Welcome Chicken + Donuts

I’ve been waiting a while to try this place out, after reading about it on Unilocal as well as the Phoenix New Times. Although the fried chicken as actually quite alright, along with the side sauce (I had the Vietnamese-​style dipping sauce with fish sauce, garlic, and cilantro), the cucumber salad, as well as the cake donut that came with it, it wasn’t as great as it was hyped-​up to be. Don’t get me wrong here; the food was good, the chicken was delicious and juicy, and the service was excellent and friendly, but I thought $ 9 for a 2-​piece combo, with a small side and a dipping sauce was too pricey. Now I understand that they high overhead costs (especially near Downtown Phoenix) and I’m all about supporting small businesses, but I really thought that they could at least add a little more something to a plate like this. Say, maybe an extra wing, some french fries, maybe even a medium drink or something; that would then be worth $ 9. I also saw that the ramen soup, which I had considered before choosing the chicken combo, was like $ 14. That’s an expensive bowl of ramen; even when I lived in Vienna, Austria, I don’t remember paying more than € 12 for a big bowl of Vietnamese phở there, and that’s one of the most expensive cities to live and work in. In sum, would I come here again? Sure; as I mentioned, I support small independent businesses, and I want them to succeed. Would I ever order the ramen in the future? Maybe, just once, to try it out and see if it’s as good as many say it is. Would I go out of my way to visit again? Probably not, unless I was in the area and was craving a certain item or some donuts. In any case, it’s still a good place to check out.

Finally made a pit stop here. Chicken and donuts, who would’ve thunk lol. Donuts are definitely creative. I had a chicken fried combo– 1 leg, 1 breast, 1 wing, (the meal comes with a donut, has to be a standard donut thought, there’s an upcharge for a premium donut). The chicken was decent, nothing out of this world, in fact, it was a little too crunchy for me. I’d definitely give 3 stars for just the chicken. I got a side of Korean Chile, it was way too salty so instead I just added hot sauce. I ordered with a side of cucumber salad and it was pretty bland. Side servings are very small.
I tried several donuts, Pear Plum Yogurt Donut, Apple Fritter, Pistachio Chocolate and a Boston Crème type donut. My favorite was the Boston Crème, the cream didn’t taste generic at all. The Pear Plum donut was very moist and dense. The Fritter was nothing special, kind of dry actually and the Pistachio one was also quite dry.
I’ll definitely go back for more donuts and for their chicken sandwiches, which apparently are so much better than just their chicken. And of course for more donuts.
Chicken isn’t served until after 10:30am. I noticed most sides are small so order more than 1 side if you’re extra hungry, (or in my opinion just hungry, that’s how small they seemed to me). Although the lines can get long, they move really quickly so don’t fret if you see it coming out onto the side. Food also comes out quickly. Pretty limited seating inside but plenty outside.

I rarely include chicken into my diet… but once every 3 months or so I get a random craving for fried chicken. Our normal spot wasn’t serving dinner yet so my husband and I decided to try Welcome.
I wouldn’t have had such an issue with the food had the service been better. As I said I almost never eat chicken and as soon as I cut into the thigh, red juice comes pouring out of pink meat. Then when I return it to your window asking for it to be cooked longer and instead of doing so, I’m given a stern lecture about how their chicken is cooked and return to my seat with pink chicken, I am NOT pleased. I was told the chicken is fried twice to eliminate the possibility of being medium rare.
The girl at the counter rolled her eyes when I asked for not pink chicken, which tells me this is a frequent request. Then she tells me that the «blood» I’m seeing gush out of this chicken thigh is actually baby chicken bone marrow. Congratulations, you have officially killed my appetite.

We met a friend here for lunch because she had heard heaps of good reviews and had been to the other location.
I ordered the Chicken Breast Combo with the Japanese BBQ Sauce and a side of watermelon. I was thankful my friend cut the super greasy fried chicken for me as it was strewn with veins, blood and bones; the most disturbing part was the bloody chicken. After two bites, I was set. The sauce was less than used as it tasted very strongly of soy sauce.
Also purchased a half dozen box of assorted donuts to taste with my family. The Lemon Maple was dry. The Plum Yoghurt Granola’s donut was nice and the frosting was tart but with a fermented taste. The Maple Bacon donut looked a lot less like bacon on top and more like coconut; we didn’t even bite into it and as soon as it hit our mouths the hickory flavour was too overwhelming and caused 75% of the party to spit it out before even chewing it. The Glazed Donut was boring and dry. The Raspberry Hazelnut’s centre lacked the hazelnut but sure did taste like a chocolate pudding cup. The Maple Ring did not have a strong maple flavour but the consistency of the donut was better than the others.
The consistency of the donuts were very dry and more like eating a bread roll and as for the taste, remained unwanted in our mouths for hours. While they were creative in their combinations, it’s best to keep in mind that some combinations don’t necessarily work well together.

