The Chick’s Fry House (1011 King St.) frenzy is about to begin. Nunally Kersh, Chick’s owner Robert Stehling’s wife, says the new fast casual poultry place will officially welcome guests beginning this Wednesday.
CP got an early look at the fried chicken establishment last week at a soft opening, and the vibe is definitely and, by Upper King standards, defiantly family friendly. It seems Stehling and co-owner Dave Uecke had parents in mind when planning the spot — there’s a drive-through window and a mobile app to request your Chick’s fix. “You can place your order on the app and then pick up at the pick-up window without getting out of the car,” says Kersh. As if to prove the point, on our visit a handful of preschool-age tots ran wind sprints through the restaurant squealing with delight. Meanwhile, staff and guests were unperturbed.
Of course, this fast casual atmosphere inevitably has members of Wagener Terrace ready to claim the restaurant as their own. But, as any geographically savvy local will tell you, Chick’s is actually the latest addition to North Central. (Put that on your two-piece chicken dinner and eat it, Wag T-ers.) Oh, and there’s another early fan. Apparently after we left the friends and family event, Charleston’s favorite Ghostbuster showed up. Yes, Bill Murray made an appearance and we missed it. But observers tell us the comedian chowed down on samples and appeared to be having a grand time. And why wouldn’t he when eating Stehling and Uecke’s kid-tested, thousands-of-Hominy-Grill-patrons-approved fried chicken? Their recipe has been perfected over years of cooking the Charleston Nasty (nee Big Nasty). Suffice it to say, if you like Hominy, you’ll like Chick’s.
But if chicken’s not your thing, there’s fried fish and fried pork chop sandwiches, classic sides such as cole slaw, mac and cheese, stewed greens, and lima beans; and the more novel glazed, iced, and stuffed doughnuts. Chick’s will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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