Big Chickie

So, being a vegetarian you have to understand that I only get the veggie plate. But my God let me tell you that their beans and rice are the absolute Truth.
When we have friends over, this place has quickly become the go-​to suggestion for dinner out. Every single one of them loves the chicken… even the ones who aren’t big fans of chicken. That says something.
The staff has always been awesome and accommodating and helpful. They have great recommendations for sides and will offer up a sample if you’re curious about, say, the heat from the chile lime carrots.
Anyway, go here. Get fed. Leave happy.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
No, I am not quoting John Buccigross from ESPN. This is on each napkin holder in the restaurant. So what do I do for my first meal at Big Chickie? Eat lunch.
Then when I ordered, I skipped the traditional chicken and had one of the lunch specials — curry chicken salad sandwiches. On the whole, the sandwich was good. It had a little more slaw on it that I would put on it, but the curry chicken salad was very good. Had the rice and beans as a side and it was tasty, but not anything special.
Need to go back and try their half chicken dinner. That will be the true measure of this restaurant.

Came here since Nate’s Chicken and Waffles moved to Capitol Hill. Restaurant seem rather new and refreshing. Parking can be limited at times, but there are spaces available near by. Huge menu on the walls. Chicken was cooked to perfection unlike other restaurants that have greasy and oil foods. Got a side of Cheesy Potatoes, Creamy Coleslaw, French Fries and an order of Corn bread. There are five different sauces available: Creamy Yellow, Fresh Green, BBQ, Pickled Onion (Salsa Criolla) and Hot Sauce (Orange Sauce). Sides were good with the chicken. Corn bread was average, but can be better. Large seating area that is great for any weather conditions. Anyone that says «Winner Winner Chicken Dinner» has to visit to satisfy their cravings!!!

The chicken is solid and the sides are great. Awesome option when I’m craving a healthier alternative to Ezell’s in Colombia City. Great people and cool space. Super fast and friendly service.

«Winner Winner Chicken Dinner,» said the napkin holder on wooden table. If you’re familiar with the Columbia City neighborhood, Hillman City is just south of it. Big Chickie is quite close to Rainier and Orcas (St. Edward’s church). If you’re familiar with Pecos Pit BBQ in SoDo it’s is on the same level of greatness but with a Peruvian twist.

I finished shopping at PCC and on the way home I saw Big Chickie. Good thing I stopped by because the food was amazing! Yummy cheesy potatoes. The staff was really friendly. Customers were sitting outside on the bench tables. It’s a great place for outdoor dining. I’m sure on summer nights it’s a hit. I can just imagine Peruvian music playing in the background.

Not enough can be said about the cheesy potatoes. They were the highlight of my meal, and maybe my whole week.
My husband and I set out to try Big Chickie on a late Saturday afternoon. It was fairly empty, but we had heard great things so we proceeded to order. We split the half chicken with large sides (CHEESY POTATOES and chili glazed carrots), yellow and green sauces to mix.
Everything was delectable. The cashier that took our order was pleasant and helpful in her recommendations. This place is a must-​try!

Not sure where to start, because everything I’ve had from here is delicious.
I usually get the half chicken, white meat. The skin is crispy and perfectly charred and the meat falls off the bone.
My favorite part might be choosing the sides. They rotate some in and out and I feel like there’s a new one each time I come. I’m fond of the pasta salad and cheesy potatoes. I’ve also enjoyed the kale salad.
And for the love of God, get the yellow sauce. Dip the chicken in it. Slather the chicken in it. Pour it on your sides, or in your mouth. Whichever way, it’s heaven.
The in-​house hot sauce is great, too, but I don’t recommend pouring it in your mouth.
It’s such a casual and awesome place, whether you get it to go or sit outside in their covered seating area.
Plenty of parking in their lot or on the street. Just a block down from the ⁷⁄₉ bus stop at Orcas.
And nearly everything is composable! Utensils, plates…
Highly recommended.

