mmm, local fried chicken

24Jun09

If you JMU kids remember, Smokin’ Pig opened up another location off of University Boulevard, by Valley Mall. It used to be RT’s Chicken, which went out of business before I got around to trying it. About a year after the second Smokin’ Pig opened, it closed because it just wasn’t drawing enough people. In that same location, a third chicken place opened up this summer, called Cluckers Snak Shak. Let’s just say that after today’s meal, I just hope Cluckers lasts longer than its two predecessors.

After class today, I had to stop by BBT which is right around there, so I decided to try it out for the first time. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, since I couldn’t really decipher what they served from the signs next to the road.

Turns out, its  predominantly a fried chicken place, but they also serve ribs, barbecue, wraps, and sandwiches. Excuse me, it’s actually broasted chicken. If you’re not familiar with broasting (which I wasn’t until just now when I looked it up), its a method of cooking developed in the 1950s. It’s actually a combination of deep-frying and pressure cooking. Its supposed to leave the outside crispy, and the inside juicy and tender. You know what? That’s exactly how my chicken was. It was such a novelty for me.

For many people, including myself, dark meat is the preferred poultry “cut” of choice over white meat for a couple reasons. Its typically juicier and more flavorful compared to white meat. This is primarily because of the fat content in the muscle tissue around the leg and thighs. When cooked well, white meat can be relatively juicy and tender as well, but when cooked together with dark meat, cooking time/temperature becomes an issue. Chicken breast is usually thicker, so obviously you need to cook it longer. However, the longer you cook it, the more likely it is to be dried out, and sucky. Broasting seems to be the magic cure.

I’ve never had anything broasted before, but I’m a believer. I ordered a 3 piece meal with a “roll” which actually happened to be a biscuit, and their mac & cheese. When I got my meal, I was truly bummed out that they didn’t give me a thigh. Anyways, I kid you not, while I was eating the white meat, I was shocked, and confused. I have never had white meat so juicy and moist before. It was unreal.

I opted for the country spicy chicken, instead of the original. According to the grandma working the counter, she said its just more seasoning. I’m down with that, I love seasoning. It was delicious and flavorful. If I had to be picky, I would say that the crust/skin was just a touch too salty, and slightly (just ever so slightly) overcooked.

The macaroni and cheese was meh. After the first bite, I wish I had ordered the cole-slaw instead. Something about cool creamy cole-slaw just pairs perfectly with hot steaming fried chicken. The biscuit tasted like a Pillsbury biscuit that you can make yourself, which it probably was. It had that weird salty buttery taste thats pretty good when you’re eating a biscuit at home, but honestly it was weird having it elsewhere.

I usually don’t review fountain soda, and you might think this is dumb, but I don’t care. All fountain sodas are not equal. Some fountain machines are calibrated to inject too much carbon dioxide into their formula, and some fountains use tap water that just tastes bad and stale. I noticed that the soda fountain at Cluckers was especially good. Had some Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, and Sierra Mist. All good.

Overall, great place. I’d definitely go again. The prices are reasonable. Not cheap, but reasonable. I like that is all homemade, and not made with a countless list of weird preservatives and chemicals that you’d find in KFC or even Popeyes chicken. Even though its one of the very few fried chicken places in Harrisonburg, I welcome it with open arms.

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