Best Chicken Barb

[mingyavalley]

All right all you Mingya Valley folks, where's the best place to get a Chicken Barb? Be prepared to defend!

[EraserGirl]

Norms White Horse uses an original recipe dating back 60+ years..there is also the BUILD of the sandwich to consider. I had a Second Best Chicken Barb at the Country Kitchen but they had the construction wrong.
It is - from the bottom up:
bun
lettuce leaf (not shredded!)
Chicken
mayo
bun
toasting on the exterior is optional.
if you put MAYO under the lettuce the sandwich slides apart when you pick it up.
this is a careless mistake.

I have also had BAD chicken barbs in the valley.
if it is just boiled chicken piled on a bun with mayo, it is NOT a chicken barb.

[Gabatta]

Not familiar. What is chicken barn exactly?

[BlueMagic]

A chicken barb is a sandwich made from chicken which has been cooked in a pressure cooker..then simmered in it's broth with seasonings. To make a chicken barb, you scoop out a spoonful of chicken with a slotted spoon and serve it on a toasted roll with a spoonful of mayo ( has to be the real thing..none of that low fat stuff) with lettuce. Sounds so simple and tastes so yummy. It is like the ultimate comfort food.
To me..the secret of a good chicken barb is making sure the chicken is moist.

[yumyum]

Thanks for that explanation. I was gonna google it but got distracted. I think I'd like chicken barb a great deal!

[Gabatta]

Thanks! Always nice to discover something new.

[BlueMagic]

The latest issue of Merrimack Valley has a big writeup on the history of the Chicken Barb. The article lists several local places which still serve it. Among them are:

Three Dogz Diner
Lawrence Dog Haus & Grille ( the former Lawtons)
Norm's White Horse
The Lantern Brunch
Charlie's Diner
Daily Dose Cafe ( in Pentucket Medical building ).

Of the above choices, two places definitely get it right. Three Dogz Diner and Norm's White Horse. In my opinion, these are the two best chicken barbs in the valley although I've never tried the one in Daily Dose Cafe.
Lots of places have tried to do the chicken barb and failed. Three Dogz and Norm's are the only ones that bring me right back to my childhood.
Funny, I remember when I was a kid there were dozens of places to get a good Chicken Barb. One of them was the old Morin's restaurant on Essex St. Boy..that place had great food and when they closed down, I was truly sad.
Surprisingly, the old Lawtons had a really good chicken Barb. I always skipped the hot dogs in favor of it.
Thankfully..Three Dogz diner is a stone's throw from the old Lawtons.

[maxevan]

My parents swear by Norm's(White Horse) in Methuen on 110. I havent been in years, though.

[Infomaniac]

I always liked the Lawton's Chicken Barb, but lately I've been liking Three Dogz Diner version. Knight's of Columbus on Sutton Street in N. Andover is the only other place I can think of to get one. It's been a while since I've had the KoC sandwich but I thought theirs was good.

I'd be interested if there is any other place in the area to try.

[mingyavalley]

I've had and am a big fan of the Three Dogz version. There is a place in Andover called Shawsheen Luncheonette that also does a pretty good rendition of the chicken barb. I've heard Norms Whitehorse does the best chicken barbs around, they are on my list to try.

[treb]

Norm's is very good and has a long rep. Back in the day, I liked Cedar Crest. It may be best if the OP explained what a Chic Barb is, quite unique to the 'valley' and no where near what it sounds like.