Austin Fried Chicken

Rating:

3.5 out of 5

Address:
8103 Burnet Rd
Austin, TX 78757 | Large map

Phone: 512-458-3244

Hours:
Monday - Saturday
6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in-house, 9:30 drive-thru

Sunday
8 a.m. to 9 p.m., 9:30 drive-thru

Location: North Austin, Burnet and Teakwood

Click here for a list of the
restaurant’s other locations

Price range: $6
Type of restaurant: Fast casual
Payment accepted: Credit cards, cash
Good for: Quick bites
Meals served: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

I wasn’t expecting much from this fast-food style restaurant, and maybe that’s why I was so surprised by it.

We arrived at the Bill Miller’s on Burnet Rd. around 7:30 p.m. It smelled like Wendy’s. The first you’ll see when you enter is an assortment of pies and cobblers. Then you’ll look up and see a huge beige menu behind a maze of steel pipes directing you to the counter. All this reminds you that this is not a sit-down place.

We glared at the menu for a few minutes as an employee bargained with the counter girl for some chicken. “That’s a good sign,” I thought to myself. “If the employees like it, it can’t be complete ass-food.” We each order a meal: A three piece with fries and a two piece with mash potatoes. However, we were told that they were out of chicken breasts, and if we wanted some, we would have to wait about 15 minutes. We agreed. The counter girl gave us a free drink for our troubles.

About 20 minutes later our food was brought out on little brown trays. Another bonus for the wait – free peach cobbler. The chicken looked nothing short of bangin. The breading was generous and a perfect color, and the size of the legs, breasts and thighs was natural. My first bite reveled the chicken was juicy, crunchy and almost too hot to eat. I was sold. It tasted made to order. Now I don’t know if this common place, but I hope it is, because I expected brown frown and got golden train wreck.

We devoured the chicken. I smothered some in provided hot sauce while keeping tabs on the restaurant’s environment. The place was completely empty, minus the one or two 50-somethings chowing down not making a fuss about their little lives. My fries were nothing special. In fact, they were shitty. Anna’s potatoes were tolerable. She says they were probably half instant and half real.

Outshining all was the chicken, and I’m for real real about this when I say it was exceptionally good and definitely filled up that little spot in me that clucks for some fried goodness. I recommend this place for a quick bite when you got to get your fix. I wouldn’t take a date or my mom there, though.