Major US fast food chain 'better than KFC' and where it's opening 4 UK sites

A popular US chicken chain that some people say is "better than KFC" has revealed the locations and opening dates of four new UK restaurants.

Slim Chickens was founded in Arkansas in 2003 and specialises in Southern-style chicken tenders and wings. It opened its first UK site in 2018 and now has more than 70 branches over here. In the states, it has over 200.

In an update earlier this year, Slim Chickens revealed it will open 16 new restaurants across the UK in 2025. The fast food chain has already opened five of these locations - and now, the next four opening dates have been confirmed.

READ MORE: BBC TV licence fee slashed to £0 for state pensioners born in specific years

READ MORE: British tourist goes to Spanish supermarket and can't get over the prices

Slim Chickens opened a new restaurant in Swansea on June 26, and will open a new branch in Ealing, West London, on July 2, followed by a branch in Walton on July 10.

Another new restaurant will open in the Birmingham Utilita Arena on July 24. Another five Slim Chickens restaurants will open soon in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Reading, plus an undisclosed location in West London, but the opening dates have not been announced yet.

There are another two sites set to open at some point this year, but the locations have not been revealed. Slim Chickens has already opened restaurants in Edgware Road, Leicester Square, Wembley Park, all in London, the McArthurGlen East Midlands Designer Outlet and Merry Hill in West Midlands this year.

Some of the items on the Slim Chickens menu includes buttermilk marinated chicken tenders, chicken wings, boneless bites, sandwiches, salads, wraps, fries, and a range of 14 house dipping sauces.

The dipping sauces include blue cheese, buffalo, cayenne ranch, gravy mayo, honey mustard, Korean BBQ, Slim Sauce and a limited-time "Unknown" sauce.

On social media, fans have raved about the chain over the last few years. On Instagram, one person said the food "looks phenomenal", while on Reddit, another said "prefer it over KFC".

Meanwhile on X, one person said: "Slim Chickens is the best chicken place I have ever been to and it’s not even close.." Another added: "What is the best fried chicken franchise and why is it Slim Chickens?"

A third said: "Slim chickens is much better if you want good chicken, better than both KFC and Popeyes imo."

Ben Blore, head of operations at Slim Chickens, said: "We couldn’t be more excited to bring Slim Chickens to these two iconic London locations.

"Our team has been dedicated to making sure every guest experiences our fresh, cooked-to-order chicken and authentic Southern hospitality at its finest."