With the amount of people who live in Athens, there have to be a lot of restaurants to accommodate. Although there are many options, chicken-centric eateries are abundant, making eating out difficult to choose when hungry. Ohio University students discuss the best chicken-related ones in town.
There are four that fall into this category in town: KFC, Miller’s Chicken, Hot Box Chicken Fingers & Tots and Wings Over Athens. The university has one on-campus dining option with a focus on chicken called Earl’s Coop.
While there are plenty of other options, most Ohio University students have been to Earl’s Coop, as it is on the campus. This eatery is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. It is located near the Shively Residence Hall on East Green.
Makenna Jones, a senior studying information telecommunication systems, said the convenience was one of the best parts of this eatery. The price of a meal at Earl’s is $15 and is equivalent to one meal swipe for students with a meal plan.
Sam Mazza, a sophomore studying history pre-law, shared a similar sentiment but emphasized the wide variety the Coop has throughout the week.
“I like going to Earl’s because they have different stuff every day,” Mazza said. “Also, it’s an opportunity to hang out with my friends.”
Thomas Beelman, a freshman studying sociology pre-law, said he likes Earl’s Coop’s closeness to his dorm, sauces and the different sides available each day.
“It’s very convenient, just with the meal swipe system they have,” Beelman said.
Caden Potter, a senior majoring in piano performance, works at Earl’s Coop and shared his point of view on the place.
“When I started working there last year and I get to see what happens behind the scenes, I realized that it’s actually not as bad as people think,” Potter said. “Overall, I think it’s a really good place.”
Potter said he has never tried any of the other restaurants in the area but felt that it would still be better.
While some students enjoy the convenience of Earl’s Coop, Kaitlyn Schwab, a sophomore studying music education, felt strongly against it.
“If I’m comparing Earl’s Coop to Hot Box, I simply can’t,” Schwab said strongly. “Earl’s Coop does not compare to Hot Box.”
Mazza also compared Hot Box, which is located on 74 N. Court St. in Athens, to another popular chicken restaurant: Raising Cane’s, which is planned to come to Athens soon. Hot Box is open 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
“I feel like I’ve never had Cane’s before, but people say it’s very Cane’s reminiscent,” Mazza said. “ I like that because I’ve never been able to experience that.”
A sandwich or “sammie” at Hot Box is priced at $7. Their Hot Boxes range from $8.50-$13.50. The restaurant also offers sides and sauces ranging from 50 cents-$2.49.
Another restaurant that a student found good for the experience was Miller’s Chicken. Beelman said he liked the quality of the food.
“It just kind of felt really homey, like it felt really comfortable in there,” Beelman said. “And then overall, the food, even the stuff that I didn’t have, it all looked and smelled really good.”
Beelman said the diverse menu at Miller’s beats both Hot Box’s and Earl’s Coop’s menus.
“I don’t know if there’s really any other chicken places that I’ve had in my life that were too much better,” Beelman said.
Miller’s Chicken is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fried chicken itself costs from $1.50-$39, but they offer seafood, sandwiches and breakfast priced in the middle of that range. Miller’s breakfast is served from 7-10 a.m. They are located at 235 W. State St. in Athens.
Jones later spoke about her experience with Wings Over Athens. It opens at 11 a.m. every day but closes at 1 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday, 2 a.m. on Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Wings Over is located at 33 N. Court St. in Athens.
“I’ve had them a few times,” she said. “I think that they are really good and I always have extras.”
Despite liking the food, Jones commented on why she would choose other fast food options before Wings Over.
“I really only go to Wings Over if I have coupons,” Jones said. “It’s expensive.”
Although there is a KFC in Athens, none of the interviewees brought it up unless prompted. Beelman commented on this.
“There was a KFC back where I am from,” Beelman said. “I used to have it, not frequently, but definitely not just occasionally. The food there isn’t really good enough for me to want to go out of my way to get it.”
Beelman also brought up the transportation issue to KFC, as it is a farther distance than any of the other restaurants on campus or on Court Street. The address of this business is 60-62 Stimson Ave. in Athens.
The Athens KFC opens at 10:30 a.m. every day. Sunday through Tuesday and closes at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday at 7 pm. The combo meals range from $7.99-$21.99 and the family meals from $5.19-$43.79.
“It's not really in the way for me,” Beelman said. “I don't have a car on campus, and, I guess, it's not really a restaurant that's at the top of my list that I have cravings for, or anything. The food there isn't really good enough for me to want to go out of my way to get it.”
While some are better than others, many students also stated that they were not satisfied with the fast-food chicken options in Athens but did not mention the KFC that we do have.
“Please add more,” Jones stated. “Please bring Chick-fil-A to Athens … I would rather have Chick-fil-A than the other foods around here.”
The students collectively believe that Hot Box and Miller's Chicken were the best, followed closely by Wings Over. Earls Coop has its place on the list but is hard to compare with because it is a dining option and not nearly as good as off-campus options.
