What is the proper way to eat fried chicken?

Question

When at a restaurant, one of our friends decided to order fried chicken wings. Well he picked up the wing and began to eat, that was not the bad part. After he got what meat he could the first time, he decided he was going to suck the bone and eat the gristle. OUT IN PUBLIC?

I asked him why he was doing that and could he just eat properly. His answer was,

"When I was a child my mother told me that I should eat all my food and not waste anything. There are people out there who would love to have the meat you are leaving on the bones. Since I paid good money, I am going to eat it all!"

The other lady at the table asked if he was going to eat the bones, too. He said, "I'm not sure....maybe. Let me see if I have room at the end."

Needless to say, he did not eat the bones!

How many agree? Were we over reacting?

Answer 1

eating chicken with your fingers is ok, sucking the gristle and fat out in a restaurant - gross.

Answer 2

I think certain manners are food and location dependent. In a fancy restaurant, you won't see fried chicken on the menu for that very reason.

Some foods, like fried chicken, crabs or lobster, are just messy. But what your friend did seems like overkill to me too.

Eating all the meat is one thing. Sucking bones and gristle is a little much.

Answer 3

Oh, he's just ignorant! (I'm surprised he didn't ask for some juice in a mayonaise jar too!) Eating gristle and sucking bones is NEVER acceptable. I don't care if you are in a 4-star restaurant, the local diner, your mom's kitchen or Uncle Bob's back porch. If you are that hungry, get another piece! All that gnawing and slurping is disgusting. As for proper etiquette, I think either a knife & fork or your fingers can be acceptable. If I'm at someone's home or a family restaurant, I'd be comfortable using my fingers and wiping them frequently. However, southern cooking has become very popular and now there are upscale restaurants serving this cuisine and that includes dishes like fried chicken. If you are in a white linen restuarant, I certainly think it's acceptable to use a knife and fork...even if that means you don't get every last piece of meat, skin and grissle. And, again, if you are comfortable using your fingers, just be neat about it.

Answer 4

You were overreacting. I've seen many people eat the gristle and fried chicken is finger food anyway. Eating the bones is going too far though.

Answer 5

I think you were definately over reacting. You have to eat fried chickent with your hands and most people do suck on the bones and eat the gristle. It's his food and unless he was making a mess and had bad manners he was fine!

Answer 6

the etiquette for this subject is dependent on the location.

If dining in a family or higher scale restaurant, using a knife and fork is proper.

If dining in a home, fast food restaurant (KFC), and even a family restaurant (this depends on how classy the family restaurant), using the fingers is acceptable.

But in either setting (unless in the individual's own home) I doubt that the sucking of the bones are acceptable.

Answer 7

Fried chicken wings are finger food. Gristle? Not for me. You overreacted.

Answer 8

Picking up wings to eat if okay. But sucking the bones is over the top.

Answer 9

t g is right...if you are on a picnic or at home or KFC ...eat fried chicken with your fingers but in resturant with table service...use a knife and fork...it can be done...or order something else...in any case "sucking the bone and eating the gristle" is rude, crude and socially unacceptable

Answer 10

I'm pretty sure there's no etiquette on eating chicken wings. I mean you obviously weren't at a 'classy' restaurant or anything.

That being said, chicken wings are by nature a messy food. If they are served at the restaurant, it stands to figure that being messy is ok.