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Fowl Play

4.1 (71 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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Kathleen S.

Always good chicken here on spicier side, but very tasty and fresh. I ordered the chicken tenders and it was delicious! Some of the best hot chicken around.

4 Piece Chx N Waffle
Melissa C.

Have tried their hot chicken + no spice both are decent thought would recommend the hot chicken! Chicken and waffles was a solid size portion, though probably a little on the pricey side for what it is. Would get again. They are located in Parkville market which is pretty big, though noise not an issue. Service in these restaurants can be a little slower since they are so small but I he wait isn't too crazy. Staff seem friendly.

Tenders are small, thin and about the length of an index finger.

Went here based on how much I like Nashville hot chicken and some of the older photos here. BE WARNED: There seems to have been a major change to this restaurant since most of those photos from a few years ago. The big red flag for me when I arrived is that they don't sell class Nashville fried chicken plates (light meat plate, dark plate, 1/2 chicken, etc.) like they did in older photos. They only serve the chicken itself in tenders and sandwich sized cuts. I don't know this for sure, but especially after trying it, I strongly believe that they now buy their chicken from a food supplier frozen and give it a quick fry to thaw to order. This is a huge problem because it leads to oil chicken with a soggy lack of crunch, and frankly, any place that specializes in fried chicken should be utterly ashamed to serve Sysco-style frozen food. Frying chicken is their ONE job. As for the tenders themselves, if you look at older photos, from 2020-2022 or so, the tenders are typical of Nashville places, which is to say about a 6 inch breast cutlet with the kind of crispy flaky breading. That is not what they are selling now. The tenders I show in my photo are about 3-4 inches and very thin, with some having next to no meat inside. I'd say the box with them weighed around 4oz. They don't have a freshly fried crispy breading but rather have that kind of thin soggy layer that coats grocery store nuggets. The Nashville style hot sauce (a spice mix bloomed in the fryer oil at real places, but just a dusting of spice blend here) was applied unevenly with some pieces nearly unseasoned. This was a complete waste of money. I suspect that the restaurant changed owners or chefs, and the new crew has switched to selling mediocre reheated frozen Tyson chicken style food in meager portions for about triple what it should cost. This is what I would expect if Burger King offered "Nashville hot chicken". Don't trust a fried chicken shop that doesn't sell chicken on the bone. 2 stars instead of 1 because they at least had the guts to go hard on the spiciest level. It's not as hot as Hattie B's "Shut the Cluck Up" (which they imitate with "What the Cluck"), but it's good for anyone who likes strong heat.

Dan R.

"She'd better have some kind of evidence Of all this extra pay She'd better have some cold, hard facts 'Cause I suspect foul play" (Robert Cray) Hot Chicken is all the rage, and I don't mean hot as in terms of temperature, I mean hot as in terms of spice level. Fowl Play knows that tolerance for spiciness is a very personal matter, so they offer all of their freshly made chicken in five different spice levels ranging from Zero flames (Country style with no heat) to What the Cluck -RIP (Six flames). If you're doing the math at home, you should know there are no 4 or 5 levels. Fowl Play sells chicken sandwiches, sliders, wings, chicken and waffle plates, and chicken tenders in all of the 5 spice levels. They also have quite a bit of side dishes, like slaw, greens, mac and cheese, fried potatoes and pickles. I went for an order of three tenders ($9.99) with a "Medium - Heating Up" spice level (2 Flames). This was the mid-point of their 5 levels. The tenders were freshly made before my eyes, and calling them tenders is really doing them a disservice. These tenders were gigantic, each one was as big as a bratwurst. The medium spice level was about right for me, plenty of zip factor, but not enough to set the old mouth on fire. They were plump, juicy, full of flavor and quite honestly, were delicious. They were served with pickle slices and a container of "Comeback Sauce" which reminded me of a Spicy Chipotle Mayo. I was 100% happy with my visit to Fowl Play

Mild 5 Piece Chicken Tenders w/French Fries
Ian L.

