The Chicken Kitchen, Shrewsbury [NJ]

So I often use msn online for a quick hit of weather or news. Once in a while I also like to flip through the articles they have usually titled something like “Best Wings in Every State”, mostly laughing at their selections, but sometimes finding something new to try. Speaking of best wings …their pick for best wings in NJ is The Chicken Kitchen in Shrewsbury (across from Marshall’s).
Truth be told, I haven’t been there in years and years, but c’mon, there’s no way they can even be best in Monmouth county with Jack’s nearby. Here is their quote:

Chicken Kitchen gets high marks for its fried chicken, but those in the know head to this Shrewsbury spot for the wings. They only use the best, freshest birds and serve up the flappers with the finest of sauces. The Original Recipe is renowned for its flavor as is the Beyond Hot.

For a laugh, I looked at their website. I got a real laugh though out of the prices:
Just Wings:
10 - $11
20 - $22
30 - $33.50

Truly a lesson in bad math? Or is there a reason why you get penalized 50 cents for buying 30?

Anyway, if anyone’s been, please post a review.

2 Likes

I have not been in years in years either, but when my wing loving son gets home from school next week we will give them a try.

As a side note me and a couple buddies hit Jacks last week to watch the first round of the NFL draft. 4 guys, 6 dozen wings and a small pie, followed by an excellent first round pick by my Giants!!

(You were in mind to send an invite too but the draft started at 8pm and well I think we all know that’s your bed time. FYI the garlic wings are my favorite)

3 Likes

We’ll have to agree to disagree on the G men pick. I have had two exp at chicken kitchen being polar opposites. Had see.ln it and assumed I to be a chicken holiday knockoff without much though. Had some of their stuff that was catered at a party and found it To be excellent. So much so we went again for take out the next month and it was so bad we haven’t been back. Prob won’t th checking it again for a tie breaker but turned off I’m hesitant. Full disclosure this was with chicken fingers not wings but close enough.

1 Like

I may have to take one for the team this weekend and get some “Original Recipe” wings. I have no interest in also getting a “Beyond Hot”, so that one is on somebody else :grin:

Maybe we can get Casey Webb to do it.

Message me if you do, not sure what I’m up to this weekend but I could swing by. I remember their fried chicken was pretty good, their ribs were pretty good and they had corn and broccoli bites that were decent.

1 Like

I ate here once many years ago. I recall it being decent but I never went back, so it wasn’t too great back then (in my eyes)

I remember I had standard fried chicken, not wings.

Let us know about the wings Dave.

1 Like

Tried it today and confirmed my hunch, the wings are not even the best in Monmouth county, The wings are cooked well, but the original recipe tasted only of generic hot sauce. We also tried the lemon pepper, which was dry and coated liberally with lemon pepper seasoning. The most successful was the teriyaki, the sauce less cloyingly sweet than most. Best in NJ? Please. Give me Jack’s any day.

3 Likes

OMG!?!?!?! You were at Chicken Kitchen Sunday too? So was I!!! As the matter of fact the guy sitting across my table from me looked EXACTLY like you, but since you didn’t mention me in your review I just assumed you didn’t see me sitting there with you!! (first I have to put up with Jen, now you!?!?!)

Yes, Seal and I met at Chicken Kitchen to try out their wings and more or less I share his sentiment. Besides the rather pedestrian sauces one other thing that kind of bugged me is after frying the wings, they must ladle the sauce on the wings, rather than toss them in sauce. This give you a wing with sauce on one said and none on the other. Kind of annoying and rather odd to me for a place that serves as many wings as they claim to. Although I found Buffalo Wild Winds has a similar practice so who knows maybe I’m wrong, but I prefer my wings tossed and evenly coated.

Highlight of the experience;
Seal chatting up the owner, who after a couple minutes of being interrogated by Seal said something like: “So I guess you eat a lot of wings, what do you think of mine”
Seal respectfully responded: “Do you want me to be honest”
To which Seal was uncomfortably honest with the guy. lol Nothing quite like going out for a nice Sunday afternoon lunch to watch a guy who has dedicated 15 years of his life serving chicken get read the riot act for how “pedestrian” his wings are. lol Go get’ up Seal!!!

Anywho…I also concur I would take Jack’s over these any day. Not bad at all, certainly nice sized wings plenty of meat, and if you are a Franks Red Hot Sauce fan these would be right up your ally.

(the menu in the restaurant does not contain the same pricing typo Seal pointed out above and called the owner out on. Nice touch seal)

2 Likes

Like Oh My Gosh, was that you?

Lol. I’ve been trying to keep the paparazzi away from our secret food review sessions, but if you insist …

Yes, I admit it, @NotJrvedivici and I both took one for the team. As for the owner, he really did seem earnest in his desire for straight talk. I guess when you get crowned Best Wings in NJ by some idiot who’s likely been there once and I’m sure never made it a touch further east to Jacks, you need a major dose of reality. Who knows, maybe their fried chicken is good?

1 Like

Good report guys. Should we merge this with the “flap our wings” thread? No pics fellas?

I had some some tst BBQ wings the other night with their honey dry rub. 6 wings for 8 bucks…not worth it but decent wings. No celery or blue cheese.

After too much time shopping I realized there were not many viable options at home so Chicken Kitchen it was. GF and I have joked about the name as she has always confused the words while learning English. Figured why not?
Picked up a roast chicken, ribs, some fried chicken and chicken salad. Some good some OK but did not break the bank and satisfied the hunger. Homemade cole slaw but generic beans.




7 Likes

Chicken Kitchen has been consistently good for well over 30 years now. About chicken/kitchen, we refer to the Kitchen Witch in Monmouth Beach as the “chicken witch.” Just flows off the tongue that way…

2 Likes

Every once in a while you just need a f#ck-it-bucket of chicken, tonight was the night for me. Chicken and ribs combo with an order of chicken fingers (honestly disappointing typical Sysco frozen fingers) which rather sucked.

The chicken, ribs, wings and sides were all good.

9 Likes