My review is about their delivery, but I found their food still hot and fresh. I got the fries with truffle sauce as well as the big star sandwich. I finished the meal so quickly. I found that the chicken was nicely coated and meaty. In addition, the truffle sauce added nicely to the fries. My friend ordered a salad, and I found that their salad was a huge portion. Next time in the area, I definitely wanna try again. read more

Super clean and well organized. Everyone was attentive and friendly. I've been here about 3 times so far. Their menu changes, but right now they have their chimichurri sandwich which is great especially grilled and not fried. My friend got their chicken chop salad: Crispy Chicken, tomatoes, roasted corn, avocado mash, pepitas, crispy tortillas, cotija, cilantro, green onions, Chipotle Lime Dressing. She enjoyed it. It was fresh and a decent portion. Sandwich was freshly made and fried or grilled and the place is always clean. The French fries were hot and the aioli and honey mustard dipping sauce was awesome and tasty. Major, major props for their iced tea which is unlimited. Hard to find parking and their garage is tiny, so I recommend parking at the center and walking or parking on the side of the street. read more

3.5 stars. We have ordered take-out from this Starbird Chicken location a few times and, unfortunately, none of those orders have come close to comparing to my first Starbird sandwich that Mom bought for me while we were at the San Jose International Airport. Sure, eating a freshly made sando is by far better than one ordered for to go and arriving minutes later, so when I found the opportunity to dine here on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 22, 2026, I jumped on it. Located at Nine88, a mixed-use apartment complex at 988 El Camino Real in South San Francisco, the six-story building has a hidden ground-level garage with free parking for residents and shop customers. The casual fast-food eatery was brightly lit during our visit. Few tables were occupied by customers and all of the remaining available indoor tables could have used a good wiping to clean off food crumbs and droppings. Starbird serves a variety of chicken dishes from TENDERS to SANDWICHES, JUMBO NUGGETS, SALADS, WINGS, SIDES, TREATS to DRINKS, along with HOUSE-MADE SAUCES and meal boxes for KIDS. Typical of fast-food set up, solely counter service is offered here. There were some kiosks against the wall for placing orders, but, as usual, we opted for the traditional method of ordering with an actual person at the counter. Easy peasy, as expected. Z ordered TRUFFLE PARMESAN FRIES ($7.47) and I stuck to what I came for, a BIG STAR ($9.97). We waited about ten minutes for our food to be ready. The wait felt longer. I guess that's what hunger does to you...and, WOW, seriously, the fries were only $2.50 cheaper than my sammy?? That's nuts! I mean, yeah, truffle oil is not cheap, but for the small serving size of french fries, that's a rip-off. At least they didn't charge Z for the HOUSE-MADE Star Sauce that he requested. Finally, I got to sink my teeth into a freshly made BIG STAR. Gotta tell ya - the fried chicken sandwich was big, indeed, but I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting more crunch from the crispy chicken. The flavour was good, though, but adding the Star Sauce definitely elevated the taste. I asked Z how many stars he would give this place - 4 stars for the "good food, not filthy venue and good service," he said. I give them 3, thus the 3.5 overall rating. read more

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Starbird makes the whole experience easy from the jump since it's kiosk ordering, no awkward counter interactions, and my food was ready in about 8 minutes. Quick and seamless. I went with the Cali Gold BBQ Bacon Sandwich, truffle fries, and elote on the side and honestly, a solid lineup across the board. The sandwich had a beautifully crispy exterior with thick, juicy chicken inside. The kind of crunch you can hear, with none of the dryness that usually comes with heavily breaded chicken. The elote surprised me because although it comes in a small cup but it's actually pretty filling, with a nice crunch and solid flavor. Don't sleep on it as a side. But the truffle fries were the real standout. Soft on the inside, slightly crispy outside, with a genuine truffle flavor and parmesan on top, not the fake truffle-oil-overload you get at a lot of places. Easily some of the best truffle fries I've had in a while. Great spot overall and I'm already thinking about my next order. read more

