Federal Donuts Fried Chicken

1219 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-8258
Website

Well, I have written about the donuts at Federal before, but for some reason, I forgot to write about the chicken when I went back. Probably because I ate it so fast I forgot to take pictures.

Chicken starts at 11:45, and if you are lucky, you can score some fancy donuts (if they have any left) with it. They serve it both wet and dry. My personal favorites are the chili garlic for wet and the harissa for the dry. That being said, you are about to see something entirely different, because I wanted to give a new flavor a spin that came recommended by a reader. There are a couple of stools, but you will have better luck if you do take out. It IS fun to sit there and watch the action while you pick at chicken, however.

I went for the wings, which come six whole wings to an order ($9). In a box. It's amazing.

Oh wait, they also give you a side of house made pickles, which are quite delicious.

AND they give you a donut to go with it. Chicken and donuts are a winning combination.

The buttermilk ranch wings are intense. Think of perfectly fried chicken, shaken in a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch. Really quite good, but I would rather have mixed them up a bit – had I not been stopping in for a snack by myself, I would have ordered a couple of other kinds as well (see recommendations above).

The skin on these birds is really fantastic. The perfect amount of crunch gives way to a perfectly moist and juicy interior.

The best part, is that you can throw any extras back in the box and eat them somewhere else. I did this, but ate them when I got to my car. Next time I am there, I will try and remember to take some shots of the other versions.

Basically, if you haven't heard of Federal Donuts by now, you wouldn't be reading this. But since you have, go eat here.

Federal Donuts

1219 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-8258
Website

I am sure you have all heard the hype about this place. One of the main reasons I waited so long to venture there is that I hate when I go somewhere and am let down. Overexposure tends to do that to a place.

Federal Donuts is on the corner of 2nd and Federal (get it?) in Pennsport.

When you walk in, you will be greeted by delicious-smelling-donuts frying, and a small ordering area. Make sure you are not in a rush, because there is no sense of urgency by the staff (not that there should be). If you get there and there are ten people in line, you may wait 30 minutes until you actually get your food. Which is irksome.

They have "fresh" or "fancy" donuts. I tended to like the "fancy" better.

At the time, they had an apple-walnut special that was quite delicious. Not overly thick, but nicely chewy with a touch of sweetness from the crumb topping. Big fan. Another fancy version that I really enjoyed was the Key Lime. It came with a deep red glaze on it, sesame seeds and had a nice sour kick.

The regular donuts are less impressive. I tried the Indian Cinnamon (nothing too special), and the Vanilla-Lavender (pictured below). The Vanilla-Lavender was a bit too heavy and tasted more like cinnamon than it did either lavender or vanilla. In fact, I thought I was served the wrong donut and actually asked if it was rightfully the one I had ordered. Although they graciously asked if I would like another one instead, I passed and continued searching for the long lost namesake ingredients.

One of the other high points is the coffee. Cold brewed coffee is one of my favorite ways to start the day, and they do a bang-up job at making the stuff. Fried chicken will be tried upon my next venture down, and I am excited for the results. If you are going for donuts, stick with the fancy and get yourself some coffee. Delicious.