Jr's Chicken

My bother loves to eat and I wasn't in the mood for a lot of foods.  I asked him what restaurant nearby had a good salad bar where he, I , and our mother could go for dinner.  He suggested JR's Chicken.  I said, "Really, it sounds like a fast food place?"  He said, "No, its not."

As we approached JR's chicken, I said, "It looks like a fast food place, it doesn't look like they have a salad bar."  Then, we pulled around to the back of the restaurant and saw the large parking lot and the restaurant space.  Apparently, my brother remembered, it was also live country music night.  

When we walked into the restaurant, it was like stepping back in time (before mine). The restaurant was small with a bar off to the side.  A half - wall on the other side of the restaurant separates the restaurant from the take out section.  Large, unused coolers off to the side of the take out area look like they were from the 1940s/1950s (also before my time). It made me think of the fried chicken place in the movie, "Mildred Pierce"...and had the ambiance of a honky-tonk bar akin to something that would be in Lanford, the infamous town in the Roseanne Show.

We were taken to a booth by a female server (I'm being politically correct) and not saying waitress).  The restaurant was a moderately crowded.  In one corner of the restaurant was an ensemble of three crooning a country music jig.  Upon closer inspection, it was clear the three were grandfather, father and son (about 10 years old) coming together to entertain the diners.  The grandfather was the active singer, the father was accompanying him, and the son stroked a guitar with the occasional OMG I'm playing guitar in front of all these people look on his face.  

The server told us that their special for the day was $6.95 for all you can eat fried chicken and salad/soup bar.  I lived in Chicago's Wrigleyville for a while and $6.95 buys an appetizer or a glass of wine.  

The salad bar was standard, not huge.  It had about four different salad dressings, several prepared salads (bean, potato, cole slaw) and some dessert salads and pudding.  Aside from the lettuce being wilted, it was still fresh and all the other salads tasted good.  Between the three of us, I think we tasted most of them.  The soup bar had chicken noodle and minnestrone/ beef soups, both good and hot on a very cold day.

The fried chicken was served with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a biscuit. The chicken, by itself, was crispy, hot and very good, worth the price of dinner by itself.  The mashed potatoes were good (not real potatoes).  The green beans were canned...but good.  I did have a second piece of chicken per the all you can eat deal.  Diners can order all dark or white meat.

I highly recommend JR's.  The food is worth the price and its an interesting people watching place.  My 82-year-old Italian mother is a master cook also complimented the chicken (her compliments are rare in restaurants). : )

I'm surprised I'm the first one to review this little gem.  I travel for work, so whenever I land in a new spot, my M.O. Is to hit up the apps which tell me where's good to eat.  I found a few positive comments about this place being a good lunch joint on another site, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  

Jr.'s is a little hole in the wall, by the railroad tracks (no, really!).  Blink and you'll miss it.  The outside looks a little run down, but the full parking lot at noon (and streetside filling up) told me to press on.

Open the door and you can see the place is a haunt for regulars; a small bartop counter to your left and alternating booths and tables to the right.  This out-of-towner was invited to grab a seat anywhere and a friendly waitress took my drink order.

There's a small board with "specials" on the wall, but after watching a few happily-munching folks, I could tell ordering anything but the "buffet" would be the fodder of a new-comer.

The sign on the wall advertised a lunch buffet from 11-2, a dinner buffet on Wed and Fri from 4-8 and separate Saturday and Sunday buffets.  The cost for each was between $7-9, which is cheaper than some TV dinners!

I visited during lunch, so the rest of this review reflects the time.  The buffet could possibly change during dinner/weekend meals, so keep this in mind.

Toward the back of the place, (just ahead of a dividing wall, carving out a busy to-go order station) are two buffet tables.  To the right, is a well-stocked (but under-visited) salad bar and soup station  (Chicken and Beef Barley).

To the left (swarming with people) is a station with a handful of offerings.  Fried Chicken Pieces, American Chop Suey (or goulash as known in some parts), pulled pork,mashed potatoes, green beans and chicken gravy.  Wanting to be well-rounded, for this review, I grabbed some of each!

The main event- the chicken: crispy, well-seasoned crust was yummy, but for me it's also about the meat... And Jr.(assuming it's his recipe) did not disappoint.  It was juicy and flavorful, and definitely worth naming the place after!

The sides:
Mashed potatoes/gravy- good, creamy and just the right hint of seasoning.

Chop Suey- elbow macaroni, tomato and meat sauce and red kidney beans (a first for me) mixed all together, it was very tasty.

Green beans- canned, cut green beans.  Nothing special, but a good staple from my childhood.

Pulled pork- an unexpected bonus.  I'm a BBQ aficionado, and this was some of the best I've tasted in some time!  A little char with a SLIGHTLY sweet tomato and onion based sauce.  Awesome!

After I returned to my seat, the waitress checked in to make sure I was good and I enjoyed my meal, returning for another chicken drumstick and scoop of pork.  

The waitress returned again to refill my drink and remind me that the salad bar had some cold desserts (puddings) and that there was also pie as an option. (I didn't ask, but I assume it was an additional cost.)  After gorging on the buffet I was in no shape to eat dessert!

I waddled out, pleasantly fed for under 11 bucks including tip.  

If you're on the fence, give this place a try.  I will be back here at least once before I return back home to the Northeast!

Total dive and you MUST go there for lunch! Very good chicken on the lunch buffet and the BEST chicken soup the I've ever had in a restaurant. (made with the leftovers from the day before) Great prices too!