I have been eating at Ezell's for 35 years. That is pretty close to the beginning. The original Garfield location, and even locations that don't exist like U District and multiple stores in Tacoma. When the massive expansion started, the quality went in the toilet and the namesake was forced out. This location had become the worse offender. Food that was either burnt, or under the heat lamp too long, or the opposite, undercooked. I had so many regrettable meals here that I reached out to the owner and told him, "You are a founder and if you can't provide the best possible experience, every franchise will fail". He reached out and asked me to come see him, but I just decided to start using the other Renton location My in person feedback may have been a bit too spicy. It's been a couple years since that experience and I decided to give this location another chance, mostly based on proximity. I have been here 3 times this summer and will tell you the service and food have been near flawless on each visit. The service gets an A+ which is far better than service was for decades at the Garfield location. I had a conversation with ownership back in 2000 where I was told they give jobs to people most companies would not. My response was, "If that's the case, you now have a responsibility to train them to be professional". The food has been hot and perfectly cooked on each occasion. My knock here, the food isn't as spicy or seasoned as it once was. I taste zero heat and all pieces could use a little more salt. The chicken tenders, which were probably a game changer for the business are the biggest offenders. That marinade needs a boost, because they are regrettably bland. Here is my free advice for Mr. Rudd. You need 3 key franchise to make the world take notice. The first one should be the easiest and that is Sea Tac Airport. Make travelers remember Seattle and remember a chicken shack they may never encountered otherwise. Franchise #2 Vegas Strip, another high traffic location that would further put you on the global stage. Secondary alternative would be inside of a hotel, but I like the standalone location with a 24-hour operation. Final franchise, Hollywood. Celebrities do have a familiarity with Ezell's, but if you put it in their reach 7 days a week, you will have a self-serving marketing campaign. read more

I miss the old Ezell's from an OG customer's perspective. From the vibe and the taste of that hot crispy juicy spicy strips that I used to get at 23rd and Jefferson before their big expansion years ago. It just hasn't been the same since. My last experience in Renton didn't go so well, with dry chicken that the bbq sauce, coleslaw, mashed potato between that delicious biscuit couldn't even save it from being inedible. I'll go back again but probably a different location right when they open. read more

I ordered spicy on door dash and when I received it, the chicken was old and not spicy. The only item eatable was the rolls. I called to speak to the manager and none available I will not order food from there again. read more

Just dont go here. We got there, and there was no line and all the chicken was already made yet somehow it took 20 minutes for our food to come out. The place reeks of blunt and weed. The front door doesn't close all the way so there's always a draft of cold air. The chicken isn't bad, but there's no seasoning. And the french fries were like straight from the freezer to the plate without a drop of seasoning as well. Chicken tenders 2.5/5 Chicken thighs 2.5/5 Fries 1.5/5 read more

See all

Ordered online for pickup--disappointed to find the tenders were overcooked and noticeably smaller than usual. On top of that, I didn't receive the sauces I paid for. Not the experience I expected. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Ordered online for pickup--disappointed to find the tenders were overcooked - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

This was my first restaurant in Seattle. I ordered the 1/2 pound chicken tenders with Cajun fries. For the sauce, I selected BBQ ranch, honey mustard, and Buffalo. The chicken was a little too salty for me but it was still Crunchy and delicious. My favorite sauce was the BBQ ranch. Customer service was great. The cashier was able to answer my questions since it was my first time eating at this chain and the food was brought to our table. Overall it was a great experience. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Ezell's Chicken Tenders 1/2 Lb. - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

Just when I thought it couldn't be that bad anymore I went back to Ezell's chicken today after over a year of not going because of the inconsistencies in their food and low and behold..... chicken was either burned or cooked in old grease but either way it was completely unacceptable. My lunch is 30 minutes so to go there order and get back to work is my whole lunch. Very disappointed and can't see myself ever going back. Service was about like the chicken looks, not very impressive. I wish I could cut the star I gave them in half. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Either burned or cooked in old grease... either way unacceptable!! - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

