Who makes the best chicken fingers, nuggets, tenders & strips? Who cares, you say? The Boneless Chicken Revolution is here; better believe that!
Next time you’re at a restaurant, take a good look at the menu. There is some boneless chicken (fingers, nuggets, popcorn, tenders, or strips) on it.
Remember when a server gave you a sour candy face if you ordered chicken fingers or chicken strips at a restaurant? Or the “that’s for kids,” isn’t it comments your parents muttered under their breath. It didn’t stop me from eating and enjoying them.
What about you?
Luckily, we are now in a chicken tender renaissance period. Chicken tenders or tendies aren’t new, but their popularity is a natural evolution linked to chicken nuggets’ rise in the 1980s. The history of Chicken Tenders traces back to a spot called Spanky’s in Savannah, Georgia. *I’ve never been, but I know that they are still open for business.
The future for breaded boneless chicken is bright now that restaurant concepts revolve around them. We don’t need to get that unapproving look any longer since everyone is in on the secret. So, when you find popcorn chicken ready to eat at Walmart, you know things have changed.
Below is a small list of the best chicken fingers, chicken strips, chicken tenders (tendies), and boneless chicken bites that I’ve eaten over the last ten years. Please note that I make no mention of the sauces, and that’s cause they deserve a separate post.
Make sure you check out my Favorite Chicken Sandwiches in South Florida list.
Chicken Tender Table of Contents
Specialty Chicken Tender Joints
Chicken Tenders Chain Restaurants
More Great Chicken Tenders
Where To Get Great Chicken Tenders
Don’t forget to celebrate National Chicken Finger Day every year on July 27th!
| A&W Burgers Chicken Floats 114 Towne Center Dr. Lexington, Kentucky | Big Pink 157 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, Florida |
| Bud’s Chicken 2579 Northlake Boulevard West Palm Beach, Florida | Carolina Ale House 6810 SW 40th Street Miami, Florida |
| Champy’s Fried Chicken 526 E ML King Boulevard Chattanooga, Tennessee | Chefs on the Run 10 E Mowry Drive Homestead, Florida |
| Chick-fil-A 461 N Central Avenue Hapeville, Georgia | Chicken Guy 1506 E Buena Vista Drive Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| Dyer’s Burgers 205 Beale Street Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Eats & Treats 9211 Cypress Lake Drive Fort Myers, Florida | Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill 1821 Cordova Road Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Guthrie’s 1818 W Tennessee Street Tallahassee, Florida | Hall’s Original Drive-In 1502 Bluffton Road Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Hattie B’s Hot Chicken 5209 Charlotte Pike Nashville, Tennessee | Huey Magoo’s 1268 Beville Road Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Jollibee | |
| KFC 720 NW 37th Avenue Miami, Florida | |
| Metro Diner 3302 Hendricks Avenue Jacksonville, Florida | Miller’s Ale House 3271 NW 87th Avenue Doral, Florida |
| PDQ 10121 W Flagler Street Miami, Florida | Pollo Campero 2800 SW 8th Street Miami, Florida |
| Popeye’s 1501 NW 20th Street Miami, Florida | Publix Supermarkets 5715 NW 7th Street Miami, FL 33126 |
| Raising Cane’s 10 E 11th Avenue Columbus, Ohio | Starlite Diner & Coney Island 1500 Center Road Burton, Michigan |
| Zaxby’s 1107 N Ponce De Leon Boulevard St. Augustine, Florida |
*I finally visited Spanky’s in Savannah, Georgia on June 7th, 2022, check it out!