The Old-School Chicken Chain That You Can Only Eat At In These 13 States

While there are many different styles of restaurants in the United States, those that specialize in chicken have become increasingly popular — according to Innowave Studio, chicken-focused chains are the fastest-growing fast food segment. While this is clear for nationwide chains like Chick-fil-A (which has a presence in all but two U.S. states), smaller shops have also experienced growth. Guthrie's Golden Fried Chicken Fingers, for example, has seen increased sales in recent years despite having a small footprint compared to its competitors.

While the majority of Guthrie's restaurants are located in the South and Southeast, the restaurant also has a small presence in the West. These are the states that currently house Guthrie's locations:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia

Guthrie's, which first opened in Haleyville, Alabama, back in 1965 as a drive-in, is currently available in just 13 states. Across these various states, the chain has more than 75 locations, a far cry from some of the more popular chicken chains in the country today — Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and KFC, for example, each have upwards of 3,000 restaurants.

Guthrie's relatively limited reach in the United States shouldn't take away from how iconic the restaurant and its tasty food is. Landing on The Takeout's list of southern fast food chains to put on your road trip radar, Guthrie's is known for crispy, golden chicken tenders (bone-in pieces aren't even on the menu) and its flavorful signature sauce. Both of these items were first added to the restaurant's menu in 1978 and quickly became Guthrie's bread and butter. When the time came for the restaurant to open a second location in Auburn, Alabama, in 1982, founder Hal Guthrie and son Chris made the decision to simplify the menu, creating the fully chicken-focused chain that we know and love today. Along with chicken fingers, combos typically come with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, a small cup of coleslaw, and a side of creamy Guthrie's Signature Sauce.

Even if you're based in the Northeast, Midwest, or most of the West and have never heard of Guthrie's — which calls itself "America's original chicken finger restaurant" – you're likely familiar with businesses that were inspired by the old-school chain. Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves worked at a Guthrie's location in Athens while attending college at the University of Georgia, an experience that eventually led to the creation of Raising Cane's in 1996. Zaxby's, founded in 1990 in Statesboro near Georgia Southern University, was also heavily influenced by Guthrie's, and similarly, its expansion has been focused in the southern and southeastern United States.