Harper's Restaurant: 2/10/13

It is that time again...time for another post! For this week's entry I decided to go to Harper's Restaurant with Katie because it is close (in case you did not know, it is in the Southpark area), I had not been to Harper's in years, and I had wanted to go there for a few weeks. So on Sunday afternoon that's just where Katie and I went and here is what I thought...

The chicken tender appetizer at Harper's Restaurant.

Batter and crispiness: C-
-Once again I experienced another first in my quest for the best chicken tenders in Charlotte...the more I ate, the more I disliked the batter. Usually it is the other way around, but the batter was just not good at Harper's. After my first taste I originally rated the batter at a B, but by the time I finished 2 chicken tenders, it was clear that my initial grad was way off. The batter was just too light and it was a very strange consistency. The outside was crispy (I'd probably give the crispiness a B-), but the inside was gooey and the flavor was just off. It tasted as though they mixed a lot of ingredients that do not go well together to create the batter.

Tenderness/juiciness of chicken: B
-When it comes to the actual chicken, I would say that the tenderness of juiciness of the meat was slightly above average, so I gave it a B. The reason it did not get any higher is because the chicken was nothing special, but it did not deserve anything below a B.

Portion size/presentation: B
-For this meal I actually got the appetizer version because I was not too hungry. Overall the size of the meal was pretty good, considering it was an appetizer, however Harper's gave you very few fries. I  found this to be strange because most restaurants give you more fries than chicken. Usually this would not be a problem, but I left wishing I had more french fries. Another complaint I have regarding the portion size (even though this has nothing to do with the grade) was that our waitress misrepresented the dish. When I asked her what the difference size-wise was between the appetizer chicken tenders and the platter, she said the appetizer had 3 tenders and a handful of fries, while the platter had 5 tenders and a full order of fries. Seeing as I was not that hungry, I knew I would be fine with the smaller version, so that is what I ordered. However, when our meals came I was pleasantly surprised by the size of my meal because it had 5 chicken tenders and about 2 handfuls of fries. So, I think Harper's should make sure that all of the employees are well-educated when it comes to the menu because some people might have been upset if they paid extra for the platter ($14) when they would have been full enough with the cheaper appetizer ($8).

Options for side items: (from here on out I've decided to exclude this section, instead I will just rate the side items)

Reheating: B
-These chicken tenders heated up fairly well considering the meal. What was nice was that the odd flavor that neither Katie nor I could detect in the batter was no longer present, it's like the seasonings just sunk into the chicken meat. One major plus was that the fries, while not as crispy, were still quite tasty after reheating.

Side item: A+
-As I've found with most of the restaurants I have been to in my chicken tender search, Harper's has very good french fries. They have the perfect amount of crunchiness and flavor. Not only that, but they definitely redeemed the meal and I would come back to Harper's just for the french fries!

Description on menu:
-Original chicken supremes with french fries and dipping sauces. $8 for appetizer, $14 for platter.

 My lunch for the day.

 
Overall I would rate the chicken tenders at Harper's with a C. The portion size was good, the actual chicken was cooked well, the french fries were delicious, and the restaurant environment was good. My main complaints were the taste of the chicken tender batter, the misrepresentation of the dish, and the bad service (both Katie and I ran out twice and had to wait about 5 minutes for refills). All in all, I would say this was an average meal, so therefore I think that Harper's Restaurant's chicken tenders deserves an average rating. Nothing was terrible about the meal, but nothing was exceptional either. Just be prepared for a slightly higher bill than what you may expect...some of the items on the menu seem pricey for what you actually get.

So there you have it, another week, another chicken tender blog entry. I hope you're enjoying them and you're learning something about the various dining establishments of Charlotte! Please feel free to leave a comment or recommend a place for me to try. I would love to do it!

LB