Drive-Thru Gourmet

Behold Church's smokehouse chicken, the best value in drive-thru

Courtesy photo

This week, I reached out for a plate of Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken, new from the "double-breaded" bone-in chicken shack, Church's, with 1,650 restaurants 'cross America and 'round the world.

This is an tastier and legit improved version of Church's original Smokehouse Chicken, introduced in 2016 and brought back earlier this year.

Here's the Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken breakdown: a half-chicken, marinated in smoky seasoning, deep-fried without breading or batter, then glazed with a sweet sauce laced with bourbon flavor and cracked black pepper.

Here's where I typically list the nutritional count, including calories, fat grams and carbs — and it's the law that fast food chains must post these numbers. But there's a loophole, isn't there always? They don't have to give up the digits on limited-time-only specials, like Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken.

You know, while Congress is busy doing nothing about serious issues facing our country, maybe they can get the chains to reveal the nutritionals on special items.

The only information I could squeeze out of Church's ... "the calories and fat grams are less than our classic fried chicken since there is no breading to absorb the oil."

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $5 for half a chicken, one side dish and one honey-butter biscuit. We're talking a real half-chicken — a breast, thigh, leg and wing. This may be the best bargain meal going in the drive-thru.

The half-chicken is served in one piece, so you have a choice of attacking it with a knife and fork or picking it up with your bare hands and scarfing it savage-style. Either way, you're going to need a few extra napkins. This is juicy, juicy chicken — even the dreaded white meat breast.

Because Bourbon Black Pepper Smokehouse Chicken has no breading or batter, it pops from the fryer with super-crispy skin that seals in the chicken's natural juices. I usually avoid ordering fried chicken breasts because they're like shoe leather, but this white meat had me reaching for napkins. A wet, shiny chin isn't appealing.

The bourbon glaze has a ton of flavor that will have you giving the leftover bones a second lick before tossing the box. This is one of the most innovative items to hit the drive-thru in years.

For your side, choose between: mashed potatoes with gravy, fries, baked mac 'n' cheese, jalapeno cheese bombers, corn and slaw. The smart play is mac 'n' cheese.

And for dessert, Church's incomparable, sweet, chewy, honey-butter biscuit.

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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know in the comments or on Twitter.

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Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

The Houston Astrodome is both the city’s crown jewel and a rotting albatross depending on which direction you view it from. To address the ongoing problem of what to do with the facility, the Astrodome Conservancy has unveiled Vision: Astrodome, the latest bold plan to repurpose the dome by turning it into a small city-within-a-city with four inner buildings and walkable green spaces.

“Our 8th Wonder of the World is as Houston as it gets,” says Abbie J. Kamin, Houston City Councilmember from District C. “This historic protected landmark, filled with generations of memories and a legacy of iconic sports and music, is woven deeply into our hearts and our heritage. I am grateful that the Astrodome Conservancy has found a path forward to not only save the Dome but provide an economic asset Houstonians can enjoy year-round.”

Here's the vision. There will be a central event space on the dome floor. Four building will surround it, offering restaurants, retail shopping, and offices. The plan should result in 450,000 square feet of revenue generating space, all within the confines of the dome itself.

In addition, a connecting boulevard will move visitors throughout the area. This plan is based on New York City’s Highline, a raised walkway built on an old viaduct that opened in 2009 and has become a template for repurposed city architecture across the nation. Not only will the dome boulevard connect the various structures inside the dome, but also lead to the other buildings in NRG Park.

Built in 1965, the Astrodome is one of the most iconic sports stadiums still standing in the world. It was the first domed stadium, ushering in a new era of air-conditioned sports entertainment that earned it the nickname 8^th Wonder of the World. Muhammad Ali fought in the dome, it hosted Wrestlemania, the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match took place there, and it was of course the longtime home of the Houston Oilers, Houston Astros, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

When it closed in 2008 (and failed to meet fire code the next year), no one quite knew what to do with it. Ken Hoffman, writing in 2019, called it “puny and old, an embarrassing, dingy public eyesore” next to the shiny new NRG Stadium. In 2013, the city held a referendum on spending $217 million to renovate the dome, which failed and seemed to doom the dome to the wrecking ball.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett started a campaign to save the dome, leading to a long and protracted discussion on what was best for the city. On the one hand, the Astrodome is a fully paid-for asset of Harris County and an iconic landmark to boot. On the other hand, no one could agree on what to do or how to pay for it. The dome waited.

In 2016, the Astrodome Conservancy was formed as a private nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the dome. To date, they have raised $3 million toward the project, which is still a drop in the bucket when it comes to remodeling the space. Two years later, Harris County Commissioners court approved $105 million to raise the floor and turn the dome back into an event space. Progress was again halted under Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who questioned whether renovating the dome was a wise use of the county’s money. The county currently spends $150,000 to $400,000 to maintain the empty dome.

So, what will Vision: Astrodome cost and where will the conservancy get it? The answer to the first question is currently: don’t know. The answer to the second question is: don’t know, but . . .

Vision Astrodome is meant to be a “conversation starter” between the major stakeholders in NRG Park according to official press documents. That likely means the conservancy is hoping to leverage economic interest and city pride to raise the money from the Houston Texans and the rodeo. Both have a contract with the county that gives them priority at NRG Park until 2032 and are unlikely to approve anything that threatens the parking situation in the complex.

The rest will likely come from Harris County itself, paid for through taxes and hotel fees. Houston refused to foot the bill in 2013, but nostalgia may have turned the hearts of the populace since then, especially if Houston can get a first-class facility out of the deal. Until then, the dome sits as it has for 15 years, watching the city pass it by.

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.