KFC - Don't Do It

[JDaniel]

Growing up, we ate at KFC on a regular basis. Back then, there just weren't that many restaurant options (at least as compared to today). I remember it being good fried chicken, mashed potatoes and biscuits. But I haven't been in a KFC in 20+ years. So today, I'm out with my girls, and we are hungry and trying to find a quick bite when Abby asks me "what's KFC"? She'd never been to one.

So for nostalgia's sake, we stopped in. It was perhaps one of the worst fast food meals I've ever eaten. Everything was way overcooked, my girls' chicken strips were all over-cooked breading with not one bites worth of chicken between them all. The cole-slaw was nothing like I remember it being. In fact, nothing was as I remembered.

I'll not make that mistake again.

JD

[mhardy6647]

I still like their chicken :-(

We have a good (well, at least it's tasty) recipe, called "ooey gooey chicken", that uses KFC chicken as a basis. I could share it if there's any interest.

We do try not to eat this sort of thing very often.

KFC = a subtle yet pernicious means of suicide...

[Johnny]

I completely agree with you JD - The KFC here in Janesville is just horrible! The biscuits are mostly stale and hard as rocks, the gravy is very similar to hot brown water and the service is next to criminal. And thats not even mentioning the over cooked broken bone lousy chicken.

Yuck

[ccheath]

Interesting! I just recently gone to KFC. Still love it, however, kinda greasy. Mashed potatoes and gravy is the most favorite of mine and my son's. I never liked coleslaw. But do miss the pies they had back then. :D

[VinylHanger]

Ours here in town is actually pretty good for fast food. Always nice and juicy as opposed to greasy. The snackers are soft and tasty, and the sides are great.

[rickr15]

Probably depends on the manager or franchisee as to the quality. The one by my work is tolerable. The one by my house is not fit for consumption.

[junkaudio]

we got a kfc here in my hometown ulm germany and the food is very good as the service but kfc wants to expand in germany, not very many stores by now

[ihop]

KFC pressure cooks their chicken to make it faster,problem is, it is pressure cooked in grease. Deep fry isn't bad because it cooks from the outside and seals in the natural moisture. Pressure cooking pushes the grease all through the meat. I can't eat it, I get near sick hours later. I have an iron gut too!!! I think the extra crispy is cooked different?

[tentoze]

Probably depends on the manager or franchisee as to the quality. The one by my work is tolerable. The one by my house is not fit for consumption.

This is my experience as well. I loves me some KFC. Some are fine, some are dreadful, but the percentages are heavily skewed toward the dreadful side of the scale. And consistently filthier than any other fast food chain I've been in, especially the combo KFC/Taco Bell/A&W outlets, or whatever that weird conglomeration is they do in some places.

[pahtcenter77]

A friend of mine and his son stopped at a local KFC a few weeks ago for a quick lunch. While they were eating, a lady came in with her KFC bag and asked for her money back. When the counter person asked what the problem was, she replied, "It ain't greasy enough."

[Dynacophil]

around 2000 KFC startet some Restaurants in Berlin... one next to my appartment in a large shopping lane. they tried 3 years to get some customers and then closed down.
i've been in 3 or 4 times.
when they opened, everything was fine... a few month later, i had the feel it's only chicken mummys that been kept warm for hours they serve, it was really awful...
never again went there. I use to love cole slaw...

[roadie1]

Maybe my town has one of the good ones? They're fairly consistent as for quality, cleanliness and service. In all the times I've been there I only got one kinda lousy pot pie and some over done chicken livers.

For what ever reason this past year they rebuilt their building? Danged if I can tell the difference.

Sorry for the bad experience. All good here. I really like the new hot wings.

.....................R1:music::yes:

[Celt]

This is my experience as well. I loves me some KFC. Some are fine, some are dreadful, but the percentages are heavily skewed toward the dreadful side of the scale. And consistently filthier than any other fast food chain I've been in, especially the combo KFC/Taco Bell/A&W outlets, or whatever that weird conglomeration is they do in some places.

Exactly. The ones in this region have been owned by one family for 30+ years and all of them are nasty beyond belief and the food inedible. How they manage to stay in business is beyond me.

[Bogframe]

I've done pretty much all the fast food chiggin places. What I can't figure out is why only Popeye's will get me sick to the stomach every time. What is they use that the others don't? They advertise it as ragin' cajun flavor, but all I get is ragin' cajun 'roids!