Quality customer service! My family and I were so excited to support this black owned business! We've heard nothing but great things about their chicken and quality food. I was pleased to see the restaurant was featured on The Food Network which is like religion for a foodie like me. The chicken was fresh and hot. The sides were great! The serving size was better than expected. The fried okra and sweet potato pie were my favorites. The prices were a little higher than expected but definitely worth it! Quality customer service! read more

See all

I called in an order for pickup and was able to choose when I will be ready to pick up my food. It took about 20 minutes for me which is a short amount of time considering I ordered a lot of food. I ordered: two 3 piece chicken combo (one original and one spicy), chicken tenders, buffalo chicken tenders, potato salad, cream slaw, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes. Between the original and spicy chicken I liked the spicy ones a little more as it had more flavor. Between the chicken tenders and the buffalo chicken tenders I liked the buffalo ones more. It was actually pretty spicy and more spicy than I thought. I liked the honey mustard sauce which was nice to balance out the heat. These orders came with a side of bread which was surprisingly pretty good and flavorful. Unfortunately they forgot the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes which are my favorite sides so I wasn't able to try these. The fries are your typical fries with Cajun seasoning. Overall everything was pretty good especially given it's a chain. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Original fried chicken, buffalo chicken tenders, fries with Cajun seasoning, original chicken tenders, spicy fried chicken - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

Great service. Quick and friendly :) and the chicken was nice and crispy. I'm really glad I stopped in for lunch today, thank you!

It was a large hair in my food. I feel sick and I just want to say please use a hairnet, wash hands and be clean. Thank you read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - You see it I see it we all see it. - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

Sigh, so disappointing. Where to even start? My husband and I made a last minute decision to stop by and pick up dinner bc we haven't had Ezell's in a long time, maybe over a year? And it sounded good! We love supporting local businesses so thought it was a great idea to get some fried chicken and their yummy rolls! We got both spicy fried chicken and spicy chicken tenders, and two sides. It's hard for me to say this, but sadly everything was so disappointing! Both kinds of chicken were extremely dry and chewy! Almost unacceptable. Had we not been eating at home already, I might've wanted to take it back. My husband thinks it wasn't even fresh from that day - but how! We went on a Sunday night, there should be fresh chicken made that day. It was probably the worst fried chicken I've ever had, which was completely unexpected from a "famous" fried chicken spot we remembered liking in the past. So sad. The two sides (mac n cheese and mashed potatoes) were sad too - mac n cheese had no cheese or flavor, and the mashed potatoes were watery with no flavor either. Sigh - pass on everything we got. Two stars for good and quick service I guess? That's about it. Sorry, we won't be back. read more

Can I give them zero stars. I've always wanted to try Ezell's chicken and when I was looking for a place to get lunch, I saw Ezell's Famous Chicken and decided to give the place a try. The place was nice and clean and I saw couple people eating lunch inside the restaurant. I go up the counter, grab a menu and I wait, and I wait, and I wait. The staff in the kitchen see me but they don't acknowledge me or come out to take my order. I waited for a few more minutes and finally gave up and left. I don't think I'll be going back there again. read more

This place is okay, coleslaw was bland, bbq beans was okay, chicken wasn't nothing special. The bread was good.

