Check your frills at the door. Chow Chow Kitchen’s homey interior — wine-colored walls, stripped-down hardwood flooring and just four eat-in tables — are the first clue the Lakewood spot focuses on its Southern-inspired soul food such as po’boys, fried chicken and more all for less than $9. “Soul food should be at a decent price,” says chef and owner Joe Zegarac. “When a chef is doing soul food, they’re trying to get the peace of mind of knowing that people enjoy their food.” Take Chow Chow’s spicy, savory and crunch-tastic Nashville-inspired hot chicken ($7.50), which comes with one drumstick, one thigh, creamy coleslaw, pickles and a slice of white bread. Each piece of chicken is dry-rubbed in Cajun spices, coated in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper, dredged in high-fat buttermilk and fried for 10 minutes. With a kick from the hot and spicy oil — cayenne powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard powder and brown sugar — brushed on just before being served in Styrofoam to-go boxes, Chow Chow’s hot chicken keeps our tummies, souls and wallets full. Also Try: The charred corn and lima bean succotash ($9) comes with crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside polenta. Or opt for the smoked pulled pork po’boy ($7.50) sandwich with sweet barbecue sauce, blackened onions and Cajun sugar pickles. 14201 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-712-4126, facebook.com/chowchowkitchen
Cheap Eats: Chow Chow Kitchen
Hop on the trend and give hot chicken a try.
