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| - There are places in this world that exist to do one thing and one thing only. They know their limitations. They don't overstep their bounds. They keep it between the ditches. Price's Chicken Coop is such a place. They make fried chicken.
I heard a lot of hype about Charlotte, NC's Price's Chicken Coop - its been slinging fried chicken since 1962; its been featured on the Travel Channel; its got a reputation as a go - to place. So a friend from Charlotte took me there so I could give it a try. I admit, expectations were high. So let me get some housecleaning issues out of the way before I dive into the chicken. First of all, its not a restaurant. It's a take-out joint. They have no seating. Second, bring cash - they don't accept plastic.
Now for the chicken. I ordered gizzards. When I see 'em, I order 'em. And, because I had never been here before, and even though I have a predilection for dark meat, I wanted to try both white and dark, for the whole experience. So my buddy and I ordered a whole bird, cut up.
It was late lunchtime and the place was bustling - no parking lot, just the curb. We entered and ambled up to the counter and ordered. The walls and ceilings were stained from years and years of deep frying. It is a real dive (and that's not a bad thing).
Having opined on the chicken gizzard at length before, (see my review of Florence, SC's The Drive - In) I will only say that these gizzards were subpar; puny and overcooked, not made to order, and a total disappointment. The whole chicken fried was just ok, mildly seasoned, a bit greasy. The sides: cole slaw, tots and hush puppies; nothing to write home about. All and all the hype is much greater than the bite.
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