Starbird Chicken - Cali Gold BBQ Bacon Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Starbird is one of the businesses in the newer building at the corner of El Camino and Westborough. Parking is available in the back of the building closer to Safeway. The inside of the restaurant is decently sized with plenty of available seats and tables. Ordering ahead can be done via their mobile app and I noticed that my food was always ready way ahead of the promised time (more like five minutes or less from placing my order), so keep that in mind in case you don't want your order sitting out for too long. I saw Starbird had a new seasonal menu and was intrigued by the Tokyo Sesame Crunch salad which is advertised to have crispy chicken, romaine and cabbage blend, cucumber, watermelon radish, grape tomato, crispy wonton strips, togarashi, and sliced green onion with house-made Carrot Ginger Dressing and Japanese BBQ sauce. The portion size is very good for the price and the equivalent of two chicken tenders is included in the salad, making it filling for a salad. The flavors combined very well with one another though I did notice after a while it was becoming a little sweet for my liking, maybe due to sugar in the dressing or bbq sauce. I like Starbird's various offerings though the Tokyo Sesame Crunch was a bit off for me. I still like the crunchiness of their chicken and would go back to try their future seasonal items. read more

Starbird Chicken - Tokyo Sesame Crunch - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I've always to try Starbird in the airport but could never make it there - so when I passed this location, I had to stop by! I ordered online to save on wait time, then drove on over and parked in a semi-hidden lot inside the main complex building (there's a sign). The inside is clean and bright and not much else to say about that besides a self-serve ketchup pump my order was ready and I grab my bag, a few napkins and headed out Pro-tip: During time of writing...if you use the app, they'll send you a $10 coupon after the first order so it's good to have that so you can get your second visit pretty much compensated The chicken itself is really good. Nothing to say outstanding by any means but very solid chicken. It's crispy. It's not too chickeny (iykyk), and there's different flavors you can try to keep it varied. Overall, love how convenient starboard it is in the El Camino South San Francisco area and will definitely be going again! read more

Starbird Chicken - Japanese Starbird Chicken Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I've had Starbird a handful of times. It's always tasted fresh and delicious. Their Thai salad is really good! Service was great and the dining area was well kept and spotless. read more

Wow. My first time at a Starbird. A revelation. We got their basic fried chicken sandwich--insanely good. Perfect bun to chicken to pickles to condiments ratio, not so stuffed with chicken that I couldn't get a nice good clean bite to seamlessly blend all the ingredients. Soooo good, satisfying and exactly the fried chickens sando of my dreams :-) No bells and whistles and frills, when it's this good, you don't need anything else. The batter super crispy and not greasy, a respectable bun, no stomach issues afterwards always a great sign lol :-) Their corn nicely charred and fresh with queso fresco and cilantro. Prices are awesome, parking in the strip mall free and easy, very neat and clean inside, bright and colorful, they have an electronic system that lets you know when your food is ready. Love love! read more

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We did take out after finishing up at the library across the street. We got a variety of items like chicken tenders and salad. I thought everything was tasty and well cooked. I was pleasantly surprised with the chicken and dipping sauces. Inside looked clean and reasonably roomy. Not sure about service since we did pick up. read more

Greetings to all, today's review is a 4 star experience: This was a delivery service today which was all good. Today's salad was the Tokyo with grilled filet and carrot ginger dressing, this was a very good combination today; thanks Starbirs read more

Starbird Chicken - The Tokyo salad - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I've been a fan of Starbird since the beginning of time and I can tell you right now that their quality and standard for everything on the menu maintained! Their thai glazed brussel sprouts was an added item (not sure when) but I'm crossing my fingers that it stays on the menu forever. Their crispy chicken never disappoints and this is the only place where I feel like salad makes me HAPPY. Do join their app rewards, I've definitely received hefty discounts on some of my meals! read more

