TV Restaurants

Is Chicken Charlie's Still Open? Food Paradise Update (San Diego, CA)

Open verified

As of September 2026, Chicken Charlie's is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 9, 2026.

Primary source
chickencharlies.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: The business's website is live with online ordering enabled for its Rancho Bernardo restaurant, and Google Places lists that location as operational.

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What happened after Food Paradise?

On 'Midway Munchies,' the show visited Chicken Charlie's at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, spotlighting the vendor's deep-fried fair specialties. The chain has long been known for novelty items like deep-fried Kool-Aid and bacon-wrapped corn dogs at Southern California fairs. Chicken Charlie's also operates a standing restaurant in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, and its website separates a 'Restaurants' section from a 'Fairs' section, reflecting both a permanent location and traveling fair booths. According to chickencharlies.com, checked 2026-09-09, the site was live with online ordering enabled for the Rancho Bernardo location. Google Places listed that Rancho Bernardo restaurant as operational as of the same check. The Costa Mesa fair appearance featured in the episode falls under the business's seasonal fair operations rather than its permanent restaurant footprint.

Featured on Food Paradise

Season / episode
Season 13, Episode 2
Original air date
Not confirmed
Episode title
Midway Munchies
What was featured
deep-fried fair specialties from a longtime OC Fair vendor
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Chicken Charlie's

Frequently asked questions

Is Chicken Charlie's still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Chicken Charlie's is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 9, 2026.

What happened to Chicken Charlie's after Food Paradise?

On 'Midway Munchies,' the show visited Chicken Charlie's at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa, spotlighting the vendor's deep-fried fair specialties. As of September 2026, Chicken Charlie's is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 9, 2026.

Where is Chicken Charlie's located?

12457 Rancho Bernardo Rd, San Diego, CA 92128. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Food Paradise featured Chicken Charlie's?

Season 13, Episode 2 of Food Paradise. The episode is titled “Midway Munchies”.

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Visit info

Address
12457 Rancho Bernardo Rd, San Diego, CA 92128
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
chickencharlies.com

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Record fp-0982 · last verified .