Lily P's Fried Chicken and Oysters

"At Lily P’s, start with the oysters — fried, roasted, or raw — then move on to the fried chicken sandwiches and buttermilk biscuits. Come on Tuesday night to catch live bluegrass bands, which perform weekly starting at 7 p.m. Keep an eye on their Instagram account for weekend shows, too." - Erika Adams, Eater Staff

"Lily P’s focuses on two things: fried chicken and oysters. Diners will find a variety of ways to eat the ultra-juicy pressure fried chicken at the Kendall Square restaurant and bar, whether in one of several sandwiches (try the “hot n’ honey” — Nashville hot chicken with black pepper honey, arugula, and Duke’s mayo) or on a plate or on a waffle. The ambiance is fun, too, with darts, shuffleboard tables, and other entertainment. Find a counter-service offshoot at West End food hall Hub Hall." - Erika Adams, Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Terrence Doyle

"Lily P’s, which focuses on fried chicken and oysters, has a “cluckin’ big feast” available for $65 that includes a whole bird (eight bone-in pieces; choose original, black pepper honey, or Nashville hot), potato salad, slaw, pickles, biscuits, and arugula salad." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"The last time my wife and I hung out with a big group of friends before the pandemic struck was when she was not yet my wife and I was not yet her husband. It was our engagement party, which our friends threw for us at Lily P’s in Kendall Square. We ate tons of fried chicken and slurped dozens of oysters (and drank lots of Fiddlehead IPA and champagne). By then, Lily P’s had become a pretty consistent hang for us, a place we’d pop by for oyster happy hour, a few beers, french fries (the best in Greater Boston, fwiw), and a fried chicken sandwich a couple times a month. This was in early February 2020. The vibes were good because we were celebrating, but there was a sense of unease surrounding the group about what might happen in the next weeks and months. This week, we returned for the first time in more than a year and a half. We ordered oysters, fried chicken (in sandwich and tender form), Fiddlehead, and rosé (champagne seemed like a bit much), and we watched a replay of that classic 2008 Olympic gold medal basketball game between team USA’s “Redeem Team” and Spain. Nothing is normal and nothing will ever be normal again, but it felt good to be in that space, home to one of our happiest moments of community and friendship." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"Lily P’s is a fried chicken restaurant that also has a raw bar, because every self-respecting restaurant in New England must have a raw bar. The fried chicken comes in three different forms (original, hot, or black pepper honey), and it’s both moist and crispy. There are fried chicken sandwiches here as well, and if you’re looking to nap through the next three hours of post-lunch meetings you have on your schedule, we recommend getting one." - Joel Ang