Krispy Krunchy Chicken

I wanted to try this place because the reviews are really good. And I don't want to damn them with faint praise. But I'm afraid I can't quite give 5 stars either.

KKC is a national brand that sells franchises to local convenience stores. That makes them seem small and independent but with well-developed standards behind them. It also means the quality can vary. But I'm happy to say I found this location clean, orderly, well lit with good signage, and well staffed. I was greeted and helped immediately.

What I ordered was a 4-piece Cajun Chicken Tenders, which comes with a biscuit for a total of $5.66 including tax. Visiting at 2pm on a Thursday it was ready immediately from the warming tray and I ate in the car.

The tenders were in nice thick cuts, not overly juicy but not dry. Both the chicken and the seasoning were flavorful enough that I didn't miss the lack of a sauce that a competing chicken place would offer. The breading has a nice soft volume to it. I mean that not to say it was taking up space to replace the chicken, but rather to say it wasn't a hardened cover like you might find on a cheaper breaded chicken.

However, I have to say it was neither "krispy" nor "krunchy". And it was lukewarm at best. The reason is no mystery: warming tray + Thursday at 2pm + convenience store. Simply put, it wasn't fresh. I understand the dilemma. If they make everything fresh it really slows down the service and is very inconvenient for a small order like mine. But a place like this doesn't do enough volume to keep churning under those circumstances. And tossing it as spoilage is expensive for a small business. So I understand their problem. Unfortunately once it was sold to me it became my problem.

The biscuit, I'm said to say, was slightly burnt on the bottom. Blackened and with a carbon-y taste I actually ripped the bottom off after my first bite and threw it away. The middle and top were fine if unspectacular.

I think the recipe is really good, and had the food been fresh (and without the biscuit problem) it would surely have earned 5 stars. But without that guarantee I might prefer to go somewhere else - spending about an equivalent amount at a different 5-star chicken place or a bit less at the high volume chains.

They put crack in the chicken so that I crave it nightly. But seriously good chicken. Better than KFC by a long shot. Call ahead if you want a family pack.