Chicken tenders are probably among the most requested foods from kids — so it’s good to have some go-to local favorites that not only cater to little mouths but keep adult palettes in mind, too! Here are some tasty options in the Washington, D.C. area.
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
D.C. and Shirlington, VA
Two childhood friends from Montgomery County, Maryland, turned a tradition of meeting for post-hockey donuts into their own restaurant featuring two comfort food favorites: fried chicken and doughnuts. Their specialties have been named on lists touting the best in the country, and carryout menus for Astro Beer Hall have lots of goodies for parents and kids alike to enjoy, with chicken fingers, fried chicken, a family meal and at Shirlington, several kids’ meal options (including the tenders, with tots, fries or seasonal fruit).
Honeymoon Chicken
D.C. – Petworth
This collaboration between Rob Sonderman (of D.C.’s famous Federalist Pig) and entrepreneur Steve Sails, makes honey the star of the show. Kids can choose a crispy chicken sandwich, honey butter chicken sliders, boneless chicken bites and cornmeal-breaded shrimp from the kids’ menu, with choices of hot honey, honey mustard, honey lime vinaigrette and more sauces. Parents can also get a $1 kiddie snow cone with the purchase of any dine-in entrée!
Hershey’s Restaurant & Bar
Washington Grove, MD
This historic restaurant was once a post office and general store before the Hershey family (no relation to the chocolate) had fully transformed it into their restaurant by the 1970s, and it became known for its fried chicken recipe a la Doris Hershey, aka “Grandma Hershey.” Today, it’s a family-friendly haunt with chicken tenders, wings, fried chicken, “Mom’s Meatloaf” and a variety of other dishes to tempt varying tastebuds.
Slim Chickens
Bowie, MD
Though it doesn’t have local origins, Slim Chickens’ sole location in Prince George’s County serves up the Arkansas-based franchise’s famous fried chicken, and it’s great for kids, with several kids’ meal options, served with options like tenders, fries, Texas Toast, applesauce and mac and cheese and an Honest Kids juice box. Slim Chickens also offers family meal options and dessert jars like banana pudding, cherry cheesecake or a combo of mini jars.
Roaming Rooster
D.C., Maryland (Gaithersburg, Glenarden, Silver Spring), Virginia (Burke North Bethesda, Vienna) and more
Known for its commitment to free-range, grain-fed and antibiotic-free chicken, this family food truck concept is one parents can feel good about. Roaming Rooster’s first food truck launched in 2015, eventually expanding to include more than a dozen locations throughout the DMV including brick-and-mortar stores, serving wings, nuggets and tenders (with mild heat options for the kiddos).
