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“Not Your Momma’s” Fried Chicken

“Not Your Momma’s” Fried Chicken served with mac and cheese with cucumber salad substituted for collard greens.

Going southern at Smokestack Urban Barbecue meant fried chicken! A large platter of chicken arrived at the table along with two small bowls of sides—this was obviously a meal that I would be enjoying the next day as well!  The chicken was perfectly fried and still very hot with crispy skin and meat so tender that it fell off the bone with little effort.  There was plenty of white meat, which is often lacking with “half chicken” preparations.  The cucumber salad was comprised of thinly cut cucumber slices, shredded carrot and scant red pepper pieces all drenched in a vinegary dressing.  I loved this – it was a great contrast to the richness of the fried chicken and it had a great flavor.  The mac and cheese was simply ok.  It was creamy and covered with crushed Ritz crackers, but I found it bland and lacking flavor.  It was much improved with a splash or two of hot sauce but it still didn’t “wow” me.

Overall, this is a meal I would certainly order again (and again…).  If this dish is representative of the food that Smokestack has to offer, we’ve got a winner!

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Veggie Burger

Veggie Burger – grilled, LTO, Vermont Cheddar, Carolina Q sauce, side of cucumber salad at Smokestack on Harding Street.

Typically a veggie burger will arrive small, slightly dry and thin, to my surprise, at the Smokestack Urban Barbecue on Harding Street it arrived large, thick and moist. The veggie burger seemed homemade, it had mushrooms and onions and bulgur wheat mixed in and was not overcooked or dry. I selected lettuce tomato and jalepano’s, skipping the Vermont Cheddar. The large over sized bun completed the veggie burger experience. If anyone is looking for a homemade, delicious and low-fat burger replacement – this is the place! For a side dish I ordered cucumber salad. It was thinly sliced and marinated in vinegar, tangy and delicious and I loved that it was not saturated in mayonnaise!  The only downside I found was that if you choose another option for a side dish they charge an extra dollar.