Zehnder's of Frankenmuth
American restaurant · Frankenmuth
730 S Main St, Frankenmuth, MI 48734
Highlights
Family-style fried chicken dinners with plentiful sides and desserts
Family-style fried chicken dinners with plentiful sides and desserts
"Serving the town's famous family-style fried chicken dinner using the same recipe shared with its nearby counterpart, Zehnder’s offers an early-American environment to enjoy monstrous servings with plenty of sides—cold German carrot salad, fried potato balls with homemade ranch, mac and cheese—and is a must-try part of the Frankenmuth experience." - Katy Spratte Joyce Katy Spratte Joyce Katy Spratte Joyce is a food, business, and travel writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. Her work has appeared in a variety of print and digital outlets, including Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy, Hemispheres, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A historic, family-run, high-capacity chicken house that helped define the town’s culinary identity with its all-you-can-eat, family-style fried chicken dinners. Operated by descendants of William Zehnder Sr. after his 1928 purchase of a former hotel, the restaurant serves lightly breaded, crisp-skinned fried chicken alongside traditional sides such as dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, cottage cheese and a range of relishes, with noodle soup commonly served with the meal. Servers wear colonial American–style costumes and generations of families return for the predictable, nostalgic experience; the operation is one of the country’s highest-volume independent restaurants with seating for more than 1,000 guests." - Serena Maria Daniels
"Ranked number 58 in the top grossing independent restaurants in the country for 2020 with $16,063,684 in sales." - Brenna Houck
"Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, a Michigan classic for fried chicken dinners, also received an America’s Classics Award back around when the semi-finalists were announced." - Missy Frederick
"Michigan was recognized by the Foundation last week, when they revealed that Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth would be the recipient of an America’s Classics Award, recognizing institutions." - Missy Frederick
