I’m not sure how many Tuesdays in a row I have been going to Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits at the corner of 17th Street and Grand in Santa Ana. One co-worker says at least seven. I was thinking 10. Tuesday is Popeyes Chicken 99-cent special day, where you can get two pieces of chicken (thigh and drumstick, no substitutions) for the tax-included grand total $1.07. (I remembered I briefly panicked around New Year’s because the Popeyes staff removed the 99 cent special poster to clean the windows, and I was worried the promotion would go out with 2008. Thank goodness the poster soon went back up.)

Is there a better fried chicken deal in Orange County? Popeyes’ spicy chicken is a stellar recipe. Lots of paprika, possibly onion powder. And the chicken is always perfectly fried by the good staff at Santa Ana’s Popeyes.

OK, I know fried chicken is not classy, and Popeyes is doubly unclassy for also being a fast food chain. But for me, when it comes to fried chicken, Popeyes is the gold standard. Still, after months of eating the same thing every Tuesday, I’ve decided to give other places a try.

First up, Memphis in Santa Ana. A few points higher on the class factor than Popeyes, due to the fact that you can sit down and get served and all. The menu says everything is cooked in trans-free oil. Nice to know, but I’m still not optimistic anything deep fried can get close to healthful.

The fried chicken breast ($10.50 at lunch) here is more like a chicken cutlet than picnic-style chicken pieces. It’s thin, boneless and smallish, and with no skin, the crunch comes from the thick, thoroughly fried flour batter. It’s very salty with little flavor from spices, and overall quite appealing.

The chicken comes on top of a generous heap of mustard greens — soggy and slightly bitter, a pleasant antidote to the chicken’s saltiness and the kind of righteous vegetable grandmas around the world would approve of. Two accompanying potato cakes were prettily fried, but rather plain. (I like my croquettes with lots of shallots and garlic.) The gravy was sufficient, but not memorable.

Memphis serves complimentary corn bread that’s sweet and crumbly. Good stuff.

My favorite accompaniment to the fried chicken though, was actually my dining partner’s gumbo ($7 for a bowl), a magnificent sour stew punched by spicy cubes of pork. I imagine it’s the perfect sort of appetizing, easy-to-swallow fare I would crave when I’m sick at home with a cold.

We finished with the Belgian chocolate pot pie ($7) — their version of a molten chocolate cake with raspberries at the bottom, surrounded by slices of strawberries and blackberries. It’s not anything really special, but combo of chocolate + berries never fails to make me happy.

In summary, chicken to chicken, I prefer Popeyes’ spicy recipe to Memphis’. But Memphis has got the whole package with pretty decor and comfortable seats, pretty good sides and a menu with items that are not disgusting to your vegetarian friends. (Also, a killer burger.) Popeyes is still where I’d rather go for a takeout lunch alone, but if I meet up with friends at Memphis after work, I wouldn’t feel bad about getting the chicken breast at all.

Memphis
201 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. 714-564-1064
2920 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. 714-432-7685

Do you have any suggestions for fried chicken restaurants to visit? I’ll have to revisit Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner in Buena Park, Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Long Beach, and Chicken Box Broasted Chicken in La Habra, of course. I’m not a Southern Food purist, so throw any kind of fried chicken style this way, please.

Posted in: Jit Fong's quest for fried chicken in O.C. • Restaurant reviews • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • fried chicken |

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