Monday, November 17, 2008

Fried Chicken in Pomona: Pittsburgh Broasted vs. Louisiana Fried vs. Donahoo's Golden


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It is time for some lighter news and some FOOD!

It looks like no matter where you live in Pomona there is a local walkable place to get fried chicken, so my girlfriend and I have been testing them out. So far we've eaten at Pittsburgh Broasted Chicken and Subs at Indian Hill and Holt, Louisiana Fried Chicken and China Bowl at Garey and Philadelphia to the south and Donahoo's Golden Chicken at Garey and Alvarado to the north. (There is a Church's to the west on Mission Blvd. even.)

Donahoo's is a staple in Pomona so that was easy to find, It is perfect for those in the historical district, it is take out only and it's very close to homes to walk to. Louisiana Fried is right next door to Food-4-Less where we shop sometimes, It is definitely close enough to walk to for us but I'd rather ride my bike. Pittsburgh Broasted we found through Inland Empire Restaurant and Food Reviews, it is close to Claremont and Montclair, it is more surrounding by businesses than homes but for those that work in that area it is a great place to eat.

Here are our verdicts, placed by Rankings.


3rd. Donahoo's. I know there are many Pomona faithfuls who may disagree but my girlfriend and I both agreed that Donahoo's was lacking in flavorful content. HOWEVER their sign and recognizability in Pomona is unique and deserves credit for that, however their fried chicken doesn't live up to the hype, I haven't tried their biscuits yet, I've heard they are tasty.


2nd. Louisiana Fried Chicken. If Pittsburgh weren't broasted-fried these guys would have won. Louisiana FC has very tasty chicken full of flavor and the hot sauce definitely packs that extra punch we often crave. Plus if you have the hankering for Chinese food that option is present.


1st. Pittsburgh Broasted. Though more expensive then the other two, Broasted makes the chicken healthier, less greasy and more juicy while retaining fried chicken values (since it is technically still fried just under pressure). Lousiana Fried has slightly better flavor than the Pittsburgh Broasted Original, BUT Pittsburgh Broasted has other options! We also tried their Cajun flavored broasted chicken and that was exceptional! One other option we did not try was their lemon pepper broasted. They also have sandwiches and subs and EVEN Korean Bar-B-Q chicken (chicken Bulgogi).

Interestingly enough Donahoo's owners are Chinese-American (Mandarin speaking) Louisiana's owners are Vietnamese-American and Pittsburgh's owners are Korean-American.

Next to try are Popeye's (which I haven't had since I was a kid) and Church's we won't be considering KFC for contention (maybe). And then we'll be comparing roasted chickens e.g. Juan Pollo vs Macho Pollo. In the meantime, here's a link for your enjoyment about someone trying to find an ordinance for keeping chickens in Chicago.

8 comments:

pomona's art colonists said...

I don't like fried chicken very much, even though I come from Georgia and was raised on it, every Sunday.
The barbecue chicken at Joey's BBQ on Second St. in Pomona is the bomb! In fact every thing at Joey's is great! they even have hushpuppies ;-)

John Clifford said...

I vote for Popeyes (although the location on Holt can be a little dicy). Even if the chicken isn't to your taste, the red beans & rice is VERY good.

pomona's art colonists said...

I have been eating at Donahoo's for many years. I remember going there about 15 years ago and just loving the flavor, and service. I used to call it in from my teachers phone in High School so it would be ready when I got there at lunch time. I usually only got the fillet lunch, which is like chicken strips. Or sometimes we would only order fries and ask for extra seasoning salt, (note: they didn't have ketchup). But going back about a year ago from a long hiatus, I noticed things were different. The food is now ready made, and not cooked to order. I asked for extra salt on the fries, and didn't get it. The kitchen is re-arranged, and my favorite cook is gone. I thought of him as "pops" he always put the extra salt when asked. As for the chicken, it's missing something from the old days, perhaps seasoning? Well its still good, but greasy and the rolls just don't have as much butter as I remember. You have to try it for yourself... and I have to try the other two on the list, thanks for the suggestion.
-Juan

Andrew said...

I forgot to mention Pittsburgh Roasted has these AWESOME Potato Squares that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'll have to make it out to Joey's soon.

pomona's art colonists said...

Ask for Oscar, he's one of the sons of the owners of the Pomona location...WE LOVE OSCAR! tell him Susie from Bunny Gunner sent you.
-Susie

Mona Hsieh said...

i'm going to drag corona one of these days...wanna come with?

Andrew said...

Sure I'll go with does that mean there will be four of us?

Phil Fried said...

I'm a big fat guy who loves fried chicken, and I wish to god you'd posted some photos of the stuff these eateries serve up :)