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A friend told me this place was really good as it goes a step above a normal chicken sandwich with what goes into their sandwiches. I have to agree there that this isn't a regular chicken sandwich. You make your order at a kiosk in the wall and they call you when it's ready. It actually tasted pretty good when I first started eating. However, as I continued, I quickly lost interest. The chicken wasn't holding onto the breading and it started slide around as I bit into it towards the middle of the sandwich. I ended up finishing about 60% of my sandwich and then tossed it. I think the redeeming factor was the drinks. All of the custom lemonades and teas were not too sweet and I think that is important when eating fried food. In general, food should be good at every bite and not just the first one when eating fast food. I'll have to try another sandwich and see if my thoughts remain the same, but until then, it's just ok. read more

Starbird Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

We came here for lunch during the week. It was slightly busy, but nothing crazy. There is a walk up counter to order from someone and the tablet to order, so the line went by fast. I ordered a salad and we split the Nashville chicken sandwich. The salad was good and the ingredients paired well together. The sandwich was good too. The only thing that really bugged me was the music. It was so loud and hard to hear anyone speaking. I don't mind loud music usually, but this music was not good. I wished they would either change their playlist or lower the volume just a tad. read more

Starbird Chicken - Avo Cabo Crunch - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Starbird is always good, but the SSF location is the best. From company events to grabbing something simple/somewhat healthy for dinner, it never fails. If you're in the mood for chicken, look no further! Weather you want bone-in, strips, grilled, starbird kinda has it all. On top of that. They routinely have seasonal specialities to boot so you never get bored of ordering here. Recently the chain has added fried chicken wings and I have to say they are giving some of the well known chains a run for their money. My team has swore up and down by the Thai flavored and the Nashville as those have been a staple in our team meeting events. No matter how many times I order, sometimes I end up forgetting to mark utensils, but the staff here is exceptional and provided them anyway. Although this location has limited seating, you definitely can stop in for a bite with choices or indoor and outdoor dining. The location is well staffed and kept very clean. While the term "chain" typically has negative connotations, I would argue starbird might be the one to challenge this idea and instead highlight familiarity, consistency and great flavors. read more

I swapped out fried chicken with grilled chicken in the Avo Cabo Crunch salad. All of the salad ingredients paired well together to make it light and refreshing. The avocado dressing was creamy. The chicken nuggets were crispy but the breading is a bit too think for my liking. There was no wait to order on a late Saturday night. The interior was bright and appears to be clean. read more

Starbird Chicken - Avo Cabo Crunch Salad - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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Easy putting in your order system, lots of different options. We got the 10 wings, Nashville hot chicken sandwich and side salad. For the wings we got half buffalo and half lemon pepper. I enjoyed the lemon pepper more, buffalo was too tangy for me. For the side salad I got a chipotle lime vinegrette. Wasn't my favorite, maybe a thicker dressing next time. And I would try without the cheese, didn't mix well with my choice of dressing. The chicken sandwich was great though, would come back for that. read more

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We finally made it to Starbird after always noticing it while driving by--tucked under the an apartment complex. The entrance is clean and welcoming, and the staff was super friendly and helpful right from the start. We ordered the 12-piece bone-in chicken wings, choosing lemon pepper as our flavor. They were crispy, well-seasoned, and delicious! The wings also came with a variety of dipping sauces--we tried the original (similar to Chick-fil-A sauce) and BBQ, both tasty and a nice complement. We also got the Avocado Crunch Salad, and it totally exceeded our expectations. The portion was huge, the ingredients were fresh, and the crispy chicken tenders on top were perfectly cooked. The salad came with a green dressing (kind of like Green Goddess), but honestly, it was so flavorful we didn't even need it. To round it out, we had regular fries with truffle aioli--the fries were solid, and the aioli was a great choice. They do offer other types of fries too, which we'll definitely try next time. Even after taking everything home for takeout, the food stayed crispy and fresh--a rare find! Overall, we were super impressed. The food felt cleaner, lighter, and more thoughtfully prepared than your typical fast-casual fare. Highly recommend, and can't wait to go back! read more

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Order was ready super quick and was right. Got a regular chicken sandwich and a Nashville hot in lettuce wrap. The regular sandwich was fine but not great. It was crispy but lacked in flavor and wasn't juicy (probably because it was breast). The Nashville hot was better -- good hot sauce. Though the chicken was just put between lettuce and there was no real wrap. read more

