Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken—A Chain from Col Sanders' Nephew

Lee's was unknown to me until last summer when we came across one in Connersville IN, home of Kunkel's Drive-In—Home of the Kunkelburger.



At the time I didn't realize Lee's is a chain. We almost paid a visit but stomach space was at a premium that day.

In East-Central Illinois recently, we came upon another Lee's Chicken in Danville, almost across the road from Schroeder's Hamburgers—A Burger Chef Survivor. We were just hungry enough to manage a leg-n-thigh, greens and a biscuit.







The bird, still sporting a few feathers, had a mildly seasoned light breading and the soft meat of pressure-fried poultry. Not bad. I especially enjoyed the greens, maybe previously frozen but nicely enhanced with cured pork, onions and a noticeable punch from red pepper. The biscuit was pleasant enough but lacked the proper light texture. Overall, a better meal than you might expect of fast food but nothing worth going out of the way for.

As he bit into the thigh, PIGMON remarked it reminded him of Kentucky Fried Chicken (or whatever the chain is called these days). It turns out there's a deeper connection between KFC and Lee's than we realized. The first Lee's Chicken was opened in Lima OH in 1966 by Lee Cummings, the nephew and business partner of Harland Sanders, and is now a chain of over a hundred stores. News to me and an interesting nugget of fast food history. When on the road, passing through smaller Midwest cities, you can do a lot worse than Lee's (but you should probably try to do better).

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
many locations including:
501 N Gilbert St
Danville IL
217-443-4760
http://www.leesfamousrecipe.com/

Edited to repair photo links.

For many years, Lee's Famous Recipe was owned and operated by Shoney's. They were sold when Shoney's was experiencing financial problems in 1995.

Thanks for putting this on my radar, ReneG. Turns out there are three Lee's chicken joints in the St. Louis area. (It's probably no great revelation to others, but I am learning that St. Louis, while the Gateway to the West, tends to take its culinary cues from the South, which has all sorts of interesting results.) Lee's will have to get in line for the "best" designation here, however. That honor seems to go to Porter's Fried Chicken on Big Bend.

Been eating at the Lee's in Wausau Wisconsin for a long time. It is about my favorite fast food chicken. That, and Chicken Unlimited, which has its last location in Wisconsin. I see from the site that is the only Wisconsin location. I wonder how it got there?

I once had some Lee's in Kalamazoo. It was ok.

Two fried chicken chains that I recall being great were Bojangles (Mid-Atlantic, now expanding rapidly in the South) and Mrs. Winner's Chicken and Biscuits (felt like Popeyes meets KFC - mainly Georgia, North Carolina). Looking forward to having both when I take a road trip later this month.

http://www.bojangles.com/
http://www.mrswinnersnc.com/

Ram4 wrote:Two fried chicken chains that I recall being great were Bojangles (Mid-Atlantic, now expanding rapidly in the South) and Mrs. Winner's Chicken and Biscuits (felt like Popeyes meets KFC - mainly Georgia, North Carolina). Looking forward to having both when I take a road trip later this month.

http://www.bojangles.com/
http://www.mrswinnersnc.com/

Mrs. Winners is owned by Lee's Famous Recipe.

There is/was ( not sure anymore) one of these in Plymouth, Michigan. I recall liking their chicken and noodles . and also their gizzards.

I thought that there were still a half dozen chicken unlimiteds in Florida, I remember eating at one in key west. For a while their corporate address was a po box in Hollywood, fl.

The last Chicken Unlimited in Eau Claire, WI had to close recently due to declining business from road construction in the area. They had planned to sell it to a buyer so it could be re-opened, but the deal fell through and currently it is closed. I haven't had Chicken Unlimited since the one on Dempster in Skokie back in the 70's so I don't really remember if it was good or not. I know when Brown's opened in Skokie, we started ordering from them over Chicken Unlimited, so how good could it have been?

Found this online - a 1971 ad with all the locations in the Chicago area alone:

I do know that the Chicken Unlimited I worked in as a fry cook in the late 70's turned into a Brown's.
In the area at the time (schaumburg) my mother really liked CU and Roy Rogers fried chicken. Everyone else was way down the list.

Personally I loved the Long Johns peg legs which sadly are no more for fast food chicken.

Just checked google maps - the Brown's Chocken that the CU I worled at is still there - 90 east devon in Elk Grove.

Sometimes these regional fried chicken chains can do really good work. The unarguably best fast-food fried chicken in metro Kansas City is Go Chicken Go. Crazily enough, I get the jones to go there much more often than I do to go to Stroud's. Juicy, really stick-to-it batter with excellent spicing. Oh Yum! Plus, they do livers, gizzards, and a combo. Give 'em a try, next time you're in KC.

Geo

Geo wrote:Sometimes these regional fried chicken chains can do really good work. The unarguably best fast-food fried chicken in metro Kansas City is Go Chicken Go. Crazily enough, I get the jones to go there much more often than I do to go to Stroud's. Juicy, really stick-to-it batter with excellent spicing. Oh Yum! Plus, they do livers, gizzards, and a combo. Give 'em a try, next time you're in KC.

Geo

Geo, that's on my list for my next KC visit. I just got back from a couple of days there (post to come) and a visit to Stroud's was as pleasant as ever. It was my first time to the new "South" location. If you say you like Go Chicken Go better than Stroud's, it's on my list for sure!

I'm not alone, Steve: Yelpers like it too. Now understand that the smashed 'taters aren't anything (altho' I sort of like the ersatz gravy), rolls are fresh but not much, and there's no ham 'n green beans. But it's all about the *chicken*. I go to the one by UMKC, 51st and Troost. I'll be interested to hear your response.

