7 All You Can Eat Fried Chicken Spots in Tennessee Worth the Drive

Tennessee knows a thing or two about comfort food, and nothing says Southern comfort quite like golden, crispy fried chicken.

Across the Volunteer State, restaurants have perfected the art of all-you-can-eat chicken feasts that keep locals and travelers coming back for seconds, thirds, and sometimes even fourths!

From Nashville to Memphis and spots in between, these seven establishments offer unlimited helpings of this Southern classic alongside mouthwatering sides that complete the experience.

1. Loveless Café in Nashville: Famous Biscuits and Endless Chicken

Serving hungry travelers since 1951, the Loveless Café has become a Nashville institution known nationwide for its secret recipe fried chicken. What started as a humble roadside motel has transformed into a culinary landmark where guests can indulge in unlimited portions of perfectly seasoned, crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside chicken.

The real magic happens when you pair that chicken with their legendary scratch-made biscuits, which have remained unchanged for over 70 years. These fluffy clouds of buttery goodness come accompanied by homemade preserves that locals swear are worth the trip alone.

Weekend brunches feature their all-you-can-eat option, though reservations are strongly recommended as lines can stretch around the building. Celebrity sightings aren’t uncommon here, with country music stars often spotted enjoying the down-home cooking that has earned the café features on multiple Food Network shows and in countless travel magazines.

2. Monell’s Dining & Catering in Nashville: Southern Family-Style Meals

Housed in a beautifully restored Victorian mansion in Germantown, Monell’s creates an experience that goes beyond just incredible food. Strangers become friends as everyone sits together at large communal tables, passing heaping platters of crispy fried chicken that keeps coming until you surrender. The no-phone policy encourages genuine conversation, creating a dining atmosphere increasingly rare in our digital age.

Owner Michael King established this Nashville treasure in 1995, and his commitment to authentic Southern recipes shines through every bite. The chicken, brined overnight and double-dredged in a secret spice mixture, achieves that perfect balance of tenderness and crunch that fried chicken aficionados crave.

Accompanying the star attraction are rotating seasonal sides like creamy corn pudding, collard greens simmered with ham hocks, and mac and cheese that could make a grown person weep. For many Nashville families, Sunday dinner at Monell’s has become an unbreakable tradition spanning generations.

3. Champy’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Chattanooga: A Local Staple

Blues music fills the air at Champy’s, where Mississippi Delta traditions meet Tennessee hospitality in a casual, no-frills environment. Founded by Seth Champion in 2009, this Chattanooga hotspot has earned cult status among chicken enthusiasts for its Mississippi-style fried chicken, which arrives at your table hot, crispy, and ready for unlimited refills during their Tuesday night special.

The chicken follows a generations-old family recipe, with each piece marinated for a full 24 hours before being coated in a distinctive cornmeal-based batter that creates an exceptionally crunchy exterior. Cold beer served in mason jars perfectly complements the spicy kick that sets Champy’s apart from other fried chicken joints.

Walls decorated with license plates, neon signs, and blues memorabilia create the perfect backdrop for their famous all-you-can-eat nights that bring in crowds from across the state. Regulars recommend saving room for the homemade tamales, a surprising menu standout that reflects the restaurant’s Mississippi Delta influences.

4. Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken in Memphis: Sweet Spicy Love Sauce Included

When Guy Fieri features your restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, you know you’re doing something right. Uncle Lou’s humble Memphis establishment might not look impressive from the outside, but the lines forming before opening tell the real story. Every Tuesday, their all-you-can-eat special draws devoted fans willing to drive hours for unlimited access to chicken that’s earned nationwide acclaim.

Owner Louis Martin perfected his recipe through decades of experimentation, creating a signature Sweet Spicy Love sauce that strikes the perfect balance between honey sweetness and cayenne heat. This special coating caramelizes slightly during frying, creating a unique flavor profile that’s impossible to replicate at home.

The chicken itself achieves that mythical status of being exceptionally crispy while remaining incredibly moist inside. Local postal workers, police officers, and Memphis celebrities are regular fixtures here, bonding over endless baskets of chicken served with homemade biscuits and sweet tea so sugary it should come with a warning label.

5. Miller’s Grocery in Christiana: All You Can Eat Sundays With Tradition

Time stands still at Miller’s Grocery, where a century-old country store has been transformed into one of Middle Tennessee’s most beloved hidden gems. Located in tiny Christiana, just outside Murfreesboro, this charming restaurant maintains the building’s original wooden floors and antique fixtures while serving unlimited fried chicken every Sunday after church lets out.

The chicken here represents old-school country cooking at its finest, with a peppery, well-seasoned crust that somehow manages to stay attached to the meat with each satisfying bite. Mashed potatoes whipped with real butter and cream provide the perfect landing spot for their pepper-cream gravy, made fresh each morning in cast iron skillets that haven’t left the kitchen in decades.

Fourth-generation owner Marsha Miller uses her great-grandmother’s recipes, refusing to cut corners or modernize techniques that have worked since 1923. The restaurant feels like stepping into someone’s home, with servers who remember your name and dining preferences even if you only visit once a year.

6. Stroud’s Barbeque in Franklin: Local Favorite With Fried Chicken Nights

Franklin locals guard this secret jealously: while Stroud’s built its reputation on slow-smoked barbecue, Thursday nights transform the restaurant into fried chicken heaven with unlimited servings that rival any dedicated chicken joint in Tennessee. The Stroud family, barbecue experts since 1976, applied their smoking expertise to create chicken that gets a hint of hickory flavor before being dredged and fried.

This innovative technique produces a unique smoky undertone that complements rather than overwhelms the perfectly seasoned crust. During all-you-can-eat nights, the kitchen prepares fresh batches continuously, ensuring each piece arrives at your table at peak crispiness and temperature.

Located in a converted farmhouse with a sprawling porch perfect for summer dining, Stroud’s attracts a diverse crowd of Nashville music industry professionals, Franklin families, and in-the-know tourists. Their signature sides include twice-baked potato salad and cornbread made with stone-ground Tennessee corn, but regulars save room for the banana pudding, which uses vanilla wafers made in-house daily.

7. Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store in Jackson: Classic Buffet Comfort

Nostalgia comes served alongside unlimited fried chicken at this Jackson institution located within Casey Jones Village. What began as an actual country store in 1965 has evolved into a sprawling restaurant complex where the all-you-can-eat buffet features fried chicken that consistently ranks among Tennessee’s best kept culinary secrets.

The chicken follows the Shaw family recipe, which calls for a distinctive combination of eleven spices and a quick brine in buttermilk before frying. This method produces exceptionally tender meat beneath a golden crust that maintains its crunch even after sitting on the buffet line, a feat of culinary engineering that impresses professional chefs who visit.

Beyond chicken, the buffet showcases over thirty classic Southern sides that rotate seasonally, highlighting local produce from farms within fifty miles. The restaurant’s atmosphere enhances the experience with authentic antiques, working cash registers from the early 1900s, and friendly staff who embody genuine Southern hospitality. Many visitors combine their meal with exploring the adjacent Casey Jones Museum and village shops for a full day of Tennessee history and flavor.