Pass the Chicken, Hold the Service
Last month, a group of us went to Miss Ollie’s for lunch to celebrate our coworker’s birthday. Miss Ollie’s has been open for about a year and is part of the old Housewives Market in Old Oakland. The restaurant serves Caribbean food and it was the first visit for all five of us. We all looked at the sample menu on the website beforehand and was looking forward to the Tuesday protein, fried chicken.
At Ollie’s, you place your order at the counter and a server brings out your food. There were quite a few patrons already at the restaurant when we arrived before noon. One of my colleagues ordered the Tuesday special which came with three pieces of fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, greens, and a salad with persimmon. I got to sample her macaroni and cheese and thought it was really good.
The rest of us ordered our fried chicken a la carte and shared some sides. Things started coming out piece meal. First our plantains came out. Although it was meant to be a side, it served more like an appetizer because we finished it before anything else came out. Nonetheless, the plantains were tasty.
We also ordered a side of rice and beans as well as greens. The sides came out with about a third of the fried chicken we ordered. Those that ordered only drumsticks were screwed for the time being. I ordered one thigh so I was able to eat. The chicken was crispy all around. The flavors were not just on the outside, but the seasoning was in the meat. The sides were okay, but complimented the fried chicken well.
A beautiful platter of fried chicken drumsticks finally appeared after an inexcusably long time. I was still hungry for chicken and had my second piece. Although the wait was extremely long, I got hot, juicy, and amazing fried chicken.
I mentioned the great flavors in the chicken, but not how it gets that way. The kitchen injects herbs in the chicken as you can see in this photo.
Miss Ollie’s may have the best fried chicken in Oakland, but service was so bad that it’s debatable whether it’s worth the wait. I love fried chicken, so I may give Miss Ollie’s a second chance. Maybe I will try dinner service next time around.
