This Southern chain says its fried chicken could beat out KFC and Popeyes - here's the verdict

A North Carolina-based chicken chain is demanding to be judged among its top competitors in the US after a recent Business Insider comparison of the best fast-food chicken failed to mention Bojangles'.

Bojangles' "is widely considered to be one of the South's most popular foods," the fried-chicken chain said in a statement published this week in The News and Observer.

"We've invited these reporters to visit Bojangles' on their next trip to the South and experience for themselves the flavor that's made us a true Southern icon for 40 years."

In fact, two Business Insider reporters had recently visited Bojangles' on a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia.

We realize that many people north of the Mason-Dixon line and west of the Mississippi have never heard of the Southern chain, which was why it was excluded from the original fried chicken face-off. However, as seen by the backlash to the article, loyal fans swear by their chicken and "Bo-Berry" biscuits.

Here's how Bojangles' actually measures up to competitors like Popeyes and KFC.