Broasted Chicken in LA

[ipsedixit]

Someone enlighten me about broasted chicken.

I've heard all sorts of accolades about it -- juicy, tender, better than fried chicken!, etc. -- but I just recently tried it at Charlie's Trio in Alhambra and left rather disappointed.

The chicken was fine, but it wasn't any better than regular fried chicken and, in fact, I would say that some of the fried chicken that I've had was probably better.

So my question is, was it a problem with the specific broasted chicken I had at Charlie's Trio and if so where else should I go for a better example?

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Charlie's Trio
5769 Huntington Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90032

[reality check]

Chris & Pitts in Whittier serves broasted chicken. I haven't tried it, so I can't say how good it is.

[Servorg]

http://www.chrisandpittsbbqrestaurant...

[ns1]

whatever you do, don't eat their bbq.

[BSW6490]

Didn't know they were still around. Remember as a kid. Anyone remember Dantes Inferno for chicken and ribs in the valley in the way back machine?

[ipsedixit]

I tried broasted chicken at Old World Deli in West Covina. And, I must say, this was a much better rendition than the one I had at Charlie's Trio. Juicier, more tender, and not greasy at all.

Funny, but I've been coming to Old World Deli since before they moved to their new location, back when they were still part of the side strip mall in Eastland Shopping Ctr. and never tried their broasted chicken until yesterday.

Old World Deli
http://owdeli.com/

[reality check]

You should try Chicken Box if you're in West Covina. The original owner sold it to a couple who just destroyed the reputation of Chicken Box, they didn't use good quality chicken, and they weren't cooked to order. Luckily they sold it to a couple who is using good quality chicken and cooking everything to order.

[linnyreisman]

The place in Cypress across from the Albertson's is still wonderful

[Fru]

Boo Hoo, Ambers....I grew up on that! Not that it will compare but Corky's (formerly Lamplighter, formerly Corky's) on Van Nuys Blvd in Sherman Oaks has pretty good broasted chicken. It is total family style diner food.

[reality check]

So, the Valley only has two places that serves broasted chicken; Corky's and My Brothers? No other places?

[ipsedixit]

You can find them all here: http://www.broaster.com/slocator.htm

[reality check]

Actually that site doesn't list Corky's or My Brothers, so it's not entirely accurate.

[ipsedixit]

Maybe they aren't "real" broasted chicken purveyors?

[reality check]

I didn't ask for "real" broasted chicken purveyors, I just asked if there are other places in the Valley that serves broasted chicken.

[Fru]

Very funny ipse...They are known, by those in the know:)

[reality check]

Why not add something to this thread and let those not "in the know", to know?

[Fru]

I did, 5 posts above. My answer was in response to ipse's irreverent suggestion that Corky's wasn't a "real" broasted chicken purveyor. I wasn't alluding to a secret broasted chicken purveyor that I wanted to keep all to my self. I'm reading this to be enlightened as well:)

[Jase]

I used to really like the broasted chicken stand at the OC Fair. But the last couple of years they've been inconsistent. With good broasted chicken, I always thought the crust was crispier and more intact. But not as greasy oily. Then again, maybe I just got sucked in by the marketing hype.

[smithareeny]

I used to eat at Brewster's Rooster in Garden Grove when I was a child. Fantastic broasted chicken. Unfortunately, it is no longer there.

[PommeDeGuerre]

Broasting is simply a proprietary name for frying marinated chicken in a pressure cooker. Colonel Sanders had been doing it since 1939, but didn't trademark the name for this cooking method.

[silleehillee]

The House of Pies in Silverlake has broasted chicken. It was quite good, but that's the first and only time I had it, so YMMV.

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House of Pies
1869 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

[reality check]

Did you have any pie at House of Pies? How were they?

The broasted chicken at Slavos isn't that good.

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House of Pies
1869 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

[Hershey Bomar]

Slavko's in San Pedro is a unique old-timey-neighborhood-Dalmatian-dive-y place with broasted chicken and potatoes:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/slavkos-harbo...

They only have one table, plenty of other deli stuff, and they are an insanely friendly family run business.

[monku]

I would say it's possible the preparation and/or chicken could be at fault. Where I once worked we used a patented pressure smoker for ribs. We bought the pressure cooker, seasoning rub and wood chips from the supplier. I did notice the ribs did not always turn out perfect. Could have been a number of factors from the ribs to the person doing the cooking (are they cooking it for the correct amount of time to how long have they been sitting around before being served).

[fourunder]

Someone enlighten me about broasted chicken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As indicated above, *Broasted * is a trademarked term with a proprietary recipe.........however, it is often mistaken as a process or method or frying chicken.

I do not recall exactly, but I believe the * Broaster * company was the first to develop the *Pressure Deep Fry Machine * .......which is what the copycats now use to cook the chicken.

http://www.broaster.com/

[ipsedixit]

I understand it is a trademarked term and a proprietary recipe and process. I am just curious whether all broasted chickens taste the way they did at Charlie's Trio, or was it a bad example.

[reality check]

Was the broasted freshly made for you? Or sitting under heat lamps. At all "cooked to order" broaster places, the wait time is 15-20 mins.

I thought the broasted chicken at Charlie's in Alhambra was very good. Maybe you just had a bad batch?

[ipsedixit]

I believe it was made to order, it came out after all of our pizzas did.

[reality check]

You didn't say what exactly was wrong with your broasted chicken from Charlie's; dry? or not that juicy? Tough? Skin wasn't crispy?