My first visit here did not live up to the hype. I hope to change this review by my next visit. Today I wanted to try some the chicken tenders and fries. You can choose different spice levels so I went with mild and the what the cluck. I truly expected the what the cluck spice level to put me in the hospital but that's where I was fortunate enough to be wrong but a little too fortunate. I understand it is supposed to be spicy but the group I was with had trouble determining which one was mild and what the cluck. Not sure if this is how it is supposed to be but their what the cluck spice level must have not be rubbed in evenly or something. I took a bite and said "that's it?" On top of that the fries were fairly soggy. However I did like the slices of pickles they give you. Really refreshes the meal as a whole. Service was pretty good and the chicken itself was good enough for me to order again. So with the tenders that failed to meet standards for extremely spicy and the soggy fries to put out the fire that never started, 3-Stars for now.

The Sign
Jason P.

When three high end chicken sandwich places (that I'm aware of), all open within the last couple years, it's hard not to compare them to each other. I first had a Mild Nashville OG hot chicken sandwich from Fowl Play before I was actively reviewing on Yelp. In the past two months, I had a similar mild spicy chicken sandwich from one of the other places, and a regular fried chicken sandwich from the other place. I decided it was time to return to Fowl Play to test my 3rd Place ranking for Fowl Play among those three places. The verdict - 3rd place ranking confirmed. Of the three times I've been to Fowl Play, this was my least favorite. I ordered the Mild Nashville OG hot chicken sandwich and Pimento Mac and Cheese. Notwithstanding the picture I posted, the sandwich had a lot of chicken. It's just that Fowl Play wrapped the portion of the sandwich that was really thick and left the thinner part exposed. Fowl Play might want to reverse that because first impressions mean a lot. The inside texture of the breast meat was good. The outside texture of the sandwich, however, was not crispy and Fowl Play placed a distant third among the three chicken sandwich places in that category for me. My other issue with the sandwich was that it was very drippy. Sometimes, that can work, like when a chicken parm grinder oozes thick delicious marinara. It did not work here. It just seemed like there was too much thin liquid from the cole slaw on the OG, and a pool of liquid formed in the container as I ate the sandwich. Otherwise, the sandwich components were good. The bread was fresh and satisfying. The cole slaw had nice texture, and I picked up some celery seed seasoning from the slaw. The pickles were decent. Overall, this was a good chicken sandwich. It just wasn't as good as the other two places. Fowl Play had an off Mac and Cheese day. At first, the Mac and Cheese did not seem cooked through and it was room temperature. After two bites, I asked them to remake it, reheat it or offer a new side and they kindly obliged. It seemed like they made a new one. It was much hotter, and some of the cheese was stretchy. However, the base sauce of the cheese was a bit soupy. I also need to comment on this long corkscrew pasta I'm seeing more places use for Mac and Cheese. It's not my favorite pasta type for Mac and Cheese because I don't like how it catches the sauce. I'd prefer a smaller pasta type with some sort of hole or pocket. Fowl Play has done better on my prior visits, but if I'm looking for a chicken sandwich, Fowl Play is not my first or second choice in the Greater Hartford area. But if you're at Parkville Market with a group of people and you're in the mood for a chicken sandwich, I think Fowl Play is a good option.

5-piece tenders & mac
Elisa F.

Pretty disappointed on our first visit to Foul Play. We ordered a 5-piece combo with fries and mac & cheese. I asked for ranch on the side and he nodded. Opened it up and it was some kind of comeback sauce. From looking at photos, it looks like that's all they have. The guy at the register could have said that, but chose not to. The chicken was pretty good but I wasn't impressed. We ordered the medium which had a good spice level! The most disappointing part was the mac though. It's supposed to be pimento mac & cheese but was definitely just buttered noodles. Highly disappointed. The price for the combo was also $1 more ($16.99) than the advertised price on their menu ($15.99). With a digital menu screen, you'd think they would update that right as the prices do. With so many of these Nashville Hot Chicken places popping up around CT, this is a skip for me.

3 piece 3 Tenders Solo--mild. Moist chicken. Not hot. Not the best.
Eric D.

Fowl Play is located in the Parkville Market with plenty of parking towards the back. Pretty cool food hall to visit. I was fairly disappointed on my visit here at Fowl Play unfortunately. They had no Mac and cheese availability during the lunch hour and they ran out of utensils and no napkins. The person working the front had asked me to ask other merchants for utensils--but why would I if I didn't purchase from them? The quality of the chicken wasn't bad overall--although Hot tenders were not hot at all. Lackluster spicy flavor. Barely any pickles came with the meal. Fries were nothing to rave about either. Soggy right off the bat. We had our meals onsite as well. Maybe it was an off day--but I probably won't be returning to try Fowl Play again.