Heard some great buzz about this place online from fellow Unilocalers and wanted to check it out for ourselves. We stopped in for breakfast yesterday and were glad to experience the hype we had heard so much about. This place knocked it out of the park, and we didn’t even get to try the chicken yet (which looked amazing getting prepped in the kitchen behind the front counter).
We had a Chocolate, Rose and Pistachio donut, a Rainbow Sprinkles donut, and a D. E. C. (Cake donut, Egg and Cheese, plus we added bacon because why wouldn’t you?) Yes, I just described a donut breakfast sandwich; don’t knock it until you try it. Both traditional donuts were excellent and made with quality ingredients. The breakfast donut sandwich was an amazing mix of freshly cracked egg, thick cut bacon, cheddar, and a slightly sweet donut that was warm and crumbled apart in your mouth. Absolutely delicious and recommended for anyone adventurous looking for a surprise combination of great flavors.
Can’t wait to come back and try the chicken and ramen noodles next time! Not to mention more donuts!!!

This place is like a full on unabashed American style blitzkrieg on your sense of culinary convention.
It is like someone took the menus from my three favorite guilty pleasure restaurants (KFC, Bosa Donuts, Thai Chili) and gave pinking shears to a drunk person and had them cut up the menu and then gave the pieces to a blindfolded five year old, spun her in a circle and sat her at a table with the pieces and a bottle of Elmer’s glue and locked her in the room for about an hour and then took everything off the table and then gave it to some crack monkeys who were trained to copy the words to a typewriter and then give it to a Hell’s Kitchen finalist to prepare for that day’s challenge.
So yeah, it’s shocking but it’s pretty good!

Foodie heaven for great selection of donuts. Their have unique donut flavors. Their fried chicken was crispy and not only. They have different sauces that accompany the chicken. I tried their sticky Korean sauce which had a touch of smokiness. This place gets Ickes during lunch with minimal seating space so get there early. Oh and they have Ramen noodle on their menu too! Definitely gonna try that next time

Five stars for the excellent chicken (with Korean chili sauce) and great cold brew coffee.
Demerits for a very «meh» apple fritter. Over-​mixed (?) batter gave it a glutinous chew, not enough time in the fryer to develop a crisp, and the apples struggled to assert themselves under the glaze (but they’re out of season and we’re in Phoenix, so that’s forgivable).
Staff was great, nice little dining space. Good work, folks (but leave that fritter batter alone!)

Such an interesting combination of cuisines. Who knew you could successfully sell donuts, fried chicken AND ramen all under one roof. It seems to be just what Welcome Chicken + Donuts is doing.
The venue is tidy and trendy. The photography in the indoor dining area gives it a homey flair. The wooden benches and tables outside give the outdoor dining area a rustic, picnic-​y feel.
The cost is a little bit higher than you might pay elsewhere, but the business seems pretty passionate about its ingredients, their origins and quality, so it would seem that you’re paying for food that’s higher caliber than that found in cheaper venues. Overall, the cost isn’t prohibitive, and only pinches the wallet a bit more.
The food was good. I tried the chipotle limon doughnut, which proved to be an interesting flavor combination. I also ate the vegan ramen — and upon ordering they asked if I’d like the marinated egg which I thought was ironic (and I did choose to add it on). The ramen was good. There were bites of sweet with mildly salty noodles and other vegetables. I probably would have added some fish sauce or soy sauce, had it been on hand. No one in our party, coincidentally, ordered chicken, so I can’t speak to that, but everyone seemed pleased with their donuts and ramen. I still can’t get over that pairing… but it works!
I’d definitely come back here, but probably for the donuts, not the ramen. Like, I actually might come back for the donuts before I move. I want to try ‘em all!