[steerpike2]

The KFCs here in Johannesburg used to have a huge range of salads - thats what I always went for. Now - for the last 10 years or so - it's coleslaw and nought else, so I never go anymore.

[Sandy G]

That's REALLY a shame-KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN used to be a primo franchise...When they went to "KFC" it all started to go downhill...Col Sanders must be spinnin' in his grave...

[bordeno]

I like the fried chicken from Royal Farms stores around here. Not sure if you guys have it down south.

Never been to a KFC, this thread pretty much mirrors what my image of them is.

[caddisgeek]

KFC is like porn, feels good at the time, but you feel so dirty afterwards

[mhardy6647]

... that's because you literally are dirty (well,greasy)...

[mwicks]

I never go to KFC. Not only is the food at the one in my area dry, it's EXTREMELY over priced. It's near 8 bucks for a small thing of popcorn chicken, TINY fries and a medium watered down Pepsi. Also takes about 15 minutes for them to prepare your food.

[fotno]

I grew up on my Grandmother's fried chicken and biscuits, and nothing made by teenagers at a chain franchise can even come close. I don't even bother.


I still dream about those Sunday dinners.

[glen65]

About the best "fast food" chicken place I ate at was Sisters "Chicken & Biscuits" too bad they closed their doors.

[spiderhead69]

Popeye's !!!!!!!

[hypertone]

It used to be soooo good when I was a kid (80's), but I haven't eaten there in 6 years. It's just not the same; the chicken they use is just disgusting garbage. Last time I ate there, it made me sick. When I took a leak the next morning, it smelled like the KFC chicken. It freaked me out. There is something not right about that.....

[whoaru99]

I don't mind a good KFC buffet pig-out every now and again.

Granted it's not four-star cuisine, but I don't go to any fast food expecting that.

[tboat4]

That's REALLY a shame-KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN used to be a primo franchise...When they went to "KFC" it all started to go downhill...Col Sanders must be spinnin' in his grave...

Yes, years ago you could count on getting good food any any KFC, but then something changed, and now you never know what it's going to be like from store to store, or visit to visit. Church's chicken has been better lately than KFC around here.

[similost]

I guess you got a bad one...

The KFC by my place is GREAT.. nice juicy plump perfectly cook chicken.. or at least every time I've been...

I've yet to get a bad meal there.. where as I've gotten some really nasty ones at other KFC's

[jdandy]

Batter on a bone......feathers for free
It's all there waiting..... at KFC.

[whoaru99]

I guess you got a bad one...




True enough. Just like any other fast food joint, some play by the rules, some don't.

I know I've been to places where I'm pretty damn sure the food has been under the warming lamps longer than it should by franchise guidelines/rules.

[jimfet]

Yeah! I'm bringing this back up. Their KFC bowls are good.

[tankdonovan]

Stopped eating at KFC years ago. There are better places to get fast food chicken.

Anyone here ever ate at Bojangles? Now that is chicken be it "Southern" or "Cajun" style[a little spicy]. It may be like KFC and depend on the store but the one close to me is GREAT. And the biscuits and fixings are good too. :banana:

TankDonovan

[grumpy]

I wouldn't eat KFC chicken if ya paid me.

Now Popeye's is another story.

[electronjohn]

Mmmmm...Kentucky Fried Gerbil. Nummy!

[Celt]

We refer to the ones around here as Kentucky Fried Sparrows.
Jonesboro has two Popeyes (we have none :tears:) and I love 'em!

[Urizen]

Anyone here ever ate at Bojangles?

Yep. I trained managers for them back in the early 80s. Unlike KFC, they use chicken saws.:thmbsp:

Popeye's is a close second, but they can't beat Bojangles dirty rice, Cajun gravy, Cajun pintos, and fresh biscuits.:drool:

My very first job in HS was as a cook at KFC. I hated that job. Back then, they served BBQ chicken, which was added to the menu shortly after "Extra Crispy" was introduced. To "make" BBQ chicken was simple. We placed the "Extra Crispy" chicken which had exceeded it's hold time into a steam tray of prepackaged BBQ sauce. Awful stuff.

[Andyman]

We go to a local joint called Chicken Shack when I cave in to the girls for broasted chicken; but if I have my druthers I'll cut up a fryer and toss it on the grill.

WTF is a chicken saw?? Anything like a radial arm... I just use a big old butcher knife.

[whoaru99]

Stopped eating at KFC years ago. There are better places to get fast food chicken.

Depends on where you live.

