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    Restaurant Review: Brined Birds and Big Appeal at The Crispy Coop

    Let’s say you want fried chicken, and you want it local. LOCALLY local-local. Obviously, we can rule out KFC, and we can rule out similar places like Popeye’s and Church’s. Untamed Brands tookover local Hot Chicken Takeover a while back…

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    But, you know who’s really local?

    The Crispy Coop is local. In fact, it’s local AND it’s got a good backstory. It started as Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken in Grandview. Greek fried chicken in itself is an intriguing concept: When it comes to Greek food, you might think of moussaka or baklava; but you wouldn’t necessarily think about a robust fried chicken scene. Yet, before spreading to Columbus, Uncle Nick’s chicken was evidently a popular fixture at a cafe in Warren, Ohio. The Greek chicken was a hit here too, so much so that the local operation moved to a bigger spot in Grandview and reinvented itself as The Crispy Coop in 2020.

    A couple features define The Crispy Coop’s chicken. First, brining. The brining step is important, because it can transform an otherwise underwhelming blob of chicken into something. It’s also a step that may get neglected elsewhere in this age of profit-maximizing short cuts. The second defining feature is pressure frying. Pressure cooking is fast, generally speaking, and less moisture evaporates from the chicken in the process. So the end result of pressure frying is a juicier, tasty bird. 

    Tested and verified. 

    The menu at The Crispy Coop offers the option to piece things out (in terms of breast, leg, thigh, wing, tenders), but the easiest way to see how things work is to try out a Half Chicken Dinner ($14). The traditional version provides one breast, one thigh, one wing, one drum and two sides. Each is coated in a crunchy fried sweater with an appealing garlic accent. Dark meat is pretty universally flavorful – but the breast holds up as well, offering juicy meat encased in the crackling golden shell. 

    Half Chicken Dinner with Texas Potatoes and Cornbread

    But say, you need something more exciting than a juicy piece of crackling fried chicken. Say you need it to be spicy too. The Crispy Coop’s joined the spicy scene as well. If you’re looking for major firepower, the Nashville Hot is the way to go. It delivers an appreciable spike that shines in a sandwich thanks to a funky merger with the house slaw. At The Crispy Coop, the sandwiches involve a layer of coleslaw – and the kitchen leverages an exotic blend that’s populated with kale that holds onto its sweet dressing. There’s a sweet pickle element too, but the purity of spiked chicken and the soothing slaw are an optimal combo – they don’t exactly merge, but instead provide a one-two punch of flavor ($8.50 sandwich only, $14 dinner).

    Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich with Mac & Cheese and Greens

    The house Hot Honey offerings exploit a currently trending combo with a history from the pizza world. It works in the chicken department too. There’s nothing subtle about the spiciness or honey’s sweetness, and the flavors bond to the crackling chicken in an appealing way. Consider it for Wings (6 for $10).

    Wings with Hot Honey

    In the sides department, Texas Potatoes are a given with dinner orders. Sometimes referred to as “JoJo” potatoes, the house version features thick-cut peel-on fries that are lightly crumbed and fried. Personal preference is for skinny fries, but if you’re up for a bigger potato experiment, they might be for you.  

    Texas Potatoes & Cornbread

    Other side options include the aforementioned coleslaw, a mild and creamy mac & cheese, or cornbread. In the cornbread department, it’s a variant that leans more towards the cake side of things, which is a good thing. Sure, there are those who like the authenticity of a dense, dry brick, but there’s plenty of room at the table for a lighter, sweeter version too. 

    Mac & Cheese

    Or go full-sweet with a dessert. There is a version of banana pudding for classic tastes, but Honey Bun Cake ($5) is an uncommon treat. While The Crispy Coop’s version is not particularly honey-ish, it’s perhaps  more like a poke n’ pour cinnamon cake and miles better than the Lil’ Debbie snack that shares the name. 

    Honey Bun Cake

    Crispy Coop is open seven days a week at 1717 Northwest Blvd. For more information, visit thecrispycoop.com.

    All photos by Susan Post

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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