Leroy Fox: 7/4/13

For July 4th Madison and I decided to go to Leroy Fox’s for lunch and have some good ole American food to celebrate the holiday. As soon as I stepped into Leroy Fox I knew I would like the place. The atmosphere was laid back with a classic modern bar feel, it was also very clean. I especially liked the exposed brick walls, high quality big screen TVs, and the dark wood floors and tables. Also worth mentioning, the bar was very well set-up and one feature I thought was very unique is that the waiting area had a wall of different street signs in Charlotte. Before I even tried the food I had high expectations for this restaurant.

I think the outside of Leroy Fox looks really cool. 

Batter and crispiness: B
-This category was slightly disappointing because I had very high expectations for these tenders. They were very crispy, but the flavor was very subtle and it took me 2 tenders until I could actually taste it. However, when I dipped the tenders in the ranch (which is excellent btw) it was fantastic! I am pretty sure that they make the ranch in house.

Tenderness and juiciness: B
-The reason I gave this category was because the chicken tenders were very juicy (you could see the juice), but the chicken was almost chewy in some parts. However, the slight chewiness did not affect the category too severely because overall the tenders were cooked very well.

Portion Size/Presentation: B+/A-
-There is always one in every bunch…or in this case, every blog post. This was the category that gave me trouble grading this week. On the one hand, I think the size deserves a B+ because Leroy Fox gives you a good number of chicken tenders (5) but they are on the small side. However, they give you A TON of fries, so I feel like the category should receive an A- because of that. So taking both of those factors into account I decided to revert to my B+/A- grade because it is only fair considering this blog focuses on chicken tenders and not the side items.

Reheating: A-
-I gave this category an A- because this meal reheated really well. The fries tasted about the same as when I first had them (just a little less crispy) and the chicken tenders actually tasted better! My only complaint is that I wish the tenders themselves were bigger because my reheated portion (with 3 tenders) was more like a snack than a second meal.

Side: A+
-For my sides I had the mac & cheese and the fries and let me tell you, these were the best sides I have had in a long time. The fries were very crispy, hand-cut, and had lots of Cajun seasoning on them so they were very flavorful but not hot. Then the macaroni & cheese…it was AMAZING! It was the perfect combination of being light, very creamy yet crunchy at the same time, and it had the perfect amount of sweetness with a little ground pepper on top. Now, I am kind of biased because I make a pretty great mac & cheese (if I do say so myself…trust me, other people have said it is delicious as well), but this had to be the best restaurant mac & cheese that I have ever had. It tasted as like it were made with actual grated cheese instead of the highly processed cheese and I did not have any complaints about it.

Description:
-The Elizabeth $12 – Hot and juicy barreled chicken tenderloins are breaded and deep fried then served with honey mustard and ranch over a bed of shoestring fries.

Here is my delicious lunch!

Overall I would give the chicken tenders at Leroy Fox a B. The potion size was pretty good for the price, I just wish I got more tenders and a few less fries. Also, the sides were absolutely amazing (I would have given them an A++ if I could). Oh and Leroy Fox gets points for the décor of the restaurant because I really enjoyed that. The only negatives of the meal were the batter, which lacked any substantial flavor and the tenderness of the chicken…parts of it were tough. Regardless, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives and I will definitely be back for these tenders…and a side of mac & cheese (it is the best I have ever had at a restaurant…and that is saying something because I love a good mac & cheese). One more thing…if you are like me and like ranch with your chicken tenders then definitely get the ranch at Leroy Fox. It is delicious!

I just wanted to show y'all the wall of street signs.

Until next time,

LB