Miller's Chicken: An Athens classic

It seems like everybody in Athens has been to Miller's Chicken. Except me. That all changed when my two friends, Ronnie Corey and Greg Wilhelm, and I went there Saturday morning before Palmer Fest. Upon arriving at the small brick building, we noticed there were no parking spots available. All of these cars couldn't possibly have been for Miller's Chicken, could they? Apparently, I was unaware of how big of a deal Miller's Chicken is in this community.

(Photo credit: Miller's Chicken Facebook profile, Miller's Chicken)

The line was out the door, so my friends and I had to wait outside for a while on an unusually chilly spring day in Athens. Before going in, I already knew what I was going to order. I told my buddy, Mason Rabbitt, who is a big Miller's Chicken aficionado, that I was going there on Saturday for my blog. He told me that I had to order the Super Chicken, which is supposedly the greatest chicken sandwich on this planet.

After ordering the sandwich with a side of cole slaw, Ronnie, Greg, and I took a seat and waited patiently. I took this time to survey my surroundings. I was amazed at how many people could fit in such a tiny place. I was also amazed at how many of the locals knew each other. Maybe it was some sort of Saturday ritual, where everyone meets at Miller's Chicken for lunch, but each person that poured in was greeted by somebody that they knew. I felt like I was immersed in the Miller's Chicken community within the Athens community; a separate society of sorts. All of the old pictures of chickens and farms on the wall gave the place a sort of nostalgic feel. I started to understand why everybody always said that Miller's Chicken truly embodied Athens.

(Photo credit: Matt Street, Miller's Chicken menu and cashier)

When my order was called, we grabbed our food and sped home because the smell of the food was killing us. I sat down on my couch, ripped open the bag and pulled out my sandwich. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the so-called greatest chicken sandwich on the planet. I would ultimately be the judge of that. As I took my first bite, I realized the flavor and the seasoning were unlike any other chicken sandwich I had ever had. The chicken looked like real chicken, too, not that stringy, fatty crap they give you at fast food restaurants. This is mainly because Miller's raises their own chickens. As I wolfed down the sandwich it became apparent that I actually was indeed eating the greatest chicken sandwich on the planet. My roomates and other bloggers agreed, too.

"The chicken is so much better than any other chicken I've ever had," Ronnie said. "There's no point in going to KFC anymore. You get better and more food at Miller's for the same price. I wanted to go back for more this morning but it's closed on Sundays."

Another great thing about Miller's is the price. The price is extremely generous for college students, and the menu has a wide variety of items outside of just chicken. They offer seafood like haddock, perch, or even oysters. They also have a wide variety of homemade sides from macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, and potato salad. You can check out my interactive map post for more information on Miller's prices.

"I love seafood, so I'm definitely going back for some oysters or a fish sandwich sometime," Greg said. "The only other place in Athens that has seafood is probably Long John Silver's."

Miller's really is an Athens classic. Everything I heard about it was true and then some. It's tough to really describe how good it actually is. I guess you'll have to go in and see for yourself, and I recommend you do so because it's only place where you can order the best chicken sandwich on the planet. What can I say; Miller's lived up to the hype.