Ezell’s Famous Chicken Lands in Wallingford

Winner, winner, Wallingford: Your chicken dinner has arrived, courtesy of the now-open Ezell’s Famous Chicken at 45th and Corliss. The expansion was announced in July, and a post on the company’s Facebook page last week confirmed the venue's rumored opening.

The Wallingford location marks Ezell’s 14th worldwide. The company has several around the Puget Sound area, one in Spokane, and one in Dubai.

Ezell’s, of course, was famously endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, who called it her favorite chicken in a signed photograph that hangs in the company’s original store at 23rd and Jefferson.

Ezell Stephens opened that first shop in 1984 but left the company in 2010 following financial problems, a divorce, and a feud with co-founder and former brother-in-law Lewis Rudd. Lawsuits ensued, and in the 2011 settlement Stephens lost the rights to his company’s name but retained the original recipe, which he used to open Heaven Sent Fried Chicken. This led to great debate over which enterprise produces superior fried chicken. Heaven Sent has locations in Lake City, Everett, and Renton.

2300 N. 45th St., (206) 453-5250, website. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.