South of the Mason-Dixon Line, one expects glorious fried chicken and creamy mashed potatoes on every corner. Grits and barbecue should be an option at every meal. Here in Charlottesville, Wayside Takeout & Catering, featuring Ole Virginia Fried Chicken, best appears to fit this bill.
Located next to a gas station on the corner of Fontaine Avenue and Jefferson Park Avenue Extended, the small white and blue building is easy to miss. Given that it is also near restaurants like Thai ‘99 and Arirang, which offer less traditional fare, Wayside Chicken often may be overlooked.
Once inside, however, I was immediately taken in by the homey and comfortable atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with posters of University athletic teams and has flower vases filled with orange and blue stones on every windowsill. Furthermore, it seemed like most of the customers (of which there was quite a few, especially for a Friday afternoon) were townspeople there to enjoy a meal or take some home to their families.
It’s hard not to appreciate the menu, too. My friend and I ordered four pieces of chicken (two fried, two baked), a side of french fries, green beans, macaroni and cheese, a hamburger, a BLT sandwich, a chocolate Oreo pudding and a slice of cookies ‘n’ cream pie – all for less than $20.
Unfortunately, in the few minutes it took to decide what to order, the cashier began to look incredibly impatient, despite the fact that no one was waiting. Honestly, with the amount that my friend and I were ordering, I thought she would have looked more pleased, especially since the bottom of the receipt states, “Large orders are welcome.”
Luckily the order did not take long, and we were soon digging into our feast. I was looking forward most to the fried chicken but was sadly disappointed. It was slightly on the salty side and wasn’t crispy enough for my tastes. The juiciness of the chicken, however, halfway made up for it. The two-piece box came with a breast and a wing, a side of our choice and a roll for less than $4.
The baked chicken was much better than its fried counterpart. The spices and flavor of the chicken itself were incredible. For a girl who adored anything fried during her childhood, I hadn’t expected myself to be such a fan of the baked chicken.
The sides we chose (macaroni and cheese and green beans) were both unsatisfactory, however; the macaroni tasted of processed cheese and was close to solidifying because we didn’t eat it immediately. The green beans also had an air of preservatives about them. But the restaurant did attempt a twist: sweetener. The beans were sickeningly sweet, as if they had been mixed with about a cup of sugar. When we ordered them, the cashier had a bit of a double-take. “You want the what?” Perhaps that should have been a hint. As for the rolls, they tasted disappointingly store-bought.
Our other source of starch, the french fries, looked more promising – until we saw the clear layer of grease pooling underneath. As I ate one, I could see the reflection of the light overhead. To distract myself, I tried dipping the fries in some of the sauces that were at the counter. The ketchup and honey mustard were standard enough, but the barbecue sauce was rather unorthodox in that it tasted nothing like barbecue sauce. There was a strange tang to it that caused us to wonder if they had accidentally filled it with hot sauce.
We then turned to the BLT and hamburger, hoping for better luck. Tragically, the hamburger failed us, although the patty was definitely homemade. The meat was not seasoned, and condiments, including basic ingredients like tomato, cost extra. They also used shredded lettuce instead of whole leaves, which was eerily reminiscent of the sandwich line at Newcomb Dining Hall. The burger, however, was only $1.89. It’s hard to complain.
The BLT was much more to our satisfaction. While I dislike mayonnaise, I didn’t mind it on the sandwich, which was constructed with simple white bread. But the sandwich was only good, not great. The bacon wasn’t crispy enough, which I could have done on my own at home. I understand it’s difficult to make a BLT original, but using regular white bread simply contributed to an overall feeling that it wasn’t anything special.
Perhaps what took away the most from the sandwich was the price. At face value, paying only $1.75 is fantastic – if you think you’re only paying $1.75. According to the receipt, however, we paid an extra 25 cents for the tomato on the bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich. The mayonnaise, which was not listed on the menu as part of the sandwich, was free. I think I would have preferred the tomato to be included in the price and the mayonnaise to be optional.
But for all of its disappointments, Wayside Chicken redeemed itself with its desserts. Various puddings, cakes and pies are placed in a refrigerator close to the door, so they were the first things that caught my eye. Consequently, my friend and I indulged in a chocolate Oreo pudding for $1.30 and a slice of cookies ‘n’ cream pie for $1.42. The pudding was of an interesting consistency – more like thin cake batter than pudding – and topped off with a layer of whipped cream and mini Oreos. It took a few moments to adjust to the texture, but it was delicious. The pie, however, took the cake. The cookie crust was wonderfully done, and the filling was not overwhelmingly sweet — I would go so far as to say that the green beans were far sweeter than the pie, and I assure you that the pie was sweet enough.
By the end of our smorgasbord, we found ourselves full with pie and pudding – not at all what we expected to enjoy at a restaurant that specializes in chicken. I might just go back next week for another slice of that pie — but in my mind, everything else has fallen by the wayside.
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