Chicken Out

CLOSED! Quality has been going down hill for a while.

I’ve been going to Chicken Out ever since it opened, so I have a soft spot for it. I get nervous that I see fewer and fewer people coming here. There is tons of room, and the ambiance is a few notches above Boston Market. So, what gives?
Menu is vast. Check out the sandwich and wrap options, as you’re bound to find something tasty there. The salads are also quite hearty; they don’t skimp on portions!

I tried the buffalo sandwich, which was excellent. However, it was $ 8.19 with no fries, no side, nothing. Sides started at $ 2.20 for really small portions. Horatio Jakalthorpe prizes quantity and quality. Furthermore, the sandwich had bacon on it but that was not listed on the menu. Might that be a problem for Muslims or those who keep it Kosher? Don’t get me wrong, it made the sandwich ten times better, but it’s better to disclose.
Ms. Jakalthorpe had the Mediterranean salad and the chicken on it was excellent. However, again, it contained ingredients not listed on the menu — walnuts. They were mixed in, and good portion too. Ms. Jakalthorpe is allergic to walnuts so it was an unpleasant surprise.

I ate there for dinner on Thursday, January 24^th, 2013.
I had the Asian salad. It was terrible. The chicken tasted old, and was tough and grizzled. The lettuce was frozen in the center; it was like eating a lettuce popsicle.
The service neither offended nor pleased me.

I think Unilocalers pretty much have this one right– a solid 3 star establishment.
Everything here is fine but nothing is outstanding or particularly memorable. While in law school I generally ate here a few times a month and honestly never had a fantastically good or fantastically bad experience, which makes it kind of hard to review.
The inside is very white, and kind of sterile, without much character. They say they have free wifi but that’s not true. It is always extremely clean inside. In the pleasant months, it’s possible to eat outside which is a bit more fun.
The staff is polite but not especially friendly. They’ll help or give suggestions if you ask, but never really go out of their way.
The chicken is okay. The soup is okay. The sides are good. The wraps are okay. I have no particular favorite, never a good sign, but there’s nothing I’ve ever had here that I didn’t like or would say to avoid either. I suppose, of what I’ve had, I recommend the yummy stuffing. I don’t love the banana thingies some others have raved about, but I suppose that might just be me– many of my law school friends liked them too.
I do think all of their stuff is slightly overpriced for what you get, but I suppose not for the area.
Grab a loyalty card if you plan to eat here with any frequency. I believe the deal is if you spend $ 5 10 times you get $ 5 free. Not fabulous, but still, if you were gonna eat here anyway it doesn’t hurt.

A little pricey, but the food is pretty decent.

Went to Chicken Out for a second time and again, the food was pretty solid. This time, I ordered the rotisserie chicken with two sides — mashed potatoes and spinach. The sides were delectable and melted in your mouth. And the chicken was very succulent — not dry at all.
I’m definitely a fan of Chicken Out and would definitely recommend it to all those who love a good rotisserie chicken with some classic sides. In my opinion, it’s better than Boston Market.

The Spinach Chicken Milan Wrap is really tasty!

As you probably know by reading the other reviews, Chicken Out is a decent local chain of rotisserie chicken places in the DC area. I’ve been going to this location off and on for about 10 years now, and it is much improved in recent years. For a while the service was lagging, but on recent visits I’ve found it to be much improved.
The chicken is of good quality, and they have a few varieties, though I have only really stuck with the ¼ chicken white meat meal. The chicken is sometimes a bit dry, but if you get some gravy with it that makes it really good. Sides vary depending on what you get, but again, I’ve noticed some improvements lately.
Overall, a decent meal at a decent price that occupies that middle ground between fast food and sit down places. They have expanded their menu to a bunch of sandwiches and wraps, may have to try some of these in the future.

Great roasted chicken; I always get the quarter dark or white. Good variety of sides, and sandwiches. Friendly, efficient staff. Good food quickly. Easy to stop by for takeout.
Families with small kids and local law students frequent.

When you go to any Chicken Out you can get a good meal at a fair price. I especially like the one in Spring Valley as it is not usually as crowded as others, and to me the food seems to be fresher than at others. I usually just go for their regular chicken and whatever sides strike my fancy, but I have also tried the chicken pot pie, which is fabulous, and the Cabos chicken with is also very tasty. I also like the fact that they have a good selection of vegetables as side dishes. It’s not all potatoes and mac & cheese. If you are used to chicken at an expensive downtown restaurant, you won’t like this. But if you want something a step up from Boston Market and KFC, you’ll probably like Chicken Out.

Chicken Out is a convenient and fairly healthy takeout place that doesn’t make you feel gross when you’re done eating.
I usually order the Milan chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. The flavor of the chicken and potatoes is pretty good but the biscuits are pretty dry.
This place is 3-​star from my perspective mainly because of the value. It’s a little expensive (around $ 9) for what amounts to chicken tenders, a small side and bread, but in this part of town (across from American Univ. law school), don’t expect to find a super deal.

