There was no electricity. By mid-afternoon Saturday, It had been off for hours. There were vague rumors that areas north of Cox Creek Parkway had power, so I set out in search of hot food, power, and Wi-Fi…apparently along with everyone else in North Florence.
I planned to stop at Jack’s, but the parking lot was full. Perhaps, a detour by the DG and then another try? Then I saw the sign: Slim Chickens.
If it’s chicken, it can’t be bad, can it? I pulled in, found a parking place, and set out with my phone, laptop, and various cords in search of the entrance, all the while looking like the 2023 edition of Essie the Beggarwoman from A Fractured Florence Fairy Tale. In other words, I hardly looked like someone you needed to impress and certainly not anyone with a restaurant blog. I’m 100% sure no one at Slim Chickens knew who I was.
Somehow, with all the cars and foot traffic, the entrance eluded me. Which way to go? Then a gentleman (later identified as the general manager Cain) exited the eatery, asked if I was looking for the entrance, and offered to escort me in. He then directed me to the counter and asked if I needed a menu. This was service!
In fact, it was service with a smile from everyone. If you’ve never worked in a restaurant, you may not be aware how difficult it is to maintain that smile hours into your shift when your feet hurt and at least 25% of the customers are blaming you for their bad day. I was getting more and more impressed by the minute.
I quickly ordered and attempted to pay with a card from a non-local investment account. After three tries and as many failures, I decided to see if my almost expired local bank card would work, but before I could extract it from my purse, Cain again came to the rescue. He stepped up to the register, tapped a few buttons, and said my meal was paid for. Gobsmacked didn’t begin to cover it.
The restaurant was immaculate, soft drinks perfectly carbonated, and staff delivered orders to the tables. A young lady named Jo brought mine and was extremely solicitous that I had what I needed.
My chicken and fries were absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. There were also toasted bread slices, but I really didn’t have room. Even the background music was perfect. In short, the meal could not have been more appealing.
On occasion, readers will ask if they can repay me in some way for a small favor. I always reply that’s totally unnecessary, but now I have a favor to ask.
Yes, there are a lot of fast food chicken places in the Shoals. Most are at least adequate, if not that superior to others. When all aspects of this eatery are considered, Slim Chickens is head and shoulders above the others…and believe me, I’ve tried almost all of them. So please make a special effort to visit Slim Chickens when in the North Florence/Petersville area.
Shoalanda promises that you won’t be disappointed!
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