There is a KFC 30 miles away. The others mentioned are at least 140 miles, if not much further than that.

This is not to imply that I drive 30 miles specifically to eat KFC. There is a Sunday and Tuesday buffet at a local restaurant here in town that has some pretty good broasted chicken.

[Urizen]

WTF is a chicken saw??

Imagine a slicer without the guards. We wore chain mail gloves while cutting chickens. They came in whole and were cut fresh daily.

[Andyman]

Imagine a slicer without the guards. We wore chain mail gloves while cutting chickens.
I'll bet you did!!
I worked at Arby's in high school so I know all about slicers and the havoc they can wreak.
Our butchers use band saws for beef and pork; chickens come in prepacked by parts and we just label them. Set your fence and slice them steaks :yes:

[Celt]

WTF is a chicken saw??

I'm still trying to figure out what an Arkansaw is... :scratch2:

[pahtcenter77]

I'm still trying to figure out what an Arkansaw is... :scratch2:
Me, Earl, and Ar (short for Arnie) done snuck over to the nudist camp for a peek. The fence were too high, so we put Ar up on our shoulders. Them boards were in me 'n Earls way, but Arkansaw!!!

[centralflori]

KFC is like porn, feels good at the time, but you feel so dirty afterwards

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

Yes, years ago you could count on getting good food any any KFC, but then something changed, and now you never know what it's going to be like from store to store, or visit to visit. Church's chicken has been better lately than KFC around here.

Church's buiscuits with the honey sauce is excellent!:drool:

Batter on a bone......feathers for free
It's all there waiting..... at KFC.

:lmao::lmao:

Stopped eating at KFC years ago. There are better places to get fast food chicken.

Anyone here ever ate at Bojangles? Now that is chicken be it "Southern" or "Cajun" style[a little spicy]. It may be like KFC and depend on the store but the one close to me is GREAT. And the biscuits and fixings are good too. :banana:

TankDonovan

There used to be Bojangles around here and I thought they were the same as Popeyes, just a different name.



My very first job in HS was as a cook at KFC. I hated that job. Back then, they served BBQ chicken, which was added to the menu shortly after "Extra Crispy" was introduced. To "make" BBQ chicken was simple. We placed the "Extra Crispy" chicken which had exceeded it's hold time into a steam tray of prepackaged BBQ sauce. Awful stuff.

I used to love those barbeque wings, didn't know I was just paying more and helping clean up their leftovers.:D

Wonder why they quit making the rotisserie chicken? We get the "jerk" rotisserie chicken at Publix, pretty tasty.:drool:

[grumpy]

Chicken shacks stuff taste pretty good but unfortunately they started selling chicks right out of the egg a few years ago and I said screw them. Unless I want a drumstick the size of my pinky.

KFC is nearly as bad over here. The kids seem to like that greazzzy crap they sell but again they are killin them chickens at a frickin week old.

Now Popeye's on the other hand gives you monstrous pieces and the spicy stuffs just up my alley

[Bigerik]

Man, I miss how KFC used to be.

Back in the early 80's, my dad and I were down in Kentucky, so we figured we better have some Kentucky Fried Chicken. This was in Bowling Green, and it was some of the best damn chicken I have ever had. Big juicy pieces. Yum!

The truly sad thing is that the stuff we get up here makes US KFC's look like gourmet cuisine. Man, this stuff is terrible!

Only option we have up here for decent fried chicken is Popeyes, which is actually VERY good. Oddly, the guy who bought the first franchises up here is an Arab. I got to know him well back when there was only a couple of them in the city and he really cared about the food he was serving. Being a savvy business man, he decided to serve nothing but Halal chicken (Muslim kosher) and now Popeyes is the single most popular fast food chain among local Muslim community.

Yup, walk into a Popeyes up here and you will find tons of Muslims eating southern fried chicken.....

[bigstereo]

Now Popeye's on the other hand gives you monstrous pieces and the spicy stuffs just up my alley

I'll trade ya 4 Mighty Taco's, 6 Applebee's, 2 Outback Steakhouse, and a couple dozen pizza joints for 1 Popeyes. We have none.

[Andyman]

Man, I miss how KFC used to be.

Back in the early 80's, my dad and I were down in Kentucky, so we figured we better have some Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Your post is quite telling, as rumor has it that the Korporate types are now positioning the brand (sorry, that's what its come too) as KFC and avoiding Kentucky Fried Chicken like the plague.

