THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED.

About two months ago, I noticed a new place on Howell Mill – LEROYS FRIED CHICKEN.  I’ll admit it – I got very excited.  Immediately, a picture came to mind. Leroy – white t-shirt, apron, that old-time cook’s cap that fits like a Navy hat, standing over a deep fryer, cigarette butt hanging out the left side of his mouth.  In my mind, before I ever went, this was going to be the PERFECT fried chicken.

You see, the sign on Howell Mill has everything in all caps.  But when you get to the menu itself, it’s not Leroy’s, but LeRoy’s Fried Chicken.  Very different.  “LeRoy” is Julia LeRoy.  Not quite the cook I had in mind.  Or the fried chicken.  LFC is a walk-up, for all intents and purposes.  They have three tables and a total of six chairs.  I stood, as there was a party of three (rudely using a fourth chair for their bags) and a table of two.  I think they intend to be a carry-out place.  More about that in a minute.

To the chicken – I went with a one piece meal: a breast with macaroni and cheese and a biscuit.

This was one pretty piece of fried chicken. The outside was crispy.  Their claim on this chicken is two fold – local hens, fried in lard.  I can testify to the fried in lard.  It tasted like lard.  It tasted like garlic powder.  Strongly.  The chicken WAS moist and tender.  It just didn’t taste good.

That’s in contrast to the mac-n-cheese, which didn’t taste at all.  Bland.  Bland.  Bland.  The biscuit was the saving grace – exceptional.  Light and flaky.  I’d go back for a biscuit.  Or three.  I might want to do it soon, because as soon as everyone tries the fried chicken for the first time, they’ll lose their potential client base and won’t be open, IMO. (FWIW, They closed on October 27, 2011).