Light Rail Family Restaurant: 2/23/13

For this week's chicken tender post I decided to go to the Light Rail Family Restaurant on South Boulevard while I waited for Keith Hawthorne Ford to change my car's oil. Light Rail Family Restaurant is a small, unassuming restaurant off of one of the busiest streets in Charlotte. Most people have probably passed by it without giving it a second glance, but I have been there a few times and thought it would be a great addition to my blog. So here goes..

You never would have guessed that this was a restaurant with a great menu selection and good food.

Batter and crispiness: B+
-I was actually very surprised that I gave the batter as high of a score as I did because from the looks of the tenders I thought I would not like this aspect of the meal. The batter was very light and it was not crispy at all, but I overlooked these typical negatives because the flavor was delicious! I do wish the tenders were crispier, but overall they were quite tasty just the way they were.

Tenderness/juiciness of chicken: A
-The chicken in these tenders was excellent. It was very tender and once again, you could tell that the restaurant uses the best cuts of meat for the tenders. Also, the chicken was so juicy that you could see the juice in the light. As I have said previously, the reason I did not give these tenders an A+ in this category is because that is a grade reserved for the best and while these chicken tenders did a fantastic job in this category, they did not quite deserve that extra point.

Portion size/presentation: B
-I gave the portion size/presentation a B because I liked that you got 6 chicken tenders, but they were smaller than most (together they probably made 4 regular sized tenders). The reason the Light Rail Family Restaurant did not receive a lower grade for this category was because you got side items which definitely filled you up.

Reheating: B
-As I do with every meal, I reheated the chicken tenders at work. I gave the reheating category a B because the tenders reheated better than most. The meat was still very tender and they had just as much flavor as they did the first time I had them. When it came to the fries, they heated up as expected. They were still flimsy and lacked flavor, but the quality of the fries did not decrease when they were reheated. I cannot speak for the banana pudding because I did not take it back with me.

Side Item: C-
-One thing I really liked about the Light Rail Family Restaurant was that you could choose your side items. Every day the restaurant has various side items ranging from applesauce to green beans, so no two meals will be the same! For my sides I chose french fries and banana pudding (my waitress recommended it) and unfortunately I was disappointed by both. The fries had no flavor and were not crispy, however they were good dipped in ranch. The banana pudding was not good because there were not enough bananas, the whipped cream tasted too fake, and the pudding was just ok. The saving grace of the dessert was the cookies because they were crispy and tasted like typical Nilla Wafers.

Description on menu:
-Fried Chicken Tenders. Served with French Fries, Cole Slaw and choice of Dipping Sauce $7.75

My chicken tender meal, complete with tenders, fries, dipping sauce, and a dessert. 

Overall I would give the Light Rail Family Restaurant a B+. The chicken tenders were very good, but the portion size was on the small side and the side items were disappointing. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch because the chicken tenders were very tasty and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very relaxing and welcoming. Also, the entire staff was very friendly. Needless to say, I will definitely be back to the Light Rail Family Restaurant.