You know, healthier and all..:lmao:

[grumpy]

I'll trade ya 4 Mighty Taco's, 6 Applebee's, 2 Outback Steakhouse, and a couple dozen pizza joints for 1 Popeyes. We have none.

Not a chance. I been waiting for the one that opened up down the street from me for 10 years. It just opened a week ago. Before that I had to go to 8 mile rd. I stopped when i heard they were robbed and the manager was shot in the head. That was years ago.

[Snade]

I eat KFC maybe twice a year. But I've noticed any fried food, I feel tired (no energy) a couple of hours after eating it. I think it's an age thing - you hit 50 and when you eat less healthy food it affects you more.

Cheers, Snade

[Arkay]

we got a kfc here in my hometown ulm germany and the food is very good as the service but kfc wants to expand in germany, not very many stores by now

In Ulm, um Ulm, und um Ulm herum!

I was in Ulm, let's see... it was 32 years ago! I really liked one of the girls I knew back then, who came from Ulm! :yes: Wish I could still remember her name...:sigh: :D


That's REALLY a shame-KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN used to be a primo franchise...When they went to "KFC" it all started to go downhill...Col Sanders must be spinnin' in his grave...

Yes, years ago you could count on getting good food any any KFC, but then something changed, and now you never know what it's going to be like from store to store, or visit to visit. Church's chicken has been better lately than KFC around here.

Agree with you guys. It used to be consistently "finger lickin' good"! Seems from all these posts that it isn't anywhere remotely consistent any more, and probably not very good in most places. Not a good sign for the long-term survival of the franchise. They need to get their quality-control act together, or they will eventually disappear.

I eat KFC maybe twice a year. But I've noticed any fried food, I feel tired (no energy) a couple of hours after eating it. I think it's an age thing - you hit 50 and when you eat less healthy food it affects you more.

Cheers, Snade

Actually, that mostly happens BECAUSE of all the times you ate junk food in the decades leading up to middle age... cumulative damage, accumulated cellular deficiencies and defects, depleted enzymes... if you had eaten 90 percent or better good, mostly raw organic vegetables and such (some fish, some nuts, some fruit...abd virtually NO refined sugars and junk), not only would you look and feel about twenty years younger at age fifty, you would still be able to eat the occasional junk food without feeling it much. You (and I, but at least I know better and understand it now, and can reverse some of it) voted for premature aging and lousy health in later years, with every single mouthful and gulp of junk ingested in the early years.

That they don't teach this kind of stuff (proper nutrition) in schools is complete idiocy. It's 1000 times more important over the course of a person's life than history or algebra, but hardly anyone learns it ...at least not until it is (at least nearly) too late!

[whoaru99]

Actually, that mostly happens BECAUSE of all the times you ate junk food in the decades leading up to middle age... cumulative damage, accumulated cellular deficiencies and defects, depleted enzymes... if you had eaten 90 percent or better good, mostly raw organic vegetables and such (some fish, some nuts, some fruit...abd virtually NO refined sugars and junk), not only would you look and feel about twenty years younger at age fifty, you would still be able to eat the occasional junk food without feeling it much. You (and I, but at least I know better and understand it now, and can reverse some of it) voted for premature aging and lousy health in later years, with every single mouthful and gulp of junk ingested in the early years.

That they don't teach this kind of stuff (proper nutrition) in schools is complete idiocy. It's 1000 times more important over the course of a person's life than history or algebra, but hardly anyone learns it ...at least not until it is (at least nearly) too late!

Ya know Arkay, I'm not much of a healthy eater, but I see what you're talking about.

A friend of mine out a work, who we rib occasionally calling him "Nature Boy" is a testament. I guessed this guy for 35, maybe 40 tops. My jaw about hit the floor when he told me he was 51. Not that 51 is old, but crap, this guy looks much younger and he lives a healthy lifestyle.

Sure, some is genetics, but it seems pretty clear there's more to it than just that.

[winters860]

ZOMG - SWEET JEEBUS

The reason that Kentucky Friend Chicken is called KFC now is because they aren't allowed to call it chicken because all their chickens are genetically modified clones that they grow without heads. In vats!

No, not really, but I've heard beaucoup variations on that story over the last few years. I thought I saw some commercials recently that actually called it Kentucky Friend Chicken again - which is cool. Changing the name of the company to "KFC" was stupid.

Why people are making up stories about the chicken KFC uses is beyond me. The reality (http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/) is grisly enough (apologies for a PETA link, but it makes my point nicely).

