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Fried chicken sandwiches, fried chicken sliders, fried chicken-er-chicken? Sign us up! The Bay Area is suddenly awash in crispy deliciousness. Here are three fantastic new options.
Plucked Chicken & Beer, San Ramon
Address: 3191-D Crow Canyon Place, San Ramon
Contact: 925-380-6981; www.pluckedchickenandbeer.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Having spread the gospel of smoked meat from the East Bay to Sacramento, the team behind Sauced BBQ is now focusing on fowl. To check out their first Plucked eatery, look for the Jenny Craig weight-loss studio toward the back of Crow Canyon Place, then turn your head to the right. You’ll see Plucked, with its massive “If it ain’t fried, it ain’t food” sign. Yep, it’s a stark choice. We picked the chicken door.
Once inside these egg-yolk-yellow walls, you can head to the counter to order or, if there’s a line, use the iPad kiosks. Half a dozen sandwiches on brioche buns are offered (along with chicken strips and salads), and all are made with free-range, antibiotic-free California birds. The top sellers are the Rooster, with bacon, an over-easy egg, sharp cheddar and house pepper jelly ($10.49) and the Chicken and Waffle Sandwich, with egg, bacon and a maple-hot sauce reduction ($11.99).
We tried the Sticky Chicky ($8.99), with its teriyaki-like “sticky sauce,” jalapeño sweet-heat coleslaw, pickled jalapeño and spicy mayo. The thick breast portion was super-crunchy on the outside, moist and hot on the inside and flavorful throughout. A refreshing dish of Watermelon Salad with arugula and queso fresco ($3.49) tempered the jalapeños. (Other sides include mac & cheese, waffle-cut fries and white-bean chicken chili.)
Or you can tame the heat with a beer from the self-serve taps at the back wall. The dozen choices include East Bay faves and the Sauced-brewed Mother Plucker IPA and Get Plucky blonde ale.
— L. Zavoral, Staff
The Bird, Berkeley
Address: 2400 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
Contact: 510-665-3137; thebirdsf.com
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday
First came the burgers — Super Duper Burgers, from restaurateur Adriano Paganini’s Back of the House restaurant group. Then they branched out with a super-duper fried chicken spin-off, The Bird, which opened in San Francisco in 2016. Now lucky Berkeley has a Bird of its own, its location marked with by a sign depicting a smug fox clutching a chicken sandwich.
This counter-service hot spot opened on Telegraph Avenue in May, bringing its crispy fried chicken sandwiches, biscuits and housemade ice cream tacos to the corner previously occupied by The Melt. (From grilled cheese sandos to fried chicken sammies? We’re down with that.)
Order at the counter, where refrigerated cases of colorful beer cans line one of the gleaming subway-tiled walls. The short menu includes a Fried Chicken Sandwich ($8, classic or spicy), a Naked Bird ($6.50) and a “Happier Meal” ($12.50), with a chicken sandwich, curly fries and a beer. Breakfast sammies are coming soon.
Then grab a seat at one of the high-top communal tables or a perch near the window, and wait for your name to be called mere moments later. We scooped up our basket of deliciously spicy (hot!) free-range chicken, coated in a berbere spice blend, fried until crispy, then topped with a crisp apple slaw and tucked into a bun baked that morning. It was fantastic. Not sure if you want that much heat? Order it “classic” and grab a little tub of sriracha for the table.
— J. Burrell, Staff
Fast Tony’s Chicken
Address: Town & Country Plaza, 855 El Camino Real, Suite 162, Palo Alto
Contact: 650-321-8669; http://fasttonys.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
This fast-casual chicken is an homage to the chicken shacks of the south. The concept spread its wings in 2017, and shares its Town & Country corner with Belcampo Meat Co and Biondivino. Inside the small, bright eatery, long reams of brown paper are bolted to the walls, encouraging diners to mark their territory. Things are going to get messy.
Chicken comes two ways here: Hot (a proprietary chili-spice dry rub) or Not, meaning traditional Southern fried. You can also get your bird baked ($11.75) or atop a salad ($12) … but, why? The most popular menu items, and for good reason, are the Hot Fried Chicken combos ($7 for 2 pieces, $11/three pieces). Chicken is warm and juicy, with a mild-to-medium heat level and just the right crunch, and served with San Francisco Robert’s Dill Pickle Chips and a roll.
Fast Tony’s also offers six chicken sandwiches ($11 each), from the pulled chicken BBQ Bird to the Italian Bird, draped in marinara and provolone. We went with the Classic Bird, which is topped with pickles and vinegar slaw. The chicken was crunchy and delicious, but the soft, untoasted potato bun was much too wimpy to hold up all that slaw and Duke’s mayo. Ours was a sog-fest. Go bun-less or ask for a roll from the combo. Small sides, like the non-chunky Creamy Potato Salad, are an extra $1.95 with your combo, more if you’re ordering them separately or in larger sizes.
— J. Yadegaran, Staff