Starbird Chicken - Regular big star chicken sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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Came here on a Saturday for lunch and it was busy! There's retail parking in the parking garage and additional small lot in the back. It was pretty much full. There are 2 kiosks to self order. Food came out in less than 10 minutes. My all time favorite thing is the elote salad. The portion is huge too. Upgrade the chicken to blazin. It's not that spicy to me. It's crispy and juicy. So good!! read more

Starbird Chicken - Elote Chop Salad - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Thank you Starbird for giving hardworking teachers a free meal (under $15) on Tuesday May 6th for teacher appreciation! The line was long but the restaurant was equipped with two employees to take manual orders and check teacher IDs. I especially appreciated this because usually you order on the screens or app and have to flag down an employee if you need something. Usually I get the Bella salad or Thai salad but this time I splurged on a four tender box with fries! There are so many great sauces and it's hard to choose. Starbird's commitment to quality ingredients, unique flavors, and crispy texture makes it our go to "best chicken." I have a feeling that Starbird will take over the Bay Area premium fast food scene and it will be well deserved. My one gripe with this location- the bathrooms are always disgusting which makes you wonder about the cleanliness of the restaurant. read more

Starbird Chicken - Four Classic Tender Box - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

The food is stellar every single time. We pickup weekly, sometimes even more than once a week. Parking in the garage structure can be a hit/miss depending on your arrival. Lunch, after school, and dinner time are all peak. FLAVORITE ITEM: Our family's go to is the Thai Chicken Salad, extra Spicy Herb Aioli and Green Papaya Dressing. Personally wish it had more heat, it's a 1 on the scale of 1-10 for me but spice tolerance is subjective. NEW FAVORITE: New to the seasonal menu is Crispy Thai Brussels Sprouts. Crispy brussels sprouts, sweet Thai glaze, crispy shallots, cilantro, choice of dipping sauce (Thai Herb Aioli, obvi). GET THIS! Dear GM/Abi: can we pretty please make this seasonal item PERMANENT??? CONCEPT MENU FEEDBACK: Received a marketing email soliciting feedback which I happily partook in. Sharing which of their new concepts I'd jump on to try. You may see some of these soon(ish). 1) Cordon Bleu - it's a classic and personally a comfort food for me. My mom made this pretty frequently for family dinners. I'd love to try one of my nostalgic favorites with a Starbird twist! Definitely as a crispy chicken sandwich and chopped salad. Not sure how I feel about fries / tenders but open to Starbird swaying me. 2) Boursin and Balsamic Glaze - these are literally 2 of my charcuterie board staples. To see Starbird spin this into a sandwich, salad, fries, and tenders would be terrific. No hesitation in trying any/all of those iterations! 3) Vodka Parm - Starbird's new take on Italian Chicken Parm (currently on the menu) but with Vodka Sauce, Calabrian Chilis, and FRESH BASIL!?! Yes yes yes! 4) Zucchini Fries - I know they've not rolled it out yet but can make this test kitchen concept a permanent menu item? If executed well, I'd come back far more frequently than once a week. FRFR. 5) A SLEW of Beverages. Which of these would make your top 5? * Honey Lemon Iced Tea * Watermelon Limeade * Limoncella Mint Tea * Pineapple Iced Tea * Basil Lemonade * Meyer Lemonade * Iced Milk Tea * Orange Iced Tea * Cherry Lemonade * Blackberry Honey Lemonade * Blackberry Lemonade * Honey Peach Tea read more

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I love how convenient this location is, and how relatively easy it is to park. Ordering is easy, I usually order ahead on the app. Staff is always nice and friendly here. I like eating Starbird because it's a growing chain that has different offerings seasonally and taste/quality is consistent! I get invited to try new items when they come out, but my favorite staple is the salads. You cannot go wrong with them. The fries are not always my favorite, so I sub the brussels sprouts. They are delicious! read more

