Sure, it’s a chain, but it’s a chain most often found hidden inside of small, mom-and-pop gas station convenience stores, and when it comes to that Southern fast-food style, the chicken gives your local Popeyes outlet a run for its money. Well-seasoned, unfailingly crunchy skin — hence the name — is the hallmark here. Most locations have always been takeout only; this one, in Richmond, has been open as usual for walk-up orders during the shelter in place, and delivery is available via several of the third-party apps.

Gangnam Tofu is one of those great all-purpose Korean restaurants that does all of the classics well — tofu stews, seafood pancakes, you name it. It also might win the title for the very best, most consistently executed Korean-style fried chicken in the East Bay, served piping hot in spicy, sweet, and completely unsauced versions. The garlic-soy popcorn chicken, made with thigh meat and batter-fried to an impeccable crunch, is a particular hit. Call in for takeout, or order delivery via Uber Eats.

The excellent fried chicken at Stella’s comes as part of a plate, with a choice of sides, or in sandwich form. Also surprisingly good for a decidedly non-Korean restaurant: the uber-crisp Korean-fried chicken wings. Both dishes are on the restaurant’s newly launched takeout menu, which is available Friday through Sunday. Call in or order online.

Currently operating out of the cafe space at Berkeley Bowl West, B-Dama is selling a variety of excellent, affordable bento boxes during the shelter in place, including one that features a great version of chicken nanban: Japanese fried chicken coated with a sweet and sour sauce and served with tartar sauce for dunking. Walk up, text orders to 510-421-6023 (see the menu here), or get delivery via DoorDash.

Formerly known as the “Oriental BBQ Chicken Town,” this unassuming restaurant on Telegraph yields a hidden trove of crispy double-fried Korean fried chicken, available in various permutations — say, a sticky-sweet soy-garlic flavor or another that’s slathered with a fiery gochujang-based sauce. Even during the shelter in place, OB is open late. Call in or order online for takeout or delivery.

Fernay McPherson is serving her rosemary fried chicken, mac and cheese, greens, and more at her kiosk in the Emeryville Public Market. The hit of rosemary is what lingers in your memory — an extra pop of flavor you didn’t know every other fried chicken you’ve had was missing. Minnie Bell’s is taking online pre-orders for both takeout and in-house delivery Thursdays and Fridays 3–7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.–2 p.m. You can also walk in to order, and the Public Market is now open for outdoor dining.

Pandemic or not, there has always been a line out the door for lunch at this Temescal restaurant, which is currently offering a limited selection of baked goods in addition to its calling card: a fried chicken (or tofu) sandwich with a zippy jalapeño slaw. It’s a much-imitated Oakland classic. Bakesale Betty is currently open for walk-up customers on Saturdays and Sundays only, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

From James Syhabout, the chef behind two-Michelin-starred Commis, this counter-service Temescal spot is all about the bird. Fried chicken thighs are marinated in ginger and garlic, battered in rice flour, and double-fried for a super-crispy result. It’s offered as a sandwich, on a salad, or perched on a bed of rice with charred chili jam. Order online for pickup, or get delivery via Caviar.

At this cheerful Spanish restaurant, the fried chicken can be enjoyed two ways: with fenugreek yogurt, chili sauce, za’atar and fried Thai basil, or accompanied by churros with buttermilk syrup as an anytime-brunch item. Both versions are on the restaurant’s current to-go menu, which is available Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Call in or order takeout or delivery online via Caviar.

Buttermilk fried chicken — which comes in a bucket when ordered to go — is one of this upscale Asian-American diner’s best dishes. It’s marinated for days in a mixture of buttermilk, whole milk, Japanese mustard powder, soy sauce, and ginger; dredged in equal quantities of all-purpose flour and potato starch; and then fried. For the full experience, order some buckwheat biscuits and sesame-cilantro slaw on the side. Call in or order online for takeout and curbside pickup, or get delivery via Caviar.

This popular and Instagram-savvy popup now has a full-fledged restaurant for its wildly delicious (and seriously spicy) Nashville-style hot chicken, which is available in sandwich form (topped with slaw and pickles); as a tender; and even as a whole, bone-in chicken, cut up into quarters. This is killer fried chicken that boasts an outrageous crunch, juicy flesh, and no-joke heat — only the most dedicated chiliheads should start off at a spice level higher than 3 (on a scale of 5) for their first visit. Order online only for takeout, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Everything served within the bright pink walls of Miss Ollie’s is good, from the salt-fish and ackee to the split pea fritters, but it’s the mind-blowingly juicy, herb-infused skillet-fried chicken that changes hearts and minds. Call in for takeout Wednesday through Saturday — and if you’re craving brunch, the chicken is available with buttermilk waffles on Fridays and with pancakes Saturdays,

Named after family matriarch Lena Mae Andrews, Lena’s is run by her children and grandchildren, serving up steam tables full of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and greens. The chicken is fried in small batches all day long and is available either by the piece — off the restaurant’s bargain-priced 99-cent menu — or as part of a plate with sides and cornbread. Call in, or get delivery via apps like Doordash and Grubhub.

No trip to Hayward is complete without a stop at Caesar’s, an old-school fried chicken shack where everyone orders the same thing: a big bucket of well-seasoned, craggy-crusted chicken with an also-quite-big bucket of red-sauce spaghetti on the side. The restaurant is open for takeout daily — call in or walk up to order.