Nice box
H R.

LONG OVERDUE REVIEW (July 22nd, 2023): I love hot chicken, and when I heard about this establishment I was so excited! Eagerly, I headed to Parkville Market to try it out. I looked at the menu and my eyes instantly saw a dream come true. THE MAC DADDY. Apart from the name, it looks amazing. It's your regular Nashville chicken sandwich except the coleslaw is replaced by Mac' and cheese! I ordered it mild and also got a side of fries. The employee I ordered from told me it was going to be about 10-15 minutes, and it felt like less! After getting my order and sitting down, I was excited! I opened it up and it looked absolutely amazing. I took one bite and my expectations were hit. The hot chicken was bursting with flavor and the creamy Mac and cheese was perfect. My only complaints were that the texture of the chicken was mediocre and I felt like it needed more breading. The comeback sauce was also average, it was a little on the bland side and I've had better. It was still yummy though. The homemade pickles were very good, I would've wanted more. I apologize I wasn't able to take a picture of the fries, I was so exciteded to try everything. The fries were generic and the Cajun seasoning helped give it the little amount of flavor it had. They gave me a little cup of comeback sauce for dipping and a barbecue sauce too. All in all this place was very good, and maybe in a month or two I'll return!

The Mac Daddy
Rick S.

I was very excited to try a Fowl Play Chicken Sando at Parkville Market in Hartford. Aside from the long wait time the Mac Daddy was an excellent burger. The kitchen just must have been having a bad day. And if you are a fan of heat, go all the way! You won't be disappointed.

Thomas F.

Was looking for something small and quick to eat while shepherding my group of seniors on our month Tour Hartford trip. So I picked the sliders/solo at Fowl Play in Parkville Market. What a big surprise from a little bite. These were delicious; the best, sweetest and juiciest chicken breast pieces ever. I picked 3/medium for the spiciness level but could have gone with the 2/mild. These two super treats came with creamy slaw, fresh pickles and comeback sauce. AND comeback I will!

Joe B.

MAC AND CHEESE SPICY chicky sando! Amazing! I will say, please get and eat in person but takeout or delivery will still be delicious. Just mostly to preserve the crispy and crunch factor. Real hot, would have again many more times.

Jackie O.

Delicious fried chicken sandwiches can be found here. I'm always craving a fried chicken sandwich and it can be hard to find a good one. There other food looks yummy too but I only ever stop by for a chicken sandwich and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

Pimento mac and cheese

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Above average, oversized chicken sando. Just had the normal one, no mac n cheese on mine. Would eat again

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2 years ago

Gone downhill! Go to birdcode instead! Tenders are getting smaller and smaller! Good flavor though.

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Gather55

Gather55

4.8(65 reviews)
0.2 mi•Frog Hollow
•$$$

Gather55 is a Hands-On Hartford initiative that is part of its commitment to serving neighbors,…read moreengaging volunteers, and connecting communities in the Hartford area. Diners may participate by paying the full posted price of the meals or a minimum price of three dollars, or they may choose to volunteer with Hands-On Hartford. Additionally, the chefs are rotated every month to give back to the community. Gather 55 has a pre-fix menu, and you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert for fifty-five dollars. I ordered the Milanese Pork Chop with Arugula. It also came with grilled lemon. The Pork Chop was beautifully cooked and had great flavor. The Pork Chop was crispy and not overcooked. The grilled Lemon brought the Pork Chop to another level. The grilled lemon gave the pork chops a nice pop and brought more flavor out of the pork chops. The Argula was cooked to perfection. It tasted great, and you could tell that the grilled Lemon was squeezed into the Argula while it was cooking. The food was fabulous. The customer service was too notch, and I will be back again.

"Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam…read moreAnd admit that the waters Around you have grown" (Bob Dylan) It's part community center, part soup kitchen, and part high end restaurant. In addition, it's unlike any restaurant I've ever been to. My first visit to Gather55 wasn't my first visit to the building, because back in the early '90's I was here during its Spaghetti Warehouse and Trout Brook Brewery days. Gather55 is so unusual because of its innovative and visionary business model. For breakfast and lunch, it opens the doors to the underprivileges or those struggling within the community for "pay what you can" meals. Those that have zero dollars are assigned a task in the restaurant and working for a half hour or so will earn you a meal. In the evening, the white tablecloths come out and Gather55 becomes a high-end restaurant with weekly guest chefs, and the revenue raised from these pricey dinners subsidizes the breakfasts and lunches. Chef and Gather55 director Rob Mafucci does a great job explaining everything in this YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHbwtuwnfc&t=138s Four of us had a memorable dinner at Gather55 last night. We started off with a few glasses of wine for around $10 a glass. The menu suggested pairings to go along with the evening's five appetizers and four entrees. The dishes were all created by different chefs including some heavy hitting familiar names like Chef Billy Grant and Chef Tyler Anderson. The appetizers were priced between $14-$18, the entrees between $28-$32, and the desserts were all $11. They also offer a 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu for $55 with your choice of salad or appetizer, entree, and dessert. Our appetizers were: Tom Yum Noodles $15 with chili paste, coconut milk, bok choy, bean sprout, Chinese cabbage, peanut, scallion, and lime Crispy Yucca Rellenos $14 (Vegetarian) Chef Jeremy Williams yucca, herbed cheese, aji verde sauce Kale Caesar Salad $14 with parmesan, lemon, and crispy garbanzos. Two of us went with the Tom Yum Noodles, including yours truly. It was a dish by this month's Guest Chef Lapat Watrous of Aroy Thai Garden in Middletown, and she created a helluva delicious starter. It was an amazing combination of tastes, textures and an amazing sauce that reminded me a lot of Panang Curry. Our main courses were: Salmon en Papillote $32 (GF) with potatoes, leeks, fresh herbs, cooked in parchment paper Stuffed Eggplant & Kale $28 with vadouvan, beans, tomato agrodulce, and fregola Pork Chop Milanese $29 with arugula, parmesan, lemon beurre blanc Lobster Ravioli ($18 from the appetizer menu) with tarragon mascarpone cream, and roasted hazelnuts. I had the eggplant dish and had to scurry to my phone to find out what some of the exotic ingredients were. I learned that vadouvan is a French spice blend, tomato agrodolce is an Italian sweet and sour sauce, and fregola is a teeny tiny pasta very similar to couscous. It was the creation of Chef Tim East of West Hartford's Union Kitchen, and it was delicious. The presentation was gorgeous, rollatini style spirals of eggplant topped with bits of kale, topped with the pasta and beans all swimming in a bed of fantastic tomato sauce. We had coffees and split two desserts - Chef Tyler Anderson's Brown Sugar Budino (an egg custard) with brown sugar, maple, and cocoa nibs, and Chef Kristin Eddy's Flourless Chocolate Torte with bourbon, orange, crème fraiche, and black pepper. I had a forkful of each, and they were both fantastic. You really have to tip your hat to Rob Maffucci and his talented group of collaborators for putting together such an innovative effort to serve the community and offer a wonderful dining experience. Thank you, Chef!

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Gather55 - Beautiful decor and cool music.  Great vibes!

Beautiful decor and cool music. Great vibes!

Gather55 - Crispy Yucca Rellenos ($14)

Crispy Yucca Rellenos ($14)

Gather55

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Fire by Forge - Cinnamon Roll

Fire by Forge

4.4(207 reviews)
0.8 mi•Frog Hollow
•$$

This is the kind of place you wish you had gone to with a crowd so you could sample more dishes…read more Everything was a delight. The Mahi Mahi tacos started with a strip of the meat rather than little chucks, so the fish could stand out as the foundation and not be lost in the excellent toppings. Generally, I am ready for the Brussel sprout fade to end - but please keep these on the menu. Excellent. The pumpkin-sweet potato bisque made with coconut milk was a treat for someone forced off of dairy by an allergy. The service was attentive and the restaurant attractive. Finally, we have found a place to go when we must overnight between DC and central Maine!