I have wanted to try their chicken for a long time, I just did and I was underwhelmed. In my opinion Safeway Chicken is even better and taste better. I was perhaps a little Swayed by the poor service and in attentive cashier and workers who seem to be engaging in some sort of conversation the whole time including the cook. You as a customer were an afterthought. Anyhow I won't be returning to the restaurant since it was ho-hum and overhyped. read more

Over many years Ezell's has been on the top of our list for fried chicken in Seattle. Unfortunately, our recent visit and order of chicken was without question the worst fried chicken we have ever consumed. We truly couldn't believe how horrible it was. We ordered an 8-piece legs & thighs. Each piece was small in size compared to previous experiences eating Ezell's. For example, the leg was ~3" in length and ~2" inches in diameter, something we expect from Popeye's. But the worst part was the fact that each piece was dry and tasted horrible as if it had been sitting under the heat lamp all day. The coleslaw was off-tasting, like soap. The only thing that was as it should be were the baked rolls. So, overall Ezell's did not live up to their mantra, "fresh and homemade goodness." read more

When I saw that the Ezell's Skyway location closed & there was a new Ezell's in Downtown Renton, my only thoughts was "a closer Ezell's to home". Which honestly didn't make a whole lot difference compared to the Skyway location. Sticking to what I know & love, I ordered the spicy chicken tenders & fries combo. Unfortunately, I did not know that opening this new location would make me lose out on an Ezell's location close to home. Because after going 2 different times at night, this location has got to be the worse chicken I ever had, which does not meet my expectations for an Ezell's. Taking a bite of the chicken makes a craving for Ezell's immediately go away. Idk if this is due to the fact that I am going late at night, but either way I will not be returning to this location. read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Spicy Chicken Tenders & Fries at Ezell's (Downtown Renton) - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

I used to go there for years, this is it for me. half pound of liver is koo but the half pound of gizzards? not even a quarter lb. i hope everyone checks out their food before they leave the shop. ya'll a bunch of thieves. i used to get the fried chicken but the quality has gone down. done with this joint and sad but whatever. your business and now you have lost mine read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - half lb gizzards and liver - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

See all

Terrible service. Took 40 mins to get my food ready. It was a lunch special for one person and shouldn't have taken that long. There was people that was getting their orders before mine even though I ordered before them. I do not recommend this Ezell location. Terrible customer service as well. Kept telling me to wait. Edit: They messed up my order and I got regular instead of spicy. read more

Tried this out 1st time. Love the ezells in Spokane and Seattlr off 45th. This location, disappointing. Order was wrong. Guy at front counter didn't give a shit about taking people's orders, listening to them, etc. Potatoes and gravy watery. Strange. Never had it like this at any other Ezells. Staff overall lack smiles, etc. Probably won't be back to this location. read more

I've been door dashing Ezell's a lot recently their food reminds me of home ‍ their max and cheese is on point too

Old grease smell and no customer service. Don't waste you money or time at this place read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - DON'T WASTE UR TIME! THE SMELL OF OLD GREASE WILL MAKE U TURN AROUND AS SOON AS U HIT THE DOOR. - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

I love this new location! They're always fast to get through a busy line and the food doesn't take long to come out, but is still nice, crispy and hot. Food: Always good! Spicy chicken isn't actually much spicier to me than the regular but it's still delicious and I can't stop myself from getting it over the regular. The rolls are great as usual, and the Cajun fries are always satisfying. Service: It's usually a hit or miss here so employees could be friendlier, but I'm not one to rate down for service at a order-at-the-counter place, unless it was absolutely terrible. It's not a full service restaurant, more of a fast food joint. Price: Try to catch a special here! Other than that, it's affordable and fills your up for what you pay. read more

I have never been so sorry for a dinning choice ever in my life! I wanted to try both the chicken livers and gizzards, you have to order individually at a pretty high price. The gizzards were almost impossible to eat. Tough as hell! The livers had hardly any flavor meat wise, overcooked not fresh. The chicken was overcooked and so was the fried ocra. The mashed potatoes and coleslaw portions were small that came with the 4 piece dark meat meal. The mac and cheese was bland and chewy, not cheesy like the menu pic. The soda fountain was down and bottled soda had 2 options water was not free either. The staff was friendly but not thoughtful, they didn't think to bring plates, there were 3 of us sharing this meal and they didnt think to bring butter and honey for the biscuits. When I asked I recieved 3 each when there were 6 biscuits. My meal after tip was almost 70 bucks and the food was horrible. I was surprised they had customers. Ps I don't do negative reviews but it was THAT bad! read more

