A chain that's been lauded for serving America's best chain-restaurant fried chicken, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, has just opened its fourth SF outpost at Fisherman's Wharf, one year after opening a standalone location in the Tenderloin.

I say standalone because as Louisiana natives know, Krispy Krunchy is more typically found inside of gas station mini-marts. The chain began in Lafayette, LA back in 1989, and as it grew in national name recognition, it came to a couple of such gas stations in the Mission and Bayview in the last two years, where it won immediate praise from SF Weekly. The marinating and battering style are pure Louisiana, with more of a spicy kick and more flavor than Popeyes, as well as some satisfying crunch.

Now, as Hoodline reports, the chain has just come to a second free-standing location, this time at Pier 39 — giving locals a new reason to go to the Wharf besides In-N-Out and sea lion-gawking. Unlike the Mission location (at 599 South Van Ness), this Krispy Krunchy is not open 24 hours — it's open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. though.

You can order chicken, as at the competitor chains, in two-, three-, and four-piece meals as well as boxes of 8, 12, 16, or 25 pieces. And yes, there is a fried chicken sandwich with pickles that looks just like Popeyes and actually tastes better. Krispy Krunchy also does Buffalo wings, breakfast sandwiches, and waffle fries, as well as NoLa-style sides like boudin balls and jambalaya.

You heard it here, fried chicken aficionados. Get on down to Pier 39 the next chance you get. And until such time as we update our list, check out SFist's favorite fried chicken spots as of a few years back.

Photo: Yelp