[Urizen]

Buckethead says, "eat more chicken".

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k199/Urizen_2006/buckethead1.jpg

[poohsan]

wow - a thread full of southerners discussing chicken and not one mention of Churchs?

[tankdonovan]

wow - a thread full of southerners discussing chicken and not one mention of Churchs?

The only two Churchs around here closed a few months ago. Good chicken, but not as good as Bojangles. :no:

TankDonovan

[grumpy]

Churches and Browns. Yuk. :)

[ozmoid]

The cole-slaw...DON'T EAT THE SLAW. Just don't do it. :no: :yikes:

Probably depends on the manager or franchisee as to the quality.My thoughts exactly. Except for the slaw. :smoke:

Not a big fan of barnyard buzzard from fast food joints to begin with, but if I have to choose I eat at Bojangle's, or Popeye's. Haven't eaten at a KFC more often than once every couple of years for a long time, and then under duress.

[stuartk]

I haven't eaten KFC in years.

There's a local place that does Broasted chicken and it's much better than KFC.

Another good place is a chain called Mr Chicken.

Popeyes is good. I've also had Bojangles and liked it.

But Barberton Chicken is better than any of these :)

[Sandy G]

I've been to the original Kentucky Fried Chicken, a LONG time ago. IIRC, it was/is near Corbin, Kentucky on US 25, kind of out of town. Not sure if its still there, as Yum! Foods has tried hard to get rid of any/all references to "Kentucky"... I had some friends who lived in Louisville, they said that in the late '60s, Col. Sanders rode all over town in a big Caddy limo, surrounded by gorgeous babes....Nice work if you can get it...

[jdandy]

Col. Sanders rode all over town in a big Caddy limo, surrounded by gorgeous babes....Nice work if you can get it...

Ummmm.......finger lickin' good. :banana:

[stuartk]

town. Not sure if its still there, as Yum! Foods has
tried hard to get rid of any/all references to "Kentucky"... I had some friends


Whenever I think of Yum Foods, I don't think of Kentucky, I think of rat.

Yum, yum, yum. :)

http://www.wnbc.com/news/11089614/detail.html?dl=mainclick

[Sandy G]

Read on the Yum! website that they are extremely bullish on mainland China-That's all well & good, but if they don't get their quality up, they will fall flat on their face...

[vinylviola]

I used to work at a KFC/Taco Bell, and after working the register and working food prep in both kitchen's areas I can safely say I have no problem eating at Taco Bell, but my faith in KFC is forever shaken. I still get a hankering from time to time, but I just re-live my summer scalding myself with that stupid gravy and I fight it off.

[2long4u]

Popeye's is WAY better then KFC.

[softmachine]

Mrs. Winner's or Popeye's for me :D.

There's always the local places, too, Gus's is great.

I love love love chicken.

[stuartk]

But Barberton Chicken is better than any of these :)

I just had to go and get some of this last weekend.

Nice crunchy skin and breading (they use plain breadcrumbs), moist and tender meat. They only use salt and pepper to season it, so you taste chicken, not a bunch of spices.

The hot sauce and cole slaw were excellent as usual.

I also had some chicken and dumpling soup that was really tasty.

[Bogframe]

We just got back from Lancaster, PA, and between the Shady Maple smorgasbord (http://www.shady-maple.com/video/smsmorg2.mpg) and Good and Plenty (http://www.goodnplenty.com/index.html#restaurant), I can honestly say that I will never eat KFC again. I also found out that the local chinese restaurant does amazingly good fried chicken on the cheep.

[onepixel]

Growing up, me and my 3 brothers loved the finger licking good stuff. I haven't had any KFC in a couple years since my daughter turned vegetarian. I remember one store had fried gizzards. Yummy! I remember the Colonel would get kidnapped from the front of the store and would end up in funny places.

[240sx4u]

Hate popeyes, hate KFC... whats left? BARF

[KeninDC]

There's a small, independent grocery store at the bottom of the mountain in Wintergreen, VA that fries its own chicken.

Drop in if you are ever in the neighborhood.

[Mystic]

There's a small, independent grocery store at the bottom of the mountain in Wintergreen, VA that fries its own chicken. Drop in if you are ever in the neighborhood.

O.K., Ken ... that wouldn't happen to be the Chicken Shack? :D Anyway, I'll keep it mind next time I'm in that vicinity.

[Mystic]

Popeye's is WAY better then KFC.

Popeye's never had it so good. They owe you one.