*** BB.Q Chicken has returned to San Diego – updated post here.
*** BBQ Chicken has closed
If you've read my previous posts on BBQ Chicken, you probably already know that I've never been a big fan. A couple years back, I got into a slight disagreement with a fellow blogger on how this was not
really B(est) of the B(est) Q(uality). I found the chicken to have a bit of a fishy smell and am not a big fan of the batter either. Still, when I saw that BBQ Chicken had new ownership and was now open for lunch, I thought "why not try it again"…..hey, maybe my tastebuds had, ahem, "matured enough to appreciate the chicken". Or maybe you just need tastebuds that are super mature, i.e. dead, to really enjoy the chicken, in which case there would be no change.
What was nice was that I was actually acknowledged when I arrived, by a very nice young lady. Looking over the menu, I noticed that the lunch specials were nicely priced. Hey, even better……so I ordered a three piece "Olive Luxury Chicken Combo" ($7.99).
One of the positives about BBQ Chicken is that the chicken is cooked to order…..the negative to
that is, if things aren't right in the kitchen, it might take a while. Fortunately for me, my chicken arrived sizzling…literally sizzling to my table. Also, the server endeared herself to me……she brought extra napkins! Telling me "you're having fried chicken, I think you might need some extra napkins." Perfect…..
On the good side, the chicken was very moist…and hot! But I'm still not a fan of the bland, crumbliy, somewhat greasy batter….and for some reason, it still smells a bit fishy to me. It could be that I'm just more sensitive to it, but there is something strange in the smell.
You get one side with the lunch and I chose the "corn salad", which was really bland, but at least didn't smell bad.
As for the Chicken……well, I'm still not sold.
BBQ Chicken
4768 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Mon-Thu 11 am – 12 am
Fri-Sat 11 am – 1 am
Sunday 11 am – 12 am
Hi Kirk, funny a friend of mine recently asked me if I’d been here and I told him not since opening.
ew fishy smell…ew
Hi Dennis – It’s pretty much the same….
Hi Kat – I’m not sure if it’s just me…..
Hi Kirk, when they first opened in Irvine, the chicken was incredible! You did have to wait for 30 min., since it’s fried to order. The chicken was incredibly fantastic – organic and was not raised on feed. Honeybuns and I can taste the feed in chickens when they’re factory chickens.
The batter was made from rice flour, thin and crispy, seasoned with kimchi juice, and the glaze had kimchi flavors in it as well (hence your fishy taste). Honeybuns and I LOVED it.
6 months later they changed the recipe, the Korean flavors were gone, the chicken was hacked into bits, so your food was ready in 10 min. And they changed the chicken, and it’s just feed chickens now. Completely different flavors. Not worth going now.
Hi Tenjobara – Well, this location has pretty much been the same since they opened….so I guess they’re consistent, right? BTW, the chicken I’m talking about is the regular fried chicken….no glaze, but fishy taste.