Ezell's fried chicken is my number 1 favorite chicken in the greater Seattle area. I go here roughly every 2 weeks. Most people love the chicken strips but I just love the 8 piece special that includes 8 rolls. If you haven't tried the dinner rolls at Ezell's Chicken, you gotta stop by. Highly recommended from a chicken connoisseur. read more

This place was horrible! Served us old chicken (obviously left over from lunch) unseasoned gas inducing beans (put some baking soda in it to cut the gas), dry rolls, a sip of water and store bought Walmart tasting potato salad. I needed seltzer to settle my stomach. I felt nauseated. I am not sorry that I won't be back...yuck! Sweet potato pie was goooood! read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - HORRIBLE chicken!! Been sitting out ALL day. Everyone knows fresh chicken and old chicken...yuck! Not sorry that I won't be back. - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

Decided to pickup wings for my wife and nephew after a long day at the park - so we were obviously hungry. Made my order to a worker that didn't even bother to greet me or smile. Probably makes sense with COVID and all so I'll let it slide. 20 mins after ordering, they tell everyone that it's going to be 15 mins longer because they ran out of bread/buns. Fine. Instead of 15 minutes, it took about 30 minutes before I received my order (basically an hour after ordering). Assuming the pickup was fine, we drove out. I had asked my wife during our drive home to see if the order looked right. We noticed we were missing a large order of mashed potatoes. Already waiting nearly an hour for our order, I was very very upset. I'm a very calm and chill person and believe everyone has bad moments but here's what made me take 15 minutes out of my day to write this review. I come turn the car around after driving for 5 minutes and inform the person (same guy that took my order so his demeanor/temperament didn't have a welcoming vibe already) that I was missing my mashed potatoes order. He doesn't say anything but looks at me as if I was lying, goes over to the counter and hands me the mashed potatoes - which, btw, was disgusting and watery by the time I went home to eat it - which I would argue probably was made this way. The guy doesn't even apologize and was like I had to explain myself as if I were presenting a case to the judge in a courtroom or something. Advice to management: 1. Find workers that want to be there and are detail-oriented. That exude the same belief as the mission statement you guys operate as a company. 2. When you make promises, it's not okay to overpromise and underdeliver when you say food is ready in 15 but it took twice as long. No apologies given and/or courtesy add-one on behalf of the restaurant (which is customary, but I don't expect this). 3. When you make a mistakes (which happens at times) people like myself (speaking for the general population) dont really care so long as you apologize and make things right. This worker clearly did not apologize or showed any care for me as a customer hence the main reason for this "wall of text" review. 4. The mashed potatoes were watery and was like as if an elementary aged student made it from powdered packets. The quality needs to be better or just remove it from the menu. A lot of customer experience mishaps here that sorely needs to be improved on if you want to grow your community of customers. Don't just live off of your loyal customers but think about new customers coming and experiencing a lackluster/subpar customer service - will they ever want to come back again? Probably not. I considered myself a loyal Ezell's customer but after this last visit, I'm not longer coming back. read more

Best Spicy Chicken Strips in the world! It is my first stop after I land at SeaTac every time I am in town. Get the Honey Mustard with them.

I know how hard it is to prepare food. If the food taste decent or good in any way i would rate it well. However the fried chicken (bone in ) was flavorful less and dry. The corn was cold and mushy Mac was cold but tasty. read more

Stopped by for some Ezell's famous chicken got 1/2 spicy strips with BBQ sauce and fries. Still good with the spice in the coating and the flavorful BBQ sauce and love those rolls but not the freshness the food used to be before Mr Ezell sold off the business. They used to hand batter the chicken and fry it fresh while you waited. Now it seems to be prepared ahead of time and it is sitting before you arrive. Just a bit of difference in quality but I still come back for more! read more