Geo

I'll second Go Chicken Go. I work at 47th and Oak and the one at 51st and Troost
used to be on my regular lunch rotation. Half order of gizzards with biscuit and
Go Sauce for $4.95. Best under $5 lunch around.

I'll third GCG, at least based on my last time eating it several years ago. I especially enjoyed eating the wings with hot sauce with a side of fries.

My long summer trip got postponed to the fall so I'm going to be taking a 5 day trip to Tulsa, OK and Fayetteville, AR (girlfriend's class reunion). I've decided to take a drive to Pittsburg, KS to try either Chicken Mary's or Chicken Annie's (or both). From what I've read online, I am definitely leaning toward Mary's. I know, I should try BOTH, but I don't know if I'll do that yet.

I also want to try some of the chicken fried steak they have in Oklahoma, so I'm doing some research on that. There's a lot of love for Nelson's Ranch in Tulsa, Ann's Chicken Fry in OKC, and Clanton's Cafe on Route 66 in Vinita, OK. Interesting to see biscuits and gravy served with simple milk gravy down there (no sausage) which I prefer.

Ram4 wrote:My long summer trip got postponed to the fall so I'm going to be taking a 5 day trip to Tulsa, OK and Fayetteville, AR (girlfriend's class reunion). I've decided to take a drive to Pittsburg, KS to try either Chicken Mary's or Chicken Annie's (or both). From what I've read online, I am definitely leaning toward Mary's. I know, I should try BOTH, but I don't know if I'll do that yet.

I also want to try some of the chicken fried steak they have in Oklahoma, so I'm doing some research on that. There's a lot of love for Nelson's Ranch in Tulsa, Ann's Chicken Fry in OKC, and Clanton's Cafe on Route 66 in Vinita, OK. Interesting to see biscuits and gravy served with simple milk gravy down there (no sausage) which I prefer.

If you're going to be in Fayetteville, dont miss AQ for fried chicken "over the coals".

I had AQ once, I went for a chicken fried steak. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. I'm open to try the chicken though.

Ram4 wrote:I had AQ once, I went for a chicken fried steak. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. I'm open to try the chicken though.

"over the coals" is the way to go.

I've got to say that the Chicken A's vs. Chicken M's rivalry is played out just like the bbq rivalry Bryants vs. Gates in KC. We *all* knew that Chicken Betty's place out south was better than both places in Pittsburg, but once she died, the other two places stepped up to the plate. I've never done either (altho' I did Betty's place time and again), so I can only tell you that both places have their staunch loyalists.

I'd do both!!

Geo

Ram4 wrote: I also want to try some of the chicken fried steak they have in Oklahoma, so I'm doing some research on that. There's a lot of love for Nelson's Ranch in Tulsa, Ann's Chicken Fry in OKC, and Clanton's Cafe on Route 66 in Vinita, OK.

A colleague at work who hails from Tulsa is partial to a downtown hole in the wall called Steakfinger House, 403 S. Boulder.

Geo - Are you talking about Betty Lucas? Where was her restaurant? Still around?

Tom - A hole in wall eh? Right now, I'm leaning towards Nelsons since a lot of people are talking about it. I need a little more convincing. Clanton's is closed next Thursday for construction, so I can't go there that day, but it's an option for Monday (Oklahoma day 2). I was thinking about Ann's Chicken Fry in OKC, but they are closed Mondays. So Clanton's is looking good for Monday. I need to decide on Thursday late morning still.

Depending on my hunger and mood, I might still try both Chicken Mary's and Annie's. I know... I really should do it. Maybe I could consider one of them on Monday...

Ram4 wrote: Right now, I'm leaning towards Nelsons since a lot of people are talking about it.

If you're on such a tight schedule, then Steakfinger probably isn't worth a special trip.

Actually I'm not on a tight schedule Thursday. I get in at 10:15, and the only thing I have to hit later in the day is Pittsburg, KS for chicken around 7 or 8, so I'm fine for time. I looked up that Steakfinger place and it sounds good to me. Kind of like chicken fingers but instead they have chicken fried steak fingers. Now I'm not sure what to do! But thanks for the option. It may work out.

Ram4--

Betty Lucas had a couple of places: on 95th Street, near State Line (IIRC), but she most famously was in Martin City. For a while MC was *the* place to get steak, chicken and bbq! She's been gone for a long time, so far as I know. I just did a google search on Chicken Betty Lucas, which popped up some amazing things, including a NYTimes recipe for her chicken, and a Calvin Trillin article from New Yorker called "Fried Chicken Wars". She really was a legend.

Geo

I think I had to have passed by a few Lee's over the years but I couldn't say for sure or exactly where. It wasn't until this OP was made that Lee's then became known to me to the point where if I see one I might stop in and see whats up. I did just that in Mattoon, IL this past weekend. Even though we had just finished up brunch at another place with ties to a fast food heavyweight, I got a meal for road and the push down south just to see what Lee's was about.


Time Theater in Mattoon Illinois

Upon entry its clear that Lee's is a chain that specializes in small town areas. The AYCE special even with all the fine print wouldn't fly in most any urban city without losing money. Then there's the honor system Lion's mints I haven't seen in some time even though I love stopping thru the small town spots. Forget about an honor system, in the city these would be a help yourself system. I second everything that Rene G said from biscuit to chicken. I really enjoyed my sides. The green beans I was told were most popular and those came with the aforementioned cured pork too and were very good even on a hot day. The chicken and noodles were also surprisingly good. Not just little specks of fallen meat but some nice breast chunks inside there too. If I didn't know of anything better and the other options are Wendy's, KFC and Arby's I'm stopping by Lee's Famous for some sides and maybe a leg again.



Lee's Famous Sides and Fried Chicken...small town Americana dining

Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken
800 Charleston Ave
Mattoon, IL 61938
(217) 235-3731