Finally decided to try Southern Jerks after seeing all the hype on Instagram. For some reason, I…read morethought it was much farther away, but it turned out to be only about 15 minutes from me. Located inside a gas station, so it's easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. Luckily, there wasn't much of a line when I visited. The staff was friendly and polite. I was in and out in about 20 minutes.
One thing I didn't realize beforehand is that they specialize in chicken wings and chicken strips rather than offering a full range of fried chicken pieces. They do have a few non-chicken items, though. I'll definitely be back to try the jerk burger.
The chicken itself was hot, crispy, juicy, and well seasoned. Their dry seasoning has a unique flavor, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, my order was missing the dipping sauces, so I can only judge the chicken on its own. It honestly doesn't need sauce, but I'm on a lemon pepper quest and was reaaaallllly looking forward to trying the jerk lemon pepper.
The mac and cheese was probably the best I tried anywhere. Cheese pull and everything. Better than most sit down restaurants. I was also pleasantly surprised by the dirty rice. It's the first place I've found where the rice isn't mushy.
The fries were well seasoned and came as crinkle-cut fries, which I actually preferred. I noticed that the fries shown on the menu and in some customer photos look different from what I received, so they may be experimenting with them. If so, I hope the crinkle-cut fries stay. I appreciated that they include jalapeños and rolls with the chicken orders.
I ended up chatting with a few other customers, and they were there for the same reason I was: they'd seen Instagram videos calling Southern Jerks "the best chicken in Houston." That's a bold claim in a city with so many outstanding fried chicken spots. I wouldn't personally give it the top spot, but it absolutely holds its own and is well worth trying. It was fun watching the chicken being freshly fried while waiting for my order.
My only real complaints were the missing sauces and the price. It's a little more expensive than I expected, especially considering the location, and you have Frenchy's, Popeyes, Timmy Chans, and a few other local spots all there competing.
Overall, Southern Jerks serves flavorful chicken, excellent sides, and the best mac and cheese I've had anywhere. While I don't think it's the best fried chicken in Houston, it's definitely worth visiting to decide for yourself.