Around Everglades City, there are a lot of stories.

Some are true.

Some are almost true.

And some are about Choko the Chicken.

Legend has it that many years ago, a strange chicken appeared in the Everglades. Nobody knew where he came from. Some folks swore he floated in on a driftwood log. Others claimed he hatched during a thunderstorm on a mullet boat. One old-timer insisted Choko simply wandered out of the mangroves one morning looking for breakfast.

Whatever the truth may be, one thing became clear:

This wasn't an ordinary chicken.

Choko could navigate the backwaters better than most fishing guides.

He could spot a gator from a hundred yards away.

He knew every hidden oyster bar, every secret fishing hole, and every shortcut through the Ten Thousand Islands.

More importantly, Choko loved good food.

He spent years traveling the Everglades collecting recipes from fishing camps, hunting camps, crab shacks, and backyard cookouts. He learned how to smoke chicken low and slow. He perfected crispy fried chicken. He mastered tender baked chicken. He even discovered a mysterious sauce recipe that locals now simply call "10,000 Island Sauce."

Along the way, Choko survived mosquito swarms the size of thunderstorms, escaped more than a few hungry gators, and once allegedly won a staring contest with an ibis.

Word spread.

People began following Choko wherever he went.

Not because he was famous.

Because he always seemed to know where the best meal was.

Eventually, Choko decided it was time to stop wandering.

He picked a spot near the edge of the Everglades and built a place where locals, fishermen, hunters, boaters, travelers, and hungry families could gather together.

He called it...

The Chicken Joint.

Today, Choko serves as the unofficial Mayor of Chicken. You'll usually find him relaxing with a cold Swamp Water, telling stories that get taller every year, and making sure every guest leaves with a full belly and a smile.

As for the giant mosquito he supposedly fought with a canoe paddle?

Well...

Choko says that's a true story.

And around here, nobody argues with a chicken.

Welcome to The Chicken Joint.

Home of legendary chicken, questionable stories, and genuine Everglades hospitality.