Why: Kooky Chicken specializes in hot and juicy chicken and burgers. Deep frying, in combination with pressure frying, is Kooky’s way of creating its crispy menu items. Rice flours are used in batters, and beef is locally sourced. House-made selections are plentiful on the menu and all orders are made to order. Nothing ever sits under a heat lamp.
What I tried: I tried the chicken strips and waffles with garlic spuds and coleslaw. My dining companion had the Krispy Chicken Burger.
The chicken was uniformly covered with a thick, delightfully crisp and flavorful coating that was not laden with grease, and the meat underneath was tender and juicy. After the first bite, I knew I had found something special. It was the most appetizing fried chicken I have had in recent memory.
Kooky sauce comes with the chicken for dipping. The creamy sauce had an herb flavor, which I liked, and the honey mustard sauce was very yummy. Unlike others I have tried that taste like they’re made with corn syrup, Kooky’s honey mustard sauce was far superior.
Dining Out Review: Kooky Chicken
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Where: 8606 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.
Contact:360-254-1950 or www.kookychicken.com. Kooky Chicken is also on Facebook and Twitter.
Health score: Kooky Chicken received a score of zero. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
The waffle portion of the meal consisted of three dippable waffles and syrup. The garlic spuds are thick, round-cut potato slices that are twice fried and sprinkled with garlic and salt. They were not super crispy, as I had anticipated, but they were delicious in their own way and paired well with the chicken.
The chicken burger was made with an all-white chicken filet on a grilled pub bun and barbecue-ranch sauce. The burger was piled high with pickles, tomato and lettuce. My dining companion thoroughly enjoyed his burger. It came with a small portion of coleslaw that either can be added to the burger or eaten as a side.
Kooky’s coleslaw is made in-house with shredded red and white cabbage, carrots, raisins and a tangy, sweet dressing. I found the coleslaw to be fresh with just the perfect amount of dressing — not used as a binder but instead to complement the other ingredients. The raisins, an ingredient I never snack on now that my kids are grown, truly bumped it up a notch.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Klam Chowder is an award-winning family recipe. KC’s Krazy Hot burger sounded tasty. This burger is topped with Krazy Hot sauce, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, dill pickle and Kooky Sauce. Chicken may be ordered as strips, in two-piece, four-piece and 10-piece portions. There are 10 different sauces, including honey mustard, cinnamon maple, ranch, barbecue, Kookaberry Maple and jalape?o maple.
Atmosphere: The space, which was formerly a Subway restaurant, still has a remnant of Subway’s character, found in the wallpaper, lighting fixtures, flooring and sandwich-assembly counter. Other than that, some of the interior has been painted red, and chalk menu boards display food choices. A drink cooler is stationed at one end of the order counter, and condiments are found at the opposite end. Seating consists of contemporary tables and chairs with armrests — and two automobile bench seats at a table just inside the entry.
Other observations: The atmosphere is no-frills, but the food more than makes up for it. I found the service very friendly and welcoming. Because selections are made to order, wait time is 15 to 20 minutes. If you are looking for a quick pick-up-and-go meal, it is best to call in advance — and well worth this extra step, in my opinion.
Cost: Chicken pieces range from $4.95 to $18.95. Other chicken dishes cost $5.95 to $8.95. Beef burgers are $4.75 to $9.95. Fish and chips are $9.95. Klam chowder comes in a 10-ounce size for $4.95 and a 16-ounce size for $6.95. Sides are $1.95 and $2.95. Extra sauces cost 50 cents and 95 cents.
