Austin Fried Chicken

Rating:

3 out of 5

Phone: 512- 385-2986

Hours:
Monday -Friday, 5am-3pm

Price range: $8 - $12

Location: East Austin (Cesar Chavez)
Type of restaurant: Diner
Payment accepted: Cash, Cards
Good for: Inexpensive and homemade food, diner crowds
Meals served: Breakfast and lunch

Arkie’s Grill is a legit small-town diner — and by small-town, I mean east Cesar Chavez, where the lumber companies and grassy fields make you feel like you haven’t escaped your boring hometown for Austin. I mean that in a good way, though.

Amongst the traditional, cowboy-hat-sporting diner crowd, we split a $6.99 “One-Half” (4-piece) fried chicken meal that comes with fries (plentiful and hot), green salad (average diner salad) and rolls/ cornbread (too dry). Excellent price for a 4-piece combo.

Here’s their fried chicken menu:

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Fried Chicken
No Backs ~ No Wings
Served with French Fries, Green Salad & Hot Rolls

One-Half Chicken
Crisp & Juicy $6.99

One-Quarter Chicken
Crisp & Juicy $6.29

All White Meat, add $1.20
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See full menu

The fried chicken was hot, juicy, well-battered and beautifully textured, but severely lacked salt. Sans gravy, it was almost tasteless.

Inexpensive, but bland.

We also ordered a side of gravy, 2 sodas, two coffees and a slice of mediocre coconut cream pie. It came out to a little over $18.00.

Had we just gotten the chicken meal, though, and not splurged on dessert fluff, it would have been about $8, to feed two hungry fried chicken fiends. Nice.

I’d go again. I recommend Arkie’s for a decent, inexpensive fried chicken lunch.