Three must try fried chicken spots in the Monterey and Salinas area

By Skye Harrop

Fried chicken is a staple comfort food I love to cook. However, sometimes I don’t have the energy to cook fried chicken, and I want to go to some fried chicken spots. This list will showcase three fried chicken spots in the Monterey and Salinas area.

  1. Heatwaves

A personal favorite of mine, Heatwaves is a weekly pop-up shop located in Pacific Grove that is only open every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On every other day, they switch to the Italian eatery called Rodolfo’s where they specialize in pizzas and pastas. My personal favorite meal from them is the Papi Chulo Bowl. The Papi Chulo Bowl is a mac and cheese bowl with fried chicken, hot sauce and fries. The meal is a little pricey at $17, but they do give generous portions.

Address: 543 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Picture of the 'papi chulo bowl'
  1. Angry Chickz

Located in Salinas, Angry Chickz is an up-and-coming chain restaurant that serves fried chicken. They are open from 10am to 11pm every day of the week except Wednesday and are usually busy. They offer generous portions for a decent price depending on what you order. They have a spice level system that has six tiers, from “No Heat” to “Sign a Waver.” I have personally only ordered the chicken sliders off the menu with their “hot” spice level, and they were pretty good but spicier than expected.

Address: 1816 N Main St, Salinas, CA 93906

sliders from 'angry chickz'
  1. Carlito’s Restaurant

Also located in Salinas, Carlito’s Restaurant is a local family-owned restaurant. Carlito’s Restaurant offers fried chicken and also has Mexican food on the menu. However, their fried chicken is out of this world and highly rated by Yelp reviewers! Their chicken sandwiches are well-priced and filling. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Address: 543 W Market St Salinas, CA 93901

chicken sandwiches from 'carlito's restaurant'

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