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Chicken Shack

It’s true love: Biting into Baton Rouge’s everlasting fried chicken fascination

By

Cynthea Corfah, Olivia Deffes and Maggie Heyn Richardson

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April 29, 2025

Photography by Collin Richie

This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue of 225 magazine.

Is Baton Rouge a fried chicken town? You bet.

Alongside its obvious Cajun and Creole foodways, there’s a powerful fried chicken throughline in the Capital City, demonstrated by bedrock brands that have made the dish a local staple.

Emblematic establishments like Chicken Shack, Blue Store and, of course, Raising Cane’s have permanently anchored fried chicken as a signature dish in the Red Stick. Meanwhile, new and trendy fried chicken concepts continue to open across the region.

We crave it as a lunch special and an Easter Sunday main course. We expect it at parties, and we need it on weeknights. It’s a citywide unbreakable habit. Let’s dig in.

Blue Store Chicken

The enduring influence of Chicken Shack, Blue Store Chicken and Raising Cane’s

Newcomers have brought tasty, fresh takes to the fried chicken scene in recent years, from hot chicken to wings

Does fried chicken go with everything? Here’s how local eateries are riffing on the Capital City classic

Fried chicken is a language every country speaks

Soul food restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations are often gems for fried chicken

Sidebars by Maggie Heyn Richardson

Sidebar sources: Bitter Southerner, Chicken Shack, Eater, Green Book (2018), McDonald’s, Prince’s Hot Chicken, Raising Cane’s and The Smithsonian National Museum of American History

By Cynthea Corfah

Cynthea Corfah is a multimedia journalist, community builder and passionate eczema advocate. As a true arts lover and "Essence" contributor, she has interviewed music stars like Coi Leray, captured the energy of epic Boiler Room DJ sets and profiled influential fashion designers. Through partnerships with brands like Pfizer and WebMD, she sparks honest and impactful conversations about life with eczema and promotes inclusive skin representation.

By Olivia Deffes

Olivia Deffes started with "225" as an intern during her senior year at LSU, polishing off her part-time gig with her first-ever cover story on Garth Brooks' iconic visit to Tiger Stadium. After graduating, she took a 10-day summer break before starting full time with the magazine as its digital staff writer before taking on the role of digital editor, and now, managing editor. Besides being a journalist, she's a self-proclaimed sweet treat enthusiast and One Direction historian. Find her hunting down celeb interviews, perfecting our social media pages or gabbing about Harry Styles.

By Maggie Heyn Richardson

"225" Features Writer Maggie Heyn Richardson is an award-winning journalist and the author of "Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey." A firm believer in the magical power of food, she’s famous for asking total strangers what they’re having for dinner.