You walk in, greeted by, "Welcome in" by friendly staff…read more Atmosphere is a time capsule, which gives a one of a kind experience. Original crispy fried chicken, warm biscuit, creamy macaroni salad, mashed potatoes with a golden gravy. I'll most definitely come back, they have Orange whip!

Pioneer Chicken is an iconic piece of Los Angeles history! Once a thriving fried chicken chain with…read morelocations scattered throughout LA, Pioneer Chicken is now down to just two remaining restaurants, including this longtime Boyle Heights location. For many Angelenos who grew up eating here, Pioneer Chicken holds a special place in their hearts. It's more than just fried chicken; it's a taste of their childhood! I've been wanting to check this place out for quite some time and finally got around to giving it a shot! Walking inside felt like stepping back into the 1970s! I absolutely loved the retro aesthetic, vintage advertisements, historical photographs, and iconic rotating sign outside. There's something charming about a restaurant that has preserved so much of its original character. It's easy to see why nostalgia keeps this place alive! **THE FOOD:** The employee working the register was incredibly friendly and helpful when I asked for recommendations. I ordered the **3-Piece Chicken Dinner ($14.99)**, which includes two sides and a biscuit. I was undecided about the sides, so I asked for suggestions and went with the Spicy Rice and Mashed Potatoes. **Spicy Rice:** Probably the better of the two sides. It had a nice little kick of spice and contained a few small pieces of chicken. It wasn't bad, but nothing particularly memorable either. Just okay. **Mashed Potatoes:** Unfortunately, these were a major disappointment! They were incredibly dense, and not in a good way. The texture was unpleasant, and I really didn't enjoy them. I almost always feel obligated to order mashed potatoes with fried chicken, but these weren't worth it. I wouldn't recommend them! I was also disappointed that mac and cheese wasn't offered as a side. **Fried Chicken:** Now for the main attraction, and unfortunately, the biggest disappointment! At first glance, the chicken looked promising! It had a beautiful golden-brown exterior with a thick, crispy, almost kettle-cooked-looking crust. Visually, it looked delicious! Sadly, looks can be deceiving! The chicken was **INSANELY GREASY!** I honestly lost count of how many napkins I went through. The breading was excessively thick, making it feel like I was eating more batter than actual chicken. The meat itself wasn't particularly flavorful or enjoyable either. I reached for their hot sauce, hoping it would add some much-needed flavor. While it helped slightly, it wasn't enough to save the meal. Between the excessive grease, overwhelming breading, and underwhelming meat, I just couldn't get into it. I hate wasting food, but I ended up throwing away most of the chicken and mashed potatoes because I genuinely wasn't enjoying them. **THE SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE:** Thankfully, the service and atmosphere were the highlights of my visit! The employees were polite, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. One thing I found interesting was that the credit card machine prompted customers to leave a tip. That's not something I typically encounter at fast-food chains like KFC or Popeyes. That said, I'm happy to tip when I receive good service, and the employees here certainly deserved recognition for their friendliness. One of my favorite discoveries was the pair of old-school, coin-operated baseball pinball games! For just a quarter, you get to try hitting a home run by landing the ball in the hole. The best part? Regardless of whether you succeed, you still win a bouncy ball! I absolutely loved this little attraction! The employees were even happy to break my dollar into quarters so I could play. It's these little touches that make visiting a nostalgic establishment like Pioneer Chicken special. I also enjoyed looking through the old photographs and advertisements documenting the chain's history. There's something fascinating about seeing how a once-popular LA institution has evolved while holding on to its identity. **FINAL THOUGHTS:** From a food standpoint, Pioneer Chicken was a **2/5 experience** for me. The chicken was excessively greasy, the breading overwhelmed the meat, and the sides were disappointing. For a restaurant built around fried chicken, I expected much better. However, I'm bumping my overall rating to **3/5 stars** because of the friendly service, wonderful nostalgia, and preserved retro atmosphere. I think Pioneer Chicken is one of those places where the emotional connection is stronger than the food itself. People come here to relive childhood memories and experience a piece of LA history that has largely disappeared. I'm genuinely happy Pioneer Chicken is still around, keeping its legacy alive for longtime fans and curious first-time visitors like myself. I'm glad I finally experienced this iconic LA institution, but unfortunately, the food didn't live up to its nostalgic charm. **Would I return?** Sadly, probably not. While I loved the atmosphere and appreciated the employees, the chicken simply wasn't good enough to bring me back.

