While travelling to Kansas City, I decided to stop here for some Fried Chicken goodness. There have been several tv shows that featured this restaurant, along with the competitor right up the street from here. I ordered a 2 piece (leg and thigh) dinner with sides. Like before, I could see how the local folks would pick their favorite between the two but I cannot. Annie's has a different crust but equally tasty to Mary's. This chicken was juicy and delicious. I am glad that I was able to experience both offerings at the same time. Come out to Pittsburgh Kansas to support these restaurants! read more

Consistency is one way to describe Chicken Annies. We've been eating there for decades and even though don't live in Pittsburg anymore, we head there first thing while in town. It's all excellent, food, service. read more

This place serves chicken dinners. Lots of chicken dinners. The service was great, prompt and friendly. The price always more than fair for the amount of food. The only thing - the chicken wasn't great. It was kind of just ok. The sides were the same. Overall disappointed - we expected "chicken mecca" and just got some average tasting food. read more

While working In Pittsburg with the local first responder community, a couple of the local responders suggested this chicken place north of Pittsburg. Well we were finally able to try one of them out and chose Annie's vs Mary's and really glad we did. The service was awesome and the food was even better! Freshly cooked right out of the fryer, juicy meat with great taste! Loved the Germany Potato salad brought back a lot of memories. If you're in the Pittsburg KS are, definitely hit Chicken Annie's on the NORTH side of town off E 600th read more

Chicken Annie's - 3pc dark meat - Southern Near Me - Pittsburg, Kansas

See all

I have been eating at Chicken Annie's for over 50 years and was a big fan. I have moved away and have not been in the area for several years. I was coming back to town and had to have my fix. I have to say that it was not what I remember. The service was great and everyone was friendly but the chicken did not have the same flavor. The German coleslaw and potato salad did not have the same flavor either. Tasted like a lot of vinegar. I miss what I used to have and hope they correct this but I have to say several of the people we were with were not impresse read more

The "feud" over who's better Annie's or Mary's is alive with locals. But, I didn't see it. We tried this chicken once and both looked at each other and my husband said what I was thinking - Shake-n-Bake! So, nope. It's a no go for me and my husband, who knows fried chicken ( being raised in the south). Service was ok - they were busy. It's an older building and dated. read more

I may get pummeled with wet noodles for saying so, but I was not a fan of Chicken Annie's. I mean, it was fine, but the hype is wayyyy bigger than the reality. I can see how locals really enjoy this place, though - it's an iconic landmark in the city, been around for like 80 years. There's something to be said for longevity like that. But the food, for me, was just meh. I had the fried chicken and the crust was very hard to chew. It was flavorful, but you couldn't bite into it easily. I don't know what it was about it, but I've definitely had better breading. The mashed potatoes were good - it's hard to mess up mashed potatoes, plus they are one of my favorite foods. Green beans were okay - could've had more bacon flavor. The German coleslaw was good but the German potato salad was like leftover mashed potatoes mixed with vinegar. I dunno, it just lacked something. The fried mushrooms were good. The dipping sauce it came with was interesting. Was it balsamic BBQ? Who the heck knows! Hard to decipher, but we ate it anyway. We enjoyed the onion rings as well - except they were chopped pieces, not rings. But good flavor. I had a strawberry daiquiri and it was NOT good. Just very tasteless, like it was mixed with water. Now, I'm not one to give up. I feel like maybe we ordered wrong (although, they are known for their fried chicken, so ...) I would like to try their chicken fried steak - it's one of my favorite comfort foods. Overall, not a terrible place but definitely not on par with my expectations. Super old school, which can be good in some ways, but it didn't work for me. Building was HUGE and seats a lot of people. Server was friendly, service was quick. We'll go back again some day. read more

There food is really good I love there onion rings and mashed potatoes the slaw isn't to good in my opinion and the children, spaghetti, potatoes and gravy and onion rings reheat good there children where I am in kansas is getting smaller. read more

Chicken, Annie's and chicken Mary's just down the road are both excellent places to have fried chicken. My son prefers chicken Annies because of the more diverse size you can have the chicken is great both you can't go wrong. read more

