I visited the birthplace of KFC's famous fried chicken, and I was surprised by the quality of the food
- I visited Harland Sanders Café, the birthplace of KFC's famous fried-chicken recipe, in Kentucky.
- I thought that the chicken I got from HSC was more high-quality than my usual chain order.
KFC is known for its iconic buckets of chicken and multiple US locations, but I recently visited a lesser-known part of the franchise, the Harland Sanders Café.
Nestled in Corbin, Kentucky, the KFC restaurant where Colonel Harland Sanders first popularized his brand of chicken offers a menu that seems similar to the rest of the chain.
Though both HSC and KFC chains use the same recipe, I decided to try meals at both locations to see if I could spot any differences.
The restaurant certainly was more unique than the average KFC
The birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Harland Sanders Café has a rich history.
The building started as a gas station where Sanders crafted his famous fried-chicken recipe. Eventually, franchisees restored the historic spot to resemble what it might've looked like in the 1940s and added a museum and modern-day kitchen.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the museum portion of the Harland Sanders Café since it was closed to visitors due to remodeling when I visited.
However, a sign outside the building depicted a visual history of Sanders' life.
I stopped in the drive-thru to get the full fast-food experience
The drive-thru was open and had a line that wrapped around the building.
The service was decently fast and the menu seemed to have many, if not all, of the same items you would expect from a typical KFC.
I settled on two-piece breast and thigh, a staple I don't think you could go wrong with.
My first impression of the chicken was that it looked like traditional KFC
Harland Sanders Café serves the same recipe as every other KFC location, but I still was curious if the fried chicken would look any different because this location is so special.
However, I was slightly disappointed to see that this meal looked the same as the chicken I'd eaten at other KFC restaurants.
I thought the HSC chicken was crispier and juicier
I compared my meal from Harland Sanders Café to my order at a regular KFC in Greenville.
Though the recipes are the same, I thought I noticed a difference when I tasted the two versions of chicken.
I believe that the chicken from HSC had a crispier bite and seemed well-battered. I would describe the two-piece I got at the KFC chain restaurant as flakier, but it didn't have the same crunch as the HSC version.
I also thought the HSC version tasted juicier and more savory and that the chicken breast was tender and easy to chew. However, the chicken breast I ordered at KFC was slightly drier.
KFC is known for its blend of 11 herbs and spices, and I tasted that signature flavor when I bit into my first bite of Harland Sanders Cafe.
But as I continued to eat and compare the chicken, I noticed a slight difference in taste.
My fiancée believed the HSC chicken tasted lighter and my mom thought it had a more peppery flavor.
I feel like the HSC chicken was milder or that the spices were blended better, even if HSC and KFC use the same recipe.
I also compared some of the sides
In addition to the chicken, I also ordered mashed potatoes as a side at both locations and thought that the two were pretty indistinguishable.
However, I believe there's a stark difference in the biscuit. Though both locations use the same recipes, I found the biscuits at Harland Sanders Café to be fluffier and the KFC version to have a harder exterior.
Though the differences were small, I think the HSC meal was of better quality
At the end of the day, the popular KFC brand is recognizable in Harland Sanders Café.
Though there are no bold differences that jump out, I thought I noticed subtle distinctions when comparing the two.
Sanders believed in quality, and I believe that it's apparent the most in the meal from the Harland Sanders Café.