The voting ended at midnight Thursday and it’s now official – the Chicken Shack in Luverne has been voted Bama’s Best Fried Chicken restaurant by popular vote.

Nearly 10,000 people voted on Facebook in the final round. The Chicken Shack received 5,300 votes in the final round of competition to 4,400 for Red’s Little Schoolhouse Restaurant in Grady.

When Simply Southern TV opened nominations for Bama’s Best Fried Chicken contest, more than 700 Facebook users commented with their favorites and the top eight nominees duked it out for the title in a bracket-style tournament on Simply Southern TV’s Facebook page.

Competing for the title were the Chicken Shack, Red’s, Ruby’s in Abbeville, Charlotte’s in Dothan, Zack’s Family Restaurant in Dothan, Martin’s Restaurant in Montgomery, Champy’s in Muscle Shoals and Sam’s Kitchen & Grill in Eufaula.

The Chicken Shack and Red’s advanced to the final round, making certain that a Southeast Alabama restaurant would be the winner.

Both the Chicken Shack and Red’s Little Schoolhouse have much to crow, or cluck, about.

Restaurant owners, brothers Michael and Drew Money of the Chicken Shack and Red Deese and his daughter, Debbie, were not available for comment on Friday.

It is thought, they might have gone to Disney World.