On a recent trip from KC to Joplin, I planned my return route and timing so I could dine at Chicken Annie's. I had heard about it all my life and had read and seen stories about them and the big chicken war with their neighbor Chicken Mary's. I arrived around 6:30 pm on a Thursday night and was the only party in the massive building, although it was only 2 weeks after they started to allow in-store seating during the Covid -19 pandemic. Three other groups did arrive before we left. I was extremely impressed with the pricing, I could tell that I wasn't anywhere near the big city and the service matched. The masked waitress was extremely courteous and efficient and the hostess was the epitome of country charm. That's really about the only thing that was above average; cost and service. We started with an order of onion rings and the complimentary basket of white bread slices and packaged butter. The O rings was actually a bowl of fried strips and were pretty tasty dipped into some ranch dressing - the suggested dipping sauce - we were in the Mid-West after all. My side salad soon arrived to distract me away from the greasy rings. It was nothing more than bagged lettuce poured into a bowl with a portion control packet of 1000 Island dressing - SAD. My dinner arrived shortly there after - 3 piece mixed (leg, wing and thigh) and a baked potato and for $2, I added some gizzards. The potato was small and was accompanied with a small packet of margarine - nothing else. The gizzards were chewy and tough and reminded me why I never liked gizzards until Go Chicken Go in KC changed my mind. The chicken pieces were fairly small yet hot and crispy. The coating and the interior were pretty bland. There was nothing about this meal that gave me anything near a "wow" factor. I could only wonder how come all the decades of hype and national exposure? If I lived locally, I would return to try other items, simply because the price is right and there isn't a lot of options in Pittsburg, KS; but I'll be damned to know why anyone would drive any distance to eat here. If you are heading north thru Pittsburg and have a hankering for fried chicken; keep driving a couple more hours to KC and eat at Go Chicken Go, Stroud's or Gus's. Don't believe the hype. read more

See all

Our family loves eating here We love the onion rings , chicken and sides. The chicken has always been fresh and hot

I had heard Chicken Mary's and Chicken Annie's were the best places around for lovers of the fowl. I was totally bamboozled. The kid and I made a three hour round trip to try Chicken Mary's which was a total bust. So after packing up our food there we immediately headed down the street to try Chicken Annie's to give them a try for comparison. The restaurant was darn near deserted when we showed up so we had a nice quiet dining room to enjoy as we prepared for some great chicken. What we got was onion rings so greasy you could just taste the bottom of the deep frier. The spaghetti tasted like it was out of the can, and the kid who loves pasta took just one bite and was like nope. The chicken was supposed to be the star of the show, but it ended up being more of a pit of despair. The meat was tender but tasteless, or maybe it was just hard to taste after biting through the 'baked?' skin, which was overly breaded and just tasted greasy and disgusting. We just asked for to go boxes, packed it up and headed back to Springfield where we hit up an Arby's drive through for dinner. After hitting up the 'best' chicken places in Pittsburg it's safe to say it was a wasted trip, and we will hit up the local Walmart the next time we want to satisfy our chicken cravings. read more

FINALLY! I made it to Chicken Annies! From the sturdy white bread with margarine, the well seasoned chicken livers, the yummy onion rings to the chicken, everything was very good. The sides I had were german potato salad--cold and slightly tangy and spahetti--think spaghetti-o's---long noodles and a basic tomato sauce. My preference between Annie's and Mary's? Annie's wins. Good service on a busy Sunday! read more

I have fond memories of eating here when I was a kid. It hasn't changed a bit. The service was great and the food delicious. I was a bit surprised by how small the legs and thighs were, but then maybe CA chickens take steroids! read more

Food was good, very crispy. Service was attentive. Cozy small rooms. Very family friendly.

We've been driving between KC and Bentonville for 30 years. We planned a midweek trip, rather than our typical bank holiday return, just to hit Chicken Annie's. Annie's is the slightly thinner breading. We arrived at exactly 4 pm to make sure we hit the dinner service. I am a traditionalist and went with the legs and thighs. At 4, the service is over the top excellent. The waitress was saying her grand parents still eat here every Sunday. This is the pinnacle of friendly, small town. The fireplace, string lights and electrical insulators make for a simple and inviting dining room. It is worth the 4 miles off the beaten path. If you ask me Annie or Mary, I choose Annie today, but we'll do the other on the next trip. read more

We were passing through on way to Columbus for the hot air balloon glow. Food was excellent and our server Grace was excellent as well.

