I love this place and eat there whenever I have the chance...usually on the way back from a trip to Canada. It's a dive, but the kind of dive I prefer. Great chicken, and the rest of the menu is OK, but frankly, all I eat is the chicken, along with a couple of beers. Trust me on this one. It's worth a stop.
Review Source:I like to stop here for lunch rather than dinner. Today I did just that and decided on the White Chicken Chili and a side of chicken tenders. I liked the honey mustard BBQ sauce I dipped my crispy tenders in, and the soup was good too. I always look forward to the variety of daily soup specials here. One of my all time favorites was on the menu just after Thanksgiving a couple years ago. I don't remember what it was called, but it was like eating all the left-overs from the holiday meal, with a dollop of stuffing in the center. Soooo tasty!!
This is also the spot that I can count on for "gizzards to go" for my hubby. He rarely turns the suggestion down when I offer them as a quick dinner option. Something for everyone here...
*** As a little girl I have the best memory of heading to the back entrance with my mom to pick up our take-out bag of Ranchburgers (love these too) and Fries for our family. I can picture a screen door, a tiny old, wrinkled woman named Hattie, and a GREEEEEZY brown paper bag of fries. ***
+ great soup
- poor service
On my way home from a weekend in Detroit with my oldest son, we stopped in this place for their famous fried chicken. Â It's located just down the road from the I69/Blue Water Bridge.
As soon as you walk into the establishment, you swear you are taken back 30 years. Â This place is old school decor, from the mirror behind the bar, to the pinkish tones everywhere. Â The restaurant is actually split up into two different areas. Â The bar/booths when you walk in, then to your right another dining area. Again, lots of booths. Â
As we sat down (ourselves) we noticed the patented "Chicken in the Rough" paper place-mats that outlined why their chicken is so special. Â It was actually created many years ago by a couple and a few places still use the same recipe and cooking process. Â Needless to say we were eager to try it. Â
When the waitress came up to us, I made a point to say we were a first time customer. Â That didn't seem to thrill her, nor were we welcomed with open arms. Â Oh well, cest la vie. Â We both ordered the chicken dinner and the chicken soup. Â
I found the pricing on the menu mediocre. Â I believe the two piece chicken dinner was around $8 for the chicken plate. Â
The chicken soup came right away. Â And boy was it good! Â Just take a look at picture of that bowl. Â Filled with delicious chicken and sooo tasty.
We had to wait quite awhile for the chicken, perhaps 40 minutes. And what ticked me off was that people who arrived "after" us, got served their chicken well before us. Â No fair. Â At least that had their state's version of electronic Keno and we played a couple of games during the long wait. Â When we finally did get our chicken, I must say, I was a little disappointed. Â Part of the skin/breading was missing and it just didn't seem to taste that fantastic. Â I was hoping for some unique spices, but all I noticed was salty breading. Â It was good, just not out of this world--if you know what I mean. The fries were the fresh cut type but too soft, inside and out. Â I prefer my fries crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Other than the dropping off of the soup and dinner plates, our waitress was nowhere to be found. Â She disappeared for long periods of times and never checked in on us. Â Not sure what that was all about. Â I even had to ask another waitress for a fork. Â But of course when it came for us to pay, she gave us a "thank you". Â Too little to late honey. Â
With the prices not a bargain, and the food nothing to write home about (except the chicken soup), I can't see going out of my way to come back here. Â Just down the road is the Chicken Shack, which is more of a take out place, but I found their chicken to be much more flavorful and cheaper. Â And with much better fries!
I  cannot  believe that I have not reviewed this  place  DOH!
I have had a taste or a Hankering for this  place ever since my very first visit in 2006
When the mood strikes me I will , drive to Port Huron for their Chicken
It is always 'Super Moist" Â but do not confuse that with being Greasy
+
The Chicken is always served 'Piping Hot'
The Fries  appear to be fresh cut shoe strings & plenty of them in that cute little basket.
{note: do not be in a hurry b/c the Kitchen runs slow at times, but that will NOT get me to take away a star }
also if your in a hurry, call ahead order your chicken and  drive 2-3 blocks and sit & enjoy it as you look out onto Lake Huron
and  the interior of this  place is timeless, surprised no one has shot a movie here yet....
and while  you wait for your food they have a little bar, TV's and Keno
Sometimes the service isn't great, but the Soup always is. Sometimes the fries are a little greasy, but the chicken and fish(watch for bones) are usually delicious. Coconut shrimp were amazing. Cool bar.
Probably not the cleanest place, but the lights are dim so you probably won't notice much. SERIOUSLY THOUGH TRY SOME SOUP!!! Whatever they have, it'll be a winner.
Man..... I just had the sweet potato bisque.....dang is that good. Chicken noodle is excellent as well, full of chicken and noodles, not just broth with a hunt for the substance subplot. But that bisque mmm yeah dynamite.
I guess their ribs won at Port Huron Ribfest...whatever that means, I can't imagine the competition was too stiff, but I am now a little curious and will report back when I try them. -- OK Ribs not that hot -- not bad, just nothing to write home about. No smoke, the sauce is kinda plain just nothing special, kinda average like I'd expect at a family diner. I guess I'd hate to see what the losers were bringing to the Ribfest.
Give the BBQ Pork sandwich a try though thats pretty good. Seafood bisque was very good as well.
As I write this I'm salivating just thinking about their flavorful juicy chicken. For under $7 you get a half of chicken cooked to perfection with a side of shoestring fries spilling out from the sides, yum! This place is different from other chicken businesses like Chicken Shack in that the grease isn't so heavy.
The atmosphere makes this experience even better. It's located in a small town of Port Huron nestled on the corner street. If you take a look at the decorations it definitely screams out vintage. The tiny bar area is on one side of the wall & on the other side are more seating.
Where in the hell was Guy Fieri?? I swear I stepped in a Food Network show or a movie about a small town hot spot. I lived in a very small town for a time growing up, Port Huron was the closet "city" with a mall and chain restaurants. Chicken in the Rough is right in a main drag area in Port Huron and emits yummy chicken smells at all times of the day. As a child, my mother would always open her window and breath deeply in and exclaim to my father how badly she wanted to try the chicken there. He never took her there, but her excitement and yearning for the place always stuck with me. My BF decided to drive up there just to take me there after I had told him one of my many stories about food, I was seriously over-the-moon. The place when you walk in is a bit cramped, there are tacky neon lights and it is tough to get a seat, but once you sit down you are money-in-your-savings-account. The chicken was great, really did not have anything on Chicken Shack, but a similar taste. I had ribs, chicken, an appetizer platter, potatoes, coleslaw.... I felt like Violet on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory....ready to explode. A great place to pig out! As I was writing this I actually found some information about the chicken, Chicken in the Rough is actually a branded name of the fried chicken that is featured in businesses. Currently, there are three small diners that offer Chicken in the Rough; two in Michigan and one in Canada. The actual restaurant that I dined at was called Palms Krystal Bar and Restaurant. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/palms-krystal-bar-and-restaurant-port-huron-2">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
Review Source:Best Fried Chicken and Best Chicken Noodle Soup in the World (in my humble opinion). Absolutely love it. And don't tell me Frankenmuth's chicken is better, it ain't.
Been going here since I was 5 years old. Visit as often I am in the Blue Water area. We always call it Chicken in the Rough since that's the big neon sign out front. Can't beat a neon Rooster smoking a cigar while breaking a 9 iron.
Waitstaff has a funny no nonsense attitude and the bar area has great booths and atmosphere - looks straight out of the '40s.
Palms Krystal - - A very underrated Michigan classic.
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