Here's The Best Fried Chicken In VA, DC: Daily Meal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There's a knack to blending the spices to give a platter of fried chicken that special taste. If you are yearning for a great chicken dinner, the food website The Daily Meal has just released its updated picks of the 75 Best Fried Chicken Places In America for 2019.

The best place for fried chicken in Washington, D.C., is No. 68 Birch & Barley at 1337 14th St NW, while Moseberth's in Portsmouth, Virginia, comes in at No. 43 on the list. Overall on the list, the top spot goes to Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orlean, No. 2 is Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in Mason, Tennessee, and No. 3 is the Barbecue Inn in Houston, Texas.

Here's how The Daily Meal folks describe the range of fantastic fried chicken specialties nationwide: "Fried chicken is one of the most delicious foods on the planet, and these spots do it best. ... When done properly, it hits just about every right note in the culinary book: tender and juicy, salty, crunchy, fatty. There’s a reason why it’s become a thing of cultish devotion, one of the primary reasons being that it’s much harder to get right than you might think. Some places, however, don’t just get it right; they turn the dish into a transcendent experience."

Of Birch & Barley The Daily Meal editors said the restaurant "bases its diverse and deceptively simple dishes around the complex flavors of its collection of 555 artisanal beers. Since 2009, it’s been serving up a wide variety of styles and flavors, including a fair share of fried delights. Some might be drawn to the fried peach pie, but the real treat is the fried chicken and waffles with buttered pecans and maple-chicken just served during brunch. It's a little sweet, a little savory and super-crunchy."

Here's what the food editors said of Moseberth's: "Moseberth’s has been a Virginia institution for more than 70 years, serving up the best fried chicken for miles. The recipe may be simple, but it’s been perfected over the decades: Chicken pieces are dunked in a batter made with seasoned flour, eggs and baking soda, dredged in seasoned flour (containing plenty of black pepper), and fried for nearly 20 minutes in 315-degree oil (low and slow is key). Order up a box and you’ll receive a half chicken with coleslaw, fries and hush puppies."

See the Daily Meal's full list of the 75 Best Fried Chicken Places In America.