Restaurant/Bar Review

My sister and I both needed out. We wanted a bar where we could order some food and people watch. We decided to try The Flopping Kicking Chicken on Main Street in Summerville. Prior to staying home I worked in the food and beverage industry for nearly ten years, both “front and back of house.” I feel quite comfortable critiquing as I have been in their shoes, sometimes with wet socks for double shifts.

The bar service was fine, but it’s probably a good thing they weren’t extremely busy. We arrived on the tail end of dinner on Friday. The bar was moderately full by the time we left. Watching the bartenders, you’d assume it was three deep at the bar. It’s quite possible they are still working on finding their groove, the restaurant hasn’t been open long. The male bartender was very nice, friendly without being creepy, and somewhat efficient.

My sister says I’m biased against gauchos. Perhaps I am, but the gaucho/tube top combo on another bartender, who otherwise was very pretty, disturbed me. I was morbidly fascinated, waiting for her top to give up completely. Management should initiate a dress code for the bartenders. Clothing should be clean and comfortable and not need to be adjusted five hundred times a night, when one is required to touch drinks and food.

On a positive note, they have Newcastle on tap.

Don’t order the food. If you must, order something safe, like the stuffed pretzels. At least those came from a box and were cooked in the fryer. It’s truly hard to destroy something of that nature. Even though I ordered straight from the menu with no tweaks, tossing my chicken sandwich in the wing sauce and adding cheese was a task beyond their capabilities. It arrived bathed in grease, lacking flavor. If nothing else, any bar that pretends to serve food should have good fries. Bar fries should be sprinkled liberally with salt, preferably seasoned. No such luck, my fries were sadly limp, tasted like a freezer, and in sore need of salt. Salt and hot sauce were truly a difficult request for the gaucho girl, but she appeared busy so I was patient and only reminded her with “the stare” after several passes. Wing sauce should be a buttery concoction of heat, not a watery device for adding crushed red pepper and some unidentifiable herb. The blue cheese dressing was probably Kraft.

That atmosphere is tolerable for a local chain. There are plenty of TVs, the music had some variation, and a band was setting up to play. One man confused me; I was returning from the restroom and allowing him to pass. I thought he was waving at me, so I half heartedly returned it, wondering why simple politeness merited a wave. Well, he wasn’t waving, he was offering a high medium five. Since I had comitted to a wave, he missed, making full contact with my chest. Whoops.

The Kicking Chicken is not a bad place for a beer or cocktail, as long as that’s all you require.

As I obviously need to get out more, does anyone have any recommendations for decent bar food on the North end of town? Better yet in Summerville or Goose Creek? I love the Dog and Duck, but it’s quite the haul and I would have to take out a loan should I need to call a cab.