Chicken. Yum! Chicken livers. Yum! Onion ring strings. Yum! German cole slaw. Yum! See a pattern? The food is good. The food is real good. The chicken is always hot, juicy and not over breaded. I am not gonna choose which is best. The dark meat is just as good as the white. The selection of various pieces is infinite and you get two sides with each plate. Just get the German cole slaw and whatever else suits your fancy. They have fried shrimp and fish for the sorta vegetarians in your life. We've never had bad service and even when busy we've never had to wait too long. People drive from all over the area to eat here and have for generations. Make it a destination. Have some sweet tea and enjoy. read more

See all

We have been going here for over 10 years coming from the Kansas City area and it pains Me to have to leave this review. We stopped there again Today and the chicken was barely warm and dried out as were the side of gizzards. It had been sitting precooked and I'm Guessing it is because there were about 10 people in The restaurant. The fries were again cold as they have been every time the last year. We have finally lost faith that they will ever resolve the issues and their business will Continue to suffer. Kept giving them chances but no longer. read more

Not impressed. Not worth the hype. Water tasted bad, sides were not homemade nor impressive. Chicken was hot and juicy, but had no seasoning or flavor. Decently priced, but will not be back again. read more

This place is a Pittsburg standard. Don't come looking for a fancy place, but you will have some good ol' fashioned fried chicken.

Finally made it to Chicken Annie's and glad we did! Other reviews were right-don't skip the onion rings! The service was wonderful, attentive but not intrusive. The food was delicious! Chicken was not over breaded so you could enjoy the flavor of the meat. It's a bit off the beaten path but well worth it! read more

Chicken Annie's - Southern Near Me - Pittsburg, Kansas

Everything was cold and lacking spice. I had a one pc Breast meat with fries and mashed potatoes. The chicken was luck warm, flavorless and greasy. The fries and mashed potatoes was stone cold. The mashed also seemed to be instant and not homemade like you might expect from some place that prides it's self on chicken dinners. We should of known something was up when we saw a empty parking lot on a Sunday night, lesson learned. Will absolutely not go back. read more

I really enjoyed Chicken Annie's. We stopped on a drive to Kansas City and enjoyed it so much we stopped again on the drive home .(Though to be perfectly honest the original plan was to try Chicken Mary's on the second stop, but they were closed.) My favorite thing at Chicken Annie's was the hearts, livers, and gizzards appetizer. I've always been a fan of some of the "nasty bits" of the chicken and Chicken Annie's does a great job withe them. They go through enough chickens to have a large amount of fresh innards and they fry them in a light, flavorful batter. I love chicken hearts, the slightly chewy texture gives way to a burst of intense flavor. On the second trip my order consisted of only hearts and it was amazing. The fried chicken itself is very tasty. The breading contains cornmeal which gives it a nice crunch and hint of sweetness. It was very tasty. The sides were not particularly noteworthy, though the onion rings were good. The atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from a small town Kansas institution. Pictures of family members and advertisements for local businesses cover the walls and tables. Everything was clean and they have some classic arcade games you can play while waiting for take out orders. The service was friendly and prompt. Chicken Annie's is well worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Chicken Annie's - a sign in a restaurant - Southern Near Me - Pittsburg, Kansas

See all

Excellent fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy. Very crispy & moist! Could use a little spice though. Very busy place on a Sunday evening but fast & courteous service. Clean & a huge nice open dining area. Friendly staff. I would highly recommend this place. I would give 5 stars if it had more spice on the chicken. read more

Decent Fried Chicken. Nothing special and I would prefer Popeyes myself. The sides were plain and needed salt and pepper added to assist with flavor. I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy along with green beans. Great service that was very friendly. read more

Really enjoy this place not fancy over done just the way I like it. Sat down looked at the menu and decided to get chicken anyways as always battered perfectly taste great. Also love the German potato salad and slaw. I'll be back. read more