Ezell's Famous Chicken - 1/2 pound spicy tenders, rolls, and fries - Southern Near Me - Renton, Washington

ordered a half pound chicken tender and ended up getting less than a half pound of chicken. On top of that, they didn't give us our rolls. so check your orders before leaving. we saw another person coming back to get their rolls as well because they forgot it. The service was terrible with attitude. read more

Went in for the first time. Ordered to go, 8 piece with rolls. Came home and inside box was 6 pieces. Consist of 2 thighs, 2 legs, 1 wing and a dried out weird looking piece of breast, with 4 rolls. $23.09 plus cash tip! Wish I could take the tip back! Lol. Sorry I'm not going back! read more

It's chicken. Maybe I was disappointed because the hype was so high but even the sides were lacking in soul. read more

I read an article listing black owned restaurants in the community that the community could support and I chose Ezell's to check out. For covid19 phase 1.5, this Ezell's location has an 11 patron max for inside the restaurant. It was busy this past sat evening, I made it inside the doors while two others waited outside in line - all 6 ft apart. The line moved quickly and before I knew it, I was up in front giving my order. I told the cashier that it was my first time ordering and that I'd probably need a little help. I ordered 1lbs of chicken tenders with two sides (potato gravy and Mac&cheese) and a 2 chicken pieces with another two sides (potato gravy and bbq beans). The total came to $30 before tip. The cashier's name was Nigally(?) she was extremely helpful, super sweet and friendly. Loved her vibe! All employees were wearing masks except for one manager and one girl packing chicken into boxes. We drove our meal home and dug in. Here are our votes: 1/2 original 1/2 spicy Chicken tenders - not bad, not great. Meat was a little bland for us. However, we were really happy with the ration amount of chicken vs breading. Spicy seasoning has a little kick but not much. Chicken pieces- taste as above but amount of chicken on each piece was plentiful. Potato gravy - negative. Was watery Mac & cheese- we didn't get a chance to try but my choosy eater 2 year old ate all of it. Toddler approved. BBQ beans- really good! Bread rolls- wow! Yummmmm Overall, we will definitely try this restaurant again. It wasn't mind-blowingly good but also wasn't terrible that you'd never come back. We will try other items off the menu next time. It was a fun dining experience for our family. read more

If you want to come here, make sure they repeat your order to you. The employees didn't get the right order and doesn't even apologize. Maybe you should pay more attention to what the customer ordered next time. Horrible service, rude worker. At least apologize for wasting my time since I had to come back. But nope, they rather berate the customer instead and said at least you got food. There are better Ezell's else where than this place honestly. read more

We thought we'd give this place a try. What a disappointment. Absolutely flavorless chicken. No seasoning whatsoever. It's clear that the manager has found a way to save money by excluding the ORIGINAL seasonings. We won't be back. read more

They are the worst. I ordered delivery and they never showed up. Yet, I was charged and they "claimed" that my food was delivered. Tried to speak with a manager, was told they'll be here tomorrow. Today is tomorrow, and I was told that they make their own schedule and they have no idea when they will be in. Bullshit! read more

We were curious as we heard that this place is Oprah's favorite. Of course why shouldn't we check it out right?? The chicken pieces were good-sized. The pieces weren't the typical small chicken meat you might get in some places. The skin was crunchy. The meat was moist and juicy. The white meat is white meat. I thought the mashed potato and gravy had more of a peppery taste than typical mashed potato and gravy. Overall, I think I you should check it out and do your own comparison. read more

The one in Renton is my goto spot always good mannered staff that means allot especially during these times after covid and inflation. I don't mind paying a little more for friendly service. read more

Got a doordash order for my bfs birthday yesterday and he could not put the chicken down! Love this place...surprised to see the average rating but my bf highly endorses it As a vegetarian, I couldn't eat much from the menu so had the sweet potato pie dessert and WOW was it good. I will definitely be going back! read more