One visit to Jollibee might convince you you’ve visited yet another American chain restaurant. You’d be half right. Jollibee is a chain, but it’s a chain based out of the Philippines. Apparently the many islands comprising The Philippines developed a taste for fried chicken and burgers during its years as a U.S. colony. My Uncle Fred, a career Navy man stationed several times at Subic Bay (on the west coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines northwest of Manila), raved that the fried chicken, in particular, was far better than fried chicken anywhere in the United States. Apparently he’s not the only person with that opinion.
USA Today and Eater both recently named Jollibee fried chicken as the best in the country among fast-food restaurants, beating out brands such as Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Church’s and KFC (not that you can consider that much of accomplishment considering how bad American fried chicken chains have become). Jollibee now has about eighty locations across the fruited plain. With my Kim hankering for fried chicken, we managed to find the only Jollibee in all of Arizona. It’s located in Chandler, not too far from the Intel plants which I once visited for eighteen years. Chandler, by the way, consistently ranks among the top fastest-growing large cities in the state and the nation.
Despite the restaurant’s name, we were at a loss as to what its mascot is. Apparently it’s a bee, albeit with no apparent stinger. To us it more closely resembles Bucky, the friendly cartoon beaver who serves as mascot for Bucc–ees. The bee is everywhere. As you step in, you’ll espy a framed diagram explaining how to do the Jollibee dance. With rains pelting the Valley of the Sun, it didn’t appear anyone was in the mood to dance. The restaurant was very busy, however, with probably eighty-percent of the guests being of Asian descent.
Jollibee’s menu surprised us. Fried chicken–served in buckets when ordered in quantities of six or ten–is the big draw, but guests also ordered a number of burgers and chicken sandwiches. We were most curious about the “Aloha burger” which sports grilled pineapple beneath layers of bacon and cheese, an ultimate sweet meets salty combination. The menu includes “Perfect Pairs” which include fried chicken and such unique choices as spaghetti. Some meal deals offer chicken sandwiches and hand pies–either mango or purple ube.
More than most chain chicken restaurants under spacious skies, Jollibee’s fried chicken is a resplendent gold. It’s got more breading than we like, but underneath that rippled exterior, the chicken is moist and juicy. It doesn’t taste like the Colonel’s chicken nor is it nearly as greasy. Your taste buds might discern a garlicky influence punctuated by just a hint of citrus. You might also get notes of fermented soy so reminiscent of the “fifth taste” gastronomes have come to know as “umami.” Umami is a Japanese word which translates to “delicious taste.” Umami is a rich, savory, meaty flavor found in such foods as aged cheeses, cured meats, mushrooms and soy sauce. It’s not often discerned in fried chicken.
My Kim ordered a six piece “Chickenjoy” bucket. Chickenjoy is apparently the name of Jollibee’s increasingly famous, award-winning fried chicken. About half of the hand-breaded six pieces were legs, but these beauteous Betty Grable quality gams were so meaty and juicy that we couldn’t complain (sorry, Sr. Plata). Two thighs and a breast rounded out my Kim’s six pieces. True to its name, the juicy, crispy fried chicken brought my wife more joy than any burger could have.
Being spicy to my Kim’s sweet, I ordered the six piece bucket of spicy chicken with two sides–spaghetti and coleslaw. The spicy chicken would kick sand on Popeye’s so-called Cajun-spiced chicken. It has heat even I can respect. More than the fried chicken at American chicken chains, this fowl is meaty…despite being more breaded than we would have liked. My bucket included four legs and two thighs. I don’t know what the chicken piece distribution protocol is, but I would have preferred fewer legs and at least one breast.
My sides were something else! Spaghetti with fried chicken? The Jolly Spaghetti is slathered in a sweet meat sauce and garnished with grated cheese and hot-dog slices. I now understand why Shelton Cooper, the fictional Nobel Prize award-winning physicist on The Big Bang Theory liked spaghetti with hot dog slices so much. It’s not just a novelty. It’s actually quite good. The sweet meat sauce could probably be toned down a bit, but at least it wasn’t cloying. The coleslaw is very similar to the coleslaw at KFC though it’s been decades since I last tried it so I’m working from memory here. It’s drenched in a salad dressing and is somewhat sweet.
Jollibee didn’t make a convert out of me. I’ll probably never enjoy fried chicken from any chain restaurant, but for at least one rainy day in Arizona, it made my Kim happy.
Jollibee
2800 East Germann Road
Chandler, Arizona
(480) 561-0340
Website |
LATEST VISIT: 8 January 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Fried Chicken, Spicy Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Coleslaw, French Fries
REVIEW #1514
Something’s wrong with that first picture. Is it AI-generated? Why does the white parking space marker line extend all the way to the front door?
Good eye! I was stuck on the spaghetti with hot dogs. 🤢