Donald Brown's Chicken, Dallas

In 2003, entrepreneur Donald Brown opened the first Donald Brown Chicken, a restaurant that would soon become a family enterprise. Though the signature fried-chicken recipe is a well-kept secret guarded by cooks trained in krav maga, daughter Donnice gladly gives out hints to its taste. "It's a touch spicy, but my 1-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece love to eat it," she says. Housemade waffles and traditional sides such as greens, yams, and black-eyed peas round out meals.