In the past few years, chicken in Portland has evolved into its own specialty cuisine, with talented chefs finding new ways to make the humble bird into feasts as inexpensive as they are mouthwateringly delicious. Here are some of the spots dishing up Portland's best birds.
Reel M Inn
2430 SE Division St., 503-231-3880. Lunch-late daily.
For generations, this unreconstructed dive has churned out the city's finest fried birds by relying on the freshness of poultry delivered thrice weekly and hand-breaded daily, and a loyal clientele willing to wait an hour or two amid thickened clouds of secondhand cholesterol. $.
Bar Avignon
2138 SE Division St., 503-517-0808, baravignon.com. Dinner nightly.
Considering how many little vinocentric bistros are sprinkled across this town, it's almost a shame the best gets lost in the carnival of Division. The menu is seasonal, but please note that this place has mastered the art of roast chicken. $$$.
1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (Cartopia), 234-7236,chickenandguns.com. 11:30 am-midnight daily.
Dustin Knox's wood-grilled chicken and fried potatoes are really fucking good.
820 NE 27th Ave., 503-234-7151. 11 am-10 pm daily.
Basilisk's towering fried-chicken sandwich is the best in town.
5427 NE 42nd Ave., 287-0669, pollonorte.com. Lunch and dinner daily.
This Cully eatery serves slow-roasted birds cooked on a rotisserie imported from Mexico with some of the best sides in Portland.
Willamette Week