There are always lines at Los Angeles International Airport. I’m not even talking about the endless cars stuffed into the departures level or the messy queues at security. Want to fill up your water bottle, buy some candy for the flight or — heaven forbid — spend some time in one of those lounges that credit card people go wild for? LAX will make you wait.
Despite having that knowledge tucked into the top zipper of my carry-on bag, I was still surprised to find a 10 a.m. crowd at the Kentucky Fried Chicken inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal before a recent trip. Who exactly were these people hovering around, eager to pay for an $11 box with eight chicken nuggets inside?
At least I had reason to join the hordes: My boss told me I had to eat here, at the worst KFC in America.
FILE: General views of travelers at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal during the start of the busy summer travel season on June 7, 2024, in Los Angeles.
This is not an exaggeration. “The most hated KFC in America is at LAX. Our research confirms it,” is the headline on an August story from Fast Company. The outlet apparently “analyzed the Google Maps reviews” of every single location of four different fast food brands, including KFC, and keyed in on a variety of data points — including but not limited to total reviews and average scores. The lowbrow data got sifted through like dredging flour, and what was ultimately left at the bottom of the greasy bag was this place: America’s most hated fast food chicken stand.
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Here are just a few review snippets from this KFC’s meager 1.5-star ranking on Google Maps: “Must be one of the worst KFC in the world,” reads one. Many others complain about the “rude” service and the “longest line........