The promise of phenomenal fried clucks brought The Astronomer and me to Honey’s Kettle in Compton. While the Culver City branch is quite a bit closer to home, I’ve had my heart set on visiting the original location since moving into town. I love how book research has broken down every logical excuse, from time to distance to money, and dwindled my to-eat list to nil in the process. No corner of the city is too far or inconvenient when it comes to seeking out the very best.
Orders are placed at the front counter and are ready to be picked up a few minutes later. After grabbing a seat at one of the orange tables, we peeled back the layers of wrapping and dug right in.
Vincent Williams, the proud owner of Honey’s Kettle, guards his fried chicken recipe close to the vest. He prepares the secret batter off site and delivers it daily to each location, where the kitchen adds water, mixes until smooth, and hand batters the chicken as orders roll in. Every thigh, wing, breast, and leg is submerged in this downright magical mixture before meeting the hot oil in a stainless steel kettle drum.
The result is an insanely crusty and golden batter that’s like no other fried chicken on the planet. Every bite unleashes a shockingly loud crunch, while the meat is succulent and genuinely juicy. There’s not a single dud on the bird when it’s prepared Honey’s Kettle style.
Served on the side are dimpled buttermilk biscuits that are more cakey than flakey, as well as hotcakes made from the same batter. A drizzle of honey on both chicken and biscuits, along with a few lashes of hot sauce, and we were good to go.
The chicken didn’t stand a chance against the two of us.
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Honey’s Kettle
2600 East Alondra Boulevard
Compton, CA 90221
Phone: 310-638-7871
One year ago: Jean Georges Steakhouse – Las Vegas (Aria Resort & Casino)
Two years ago: America’s Test Kitchen Vegetarian Chili
Three years ago: Old Fashioned Cornbread
Four years ago: Cơm Tấm Thuận Kiều – San Gabriel
Five years ago: Vegetation Profile: Bitter Melon
Six years ago: Flying Monkey Patisserie – Philadelphia
It’s 5:30 am and you got me hankering for some fried chicken! What do you think he makes the batter with? Glad you stuck to the original location – always just a little something special about that.
Even the chicken breast is so moist here!
Aww man, I wish I could try some! Nothing around here comes close to how awesome this fried chicken looks.
That looks absolutely amazing… might make me {swoon}. There’s a chain http://www.raisingcanes.com/ (Raising Canes) that does really good chicken fingers that also have the perfect batter!
Thanks for the tip, Chad! I take swooning seriously 😉
There is one in Culver City, right? That’s definitely a place I wish I had gone before I left.