bb.q Chicken 3rd Ave

it’s fine but in comparison to the ktown location, it’s bad. makes me sad

Be me, 24M amateur fat@$$ that has been craving fried chicken for the past two weeks. I share my cravings with a coworker and they share the same feeling. We notice a BBQ chicken nearby. I've eaten from this chain before during my early years into puberty. I don't know if it was something in the sauce or if my hormones were bursting in reaction to the chicken but I was loving it. I would vacuum the meat off the bones and then suck the sauce that was embedded in-between the ridges of my fingerprints. But like any first love... the passion died off. The days inbetween my BBQ chicken visits have grown to weeks, to months, and then to years. As Korean Fried Chicken became more trendy, other flashier shops with crispier, spicier, more flavorful chicken started popping up. I started eating from there... and eventually forgot that BBQ chicken even existed. Fast forward 10+ years: I am frozen, staring at the google maps where the name BBQ chicken popped up. I had by chance bumped into a past lover that I had lost touch with, and the world seemed to move on around me while we were locked into a gaze. Lunch time hits and I make my way to the restaurant. I am nervous but my legs speed up in anticipation. As I approach, I cant contain my smile, I couldn't wait to catch up and see what has been going on through the years with the franchise. I open the door and my excited smile changes to a nervous smile. My old love, throughout the years, has changed into something unrecognizable. Their menu had changed drastically which I can understand as keeping up with the times but, it felt inauthentic and just a mediocre attempt at following fried chicken trends... But I still had hope, "outside appearance might have changed, but surely their flavors will deliver." That's what I thought... As soon as I picked up the bag from my order, there was this strong plasticy scent that emitted from the box. The walk back to the office felt 3 times as long as it did getting to the restaurant. As I get back to my desk, I timidly unbox the chicken to start eating... Visually, its what you would expect saucy Korean Fried Chicken to look like. But that plastic scent only grew stronger as I exposed the chicken. I take my first bite. My tongue as well as the inside of my mouth burn, not out of sensation but out of a chemical reaction to what I can guess is causing the plasticy scent. My teeth pierce the overly thick, overly heavy layer of fried batter to reach the meat. The only flavor I can focus on is the plastic, its in my mouth, its in my throat, I taste and smell it when I breathe. I wonder where it all went so wrong. I had revered BBQ Chicken so much in memory, but seeing it in reality left nothing but disappointment. a couple weeks later, I got a message from my old high school sweetheart asking to meet up. We were inseparable when we were together, but that changed after we were accepted to different colleges on the opposite sides of the country. At first I was ecstatic to catch up, but how will we live up to the memories of each other that we have idealized. I didn't want either one of us to be an unrecognizable disappointment(like BBQ Chicken). I ended up not replying to her.

They need to bring back the quick takeaway option. The wait is quite long for a to go order.

I really like bb.q chicken because it is super cheap & accessible if you are looking for a cheap + big portioned meal. I go there to-go / dine-in a lot, and I usually get the rice bowls (signature is biggest, but spicy) because they are about $12.50 including cash, but since it's such a large portion, I can save half for dinner and it comes to two 6 dollar meals. Plus, they're really good.

Service is way too slow. Took 20-30 minutes on an empty night takeaway order. No one got time for time this is NYC. They need to have a quick to go shelf that's always stocked like the Ktown location so you can just grab and go.

La comida muy buena. Pollo y papas diría que alcanza para dos personas. Ordene online y recogí súper sencillo. Cuando vuelva a NY los visitaré de nuevo seguro.

Amazing for the fast food: super juicy meat. A bit of a long waiting time due to Ubers