This our 4^th or 5^th time back. Time to revisit my review. My initial impression was accurate. This is a legit 5-​Star spot.
We had the thigh/​drumstick combo (1 Korean and 1 Vietnamese sauce — $ 9) this time around. You know how you often pull the skin off fried chicken and toss it since it’s too greasy/​mushy/​thick? Well, plan on wishing you had more on this chicken. Between the light and crispy season skin and extra delicious sauce, this chicken is a cut above. For donuts we chose the Orange Banana bread pudding and the Pear Peach Apple Butter.
A-​freaking-​maxing.
I also had to try the fried shiitake mushrooms ($ 6). The batter was really good again and the mushrooms wet very tasty, but maybe fried too long as they were s bit chewy.
The staff at WC&D are all extremely friendly and helpful.

Small place with 6 tables inside and a good size patio outside.
Had the Thigh and Drumstick Combo in the Vietnamese Herb Sauce garlic fish sauce and cilantro, with the Stir Fry corn onion bell pepper in miso sauce along with the Maple Bacon and Classic Chocolate Donut
Batter/​Crust by itself is good enough to eat without the sauce, the Vietnamese Herb Sauce is very fishy tasting and kind of a turn off.
Have been wanting to try this place for sometime because of the hype with media and Unilocal,definitely did not live up to expectations with both the chicken and donuts.

Have been waiting to give this spot a try for some time and finally had the chance. As some have mentioned the shop is small and cozy but comfortable. Staff (1 I dealt with) was very friendly and informative. As a newbie, I asked for suggestions and settled for the BBQ chicken breast and three donuts (maple plus bacon, passion fruit, and something sesame) for the road. Chicken and sauce were good but not super. Same can be said for the donuts. Passion and sesame were just okay but the maple and bacon were super tasty. I overall left a little dissatisfied given how high my hopes were. I want and will give the place another try as I want to try another donut and their ramen. For now, I will stick with Sunrise Donuts.

Delicious donuts. Period.
A few donuts to-​go, including the chipotle limon, ginger coconut, and the horchata. I’ll be back!
*the chipotle limon didn’t make it home for the picture*

I came here for lunch today with a few of my friends. The menu is pretty simple, and you order at the counter and the servers will come find you.
I ordered the thigh & drumstick combo [$ 9] — comes with one sauce (either on the side or tossed with your chicken), a side, and a regular donut. I asked if I could get two sauces, and the cashier said I could, but I wish he told me it would cost $ 1 extra. Also, since I ordered a premium donut (Lemon Basil, white choc. donut), I had to pay $ 0.70 more. So the total with tax was abt $ 12.70.
We sat outside, and since it had just rained the other day, the wind felt so nice. But yes, shooing away the pigeons was a tad annoying.
Our meals arrived about ~30min after we ordered. The sauces were more tangy than what I would have expected as well (aka they weren’t that good). The chicken was lightly battered and crispy though and so moist! The donut was really delicious :0 there was a hint of basil flavor that wasn’t overpowering. My friend got a chocolate, pistachio with rose flavored donut that was pretty good too.
–1 star for slightly pricey foods (for the amount you get) and sauces that aren’t that great
+4 stars for super moist chicken, their own parking lot, outdoor covered seating, unique donut flavors

On the most unassuming, industrial street intersection sits the most interesting restaurant in Phoenix. Why so? Well, where else can you get crispy fried chicken, donuts and ramen? Where else might you find a restaurant with that type of variety… I’ll wait… Buhler?
Don’t go here thinking you’ll have Southern Fried chicken that is usually heavier flour and more seasoned. This chicken is Korean Fried, which means it is «twice fried» with a very light batter that is almost tempura-​like, but not quiet. The chicken is served with (or tossed in) Asian inspired sauces. I ordered a 2 piece chicken with the Korean Chili. Since I got the combo, I could have a salad and donut with it. I opted for a Sprinkle donut. I also had a the very good cucumber salad.
Return FActor :80%

This review has two parts, one for the donuts and one for the chicken and everything else.
The donuts:
The donuts are really good here. I’m not a donuts person, nor a sweets person. I’ll eat at most ¼ of a krispy kreme. I ate a whole donut here. It was that good. I had the lemon maple and it was superb. A little doughier than a normal donut but entirely infused with lemon and maple flavoring while staying light in your mouth. My friend had the maple bacon donut which he said was the best donut he’s had in his life and I believe him. You pretty much cannot go wrong with any of their donuts.
Everything else:
I’m a big fried chicken fan and I’ll be honest this place did not do it for me. I felt like their frying process wasn’t crisp enough. The added sauce they put on top makes to whole affair a little too salty for my tastes. I tried the ramen as well here and it was a pretty lackluster event.
The one thing I didn’t get to try were their potatoes which people have been raving about, try to get here early for those, I hear they’re top notch. The staff here were incredibly nice as well, they apparently messed up our wing order so gave us an extra 6 wings which my friend happily devoured.
Overally this place is good, but when half your namesake is meh, I can’t rate it higher unfortunately, even if the other half makes a non (sugar)believer like me convert.