We arrived with a large group without reservations, kinda chose it on a whim, so we had to wait a…read morebit but it was fine, we were shortly accommodated. The place looked spacious and with a lot of light, it looked clean and they seemed to have a nice selection of wines (for those that like it) , they were displayed for people to see, which I thought looked very nice. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and I found it odd that there was only 1 restroom for the size of the restaurant. Our waiter was nice, he took our order and we were excited. The food took a VERY long time, we were starving, and we had kids with us so that wasn't good. Some of our orders were wrong and so unfortunately we had to wait even longer for the right meal. We didn't order alcohol but we did older a couple of mocktails. I was SUPER excited for them because that's something I always appreciate at a restaurant. I'm sad to say that they were AWFUL!! straight up syrup, not bubbly (some were supposed to have soda in them) not sweet, simply not enjoyable at all, I ended up switching it for a simple club soda, I figured it was a safe bet. When my food came out, it was ok, I had the avocado toast, and it was forgettable, my sister had the chicken and waffles and now THAT was the meal to get, it was large in portion and that chicken was beyond tasty!! My other sister has the lomito sandwich with the chips and it was good, something missing but she enjoyed it. The rest of the food were burgers and they were ok, the kids had burgers and Mac and cheese and they were not tasty according to the children's disinterest in barely touching their food (and they love cheeseburgers). I'm always willing to bypass certain things as long as customer service delivers BUT unfortunately they fell short. We were celebrating an engagement and so we were all very happy and in a great mood, when suddenly workers around us were cleaning up the neighboring tables, and even sweeping very close to us. We thought the place was possibly closing? (Even though it was only 2:15pm). I asked if they were closing and they said that they close the restaurant from 3-4 so their employees can go eat .... I'm not against giving them a break BUT, it really felt like they were kicking us out, we felt pressured to eat fast and wrap it up, not a good feeling, when you are in the zone of happiness. It was our first time there so, I would have appreciated if they would have informed us that the restaurant takes a little break in between and then we would have decided if we wanted to stay or go elsewhere. They did bring a little dessert and 2 mocktails for the newly engaged which was nice, I'll give them that. Overall, I don't think the food and experience was worth me coming back or recommending this place, I'm sure there's other much better places.

Photos
Fire by Forge - Industrial atmosphere (Photo by Deanna Troy Travels)

Industrial atmosphere (Photo by Deanna Troy Travels)

Fire by Forge - Shrimp Oreganata

Shrimp Oreganata

Fire by Forge - Ghostrider Martini

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Ghostrider Martini

The Laurel - Vegan Hearts of Palm Ceviche with sweet potato chips

The Laurel

4.5(88 reviews)
2.3 mi

Went for "girl dinner" on a Thursday and it did NOT disappoint…read more They have a special with a kale Caesar salad, fries, and an Aperol spritz for $25! (You can add chicken tenders for an upcharge $10) The drink can't be swapped for another alcoholic drink, but you can switch it for something non-alcoholic if you want. Everything was sooo well flavored. The kale Caesar? Literally to die for. I never take salad home because it gets soggy...but I ate it the next day and it was STILL so good and the croutons were somehow still crunchy The chicken tenders were amazing, the fries were perfection, and even though I'm not usually an Aperol spritz girl, I finished the whole drink 10/10 would go back for girl dinner

The Laurel Brunch today was selected for a special birthday--it was a delicious, pleasant…read moreexperience. The interior of the restaurant was lovely- beautiful wallpaper; comfortable booths. Food and cocktails were delicious.We shared delicious Brussels sprouts and chicken wings for appetizers. I had a creamy tofu scramble for my meal. My companions all had egg dishes which they all said were very tasty. For dessert I had scrumptious Tiramisu- not too sweet, just right! My companions had slices of confetti cake - the frosting was meringue! Their specialty cocktails were varied with interesting, flavorful combinations- not the usual. I decided to try a Manhattan instead which was very, very smooth. Our server, Lonnie, was very gracious and attentive. At the end of our brunch she served us sparkling wine, courtesy of The Laurel with a happy birthday note for our birthday celebrant- such a lovely surprise!