For a fast food joint, this place is solid. The fried chicken is perfectly crispy and tastes fresh. I really like their salads here - the serving sizes are actually quite large but it's only $13, which I think is a great deal. They also offer different combinations and even rotating options on the menu, which is neat. Salads have fresh greens and a variety of other ingredients and dressings that complement each othe rwell. You can order at the cash register or on the self serve kiosks when you arrive and your food will be called shortly after. Lots of tables, both indoors and outdoors. read more

Finally got to try the famous starbird after driving by many times. Very flavorful wings, but their Thai herb sauce really made everything better. The lemon pepper actually tasted strong unlike other chains. This location also had very nice seating and was especially clean. Definitely returning! read more

Starbird Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Excited to finally have a local Starbird (not counting the one at SFO), and this location is fairly new. Interior is clean and modern, with a fair number of seating and utensil dispensing areas. You can order at the kiosk for faster ordering or use the app (recommended) so you can just pick up and go; you can even get discounts on future orders in the app. Ordered the classic sandwich and truffle garlic fries and neither disappointed. The chicken is tender and succulent, though it can get quite spicy so choose your spice level accordingly. Fries are good but tend to not be palatable when left out as most fries do. Prices aren't the best but still within reason relative to the economy. I'd definitely come back since it's basically higher-end fast food. read more

Starbird Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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I love this place soo much. Their food is soo damn good. Lemon pepper wings, Cali gold bbq wings, garlic Parmesan wings, Greek goddess chicken salad with extra dressing on side, truffle aioli fries, the limited time only chimchurri which I wish they kept permanent because that side cup sauce of it was absolute gold. All the sauces. Everything tastes fresh, consistent, and place is always clean. Service is great! read more

The salads as is are good for the price. Adding on items such as avocado might not be worth it. I added on avocado for $2 additional and it was just one tablespoon of guacamole! I ordered the Tokyo Sesame salad with added avocado for $2 but it was one tablespoon of guacamole, not worth an additional $2. There was no depth to it, I could fit that entire amount into that one spoon. Now that I know this, I want to let everyone know that the "added $2 avocado" isn't worth it . Instead use the $2 to buy a whole avocado from the store. read more

Starbird Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

We dropped by here to try out lunch since we were in the neighborhood of Brew Tea. Order at the kiosk and sit and wait. Restaurant is clean. Food came out hot and fast. Portions are huge. Which explains why the food costs more than other chicken places. I had a parm chicken. It was really good. Fries are crispy. I ordered in their app another time and food was ready by the time I got to the restaurant. This time I ordered chicken tenders. Big pieces of crispy chicken. A tad salty. Frankly since they are expensive. I would only go occasionally read more

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The food is amazing. The price is reasonable and they give ample amount of chicken for the money's worth! Will go again....

Gluten free fried chicken!!!! I'm just sad that they do use milk so my dairy free/lactose intolerant spouse can't have it. I wish they could use plant milk. They have a very helpful online allergen menu to see what's celiac safe (not any of the Thai things). I have gotten the tenders (delicious) and salads - even the fries are safe! SO happy! Parking is in the back, under the building. Be sure to get their app and order ahead - I always note that I have a gluten allergy. They send rewards. read more

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Love this place !! The thai chicken salad is bomb!!! I also like the plain chicken sandwich and the local soda beverage options are awesome too. They are always busy but and clean and the staff is really kind and polite here. Definitely check them out! read more

2024 is coming to an end which means it's time to clear those drafts that's been sitting there waiting to be posted. Ahahaha. I've been here a couple times now and all I can think about is their Elote Chop Salad. It is SOOO GOOD. Perfect ratio of everything like their chicken, tortilla strips, corn, and veggies. The sauce that comes with it is chefs kiss. (I usually ask for the tortilla strips and chicken on the side so it doesn't get soggy on my way home.) Idk if it's a limited item but if they removed this, I would be so devastated. I also love their Truffle fries. They do not skimp on the truffle seasoning. It goes well with the truffle aioli too which you can select from choice of sauce. I usually order in the app and it's ready within minutes. There's also a couple of kiosks in the front. There's a lot of table and seating. There's also a parking lot right behind the restaurant which makes it super easy for pick up orders, but sometimes it does get full during busier hours. 12.08.2024 | Sunday @5:30pm read more

