Willie Mae’s

Frequently topping national ‘Best Fried Chicken’ lists is this Black family-owned restaurant that first opened in New Orleans in 1957, and recently launched a cozy brick-and-mortar in Venice, with Willie Mae Seaton’s granddaughter Kerry Seaton-Stewart and husband Mike Stewart at the helm to make sure those treasured Southern recipes meet their long-established standards. There is, of course, the titular fried chicken, with a perfect, crispy crust that yields to juicy and tender meat, plus gumbo (exclusive to this location), creamy mac and cheese, vegan red beans and rice and butter beans, sweet potato fries, and cornbread. Whatever you order, pair it with a bottle of their fresh-squeezed lemonade.