With a name like Sneaky's Chicken and a cute logo featuring one of the Midwest's most beloved animals... The trash panda. Was there really any need to look further? I think not.
We're from Des Moines IA and we were passing through Sioux City IA on the way back from Sioux Falls SD. How else do you pick lunch in an area you're not familiar with? Yelp of course.
I caught one of the server's attention, as we walked in, and quickly asked if we needed to wait to be seated. She smiled and put her hand on my arm... "Just go ahead and take a seat anywhere honey."
We slid into a booth near the bar where the Army v. Michigan NCAAF game caught my attention. A server quickly stepped up and asked if we were there for the buffet. An all you can eat broasted/fried chicken buffet? Okay... Forget football. Now YOU have my attention. She said the buffet was $9 and change and it came with a drink.
I asked if I could take a look at the buffet before we made a final decision. She said no problem. Lettuce salad fixin's, dinner rolls, chicken, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and spaghetti. And the chicken looked really good. We grabbed two buffet plates.
Everything else was as expected...except the gravy. I'm not sure who's mama taught these guys to make gravy, but she's got to be divorced multiple times for not feeding her man right. Lawd... I like my gravy like I like my women... Thick. And this stuff was thin...built like a 1" x 8". Someone needs to go back to basics 101. A little corn starch or flour and cold water go a long way.
Who am I kidding though... I learned a long time ago you don't go to a buffet for the salad or bread. That's filler.
Right before I grabbed my plate a gal walked up with a big ole warming pan of fresh, steaming, broasted chicken. A good mix of white and dark meat. I'd plated one dinner roll and grabbed three split breasts. They looked fantastic. I even dug down for a turkey sized one I spotted under the first layer. Score! It's okay to take what you want, but I had to avoid contact with the three men behind me in line. I know they were hating on me. And I'm okay with that. I did give them a bit of smirk/half-assed grin when I walked by to get my next plate. They know the game.
My girl... She took a little of this and a little of that. smh Amateur. I tried to explain the needed strategy, but she didn't care. I tried a couple bites of hers as I wasn't going to waste my time, or plate space, on anything but the chicken. The mac n cheese was good...a little sharp, but creamy. Spaghetti...good. Mashed potatoes were fine. I didn't touch the gravy (kind of covered that above), and I wasn't feeling the corn.
Service was excellent. Quick to greet, quick with the menus (offering the buffet), drink refills came fast along with busing our empty plates. The food on the buffet stayed full and fresh.
The place itself... The interior is what you'd expect from the exterior. It's not a Michelin star restaurant. It's a little dated and has probably seen better days.
BUT I judge a chicken restaurant on the chicken and this is a great little casual joint with some damn good chicken. From what I could see they do a decent amount of take-out and catering business too along with dine-in.
If you're in the area I'd recommend you swing in here and get some. Total for our visit was around $20ish for the two of us before tip. read more