I've eaten here many times in years past but this was the first time in about 3 years and the first time I have reviewed the place. Annies has always been one of my favorite chicken places in the whole world. Today my food was excellent. The chicken is crispy and hot, hot, hot. I love their German potato salad and the cole slaw is delicious. The food is good as ever. Like I say, I haven't been in a long time, but there was a definite decline in their level of service. It's always been hard to get in on a Saturday evening but I went at 4 pm because I had early lunch and I wanted to beat the crowd before my 5 hour trip home. The place was about 1/2 full. There was no one in line to be seated except me and it took 10 minutes for the hostess to seat me while the owner ignored my arrival (he was busy watching TV). My waitress launched successfully, but continued to sputter during my meal. I had to ask for drink refills and the cardinal sin of restaurant etiquette - It took forever to get my bill. Other tables were showing impatience with their servers as well. The table next to me arrived at the same time as me but was just ordering as I finished my dinner. This owner is going to have to get off his TV chair or come inside from his outdoor smoking area and take charge of his staff. If he doesn't, the parking lot of next door rival Chicken Mary's will be even fuller than it was today. As much as I've bragged about Annie's to people over the years, I was disappointed with my experience today. read more

Chicken Annie's is so much better than Chicken Mary's!!! I have no idea why Chicken Mary's won the competition when it's nothing compared to the crispy, juicy chicken at Chicken Annie's. read more

Chicken Annie's - One piece (thigh) dinner with French fries and green beans - Southern Near Me - Pittsburg, Kansas

Ok........ maybe I have traveled to many places and had fried chicken. Or maybe I got caught up in the hype of a chicken war in Kansas. Well it's no war and the hype is just that. I ordered the 6 wing dinner with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. My first taste of the famous chicken tasted like old oil and cod. I expected a little more flavor or even a little hint of famous chicken. On to the mashed potatoes......tastes like instant potatoes no flavor here either. Next is the cole slaw WOW this stuff packs a punch. Drenched in a homemade Italian sauce and man do they lay it on thick. They need to season the chicken as much as the slaw. In closing the service was very friendly and even brought out samples of the German potato salad and cole slaw. Don't believe the hype read more

This was recommended by the volleyball coach at Pittsburgh State so I wanted to give it a try. I mean how can a midwestern restaurant compare to a southern restaurant using cast iron skillets to cook their fried chicken. Well I have to tell you they can!!!!! I did a to go order and the hostess gave me suggestions on the sides (the potato salad was awesome) but the chicken. Oh so crusty and tender and moist on the inside. Excellent food and true southern hospitality. read more

4.5 stars (1/2 off because I don't eat this stuff everyday). We had fried chicken tonight. It was delicious. Chicken Annie's. Wow. I never knew! German Coleslaw. Spaghetti with tomato sauce (?). Sure, why not? The chicken. So tender. Wow. Lots of sides. Potato salad. And onion rings (crispy and delicious). It's a very basic dining hall. Photographs of children all around. I'd recommend coming here. It's the only fried chicken place I've tried in Kansas (so I'm not an expert by any means), but I enjoyed the whole experience. FRIED CHICKEN! I'm a bit glad I don't live in Kansas or I'd come here all the time. And a place like this could be deadly if you ate it every single day. Man oh man. read more

Chicken Annie's has been a staple in my family for THREE Generations and they have never failed to impress. Informal, well-staffed and delicious chicken every time. Maybe it's the slight essence of garlic in the chicken or the fact is is always juicy and freshly cooked but whatever it is, we often drive an hour off course to visit. The garlic slaw and potato salad are unique and the gizzards & livers freshly cooked and tender. I really believe every teenager even remotely connected to the original family has worked in Annie's or Mary's in their teens and as a whole the service and energy are excellent. If I had to choose a last meal it would likely be a 4-piece dinner, slaw, potato salad and gizzards & livers appetizer. Oh, and don't pass on the onion rings. Utterly the best! read more

