch

Yes, this is an overrated place! My fave is Popeye's chicken... dammit there is reason why Beyonce was addicted to that place. Church's chicken has better bird than Ezell's. Don't get me wrong, I gave this place a chance over and over again. I've eaten from Ezell's maybe a total of 5 or 6 times and it's been consistantly bleh! Yes, the pieces are bigger (thus the 2 stars) but as stated in previous reviews, the bird is dry, underseasoned and the sides could be bigger. I could really care less about the customer service, just give me my food. Y'all want some real tasty yardbird, route ya'selves over to Popeye's, order some of that Spicy yardbird, red beans and rice, and the potato mash with cajun gravy! And seriously, if you gave Ezell's a 5 star rating, I feel bad for you all, cuz that's the best yardbird y'all done had... damn shame!

• Pros: Rolls are okay
• Cons: Dry, underseasoned yardbird!

08/16/07

Ezell's has ruined me for all other chicken joints

by ferrerogrrl at Citysearch

I am addicted to Ezell's. Addicted, I say! I have it at least once a week (I just can't go that that long without having some of their spicy chicken!). The friend chicken is just about perfect: crispety and crunchy on the outside but mouthwateringly juicy on the inside. Damn, nothing beats Ezell's!! I dream about their chicken. Their rolls are also great and I'm really fond of their baked beans. My boyfriend is a fan of their slaw and we both enjoy the decent peach cobbler. The only thing I really avoid is the mashed potatoes; it is homemade but has a a slightly sour taste to it that I just can't cotton to. Also, the service at Ezell's is very utilitarian but they are friendly enough and . .who goes to Ezell's for the service anyway? Once you have that first bite of chicken in your mouth, nothing else matters.

I made the mistake of having KFC last week for the first time in years (exactly two years to be exact: around the same I the time I discovered Ezell's) and it just tasted like dust in my mouth. Awful.

Long live Ezell's!! A veritable Seattle institution . ..

• Pros: the spicy fried chicken! Faygo sodas, baked beans, great slaw, good peach cobbler, nice thick napkins for wiping chicken grease off your fingers .. .
• Cons:  weird parking lot, sour mashed potatoes

07/29/07

Overrated Chicken

by mousie196 at Citysearch

My husband and I tried Ezell's after having read a glowing review in The Stranger. I can't imagine how this restaurant has achieved a positive reputation. The chicken was dry. The taste was greasy and underseasoned--on both the regular and the spicy varieties. The coating was falling off and was almost soggy.

I'm feeling the pain of other reviewers who commented on the poor service. We ordered spicy chicken pieces and spicy strips and the strips wound up being regular.

Popeye's Chicken (a big chain) kicks Ezell's butt all around Seattle...two or three times at least. It would be worth it to drive to Federal Way to get Popeye's if this is the alternative. And, as another reviewer said, grocery store deli chicken is better than this, too.

I guess I'm still looking for great fried chicken in Seattle.

• Pros: Yeast rolls are good--sweet and buttery
• Cons: Yucky chicken, poor service

05/19/07

Seattle's Best Chicken?

by eddiedoyle at Citysearch

Doesn't live up to the hype. Visited Ezell's twice and disappointed on both occasions. Had Southern-raised family in town and so I wanted to impress them with some great fried chicken. Went to Ezell's. Got it home. It was old and dry and under-seasoned. Maybe the staff just wanted to get rid of the old stuff before making fresh, but it was a complete rip-off and the sides were nothing very special either. Went back a second time weeks later to see if it was a fluke and the experience was pretty much the same. Additionally, they quarter the breasts (said to be how black folk cut chicken to make it go farther) but charge like it's a half-breast. Lame.

Truthfully, I've had better fried chicken at QFC's deli when the chicken is fresh; you get what you pay for!

• Pros: Convenient
• Cons: No guarantee of quality, reputation is oversold