Who doesn’t love properly roasted chicken!
Wife and I had lunch at this nice Hillman City chicken shack. Both of us got the ¼ chicken plates. The dark or white meat options is a nice touch, although dark was out and more not ready yet. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to come back, awesome!
The chicken was packed with good flavor and the skin was crisp and nicely seasoned. The meat fell of the wing and was still moist on the breast.
A crazy number of side dishes are available. We tried the cheesy potatos, chile glazed carrots, and creamy coleslaw. The chesty potatos are creamy, cheesy goodness. Using shredded potatos really helps these melt in your mouth. The creamy slaw was on the sweet side, so if you like that which I totally do, it is great. The chile glazed carrots were a bit soft but the heat was perfect, hit you a second after fist couple chews on the back of the tongue.
We didn’t try the chicken sandwiches, but lots of other folks seemed be enjoying those around us.
Dining area definitely fast food vibe, built in parking lot with clear plastic roof and plastic retractable walls. Would be great open air seating in summer.
If your looking for a good place to get your chicken on this will do just fine.

After trying out San Fernando I knew I had to try this place as well to compared.
I must say that their chicken has a nicer roast aroma (charcoal instead of gas) compared to San Fernando and I love it! I could taste the spice a little bit more and it was seasoned very nicely. However, I was not impressed with their side dishes. Their green sauce that came with the chicken was overly sour and not spicy at all.
I can’t comment on the service since my husband ordered to go and picked it up. I would come back again just for the chicken.

My boyfriend and I come here almost every Friday night for the most amazing chicken in town. Fast, fresh and affordable you can’t go wrong here.
Served cafeteria style, you selected your cut/​amount of chicken (¼ white, ¼ dark etc.) two sides and a sauce, and they throw in a mini cornbread muffin along with it. What’s great about this place is that their sides rotate with the seasons (stuffing and gravy for fall yummmm) and their chicken is ALWAYS moist and beautifully seasoned.
My current fave is to do ¼ white with cheesy potatoes, kale apple slaw and the mayo mustard sauce on the side.
It’s also a very fun place to hang out when the weather is nice, they have a very cool patio area where you can sit outside and enjoy a beer with your chicken.
Friendly and fast service every time!

3.5. Fast food-​style, friendly service, enclosed patio seating that is not so nice during the cold months, clean restrooms, freshly roasted chicken, generous sides, overall decent quality.
Each plate comes with 2 sides, one sauce, and a tiny cornbread. You can buy extra sauce for $ 0.45 each. My fiancé and I each had a quarter white meat this afternoon. For sides, I selected yellow rice and garlic green beans. My sauces were the green sauce, which was minced jalapeño and garlic, and their house spicy sauce, which was not on the menu. Fiancé chose the yellow rice with beans and herbed veggies — looked like sweet potatoes, beets, carrots. He had the tangy mustard sauce and the house spicy sauce as well.
My fiancé raved about his meal throughout but especially loved pairing his chicken with the house sauce. He didn’t like the tangy mustard sauce too much, although I actually enjoyed that one the best. He loved his veggies.
I thought it was all just okay. I was particularly excited about the green sauce, but it didn’t turn out to be that special. The cornbread was moist and flavorful, though, and I should’ve asked for two! The yellow rice was dry, but I liked the garlic green beans. They were crunchy and sufficiently soaked in garlic sauce.
It’s definitely the Peruvian chicken joint to hit up when you’re hungry because you get your food right away, but I’d rather wait a bit longer for better-​flavored roasted chicken at San Fernando Roasted Chicken several blocks up in the Central District. Big Chickie has more sauce and side options, but SFRC gives you a much more authentic experience, hands-​down, for comparable prices.

This place has pretty good food for the price you’re paying! You walk in and order like a fast food joint and then you sit down in their indoor/​outdoor seating area.
My boyfriend and I shared a half chicken and two large sides. The chicken was moist and flavorful! I really liked it and the best part was that the chicken fell off the bone easily. The two sides were the cheesy potato and fall veggies. The person gave us a lot of cheesy potatoes (which I can’t complain about) so that was awesome. The roasted fall veggies were seasoned with different herbs which we enjoyed. On top of that, the entrees came with cornbread with real corn inside.
We also got the sweet plantain chips and bean dip. The chips were pretty good — they came in a bag though. Not restaurant made. The bean dip was homemade and they give you a pretty decent tub. You can definitely bring it home.
We were left stuffed.

