Consider the humble chicken tender. Whether you're a picky eater or an open-minded one — and whether you call them tenders, strips, fingers, or goujons (since that's apparently a thing) — you've almost certainly eaten one at some point. They're simple, they're good, and they're a palate-pleaser for any omnivore.
We here at Pittsburgh City Paper love and respect the tendie. When the topic came up during a recent editorial meeting, I jumped at the chance to try the city's best options, as did City Paper photographer Mars Johnson. Armed with a notebook, camera, and appetite, the two of us did our best to try every hyperlocal tender platter we could get our mouths on. What we found may surprise you.
But first — a word on methodology. Any tender-taster worth their weight in breadcrumbs knows that not all tendies are created equal. Many of my personal favorite local dives serve tenders, but more than one simply fry up the out-of-the-bag Sysco tendies and call it a day, so none of those made the cut. (I'm omitting those establishments' names here out of respect for their better menu items and their tender-hearted bartenders.)
I've also opted to skip chains in this ranking. Layne's, Cane's, Mad Chicken, Chicken Guy, and others probably have their tendie operations dialed in, but I wanted to see what true-blue Pittsburghers could produce in their deep fryers.
And what they came up with was by turns crispy, juicy, saucy, and succulent. Behold: the best golden-fried boneless bites in the ’Burgh. This list, incidentally, is not exhaustive, but I am exhausted — expect my next food ranking to be the city's healthiest salads.
The textbook tendie: Ruggers Pub
40 S. 22nd St., South Side
Known for their rugby focus and throwback prices, Ruggers is one of the South Side's best bars. Their beer-battered tenders are basically the Platonic ideal of a chicken finger, with crunchy breading, just the right thickness, and nooks and crannies for your dipping sauce of choice. CP's minor quibbles during this particular visit were that our tendies were a touch overdone, and I could've done with a bigger ramekin of their black and gold sauce, but if you're craving a well-realized basic tender that isn't straight from the freezer, Ruggers has it, and the $7.99 price tag is eminently reasonable.
The bountiful basket: Park Place Pub
5719-5721 Bryant St., Highland Park
Highland Park's food scene may be known for more decadent delights from places like Teppanyaki Kyoto and Park Bruges, but the Applewood Smoke Burger Company at Park Place Pub also serves some of the city's absolute best burgers and pub grub, including their beer-battered tendie basket with fresh-cut fries. Come hungry — this basket is an embarrassment of riches, and I couldn't quite finish all my fries. Still, the apple-butter barbecue sauce is to die for, and everything came out crisp, hot, and delicious.
Pickle power: Moonlit Burgers
1426 Potomac Ave., Dormont
1023 Forbes Ave., Uptown
Moonlit in Dormont and Uptown has a secret weapon when it comes to their tendies: pickle brine. In addition to adding a savory tang, the brining process also leaves their tenders living up to that billing. The breading here wasn't as crispy as other spots' tenders, but the flavor made up for that. At three pieces for $7 and five for $10, they're reasonably priced, and come served with the restaurant's signature Moon Sauce. We'd definitely also recommend a side of shoestring fries to share.
British breading: The Pub Chip Shop
1830 E. Carson St., South Side
Carson St. is full of good food, but for those seeking British fare, the Pub Chip Shop next to Piper's is a safe and flavorful bet. Their tenders came out piping hot and super juicy on a bed of the Shop's titular "chips" (which are basically wider fries). These were among the greasier tendies we tried, but the seasoned breading was delicious. Be forewarned that their homemade barbecue sauce is rather heavy on the Worcestershire.
Spice is nice: Bird on the Run
128 S Highland Ave., East Liberty, and other locations
Bird on the Run has expanded in recent years, but their no-frills location in East Liberty continues to serve their signature hot chicken dishes, including their hand-breaded hot tendies. The biggest selling point here is that Bird on the Run spices their tendies to order on a scale of "not hot" to "RIP." I ordered the No. 2 ("extra hot") and was delighted with the slight kick and overall zestiness. My only complaint was that the sauce was pre-packaged rather than homemade. Also, I got grease all over my tablecloth, but that was very much a me problem as I ate these tendies straight out of the bag.
Nashville naturals: CHiKN
3712 Forbes Ave. Unit 3., Oakland
20018 U.S. Hwy 19., Cranberry
CHiKN is another place that serves Nashville chicken on a spectrum of spice, and they get extra points for their chicken being hormone- and antibiotic-free. Whether you're indulging in spiced tenders in Oakland or Cranberry, CHiKN hews fairly close to Nashville orthodoxy, including their Southern Comeback dipping sauce. These tendies are hot and juicy — whether you get their tendies, nugs, or a sandwich, expect to lick your fingers and use multiple napkins.
Simply the best: E-Town Bar & Grille
304 Butler St., Etna
Like Ruggers, E-Town in Etna serves relatively unadorned tendies, but my god, are they juicy and delicious. While every tendie on this list is worthy of love, E-Town has figured out how to achieve a perfectly crunchy beer battering on the outside while maintaining the chicken's succulent, juicy character on the inside. These are the Goldilocks "just right" of Pittsburgh chicken tenders. Though they might not have the nooks-and-crannies texture of mass-produced chicken strips, the slight sweetness of the golden-brown batter and delicious white meat makes for fantastic eating with or without dipping sauce.
E-Town's fish sandwich is likewise fried to perfection; it won an award from the Trib for it. Between the cheap drinks, kind locals, and fantastic food, this is one of the best places in Pittsburgh to snack on fried fingers while watching hockey or shooting the breeze. Plus, if you really like their tendies and want to eat 50 of them, E-Town also caters.
Mars Johnson contributed additional, delicious reporting to this story.