I have only been to Charlie's once and I enjoyed their broasted chicken. Not the best, but very good.

[ipsedixit]

Chewy, and a bit stringy.

[Hughlipton]

What a shame you missed Ambers in Encino on Balboa and Burbank. They made the quintesstntial broasted chicken since i first started eating it over 50 years ago. Broasting cooked the chicken to a devine crispiness and was extremely juicy and yet because of the high pressure cooking was cooked through to the bone. But Ambers is no more and i haven't tried any of the others so I can only tell you to keep looking. I've seen several good posts on My Brother's BBQ on this site and their broasted chicken.

[wienermobile]

I grew up eating at Ambers Broasted Chicken on Ventura and Woodman. Really good chicken (broasted potatoes too) and I do miss them.

[reality check]

Tried My Brother's BBQ for their broasted chicken and not impressed at all. Not as juicy or flavorful as Broasters Kitchen.

Also My Brother's BBQ is a terrible place for BBQ. It makes Tony Roma's, authentic.

[Jase]

Tony Roma's is authentic something, haha! Hey, have you been to Pittsburgh's Broasted Chicken in Los Alamitos lately? I haven't been there in over a year. I used to go more when I lived in OC. But I always liked their broasted chicken. I got it to go more often than eating there since it's not conducive to dine in. The chicken seemed to hold up well to go. Just wondering if they've kept up their standards.

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Broasted Chicken
325 E Port Hueneme Rd, Port Hueneme, CA 93041

[reality check]

I haven't been to Pittsburgh is over a year. They actually opened another location, in Pomona, but that closed within a year of opening. The last time I went to the LA location, the chicken was smaller, much smaller, that's the first thing I noticed. But it was still juicy and crispy, and I like the seasoning options; lemon pepper and Cajun.

Pittsburg is actually the first broasted chicken place I tried, luckily it was very good.

[Jase]

Good to hear and thanks for the update. I liked the fact you could choose different seasonings and they let you mix and match. It's a littler harder for me to take it to go from Los Alamitos back up to LA.

[BSW6490]

Grew up eating this chicken. Went by to get some several weeks ago to find it gone. Does anyone know a similar place on the westside?

[justanotherpenguin]

i suspect that the problem is probably the restaurant. just like not all fried chicken is the same, neither is all broasted chicken. you still have to deal with seasoning and other prep factors. at one time there was a small chain in the san fernando valley called "amber's". their broasted chicken was fantastic.

that being said, i believe that there are two places that currently have good broasted chicken. i have not been, but my sister swears by dinah's in glendale, and my cousin can't get enough from "my brother's bbq" in woodland hills. i am planning to check out both.

(i know the name is dinah's "fried"..., but my sister says that their menu states that it is actually broasted.)

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Dinah's Fried Chicken
4106 San Fernando Rd Ste A, Glendale, CA 91204

My Brothers Bar-B-Q
21150 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364

[yogachik]

Ocean Park Pizza (near 28th), has great broasted chicken.

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Ocean Park Pizza
2819 1/2 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405

[reality check]

I asked about Dinah's in Glendale, and while they say it is broasted, it doesn't taste like the broasted chicken I had.

I think broasted chicken is all about the juiciness of the chicken. The skin has a different crispness to it, than fried chicken.

I like Broaster's Chicken in Montebello, Charlie's Trio is good, Chicken Box in West Covina,

[pharmnerd]

Been a while, but remember Broaster's Kitchen (sp?) in Montebello on Beverly being quite good. Crispy, juicy.

A definition of "broasting" on the net:

"Broasted - Broaster and Broasted are registered trademarks of the Broaster Co. in Beloit, Wisconsin, that has been broasting chickens since 1954.

Broasting is a registered process that builds pressure in the pot which seals in the natural juices while sealing out almost 100% of the cooking oil. It is not only the process of frying chickens under pressure, but includes a special marinating process. The Broasting process makes chicken that has the taste of fried chicken, but is moister and less greasy. This process is NOT available to home cooks. The Broasters and the seasonings are sold only to restaurants and the food trade, so Broasted chicken is available to you only when you dine out."

[reality check]

I said Broaster's Chicken, when it is Broaster's Kitchen and they are very good.

[TonyC]

Broadster's in Montebello is so rather foul. It smells like industrial chicken and tastes absolutely of nothing. They use no seasoning, no marinade, and possibly is worse than Albertson's fried chicken.

Ditto to Grandma's Broasted in Bellflower.

Both are bona fide "Broaster" establishments. FWIW, KFC & Chik-Fil-A are both "pressure fried". The name means nothing.

[justanotherpenguin]

did try dinah's. don't care what they call it. i call it horrible.

darn i miss amber's!

[estone888]

Here's an earlier thread. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/76965 I recall someone also saying that Dinah's is broasted. I've never been overly impressed with broasted above and beyond plain old fried, particularly panfried. If Dinah's is broasted, it's good but not spectacular. I like Honey's Kettle better, Roscoe's even and also Harold & Belle's (but it's expensive.

)

I have no idea why frying something in a pressure cooker, especially if it is totally immersed in the oil - deep fried - would be any different than simply doing it on top of the stove in a pan or a pot.

What does the pressure cooking add to it? Maybe someone can enlighten us.

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Harold & Belle's Restaurant
2920 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Honey's Kettle
2600 E Alondra Blvd, Compton, CA 90221