Fried Chicken and Waffles in San Francisco
I was recently talking to a friend about what my last meal would be (you should smell a future post coming). You might be surprised to know that as the main course it would be fried chicken. I love fried chicken. But I have to tell you that it is not something that I eat often. Maybe only two-to-three times a year. Two reasons: it is not healthy and I am easily disappointed in the quality of bad fried chicken.
However several of my colleagues at work have been trying to get me to try a place close to one of our offices (and therefore accessible by a company shuttle) where they are touted to serve a not-to-be-missed fried chicken. After several missed tries, this past Friday on a gloriously sunny day in San Francisco I headed to the Little Skillet for their famous chicken and waffles lunch.
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As it says on their website, “Little Skillet is the lovable offshoot of San Francisco’s soul food pioneers Framer Brown (it's mama restaurant). It's good old-fashioned Southern soul food with quality organic ingredients, hey it is San Francisco, so we are a little granola, even when it comes to our fried chicken!
It is located in a teeny tiny alley. You order your food out of this window:
From this menu (to really see it, check it on on their site) with the perfect amount of uncomplicated choices.
I ordered the traditional chicken and waffles (but want to try the fried chicken po'boy next time). I also ordered a sweet tea which was heavenly on a hot day.
When my order came up, I sat here (in the sun) the only place available to eat:
Where I promptly devoured the entire box!
It was pretty tasty, could have been a little more seasoned (or spicier) but it was really, really good. The waffle, dusted with powdered sugar was also well made. I am not big on syrup – I am one of the people who barely put any on her pancakes (as opposed to Mr. Misadventures who drenches it!) – so I wasn't interested in it much. I tried it, it tasted a little too cinnamon-y, but it is hard to judge as I said I am not a huge fan of it in the first place.
One of the most important factors about this meal is that it wasn't greasy at all. After eating it and for the rest of the day I felt good. The ingredients are good, you can tell the oil is good, it is made with care and you don't feel sick after. That is a good sign and I will be back again. Now that I have been there and I know how convenient it is to get there…I may be in trouble!
How about you? Are you a fan of fried chicken? Where have you had your best fried chicken experience?
Next up for my friend chicken adventures: Bake Sale Betty!
More of my San Francisco food stories and guides:
- A San Francisco Weekend for Foodies
- Where to go for Coffee in San Francisco
- Great Mexican Restaurants in San Francisco
- 5 Places to Eat Oysters in San Francisco
- Best Burmese Food in San Francisco
- Burgers in San Francisco
- San Francisco’s Best Cheeseburgers
- Hawaiian in San Francisco
- Great Grilled Cheese in San Francisco
- San Francisco Bay Area Dimsum Guide
- San Francisco for Vegetarians
- Baked Bear in San Francisco – Custom-made Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Classic San Francisco Food Treats
- Eating in San Francisco’s Financial District – Around the World in 24 Hours
Highlighted Restaurants in San Francisco
- San Francisco’s Sushirrito
- Liba San Francisco
- Bacon Bacon San Francisco
- Fried Chicken and Waffles in San Francisco
- Let me see your Lobster Roll
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You don’t feel sick after – a rousing endorsement 🙂 Now I need some.
Hm. I’ll have to try it. Especially on the heels of a disappointing visit last weekend to the much touted Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland. You’d think the fried chicken and waffles would have been [taste]bud-blowing, given all the accolades, but, sadly, not.
Everything was cooked perfectly (the chicken was juicy and looked amazing, the waffles were the very picture of bliss-to-be) but fell flat upon hitting the tongue. The waffles deflated like a popped balloon as you cut into them, and upon reaching your mouth, there was nothing to crunch – they just melted into a bland mush. Despite the fancy homemade brown sugar butter and syrup, which too, I found lacking in the flavor department. Add to this the fried chicken fiasco – it looked incredible with a visible party of herbs and spices in the luxuriously crispy skin (finally – something I’m going to enjoy chewing, I thought to myself). Ugh. The herbs were so mild as to be forgettable and the meat had not been marinated before being battered and fried, so it was a truly bland, albeit juicy, experience.
The only highlight for me was the beignets we had before the meal proper. They were amazing from start to finish. Worth another visit for a platter of them alone.
How on earth this spot has a line out the door from 8am on on a weekend, I’ll never know. Nor how they’ve managed to make Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list two years running. To my mind, it *must* be the beignets. ‘Cause it certainly ain’t the fried chicken and waffles!
@Risamay, thanks for the great info, I think I will steer clear of that one. My one complaint for the Little Skillet was that I thought the chicken could have been a little bit spicier in the herb department, but it was very good so I will forgive them. Have you been to Bake Sale Betties yet?
I do love fried chicken and it is hard to find places that prepare it well. That’s why we usually end up getting it at KFC.
Next time I’m in SF, I’ll try this restaurant but not with waffles!