PrintThe Best Fried Chicken in Fast Food: Not the Colonel, Not Popeyes
Before I set foot in the BBQ Chicken that just opened near Serious Eats world headquarters, I was as confused as anyone. A Korean company called BBQ Chicken with 3,500 locations in 37 countries was opening a fried chicken joint in New York?
Well, it turns out that BBQ stands for "Best of the Best Quality Chicken." Now you know, and after you finish reading this post, you will know something else: Based on my initial foray, BBQ Chicken serves some mighty fine fried chicken. All those millions of folks in 37 countries eating at BBQ's 3,500 locations, like Elvis fans, can't be wrong. They have been eating better quick service restaurant (QSR) fried chicken than we have.
And, if the company realizes its goal of opening 50,000 locations worldwide by 2020, I'd imagine that BBQ Chicken will be available nationwide here in the U.S. and that even more Serious Eaters will be able to try it and see if they agree with me. (McDonald's, by comparison, has a little more than 30,000 locations worldwide.)
I ordered an eight-piece BBQ Olive Chicken—Original recipe ($17.95). It comes with four biscuits (which were mysteriously missing from the bag) and two large sides.
BBQ Chicken's differentiating factor is that it fries its chicken in olive oil. I must admit I have never heard of anyone doing that before. But after my first bite, I believe Popeye's and Kentucky Fried Chicken should at the very least add one olive-oil–fried chicken item to their menus.
BBQ's chicken was absolutely delicious. Its exterior crust is crisp, crunchy, greaseless, and has just enough peppery bite. It's not a smooth, lacquered crust, like Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken in Memphis, but it sure is good. We had only dark meat—thighs and drumsticks, and the flesh was perfectly cooked, moist, and toothsome.
The side dishes were a skip. The mac and cheese was straight outta Kraft, and the spicy creamed corn was an interesting if not particularly satisfying novelty. Next time, I will make sure my biscuits are actually in the bag. The missing biscuits were in keeping with the general level of chaos and disorganization that is currently part of the BBQ Chicken experience. But what's a little chaos for chicken this good?
BBQ Chicken
Address: 232 Seventh Avenue (b/n 23rd and 24th streets), New York NY 10011 [map]
Phone: 917-606-1415
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13 Comments:
This stuff was damn good. I'd been unimpressed by the recent rush of Korean chicken wing places going in but this place was great. I liked how it was good later, when it had grown cold. Almost like pizza, one of the tests of fried chicken is how it stands up cold.
Adam Kuban at 12:28PM on 10/04/07
Chaos is right! I walked by there the other night, and saw all these people congregrated by the front door waiting for their food. One guy said he'd been waiting for half an hour. That said, I'm willing to brave it if the chicken is as terrific as y'all say it is. Now I know what's for dinner!
homesicktexan at 1:01PM on 10/04/07
oooooh that looks delicious. is that the same chain that's opening on st. mark's? and what's the price like? popeyes is mad cheap.
foodinmouth at 1:57PM on 10/04/07
Great...KFC finally agrees to start using more humanely harvested chickens and now this place comes along. Trust me, after you've seen a corporate chicken farm up close you won't want to ever eat fast food poultry again.
Fitzy31 at 3:54PM on 10/04/07
Fitzy31..I didn't hear that KFC was doing that but my first thought when reading this post was "What kind of chickens are they using?"
izzy's mama at 9:37PM on 10/04/07
korean-style chicken wings are great too....
mlo at 10:14AM on 10/05/07
For those interested or concerned, this chicken is almost as good as Ed says it is (Popeye's is in the same class, but doesn't use olive oil), but even the "classic" version is spicy, so if that's not how you like your chicken, this may not be the best call.
gustoct at 1:41PM on 10/06/07
For those interested or concerned, this chicken is almost as good as Ed says it is (Popeye's is in the same class, but doesn't use olive oil), but even the "classic" version is spicy, so if that's not how you like your chicken, this may not be the best call.
gustoct at 1:41PM on 10/06/07
I work nearby and noticed this place opening. Twice I've called to order pickup for lunch hoping to avoid the wait. The first day I called no one answered, and today when I called at 1 pm the woman who answered said that they were not yet opened. Also, I've walked by around this time last week and there shutters were down. Not the most user friendly place for lunch.
gregorbkny at 1:02PM on 10/25/07
Gregorbkny, I hear you. They definitely do not have it together yet.
Ed Levine at 1:12PM on 10/25/07
Wow, it's been Americanized. There ain't no biscuits or macaroni here in Korea. Just the pickled radishes that no one eats.
ZenKimchi at 10:57PM on 02/05/08
Does anyone know a place near here I might be able to bring the chicken over to eat? I live kinda far away and wouldn't like to risk carrying on the train ride home...
vivosergirl at 10:13PM on 12/15/08
looks delicious but tastes like sh!t!! am i the only one who thinks so. the chicken had no flavor. the radish is suppose to have this vinegary and sweet taste but it was also flavorless like it was marinated in water. the price is not worth it. go to kyochon chicken instead.
naomi311 at 1:24AM on 05/09/09