What’s better than greasy drive-through fried chicken? Drive-through fried chicken that has no antibiotics, growth stimulants or hormones served along with a side of glazed donuts.
Thanks to F.E.E.D. TX Restaurant Group (Liberty Kitchen & Oyster Bar, Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, BRC Gastropub and Petite Sweets), neighbors who frequented the now-defunct Church’s Chicken at the corner of Heights Boulevard and White Oak Drive can now return to that same drive-through window for improved chicken (and donuts) at Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts.
Lee’s opened to the public this past Saturday, October 10, and, boy, was the public ready. In fact, when we stopped in for a media preview last Thursday, owner Lee Ellis and chef Crash Hethcox had to turn away a handful of hungry neighbors.
The fried chicken — which comes from Springer Mountain Farms and is fed an all-vegetarian diet — is moist (not greasy) with a crunchy, seasoned crust, and you can get it by the piece or by the combo. There are combinations of breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings and even chicken tenders.
All of the fried chicken goes through a three-day preparation. First it’s brined for a day, then it soaks in a buttermilk bath for a day, and it’s finally dredged and fried the day it’s served. It’s a process that adds plenty of flavor, but if you’re one that likes to dip, there’s a “sauce bar” just for you. Ellis’ favorite is the Creole honey mustard; other choices include bacon jam, spicy mayo and “Dreamland Style” barbecue sauce.
Our favorite accompaniment to the chicken was the bacon jalapeño cream gravy, which is served as a side dish option. Other side dishes include olive macaroni salad, creamed corn, sour cream mashed potatoes and a mayo- and mustard-based potato salad.
The crispy bird may also be ordered in one of two sandwiches: the Lee’s fried chicken sandwich and the fried chicken salad sandwich (featuring Creole honey mustard chicken salad with Dreamland Style barbecue sauce) served cold.
A third sandwich option, the Vermont, combines warm ham, cheddar and apple butter on a Slow Dough bun. The lone salad on the menu is pulled chicken salad with chopped kale and a sweet roasted peanut dressing.
On the right side of the menu (and in a glass case on the counter) are the donuts. Varieties include blueberry cake, vanilla glazed with Mexican chocolate icing, caramel iced with praline bacon and vanilla cake with lemon glaze. Lee’s chicken may take three days to prepare, but it’s named “Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts” for a reason.
One of our favorites: the blueberry cake donut. It’s dipped to have a thick layer of sweet, pastel purple icing, which we prefer to versions of the blueberry classic found elsewhere that only have a light shmear of frosting. More sugar for My Table, please!
Lee’s opens daily at 7 am, but we have a feeling the neighborhood chicken and donut shop will be a big hit with the late-to-wake weekend crowd, too.
Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts, 601 Heights Blvd., 713-880-3550, leesfriedchickendonuts.com