Good food is how I would sum this place up. After having tried a couple of different sides, I would definitely recommend the corn along with the lime-​glazed sweet potatoes. They both provide a good balance to an entrée that is rather meaty.
The chicken itself was great for the most part. I had originally ordered a half size order of the dark meat and received white meat (not a big deal, but attentiveness/​accuracy is always important). I wish that the chicken had been a little bit more flavorful/​marinated all the way through, but hey, it’s cooked and seasoned to be served to the masses, so I guess I can’t be too picky.
What I will point out is that this establishment aims to make their margins on the sides. On the surface it looks like a great portion for the price, but if you’re looking to feed more than just yourself, be prepared to shell out a few extra dollars for containers of sauce or corn bread. This would not be a big issue if the price was posted somewhere in the facility, but it is not.

The half is enough for 2 people.
We got 3 sides:
Cheesy potatoes
Cilantro Corn
Fries
Everything tasted great and gave the feel that you were at a friends really successful backyard barbecue.
The place itself is cute. Great outdoor seating and aesthetics. That’s important to me haha
Definitely worth the visit!
Excited to try new things next time.

Pretty good chicken, decent sides. But man… THEY HAVE STEAK FRIES. BIG, PLUMP STEAK FRIES. And they’re MADE TO ORDER!
I know I don’t really need to yell that, except I do… I’ve been on the hunt for steak fries for almost two years, and finally found it a stone’s throw from my house. Dangersauce, I tell you, dangersauce.
So good, so danger. Nom nom nom.

We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to get some chicken to go. The place is clean and neat, with a covered patio to eat any time of the year. I also like the fact that they have their own parking lot in front.
Since this was our first time here, we just went with a basic whole roasted chicken, with cheesy potatoes and kale slaw as our sides. Admittedly, we got it to go, so it wasn’t as hot as if we ate it there. Overall, the chicken was decent, but definitely on the small side. The cheesy potatoes were really good, but the kale slaw was on the dry side (needed more dressing). The order comes with some cornbread as well, which were good. They offer three different sauces, with the creamy mayo-​like one being my favorite of the three.
Overall, while being decent, I think think it is overpriced (small chicken with two sides and cornbread came to a little under $ 30 after tax). My preference for Peruvian chicken would still have to be San Fernando, though.

Wanted to check this place out. New edition to Columbia City. What’s the hype.
The space definitely got a fast food /​cafeteria vibe. Outdoor covered seating with heat lamps, it’s like you’re outside but you’re not…
We ordered the half chicken with 2 large sides: cheesy potatoes and corn salad. Portions appeared small but it was actually perfect for 2. But let me just repeat, cheesy potatoes. So creamy. Simply amazing. Cornbread muffins ain’t nothin to write home about. And I was disappointed with the sauces.
Anyway. Winner winner chicken dinner. The roasted chicken was perfectly seasoned, super juicy, intensely flavored, crispy skin, not greasy, and the meat pulled right off the bone. What more can I say?

Hillman City! Nice to see more food options in what I consider my extended neighborhood.
First, they have a parking lot, which is awesome. Second, if parking is full, there’s plenty of street parking. Their outdoor seating is made indoor by clear plastic and temp-​wise was plenty comfortable; well-​lit to look warm and inviting from the outside.
The SMELL when you walk in is as incredible as everybody says. Wow, I love it when my mouth waters and I haven’t eaten tried the food yet.
You order from a large board with the Peruvian chicken being the main protein option. I ordered a large half chicken and it looked like a standard bird to me. I imagined that their small half chicken must look like a pigeon. [It] comes with two sides and small cornbread muffins. They heap in a generous serving of the cheesy, salty hashbrown potatoes. Comfort food all the way.
The kale salad was really good! Carrots, edamame, golden raisins. I was feeling it. The lime sweet potatoes were as good as I hoped. Citrus and sweet potatoes are wonderful together and the lime offered an unusual and tasty punch.
So why not 5 stars? The chicken definitely had the Peruvian seasoning thang going on, but the chicken itself was not a great quality. It was greasy, which I associate with a less than optimal grade of chicken, not so much the cooking preparation. It was okay, but it’s not as good as San Fernando.
The mayo mustard sauce for the chicken was alright; I preferred the jalapenos side — to cut through the chicken. The red onions in lemon juice accoutrement… that alone made me say mmmmm. So good, I’m going to make some of my own at home. Try these guys out; I know for sure I’ll be back!