This was my first time going to a Chicken Out. The website made it sound like a knock-​off Boston Market. I ordered a ¼ chicken meal with mac and cheese and sweet potatoes.
The best thing about the meal was the KFC-​like biscuit. The rest of the food was terrible. What I thought was rotisserie goodness on the chicken turned out to be just char. I ended up taking off the skin b/​c it tasted like a little piece of charcoal or something. Dark meat is supposed to be juicy (aka greasy). It was dry and bland.
The sides:
If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear the mac and cheese was Kraft. If you’ve ever accidentally spilled some of that powdered cheese and continued on with what was left then you know what I’m talking about. It was more like Mac and cheese-​remnant. The shells were yellow, but that was about it. The sweet potatoes were just okay.
And just to clear the air… I’m not one of those people who expects fast food to taste like restaurant quality. If I had the choice between a bag of cheetos or that macaroni (matter of fact, the whole meal), I choose Chester Cheetah.
I guess I should’ve known though. When I walked in the two girls at the counter were talking about how neither of them «feel like doing anything today.» I guess seasoning and cooking that food was on the list.

Finally got to try this place. Reminds me of a better Boston Market. I had a $ 20 gift card to here so I got a couple of things. They have a ton of choices to choose from. Got the chicken pot pie (which was good and HUGE), got the philly panini (it was okay) and the Lousiana (very good). Service was super friendly and the prices were cheap. Will definitely come back.

bawk bawk. i secretly do the chicken dance every time i’m asked out to lunch here.*
«lite bite» is an option, but i always spring for the $ 7.49 «bigger bite»: half sandwich, wrap, panini or salad + a bowl of chili or soup OR two sides. yes, please! generous portions of solid food for under ten bucks. that’s always a win.
if you’re a salad eater, expect to get bouncy, vibrant greens and fresh fruit and veggies. their dressings are light and smooth, too.
ultimate guilty pleasure: the hot, open-​faced turkey sandwich (better know as the thanksgiving sammie). forget about your calorie-​counting for one day and indulge. it’s turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and gravy served on a buttermilk biscuit. aka one of the greatest things on the planet. SO WORTH IT.
it can get crowded (and with good reason) and they aren’t always great about cleaning tables quickly, but the food more than compensates. this is easily one of the best dining options in spring valley. there’s also a shaded patio which is primesauce in the summer.
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*i know you’ve been humming the chicken dance song while reading my review. and that’s okay.

This is a wonderful little place. I just started attending the law school (American University) across the street, so I need a go-​to for quick food on a study break. Of the limited options in the area, this seems to be the best place in terms of value, taste, and speed.
My wife and I go here once every few days. I’m not sure how great of a deal it is for one person, but we’ve been getting a ½ chicken, two sides, and a drink. It comes out to $ 12 and change, which is terrific for two people in the DC area.
The chicken comes out in a variety of ways (Cabos ??, original, or BBQ) and is always pretty juicy. The sides are pretty tasty too — stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, whole what mac & cheese (absolutely delicious, I don’t even normally like whole wheat pasta), and some delicious-​looking creamed spinach (probably isn’t good for you…).
Last night we tried the turkey burger. It took about 20 minutes — they gave us our sides first, and they were long gone before we got our burger. The burger was delicious though — juicy, perfectly seasoned, a great all-​around meal.
From reading some of the other reviews, it looks like we probably won’t end up trying any of the cold dishes. But really, if you’re at a steak place, you don’t order the shrimp — here, you’re at a rotisserie place. Don’t order the salad or cold chicken wrap.

I only tried the chicken pot pie here, because how can you go wrong with chicken pot pie?
It was quite expensive for a small pot pie about $ 7 and change, however it was pretty good. The workers here are quite friendly when describing the food. The pot pie tasted a bit different than other pot pies because it is basically stuffed with mashed potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, and chicken. The pot pies that I am used to are made with a creamy sauce with real potatoes, but this one was very dry. The outdoor seating is nice for a warm day. I deducted points for the price and the horde of Benz and Beamers that crowded the parking lot. I will probably come back for a feast meal when I have company over, but not anytime soon because this place made a dent in my pocket. I rather go to Boston Market.

I’ve been here three times: The first time I ordered a chicken pot pie and it was really good. Second time I got BBQ wings, and while they were OK, Wingos has this place beat by a long shot. The last time I was here, I got the classic grilled chicken sandwich, and both the chicken and the bread were really dry and bland. Better than Boston Market? General quality-​wise, yes, but at $ 8 for a chicken sandwich I shouldn’t be getting what tastes like dried-​out leftovers. The only thing here that seems to be consistently good is the corn bread (but when isn’t corn bread good?)
Good if you’re hungry and in the area, but otherwise save your money for elsewhere.

When I pay $ 8 for a chicken wrap, I expect the chicken to taste something besides cold. I also expect to use real silverware, nonpaper plates, and not have to remove my own trash after eating. I also expect that you would warm things up before serving them on a plate to customers, not just taking them out from the heat lamp they’ve been under for who knows how long. I expect that from McDonald’s, not here.
And your tex-​mex quesadilla is more like a chicken pot pie stuffed with taco salad. You’re doing it wrong.
Nobody likes listening to Pink while eating.

The food is good, but a little pricey for a lunch time stop. I can only imagine how much student loan money has gone to this place– it is one of the few decent places by American University’s law school.
If you’re like me and sides are your favorite part of Thanksgiving, go with the 3 sides + biscuit or baguette combination. I usually go with the sweet mashed potatoes (which is surprisingly has the heart healthy symbol), creamed spinach, and mix it up for the third. My friends like the Apple Cornbread stuffing and I’m interested in trying their new greenbeans with caramelized onions.
Oddly enough, I hardly order chicken at a place named Chicken Out. I find the wraps underwhelming and the one time I ordered a panini– it took forever and was pretty expensive for a small grilled sandwich.