Tips:
Chicken is not served until 10:30am
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The fried chicken here is super tasty and the flavors are very true to the flavors that they are trying to go achieve. The Korean flavor is a tiny bit spicy and has that great gochujang (red pepper paste) taste. The Japanese BBQ flavor is very reminiscent of a tonkatsu sauce taste. Overall the fried chicken flavors are QUITE salty, so definitely drink a lot of water or balance it out with some donuts. (They definitely made the best business decision by pairing chicken with donuts)
Peanut butter salted caramel donut — LOVE! Highly recommend for peanut butter lovers. It is a cake donut with a salted caramel peanut butter icing on top. It tastes like you’re just eating peanut butter on top of a donut, super yummy.
Irish Car Bomb donut — A gigantic donut filled with a bailey’s type of cream filling on the inside. Donut is light and airy, cream has got the flavors you love from an Irish car bomb drink.
Overall, great place with great food.

I came here around 1pm on a Wednesday, and the line wasn’t bad. It went by pretty quickly, but almost all of their donuts (aside from the usual glaze, chocolate glaze, etc) were running out.
I ended up getting a dozen (mix of premium and non donuts = $ 25) to go to share with people later that day. For as much hype as this place gets, the donuts fell sort of flat. Some items you couldn’t taste too much of the flavor (ex: maple lemon) — it just tasted like sugar — or others it was almost overwhelming (ex: raspberry vanilla and rum mojito are both pretty tart). Also, the red wine chocolate pudding one… does not contain a lot of pudding as an FYI.
I’m not sure if I would come back. Maybe you need to get the chicken and donut to get the whole experience, but the donut should stand on it’s own too right? And hmm, I wasn’t sold.

Wow, Welcome Chicken and Donuts is a must visit if you’re in the area! I was with my pops around lunch time (12:30) on a Thursday and there was no line when we walked in.
We both ordered chicken combos, and we were extremely pleased with the food. I went with the leg and thigh combo tossed in their Korean Chili sauce, which was so bomb. Messy but finger licking good! Don’t be scared, just get your chicken tossed in whatever sauce you choose :-)
The slaw was more tasty than the cucumbers for the sides. The Hot Cake Donut it came with was also very good. Not too sweet but the perfect consistency.
We shared an Apple Fritter for dessert. It was also very good: nice and fluffy interior with a crispy, but not too crispy, outer, with chunks of apple throughout.
I ordered A Classic Maple, Classic Glaze, and Rainbow Sprinkle donuts to go so my wife could have a nice treat when she gets home from work.
I can’t wait to come back and try one of the sandwiches and a big bowl of ramen!

It was Valentine’s Day and my boyfriend and I were trying to find a great spot to eat some breakfast before a day filled with activities. We wanted something somewhat quick and I was scrolling through Unilocal I was like Chicken + Donuts? Two of my favorite things in one location? Yup, take me there now!
I have to say that was one of the finer choices I’ve made in my life because this place would be in my heaven. It’s in an odd location, for those of you that don’t live nearby but it’s worth the drive no matter where you live in AZ.
Fair warning… because this place is just so dang awesome, there will be lines and some waiting involved. However, the staff is efficient and we still got our order within 20 minutes of ordering. It might seem chaotic at first but once you’re eating your Chicken + Donuts you won’t even remember anything else.
I went with the 1 piece chicken combo. I got my chicken breast tossed in the Japanese Barbecue sauce (you can get it on the side or plain) and for my side I went with Thai Yum Slaw. I decided to upgrade my donut to their Maple Bacon donut for an extra charge. I can’t even begin to describe the Maple Bacon donut. It’s just perfect in every way… sweet buttery maple topped with salty crispy bacon on a soft fluffy donut. It’s my kryptonite. The chicken was crispy and crunchy yet juicy on the inside. Although it’s fried chicken, it’s not greasy at all and seasoned pleasantly. I could eat it plain but the Japanese Barbecue was a great combo to the chicken. Lastly, the slaw was yummy and refreshing.
I ordered their cold brew to accompany my meal and it was smooth and didn’t even need any creamer. It was great on it’s own. There’s so many flavor combos available that I’m going to have to head back to try them all!