New Bedford’s Best Fried Chicken May Just Come From a Gas Station

When you think of chicken in New Bedford, your mind might instantly go to a churrascaria, the places that serve Portuguese-style barbeque chicken.

You may think of a rotisserie chicken from a place like Market Basket or Stop & Shop, or maybe you remember Sunday dinners and the special sauce from Phillips Farm.

When you think of fried chicken in New Bedford, you may think of national chains like KFC or Popeyes, or local favorites like Crown Fried Chicken or Wings Over New Bedford.

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I’m here to tell you that New Bedford’s best fried chicken may just come from this unassuming gas station on Tarkiln Hill Road.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken opened about a month ago at the Gas Express store across from Dee’s Hot Dogs, at the corner of Tarkiln Hill and Belleville Avenue.

This, after the sign outside had proclaimed it as “coming soon” for many months.

It was worth the wait.

The Krispy Krunchy Chicken website proclaims “Either you know how good it is or you haven’t tried it,” and while that may seem like a bold claim, the chicken lives up to it. It’s tasty, meaty and isn’t too greasy nor is it too dry.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken promotes its product as “hand-breaded, mildly Cajun-spiced fried chicken” available in either bone-in or tender form. It also offers honey butter fried shrimp, chicken sandwiches, and wings in Krispy, Buffalo or sweet and sour varieties.

Sides include massive fries, macaroni and cheese, jambalaya, mashed potatoes and gravy, red beans and rice, and Krispy Krunchy Chicken’s signature honey biscuits.

Manager Victor is especially proud of the biscuits. You’ll meet him when you stop by; he’s there every day from open to close. While Gas Express is open 24 hours a day, Krispy Krunchy Chicken is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekends.

Stop in and grab a two-piece, three-piece or four-piece "Krunch Box," or you can order a family meal featuring 12 pieces of chicken or 12 tenders (just call ahead for large orders, since it's only made in small batches).

The only other Krispy Krunchy Chicken location on the SouthCoast is in Lakeville at Lakeville Market and Liquor on Bedford Street.

Beyond that, you’d have to travel to Attleboro or Pawtucket, Rhode Island to experience it.

You can also order it via DoorDash.