The Flying Chicken Review

Alexander Garcia

Staff Writer

The Flying Chicken, 11 minutes away from Hudson Valley, is located in downtown Troy. Although many outsiders avoid the streets of downtown Troy due to their infamous one way streets, within those dreaded streets are eateries with attitude.

The restaurant itself was deserted which was an ominous sign. Later on, I realized that they deliver, which is becoming an increasingly popular trend in unorthodox establishments around the Capital Region. It seems silly to fly over to The Flying Chicken when the chicken can fly over to you.

The establishment’s top specialty item is a waffle and chicken dish, which was what I had. The dish comes with one thick, dense waffle and two pieces of breaded chicken on top. Real maple syrup is offered as an extra side but I concluded that the additional cost is not worthwhile. The dish itself came out to be seven dollars, excluding tax. This seemed to be a fair price for a “specialty dish.”

The chicken was spectacular and the aesthetics were at the top of their game but the waffle was faintly disappointing. The unsatisfactory experience with my waffle was primarily due to the odd tasting syrup. I concluded that living in a world where middle class consumers are dependent on synthetic, sugar condensed sh*t. The waffle itself was texturally pleasing with a crispy, yet not crusty, exterior.

The Flying Chicken, open since 2012, opened my eyes to the chicken and waffle. This well-known Southern dish was foreign to me until I visited the restaurant. Since my experience, I’ve tasted other versions of the Southern classic, such as Chartwells’ failed spin on the meal. The Flying Chicken still sits on top of a buttermilk throne.

Overall, the place deserves two thumbs up, covered in batter and fried in soybean oil. Their homemade breaded chicken is of excellent quality and compliments their homemade hot sauce well.

The Flying Chicken, three miles away from the Hudson Valley campus, is located at 122 4th St. in Troy, NY. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.