Chicken sandwiches are a religion for many in the South and Charleston has fantastic places at the altar. While a fried version is always a great choice, you can find a variety of preparations in the Holy City, from shawarma to roasted chicken.
One place to check out is Berkeley’s Sandwiches + Suppers, a family-friendly gem in the Wagener Terrace neighborhood. It takes the chicken sandwich so seriously it has a dedicated chicken cutlet sammie section on the menu.
“So much of our menu at Berkeley’s is based in nostalgia,” said Marc Hudacsko, owner of Berkeley’s, and New Jersey native. “Chicken cutlets were such a part of growing up for me. Kids in school argued over whose mother, or grandmother, made the best. Chicken parm was in high demand for birthday dinners. Italian delis had cutlets piled high behind the counter.”
You can’t go wrong with any of Berkeley’s options. The classic has iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion and Duke’s mayo while the Parmesan has grandma’s red sauce and mozzarella. The buffalo version has buffalo sauce, iceberg and blue cheese and for any vegetarians out there, you can substitute eggplant cutlets in place of chicken on any of the sandwiches.
“Whenever your food can connect with someone’s memories, I feel you start building an authentic relationship right there, which is such an important part of what makes a restaurant work,” Hudacsko said.
Below are some more of the best chicken sandwiches you can find in Charleston (in alphabetical order):
Adam’s Kitchen
Adam’s Kitchen specializes in Mediterranean flavors and serves everything from a fattoush salad to kefta kebabs. The chicken shawarma sandwich has chicken marinated with the chef’s blend of spices that is then cooked on a rotating spit and served with garlic sauce and pickles on pita bread. Add on anything from hummus, baba ghanoush, labneh or muhammama, which is crushed walnuts mixed with red peppers, pepper paste, olive oil and spices.
- Adam’s Kitchen: 920 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Open daily. More: adamskitchensc.com
Circe’s Grotto
Stop by Circe’s Grotto and you’ll often find a long line with a mix of locals, college students and visitors. Paninis, sandwiches, wraps, salads and breakfast are just as good on the beach as they are sitting at the shop’s outdoor picnic tables. Circe’s makes a great chicken salad as well as a chicken burrito, but it’s the chicken Caesar wrap – with oven-roasted chicken, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing – that delivers a classic punch.
- Circe’s Grotto: 85 Wentworth St., downtown. Open Tues. through Sat. More: circesgrotto.net
Herd Provisions
Wagener Terrace’s Herd Provisions serves lunch on Fridays and Saturdays and you can find its chicken sandwich only at lunchtime. The Haitian-style fried chicken sandwich has marinated chicken thigh, smoked paprika aioli and pickliz, a Haitian pickled slaw made with shredded cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions and Scotch Bonnet peppers in vinegar. It’s zesty, crunchy, spicy and delicious.
- Herd Provisions: 106 Grove St., downtown. Open Mon. through Sat. More: herdprovisions.com
King BBQ
Chef-owner Shuai Wang, recent Top Chef season 22 finalist, serves Chinese barbeque that focuses on roasted and chopped meats at North Charleston’s King BBQ. The fried smoky chicken sandwich has smoked then battered fried chicken thigh, pickled collard greens, diced onion, barbecue ranch and Habanero duck sauce with the option to make it Sichuan hot. Eat it alongside Sea Island red pea and corn salad or chili crisp corn pudding.
- King BBQ: 2029 Carver Ave., North Charleston. Open Weds. through Sun. More: eatkingbbq.com
Moe’s Crosstown
A quintessential sports bar, Moe’s Crosstown satiates many cravings from wings to burgers to a Cuban. Its Gold Rush serves fried chicken strips along with Swiss cheese, bacon, honey, Dijon mustard, lettuce and tomato on a bun. It’s perfect alongside fries or onion rings, washed down by any of Moe’s on tap beers.
Park & Grove
Wagener Terrace’s Park & Grove has several chicken items on its lunch, dinner and brunch menus including chicken liver pâté and a chicken add-on to salads. But it’s the crispy chicken sandwich with bacon and onion jam, buttermilk dressing and lettuce on focaccia that is a contender for best chicken sandwich in town.
The Pass Panino + Provisions
You can find many sandwich superstars at The Pass, from Such a Nice Italian Boy – its homage to the classic Italian – to the Cacio e Pepe, The Pass’s grilled cheese made with three cheeses and fresh cracked pepper pressed on local sourdough and drizzled housemade truffle honey. But if you have a hankering for chicken, the Southern (Italian) Hospitality is stuffed with warm herb-roasted chicken, gabagool (which is the American-Italian slang term for capicola, an Italian cured pork), housemade pepper shooter aioli and Parmesan rain on a toasted long seeded roll.
- The Pass Panino + Provisions: 207-A St. Philip St., downtown. Open Weds. through Sun. More: thepasschs.com
Pink Cactus
This Oaxacan-style Mexican restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner. If you’re looking for a sandwich, the torta options are carnitas, chicken tinga, chorizo, cauliflower, poblano peppers, shrimp or carne asada (all served with guacamole, queso and cilantro). While any one of them hits the spot, go with the chicken tinga which is the perfect pairing with one of the mezcal margaritas.
Da Toscano Porchetta Shop
Porchetta Shop serves breakfast and lunch daily and features focaccia sandwiches, rotisserie meats, vegetables, salads, espresso drinks, beer and wine. The Porchetta sandwich may get all the glory, but the chicken milanese can’t be missed. Breaded and fried chicken is served with balsamic onion jam, crispy bacon, arugula and Red Clay southern chili crisp on focaccia.
- Porchetta Shop: 109 President St., downtown. Open daily. More: dtporchetta.shop
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
