Photo by Norma Klingsick, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Gallagher's

Gallagher’s has become destination dining for fried-chicken aficionados on both sides of the Mississippi, and last year Post-Dispatch readers voted it the winner of Go! Magazine’s Fried Chicken Frenzy, a tournament of 64 restaurants. Believe the hype. Crisp, juicy and flavorful, Gallagher’s chicken is worth what is, for most of us, a long drive. On Sundays, you can eat all of the chicken and family-style sides you want, but if that’s too much — or too much of a scene — it’s available as a two-, three- or four-piece plate the rest of the week. As great as the fried chicken is, don’t overlook the rest of Gallagher’s menu. Its comfort fare, like sandwiches made with housemade salami and bologna, shows the same attention to detail the Gallagher family displayed in their magnificent restoration of this 1870s building.

Last year's ranking: New

Opened: 2005

Must order: Fried chicken ($7.95 and up)