Californians tend to get scrunchy faces when you mention any sort of food sold in a gas station. It’s a pained look at your obvious ignorance for even suggesting such a horror.
Not so when you venture east of the Mississippi, where a fill-up means more than just petrol. In fact, gas stations from Pennsylvania to Louisiana routinely have some of the best homemade fried chicken and barbecue at small-town pitstops where restaurants are few and far between. Among the most popular: Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a Louisiana-style fried chicken spot with more than 2,300 locations in 41 states.
What may shock and surprise you: It’s pretty darned good.
Sonoma County now has two of its very own, in Geyserville at AJ’s Mini Mart (21079 Geyserville Blvd.) and the newest at the Fuel and Food Market (4856 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa).
What makes KKC worth a stop? We loved the crispy crust and tasty seasoning that made it a stand out even among more bespoke versions at local restaurants, and definitely a step above KFC. The breast meat was a little drier than ideal, but ours had also been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. Also impressive were “boudin balls” (think poor man’s arancini, made with ground pork and rice and fried into a crisp, mouth-blistering nugget. Plus, its a bargain for a quick lunch or family, with a two piece combo with biscuit just $3.99 and a 12-piece family combo with biscuits and fries for $16.99.
What makes the Redwood Hwy. KKC especially notable is that you can load up on fried chicken, honey biscuits so short you’ll wonder if there’s a single can of Crisco left in the universe while also stocking up on Indian food staples like ghee, basmati rice and aloo bhujia (fried potato snacks).
It’s a curious combination, but one worth seeking out just for the culinary adventure. Just make sure to grab a few napkins.
If you go: The family that runs the Larkfield gas station still seem a little mystified about some of the dishes and fresh chicken can be a little limited at lunch, but if you ask, they’ll fry up some fresh in a jiffy. There’s a little picnic table outside, but we suggest taking it to go and finding your own little bit of heavy to enjoy your KKC.
Cashier touched chicken with his Bear Hands,
At the same time he’s helping a Customer grabs the money with one hand and a piece of chicken Breast With the other hand,
Then Eventually he touches the chicken with hands NO gloves. …. No Way!!!
(((SUPER DEEP Fried Chicken))) GROSS!!
I walked out.
Grossed out by fingers in the sauce, you should work a few days in a commercial kitchen and see how the real world is. The gloves go on in lots of places when they make your sandwich, then take your 29 dollar bill, give you change and hand you the bag with your sandwich, then start on the next sandwich. At that point I will usually just walk away since they just don’t follow any standards. Same goes for large deli’s in Supermarkets, the guy slices the lunch meat for you, the goes answers the phone, that is normal , not sanitary but thats what happens. So either accept that sanitation standards are not 100% or starve. What is really bad are fast food joints, all of them , I have delivered stuff to them and the back where they cook the stuff, is gross. Take my word for it.
This chicken selling in Santa Rosa is old news. It used to be sold in the Santa Rosa Liquor and Deli on Santa Rosa ave. next to the Palms Hotel in 2015-16. Really good but it didn’t take off at that time, guess it was the location. Strange that it would be a hit now being sold out of a gas station.
25 years ago, that’s right, 25 years ago, went to Perry’s Deli to get a sandwich and the woman making the sandwich had a baby in her arms and naturally was patting the kid on the diaper, didn’t wash the hands. Needless to say, never ordered another sandwich there again.
You gave away the secret seasoning!
L last I checked you can still get a sandwich at Perry’s but this little fad will be gone in no time at all. You were so offended maybe you should have moved back to LA. Of course 45 years ago, yes 45, oh, never mind.
That’s why I didn’t eat at your restaurants after that 1st meal Guy.
Custom-made chicken must already bespoken for;
But I’ll try it anyway, because it’s fried!
I have ordered chicken to go at the KKC inside the Shell gas station on Redwood. It was very good and much better than KFC or Popeye’s. The chicken breast was moist and spiced just right. I don’t eat fried chicken very often so the deep fry doesn’t bother me.
As for cleanliness and food safety, I watched the lady don on a pair of disposable gloves to coat the chicken in the batter mixture. I would order the chicken in the future here.
The people who own this place are clean, neat, and conscientious. Fried chicken is not health food so to warn people about the cardio is gratuitous. The chicken here is a great value. It is tasty, well cooked, and hefty. My family and everyone I know in Larkfield who has tried it, loves it. They review was spot on.
My family and I have been enjoying the chicken and biscuits since day one of their opening in Larkfield. One Christmas, I took huge platters of their chicken to work for everyone, and it was a big hit! If you have not tried it, you are missing out on a real treat. The seasonings are amazing and the chicken is fresh, never frozen. It’s Larkfield’s hidden gem…..but not anymore….our secret is out.
4.5
…and further more, deep fried food whether it’s sold in a gas station or not is BAD for your cardiovascular system no matter what age. Please don’t fall for one of the most unhealthy most “pushed on Americans” for some big companies profit line. Eat healthy, feel happier, you can do it!
Do not go to the Larkfield location! I went in there in pay for fuel and went to the restroom, the lady working there was just coming out of the restroom when I went in the restroom I noticed a very very dirty restroom with NO SOAP!! And she started to make chicken with her hands that she did not wash. That place is gross! -5stars
Yucch, thanks for the warning. I was at an El Pollo Loco a while ago, an old, wrinkled woman stood at the bowl of some sauce and put her fingers in it, pushing what was on the side down into the bowl! I squawked, what are you doing, she mumbled something in Spanish and scooted away, I was soooo disgusted I did not order any food there! If that is what they do out in the public area, God only knows what filth is in the back!
That’s the sonoma county secret spice Tony.
0.5