OK, so I have to say that I grew up visiting my grandparents in Frontenac and going next door to Chicken Mary's. It wasn't like we never went to Chicken Annie's, when the grandparents couldn't make it we occasionally ventured into Annie's, they just loved Mary's so that's where we went with them. My memories of Chicken Annie's include the long tables that would be shared by several dining groups. I've always liked that kind of setup, as it helps encourage talking with people that otherwise you wouldn't meet. It can be a little louder in those settings, but generally not in an unpleasant way. I haven't been able to make it down to Frontenac in way too long, sadly I just don't get down there too much these days. Luckily my parents live in Arkansas and on their way to Denver for a recent visit I talked them into swinging a little out of their way in order to get a bunch of chicken for myself and some friends. We'd seen the Travel Channel show Food Wars that featured Annie's and Mary's, and we wanted to have our own contest. Without my parents help, and a friend of my dad's from high school that has a grocery store in Frontenac (thank you Dick P!) that picked up the food, cooled it down, deep frooze it, and then packed it all in dry ice there wasn't going to be any contest in Denver. We all toasted the efforts made to enable our little competition! We got a dozen legs from each place and compared them side by side. The Annie's has a little less breading, it seemed to us to have a little corn meal in the breading to help make it crispy. It was soooo good! I'd forgotten just how crunchy it was, while still being nice and juicy. The competition was VERY close, with Mary's winning 6 to 4. Two people went back and forth so it easily could've gone the other way. It was great being able to share a little of my history over some killer fried chicken!! Having two meccas of fried chicken next sitting next to each other is a pretty special deal, if you're ever within 50 miles of them you have to make the drive and see for yourself! read more

We decided pretty early on a Sunday a.m. to take the 2 1/2 hour drive into Kansas to try Chicken Annies. My husband had seen it on Food Fueds. Appetizer of onion rings. The small order was huge. The rings were tasty but could have used more seasoning, in my opinion. I ordered two piece meal - sides were side salad & applesauce. The chicken was very tender and tasty but I dont feel it was worth all the fuss. My sides were not fancy and that was ok. My hubby got the german potato salad, which I tried, and definitely did not enjoy. The restaurant was comfortable, casual, and you could tell family run. Loved the atmosphere. Liked the chicken. read more

So, as most people in this area have told me, there is a battle between which chicken Annie's and Chicken Mary's. Not being that impressed with Mary's I sure was hoping Annie's would be better. Same group I went to Mary's with is the one I went to Annies with. I have to say Annie's, I am indeed a fan of yours over Mary's. Your chicken is better and I sure do like your crust. WAY better than Mary's. I only find two things that I wish for while I'm there.... More salt.. and Mac and cheese! other than that.. My vote is for Chicken Annies hands down. read more

Came here for old times sake after our grandmother's passing. My family is originally from Girard and Chicken Annie's has always been the go to for dinner. It was just the same~lots and lots of very very greasy good food. What more could you want? read more

Saw it on Food Wars a few years ago, & have heard the hype for years. DH & I were out on a road trip this weekend & being that I *LOVE* fried chicken, we decided to go. The previous reviews are correct about the side items - just eh - nothing to write home about. The mashed potatoes weren't bad, just really really thick & green beans were out of a can with no seasoning. The "salad" was literally just a bowl of lettuce (no carrots, cheese, etc) & it didn't come out until we got our plates. The chicken. Like I said, I love fried chicken & was so excited to be trying this. Wow - it was a letdown for me. It was just "okay". Ours was a little overcooked, so not real juicy, although the skin was crispy. Flavor was okay, but nothing outstanding. HOWEVER, the onion rings & livers/gizzards were pretty good. Overall - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I'll keep looking for the perfect fried chicken. read more

Growing up and eating here, then as an adult with my family, after leaving the area I never thought I would get to eat here again. But there I was eating chicken and the best German slaw and potato salad in the world! If you have never been it is worth it with the family, plenty to choose from on the menu for all! read more

See all

Meh. Certainly not bad, but not good either. I like that this place is an institution, but I've definitely had better chicken. The seasoning was sparse on the chicken breading, and the oil tasted old. They have a few beers in the bottle, but nothing other than domestic swill. Their sides are pretty gross: canned vegetables, potato salads, french fries, onion rings (the one thing that was actually pretty good), etc. It's worth it to go here for the history, but I make much better chicken at home, which is silly, because that's not my "specialty" like it is for Annie's. Their one good quality: they are better than fast food, but that's about it. read more