Friday, February 6, 2015

GG FISH & CHICKEN - RALEIGH, NC

With an advertising budget that suddenly has them running television ads on a regular basis, we had to give GG Fish & Chicken a try. With three locations between Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina we tried the Raleigh Capital Boulevard location.

GG Fish & Chicken is a neighborhood favorite specializing in Southern cooking and the Durham location has been labeled one of the best eateries in Durham. Translated, it's a popular fried fish and chicken joint!

First impression, we weren't giving them any awards.

The Raleigh location was outdated and on the surface: nasty. We walked in and I was ready to walk out before we even thought about ordering. But there was a sizable crowd waiting and a lengthy line of customers that peeked our curiosity to know more.

Big Daddy ordered the chicken wings for us to share since they were advertising a special; 10 whole wings for $6.99. We also ordered two lunch plates. We both chose fried catfish with fries and coleslaw. And this is where GG Fish and Chicken won us over.

The wings were just so-so, nothing overly spectacular. Crisp, on the small side, not overly seasoned. In fact, barely seasoned at all. I would not order them again. Big Daddy says he would think about it.
But the fish...the fish was sheer perfection! Nicely seasoned, fried to perfection and abundantly portioned. We LOVED the catfish. So much so that we went back the next day for take out. This time Big Daddy switched up and got the fried whiting. I know not to mess with a good thing and I'm glad I stuck with the catfish. We both think it's much better than the whiting.

Where GG Fish and Chicken lost us was the atmosphere. It takes the term dive to a whole other level of down in the dumps ugly. I kept looking for something to crawl across the table that had not been wiped in a good long while. That first day I suffered through dining in. The next I opted for take out.

Will we order the fish again? Most definitely Would I try anything else on the menu? Yes! Without hesitation. Will I dine in? Hell, no! Not even if you paid me.