Willie Mae’s Scotch House was originally a bar with a beauty parlor in the front.

When the parlor closed, Willie Mae’s became a restaurant serving up classic southern dishes. The Travel Channel called it “America’s Best Fried Chicken;” the James Beard Foundation called it “America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region;” we just call it fried chicken heaven.

Willie Mae’s chicken is soaked in hot sauce before being fried in a light batter. The hot sauce keeps the chicken moist, but be warned - some bites are pretty spicy! 3 pieces of either white or dark fried chicken are served with one side and peas; we liked the mac and cheese better than the mashed potatoes but would like to try other sides as well. The 3 pieces of chicken would probably be big enough to share, but sharing would require ordering at least one other side (the sides were small). Keep in mind if you’re sharing, though, that there will be a splitting fee.

The Treme neighborhood, where Willie Mae’s is located, isn’t the safest - at least not for tourists who don’t know their way around. We would recommend getting an Uber or taxi to get there (this should cost $7-8 from the French Quarter). You will also want to get there early; Willie Mae’s is popular with locals and tourists and wait times can be long. We got there right at opening (10:00 AM) and were seated right away, but by 11:00 the restaurant was full and there was a line forming outside.

If you’re visiting New Orleans, we consider this a spot that you can’t miss.

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