Needless to say, like other positive reviews, best hot chicken in the US…read more But this review is specifically for their customer service. I recently had an issue with my order caused by a third party, and the team listened to my concerns and resolved the issue promptly. Everyone was incredibly friendly, attentive, and professional throughout the process. The team is amazing they deserve 10 stars.

One of the best Nashville hot chicken sandwiches I've ever had. Sometimes the line can be long and…read moreparking isn't always easy but this sandwich is worth it. It's a thick piece of chicken with crispy coating and the spice is so flavorful. The medium had me sweating! The place is more for take-out (I ate it in my car) but there is outdoor seating as well that's great for people watching

I love eating here. The wings are Top Notch, very crispy and…read morethe flavors for them are very tasty. They also have so many other good options. Surprisingly the bulgogi rice plate is really good. and Triple fries are the best.

The wings were crispy and full Of flavor. Of you like the…read moreKorean flare, this is for You. Definitely the wing spot

The inside is low lit & gives an elevated ambiance. Service was fantastic and very attentive. We…read morestarted with the pacific oysters & spicy tuna crispy rice. The pacific oysters are a good size and I really enjoyed the yuzu-kosho ponzu sauce on it. The spicy tuna crispy rice have a good amount of spicy tuna on top & I loved how crispy they made the rice underneath. The Kodo trio comes with uni, toro, & wagyu and the Toro sampler comes with o-toro, chu-toro, akami. All of these handrolls were phenomenal & just left you wanting more. The Wagyu katsu you cook on a hot stone at the table which I liked as an interactive dish. The Wagyu cheeseburger was dripping with juice but still had those crunchy edges. The Uni pasta was beautiful & delicious. The Chimichurri prawns I could eat multiple plates of- the shell comes sliced down the middle so you just have to peel it off. For dessert we ordered the Kodo basque cheesecake & Miso chocolate torte. I love a basque cheesecake & the sesame crumble added great texture. The miso chocolate torte made me wish I ordered my own. Everything from start to finish was amazing, it's hard to pick favorites. Parking- valet $13

I really enjoy eating here because service is fast and friendly. You get a lovely meal and every…read morestaff member you meet is always so friendly. Food is delicious, drinks are good, and parking isn't hard to find if you're willing to walk a little. The design kinda dark inside, but the patio is always nice. The best part? I can be in and out in less than an hour if I wanted!

Really really good chicken wings! Honey garlic and Galbi…read moreflavors are incredible 10/10 Gangnam style 8/10 wish they were spicier Spicy original 7/10 Ddeok-bokki 8/10 really enjoyed Def recommend if you like chicken wings.

An order of mine got automatically sent to this store for some reason. I called the store within 15…read moreseconds of the order being placed and they refuse to pick up. I called 15 times. Useless team members too lazy to give 2 cents about their customers, found out they are known to do this so they don't ever have to refund their customers

so so so so SO good. I got medium and the spice level was perfect for me. The lady at the register…read morewas saying how the difference between medium and the next level was big, so I played it safe with medium. She was also so sweet in helping us figure out what to order. We decided to order the chicken tenders, potato wedges, and the cheese curds. Absolutely no complaints. The chicken was SUOER crispy and super juicy. It's also huge, so next time I will be ordering two instead of three. I've also never had actual crispy potato wedges until trying this one as well. Even after finishing all my chicken, everything stayed crispy. The cheese curdles were also good. They're like mini mozzarella balls, nothing too crazy but still super delish. I will be making a return soon because this is so far, my top chicken place!!!

Food was undercooked my daughter got sick off of it…read more Beware!!!!! Be aware!!!!!!!!!!!

Epic Wings is a new Wing Spot that came into the community not so long ago with good quality wings…read morethat stand out from the competition. Restaurant is always clean and the staff provides great customer service. Price is decent - $50 will feed 3 people Must try... breadsticks and cinnabites.

Wings were alright i actually like them Service could of…read morebeen a little better , wings a cool 4 but what wasn't cool was the male server bringing my food while on the phone . Ambiance was cool I like all the TV , the place was clean and so was the restroom . The price was not well either

I was craving some wings and drove by here on a Friday at 8pm. I also saw in the parking lot a…read morespace opened and that convinced me to make the stop! Lul! This is a chain place that sells wings near a freeway entrance, and Inext to a 711 and a laundromat. I give it 5 stars because of what this place is and the style of food and service that I expected to get :) There is inside seating but it seems like more of a place where people ordered and left. I was the same with a to go order of a 10 piece combo with garlic parm and lemon pepper bone in wings. The cleanliness was fine enough and the staff was fine and nice enough :) The person that took my order smiled as I gave my order and smiled as I picked up my order. The place had a constant flow of people coming in and the staff looked all pretty busy. I like the open windows to the kitchen area too verify the cleanliness and cooking of the food :) Wings were as expect, good :) Will I return... maybe... if I'm in the area again....

