If you’ve never found cause to visit Lafayette, that’s about to change with two little words: fried chicken. Lafayette’s The Post Brewing Company just scratches the surface of Chef Brett Smith’s brilliant, locally sourced menu. The Post ups-the-ante on comfort-food staples so much so that, even though you’ve never said no to fried chicken before, even granny’s secret recipe won’t do it for you after you sample Smith’s crispy concoction. The Post Brewing Co., 105 W. Emma St., Lafayette.

If you’ve never found cause to visit Lafayette, that’s about to change with two little words: fried chicken. Lafayette’s The Post Brewing Company just scratches the surface of Chef Brett Smith’s brilliant, locally sourced menu. The Post ups-the-ante on comfort-food staples so much so that, even though you’ve never said no to fried chicken before, even granny’s secret recipe won’t do it for you after you sample Smith’s crispy concoction.

The crust of this bird is more like a savory suit of armor. It’s thick, fried to perfection, and despite how juicy the chicken is on the inside, packs an unprecedented crunch. Still, it’s so tender that if it weren’t encapsulated by the crispy skin, it would fall off the bone into a heap on your plate. Subtle hints of rosemary and citrus make you wonder if you’ve ever really eaten chicken. You’ll be unable to keep yourself from peeling off the crust to devour the chicken inside and shamelessly dip it, like a crispy, edible spoon, into the rich, creamy country gravy The Post serves on the side. It may not be pretty, but neither is gnawing on chicken bones, and you’ll probably be doing that too.

Why is your chicken so good?
We start out with all-natural chicken, then we brine it for three hours in lemon and rosemary. We dredge it in a gluten-free, seasoned flour blend, spray it with buttermilk every few hours, and let it sit overnight. Then we pressure fry it, and that’s all digital so it’s consistent. It locks in the juices and it cooks it perfectly every time. We tried over 75 different ways to do it, and this is the one that’s the best.

What else should people try at the Post Brewing Co?
My favorite is the pork shoulder. We braise it in a tomato sauce for over 12 hours, pull it out, portion it into cubes and finish it in the wood-fire oven with the braising liquid.

*No matter how full you are after your bucket-o-chicken, you have to order a slice of The Post’s made-from-scratch cherry pie. You’ll hate yourself for the rest of your life if you don’t.