Here chickie chickie!
I love a good chicken. It’s often easy and hard to mess up a good roasted chicken. When I do find the right spot that gets it right, I’ll stick to it like a magnet. And to top it off, it was Peruvian chicken? Sign me up!
I came here on day five of opening (a month ago). It was still summer-​ish and still pleasant outside. They are kind of the end of the restaurants strip on Columbia City. They have their own parking lot. It’s a cute spot. The tent outside was well lit up and pretty. The space itself is bright and open. You come in, check the chalk board menu and order!
You can get the beautiful chicken aroma as you park. Hmmmm. You get two sides with your order. I got half a chicken with sweet potatoes and kale with corn salsa and cornbread. They were out of the rice. Hmmmmm! They also have wine and beer for purchase for around $ 6. Not bad at all.
A few minutes of picking and viola– I was ready to eat my meat~ Yummm. We sat outside. It was pretty and pleasant. The corn bread was so tasty. I love the sweet potatoes and kale. So delish! And the chef even gave us complimentary brownies to take home. YUmmmm!
Now the verdict for the chicken– it was small, bony and a ok. Not as flavorful/​tasty. I usually get full fast but this one, I wasn’t even after half a chicken. I also didn’t quite like the taste or the texture of the bird. I feel it was moist and dry at the same time. I like all the sides though. And that brownie was pretty amazing. I have had much better Peruvian chicken in Seattle. This was a ok for me. Perhaps I came too late in the day? They also have sauces for you. Spicy and tangy ones. They were super nice though. I’ll probably try them again if I’m in the area.

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, there was a restaurant in Wood Village, OR named Pollo Loco that served the most scrumptious roasted chicken. I went there all the time. It eventually closed its doors (but why?). Ever since then, I’ve been seeking good roasted chicken. I did find a Burgermaster in University Village that did serve pretty darned good baked chicken, but the last time I was there, which was recently, they had added five spice to their chicken recipe. So scratch Burgermaster off the list.
And then, driving home from work earlier this week, I saw the sign in Hillman City for Big Chickie, a.k.a. Pollo A la Brasa (the term for Peruvian blackened chicken). I had to stop and check it out. Speaking of Hillman City, it seems the revitalization (a.k.a. gentrification) that transformed Columbia City is now taking place up here too.
In a Portland food pod-​like manner, there is covered seating with plastic sheets for walls in front of Big Chickie. So you can eat-​in or take-​out. I planned to take-​out. For a new restaurant, operations seemed very organized. A good sign.
Yes indeed, Big Chickie serves roasted chicken. Along with a ½ chicken, I ordered the cheesy potatoes, coleslaw, steak fries and cornbread for sides. At home, I discovered the chicken was very moist and tender. The cheesy potatoes, made with hash brown-​like pieces of potato are dangerously good. Just the potatoes themselves are a good enough reason to return to Big Chickie! The coleslaw was excellent — a good mix of vegetables, a little bit creamy and not too sweet or tart. The steak fries were very good, not salty nor greasy.
So why not five stars for Big Chickie? Well, even though the chicken was moist and tender, the seasoning mix was not compelling. It contained a spice that tasted like (sorry to be so blunt) a little like either Listerine mouthwash or the smell of shoe polish. Having said that, once inside the chicken skin and away from the external seasonings, the chicken tasted fine.
Other than the chicken spice consideration, I can stoutly state that we now have here a worthy alternative to Ezell’s Chicken up on 23^rd (and now in Mount Baker too). However, San Fernando (Peruvian) Roasted Chicken on Rainier provides a very stiff competition to Big Chickie.