Restroom closed... or was it just already cleaned and no one wanted to clean it again? How does a…read moreplace that serves fries completely run out of ketchup? On top of that, the customer service from the girl working the night shift on 9/23/26 was extremely poor. The whole experience was disappointing and honestly unbelievable. Mind you I also have worked customer service job but dang.

What a great little place. Awkwardly settled in a modern design downtown strip mall, this little…read moredining establishment is adorably decored, staffed with amazing people, and they're fried Chicken is the long. I got the mixed plate which gave me a thigh, a wing, and two tenders. The accompanying pickles are positively delicious. The sauces are made in-house and totally fire. You got to try the aoli. The fingerling potatoes are tasty and cooked perfectly, and I cannot wait to dive into that beautiful cookie. I can't express how grateful I am right now, so I found a place with delicious gluten-free fried Chicken. And at a truly Fair price. I will be back again and again and again

Pikunico is what happens when fried chicken goes to art school but still remembers where it came…read morefrom. I came for the chicken and stayed because every bite made me pause for a second. Crispy, juicy, and somehow not as heavy as fried chicken usually feels. It's the kind of meal that makes you think, "Maybe I should eat better," while actively eating fried chicken. The place is small, the menu is focused, and nobody is trying to reinvent food with foam or tweezers. They're just making really good chicken. It gets busy at the Row, but that's because people have figured it out. You walk in hungry and walk out wondering if it's too soon to come back tomorrow. I left full, happy, and with exactly zero regrets.

Amazing experience. My wife and I decided to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary at Sampa. Peter…read moreand his staff were super gracious and friendly hosts for the evening. The food was incredible too. The duck and crab rice blew us away. They take a lot of pride in their craft cocktails which also stole the show. Ube clarified drink was 1 of a kind. 10/10 must try!

The daughter mentioned Sampa during one of our planning conversations. I then recalled seeing it…read morefeatured on a Food Network show highlighting Filipino cuisine. After checking out their menu and reviews, we made reservations. Parking was tough on a Saturday night in the LA Arts District. We opted for a lot just a short walk away for $10. We arrived to an empty host stand so we walked in. We stood awkwardly by the door waiting to be acknowledged. The bar staff glanced at us but didn't say anything. It wasn't until a couple came in behind us, that one finally said, "the hostess will be with you". The hostess arrived a few minutes later. We were then seated at a nice quiet table by the bar. Matthew A. was our server. He was polite and friendly, but not attentive. Iceless, lukewarm "house water" was served in small drinking glasses and refilled only when he delivered parts of our order and noticed them empty. It would have been better to leave a cold bottle of water at the table, as other restaurants often do. We ordered the Kare-Kare Tamales, Manila Mais, Lamb Shank Kaldereta and Bicol Express Mezzelune. The Kare-Kare Tamales were our favorite. The moist masa was filled with tender braised oxtail and covered with the subtle, perfectly balanced peanut butter velouté. The bagoong dust provided just enough salty shrimp notes. A must try! The Manila Mais brought me back to the night markets of Pampanga where vendors would fan flames as rows of corn are grilled to a beautiful char. Sampa took it to another level with the bagoong butter, coconut crema and chili oil. Unfortunately the Lamb Shank Kaldereta was underwhelming. Aside from the super tender, fall off the bone lamb shank, the jus did not have much flavor. The crispy confit potatoes were not crispy at all and looked off (gray and wrinkled). The sliced carrots were better. We didn't get to try the Bicol Express Mezzelune. Our server came mid-course to tell us it was no longer available. He offered to sub for the Filipino Bucatini, which we accepted. This was our second favorite. The longanisa XO sauce was well executed, craveable and super tasty! For dessert, they only had the Ube Cheesecake left so we went with it. That took quite a while to arrive. It was ok. My last gripe of this experience is that most of the greens decoratively scattered over our dishes were wilted, which took away from the overall presentation. Even the garnish of mint leaves on the dessert was sadly limp. I'm not sure if these were just old or not stored properly. For the price point, this detail should matter. Plates are all shareable, just enough for two. The Sampa menu is creative and nostalgic. We talked about possibly giving them another try. If we do, hopefully service improves.