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The Laurel - Bar

Bar

The Laurel - Vegan Chocolate Mousse Valrhona chocolate, fried peanuts, shortbread cookie, peanut butter sauce (Photo by: Deanna Troy Travels)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Valrhona chocolate, fried peanuts, shortbread cookie, peanut butter sauce (Photo by: Deanna Troy Travels)

The Laurel - Heart of Palm Ceviche

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Heart of Palm Ceviche

The Foundry

The Foundry

3.7(52 reviews)
1.8 mi•Downtown

Great food, great service, luxurious atmosphere. The windows all around allow you to have a great…read moreview of the Hartford skyline and the river. There are a lot of food options, we came for a friend's birthday party and they had created a custom menu. My only qualm with the place is access- difficult to find the parking and to navigate to get in here, it's a business/apartment building so takes a few extra steps to access the restaurant.

I was immediately smacked in the face with the lack of ventilation. My clothes and my hair took on…read morethe aroma of the restaurant, and my desire to eat here was immediately shaped by our first step inside. Notwithstanding, we looked forward to something unique and outstanding, given the constant advertising on Yelp for the Parker House Rolls. The hostess was friendly, the waiter a bit snobbish, but perhaps that's the "exclusive" vibe they are trying to project. We went on to peruse the menu, which is a bit abbreviated; I assumed it's because they are focused on their "specialty." We took in the views, which, hailing from New York City, were not as vast or fascinating as those we were used to. Granted, we knew where we were and really had no expectations. We just wanted to enjoy dinner. The meal's presentation was beautiful. The Parker House Rolls were delicious. The Hamachi Crudo appetizer was perfection. I did not enjoy the Skate Wing and did not eat it; it had a tough rubbery texture; probably overcooked. I mentioned to my waiter that I didn't enjoy it, and he offered no alternative, so I ate more rolls. My husband enjoyed the Dry Aged Rohan Duck. We topped it off with a chocolaty dessert and French press coffee. The friendliest of the staff was a young man who collected our plates after our entrees. He smiled and interacted in a very down-to-earth manner. Overall, the appetizer, rolls, and dessert were delicious. The service was stoic and not warm or welcoming. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be visiting again.

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The Foundry - Dining area

Dining area

The Foundry - Coffee & Doughnuts

Coffee & Doughnuts

The Foundry - Pour Over & Over espresso martini

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Pour Over & Over espresso martini

Union Kitchen - New Year's Day Brunch fried chicken & champagne, breakfast burrito

Union Kitchen

4.0(235 reviews)
2.2 mi
•$$$

Like a moth drawn to the light, I was attracted to this restaurant walking by. I love an upscale…read morevibe - and a restaurant that takes care to craft a comfortable atmosphere usually means my patronage will mean an evening spent well, and this place delivered! Most notably, the food was especially delicious and full of flavor and texture, albeit salt being a bit heavy on the pallet, but not overbearing so. Good date night location!

I've been wanting to get up here to dine and it only seemed fitting to start the New Year off right…read morewith Union Kitchen's fried chicken and champagne brunch. New Year's Eve dinners/New Year's day brunch specials, in my experiences, have always been a cash grab by restaurants where you would get a decent meal but always leave hungry or the opposite where the price was super extravagant yet food was mediocre at best. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE!!! Food was amazing. Chicken was spiced and fried to perfection. Crunchy without being greasy. I refuse to eat fried chicken in public yet almost human eating this with people around. Juicy meat, 4 piece of half breast, wing, thigh and drummy all meaty. Sides of picked pepper mac&cheese and Cole slaw. My wife tore into that coleslaw like her life depended on it and was everything she's been looking for in a slaw Breakfast burrito was packed full of goodness, substantial. Side of potatoes which could've been a meal in of itself. $19 and well worth it. Brought half home for breakfast the next day. All in all, not only was their value in the prices offered throughout the menu, the food is incredible. Service was amazing. Our server was attentive without being intrusive, good eye for when we needed something without us having to ask. Perfect start to the new year and aching to come back for dinner. It was worth staying home NYE and falling asleep early in order to be fresh and ready for this dining experience.

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Union Kitchen
Union Kitchen - Whipped Ricotta Toast caramelized beets, pickled shallot, rosemary, 8 year aged balsamic

Whipped Ricotta Toast caramelized beets, pickled shallot, rosemary, 8 year aged balsamic

Union Kitchen - Old Fashioned

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Old Fashioned

Fowl Play - southern - Updated June 2026

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