3. Max's Wine Dive If you're a fan of cognac and a medium-rare steak, you're going to absolutely adore Max's Wine Dive's chicken fried ribeye. Yes, it's a whole ribeye battered and fried. The steak is tender, slightly pink and melts in your mouth, but the crust and gravy are what make this dish so divine. You could eat pieces of the crispy, crunchy batter dipped in the spicy, cognac brown gravy and be a happy camper. The huge piece of meat is served with oily haricot verts and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
2. Hickory Hollow I've always thought the best chicken-fried steaks come with a side of Texas toast; you need the bread to soak up all the extra gravy. Thank you, Hickory Hollow, for agreeing with me. This CFS at this Heights barbecue restaurant is covered in a super thick buttermilk batter, perfectly fried and served with your choice of two sides. To balance the meal, I like to add green beans and corn; it's classic and pairs wonderfully with a thick, chewy chicken-fried steak covered in cream gravy.
1. BRC Gastropub BRC Gastropub serves a modern twist on classic chicken-fried steak by coating the meat in a jalapeno and potato chip batter. It's served with cream gravy, two eggs (medium over easy), cubed potatoes heavily seasoned with paprika and a giant cheddar biscuit with bacon jam. Add some of that sweet and savory jam to the CFS; the crunchy potato chip crust combined with the tender savory steak, spicy jalapenos and bacon jam is like a party in your mouth. Oh yeah, don't forget to burst open the egg yolks for extra creaminess. It's a greasy breakfast-for-dinner meal you will absolutely adore. Remember, calories don't matter when it comes to chicken-fried steak.