Southern Living ranks best Southern fast-food chains. Which NC spots made the list?
Whether you’re craving something sweet or salty, North Carolina has a flavorful lineup of fast-food restaurants — some of which have been named the best in the region.
Southern Living released a list of the top Southern fast-food chains, according to its readers. Of the 12 fan-favorite spots included, three with North Carolina roots were ranked among the best.
Best NC fast-food chains in the South
Bojangles
“There’s nothing like Bojangles’ famous Cajun Filet Chicken Biscuit for breakfast, but our readers also love this spot for their Bo-Berry Biscuits and plethora of creative new offerings rolled out every so often,” Southern Living’s report says.
“Come by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner where you’ll find some of the best fried chicken and biscuits you can find anywhere, plus Southern fixings like dirty rice, Cajun pinto beans, green beans, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. The first Bojangles opened in Charlotte in 1977, but now spans the region and beyond.”
Nearly 50 years later, the Carolinas chicken chain’s original location is still open. After a major renovation and throwback reopening event in 2023, it stands as the longest-operating restaurant in the company of the hundreds of restaurants in more than a dozen states.
Cook Out
“You can’t beat the deals — or the variety — at this beloved restaurant that started in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989,” the report says.
“Order a ‘tray,’ which comes with a large entrée (barbecue sandwiches, double cheeseburgers, two hot dogs, chicken strips, and more), plus two sides that include your standard fries or onion rings, but also options like corn dogs, chicken wraps, and quesadillas. Did we mention the chain offers more than 40 flavors of milkshakes? What’s not to love?”
After its debut in the Triad, Cookout quickly expanded to even more locations – opening its 10th restaurant nine years after opening. Now, there are more than 300 locations across the country, with even more on the way, according to the company website, including nine in North Carolina.
Biscuitville
“Those who live in North Carolina (where the chain was founded), plus parts of Virginia and South Carolina, are big on Biscuitville. As the name suggests, the spot is known for one thing and one thing only: biscuits. Served from 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, the locally and family-owned spot is all about breakfast. There are dozens of different biscuit sandwiches to choose from, or you can simply have one smothered in gravy. You won’t regret either option.”
The Southern breakfast restaurant, known for its scratch-made biscuits, originally started out as Pizzaville in 1966 in Burlington, according to a 2016 blog post from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. But years later, after opening its first biscuit-only restaurant in Virginia, all locations were converted to Biscuitville.
Want to know how the three North Carolina-based chains compared to others named the best in the region? Here’s the full list of the Southern chains ranked the best:
Chick-fil-A
Chicken Salad Chick
Bojangles
Whataburger
Milo’s Hamburgers
Cook Out
Raising Cane’s
Popeye’s
Church’s Texas Chicken
Krystal
Jack’s
Biscuitville
Fortunately for local foodies, most of the other chains have locations across North Carolina, including Chick-fil-A, Chicken Salad Chick, Church’s Texas Chicken, Popeye’s, Raising Cane’s — and, soon, several Whataburger locations, too.
You can find Southern Living’s full report of the best Southern fast-food chains online at southernliving.com.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Southern Living ranks best Southern fast-food chains. Which NC spots made the list?."
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