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So far I've only tried their chicken chop salad and Thai chicken salad and both have been delicious. The chicken chop salad is perfect for those who are looking for a more refreshing and lighter flavor. As for the Thai chicken salad, the dressing is definitely a lot more flavorful so maybe start with only adding half of each container first before proceeding to add more. The Thai chicken salad has a fish sauce like flavor and definitely tastes more like a Thai dish and even has a little kick to it. Both salads were very generous in serving size and the chicken was moist and delicious. The restaurant is fairly spacious and has a good amount of seating. They have a parking lot behind their store within the building and both times that I've been there, finding a spot was not hard at all. read more

Starbird Chicken - Thai Chicken Salad - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Starbird is yummy! Came here for a return dinner visit. The staff is friendly and ambiance is casual. If you're a chicken lover, I'd give this place a try. read more

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Omggg the chicken here is sooo good I got the Indian special and it was so good. The chicken is crispy and juicy. You can online order and order at the kiosk. Service is fast I also liked the Brussel sprouts read more

I love chicken sandwiches so of course I had to try this! Coworkers and I really enjoyed the Nashville Hotbird sandwich. It was super flavorful. Wasn't spicy so maybe next time I'll try the blazing version. But it had everything a good chicken sandwich should have 10/10! read more

Starbird Chicken - Nashville Hotbird - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

I really love the sandwiches here. The fries are not something I care for much to be honest and the price combo makes them unappealing. But I really can't get enough of their sandwiches, the star sauce is fire and their sea are sometimes just fantastic! I noticed when I order with avocado they really skimp hard on that so now I add my own since I have an avocado tree with fruits and one burger can probably fill up a normal person. For me it takes two. It's also so close to my home I have to really work my willpower to not come here more often since it isn't exactly healthy to eat too many sandwiches/burgers. If I could I'd eat it everyday though! Another tip, coupon codes generally won't work with this location in SSF. I don't know why that is but it is on their website. Either way I still give them 5 stars because they are so tasty! read more

I like to eat chicken, but I was a vegetarian for 25+ years and sometimes I like faux chicken too. My dining partner is a lifelong vegetarian that sometimes leans towards veganism. We like high protein salads at lunch, which is surprisingly hard to find. I have been going to Starbird Chicken since their early days in the Sunnyvale location in the summer of 2016, and they have done a really good job in terms of taking customer research and adapting/innovating their menu. Although I do miss the Señor Baja Taco (chicken, slaw, pimento cheese, green onions, taco sauce), RIP. I've tried most of the menu. They have great salads and sandwiches, and you can't go wrong with the tenders. I realize I don't love their avocado, which is no surprise as it tastes packaged, so typically I remove that from the order. Favorites: * The faux chicken sandwiches, which I like even more than the real chicken sandwiches due to the texture and flavor * Most all of the salads on the menu (but minus the Thai salad, due to the fish sauce) * The real and faux tenders, which I like more than the nuggets because of less breading Best sauces: * Honey mustard * Buffalo * Greek yogurt ranch * Blue cheese read more

I really love the quality of the food here. Their wings and salads are always great. They recently added more sides and sauces, which I was excited to see, so many more options to choose from now. I haven't tried their sandwiches yet, but that's definitely next on my list. read more

Starbird Chicken - Starbird Side Salad, Elote Street Corn, 8 Wings - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Our favorite place for salads. I think this may be my favorite salad ever. They are all good but currently my favorite is the "Elote Chop Salad" with "Thai Chicken" as second best. Mondays currently has a $10/salad deal (code MONDAY) The location is clean and staff are friendly. I haven't been able to try a normal chicken sandwich just because I can't stop getting the salads. One minor gripe - we order on the app in order to get points and use promos but we'd still like to order-in rather than getting all the take-out packaging. read more

Starbird Chicken - Avo Cabo Crunch - Chicken Shop Near Me - South San Francisco, California