Mashed.com
Chain Restaurant Chicken Fried Steak Ranked Worst to Best, According To Customers
By Brianna Persons
December 2, 2023
LINK to full article
Ranked #1 – Black Bear Diner
Black Bear Diner’s quieted growling tummies for nearly 30 years, slinging the biggest breakfast spectacles made for Sunday brunching or curing hangovers alike. The fact that there are three different delineations on the chicken fried steak, each more delicious (and artery-clogging) than the last, should dispel any myths that chains can’t batter a beef cutlet with gluttonous aplomb. The BIGFOOT Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs is a proper gorge-fest and the most extreme in terms of its calorie count, but other options include a basic morning sampler with eggs and biscuits or a hearty spin on Eggs Benedict that subs the ham for breaded beefsteak.
It’s a shame Black Bear Diner is only on the Midwest and West Coast. Quite frankly, this fried steak slams its competition nationwide, as many positive responses pouring in suggest. The hefty size makes it a knife-and-fork deal, of course, but foodies will be pleased by the slab’s succulence that resembles, without exaggeration, a very good piece of fried chicken. The breaded shell is airy and well-seasoned, and the meat, according to this reviewer on Yelp, is perfectly tender — “nice and crisp on the outside and scrumptiously moist on the inside,” they exclaimed. Add in the wholesome gravy and a cup of strong black coffee, and unlocking heavenly bliss is possible.