Hartz Chicken Buffet

I’ve been wanting to try the chicken tenders at Hartz for quite some time. This place reminds me of Golden Chick (which is all over central Texas). I’ve had the impression that Hartz is the southeast TX version of Golden Chick. There are some similarities, but there are some differences too.
Location: It’s in a strip mall off of Cullen. I actually passed it up because I expected it to be a stand alone restaurant. It’s connected to a Texaco gas station. When I pulled up to the drive through, I was scanning the menu for a minute waiting for an employee to take my order. When it was complete silence for awhile, I discovered a sign that said «Don’t work, pull forward.» OK I’ll overlook the bad grammar. It was kind of humorous. I pulled up to the window and waited for another minute or so. I could see people inside (though I think they were actually in the gas station area and not the «restaurant.» After another minute of sitting in my car, I decided that I would have to get out of the car and go inside. I wasn’t thrilled about it since I was tired and had had a long day, but I was determined to try these chicken tenders.
Inside: So I mentioned it’s attached to a gas station. Well the gas station is pretty shady. The attendant is enclosed in one of those glass cases with the bars. It’s not an ideal situation, but it was okay. I finally saw the Hartz sign in the back corner. It’s not very prominent. The area looked dead… almost as if they were closed for the day, but eventually the employee (notice it’s singular) came out to help.
Employee: If I could base my review only on him, he would get 5 stars. He was very nice, explained the menu options, asked me if I wanted seasoning on my fries, etc. He had to cook everything because they only had chicken wings, drumsticks, etc. He washed his hands and utensils and started making my order. I had originally wanted mashed potatoes for my side, but he took a look at it and said they were too runny and wouldn’t taste good. So I opted for French Fries. That in itself was awesome because he could have totally just scooped some soggy potatoes into a bowl, but he didn’t. He was by himself for the most part, though I could hear another person in the back who sounded like he may have been a new employee in training. Since he had to cook the food, it took some time. They have tables and chairs there with a nice TV that had on an NFL game so that kept me busy while I waited. The employee was so nice, he gave me two extra chicken tenders for having to wait so long. I actually wrote in a small tip for his troubles.
Food: A basket full of lightly seasoned steak fries, a yeast roll, and six (supposed to be four) chicken tenders with a side of barbeque sauce. The food wasn’t bad, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. The seasoning on the tenders was not as good as Golden Chick or Chic-​fil-​a, so I was disappointed in that. The meat was tender though so that was nice. The fries and roll on the other hand were delicious! I almost forgot to mention the drink options. Um yeah they were pitiful. They have to use the same fountain machine as the gas station. Half the options were out of order and the tea was completely empty. I don’t really like soda, but my options were Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, or Sprite. I opted for Sprite and it tasted more like carbonated water. Another let down.
I’m glad I finally tried this place, but I will just have to get my chicken tender fix when I go home to visit my folks in Austin.
Restaurant: 2 stars, Employee: 5 stars, Overall: 3 stars