Billy and the Chicks

I had a very quick meal here recently (I was running late for a show) and was really impressed with Billy and his Chicks.
For one — the prices are very reasonable for these neck of the woods. £9 for 6 wings, fries and a side of either gravy or coleslaw.
The wings were coated in a deliciously spicy batter packed with lots of spices and herbs. They were so tasty and I could have eaten 20 of them — although 6 were enough :-P
The chips were excellent. They were hand cut style chips similar to Honest Burger but without the rosemary which I prefer.
The showstopper though was the gravy, OMG. Sooooooooo dammnnnn good!!! It’s American style gravy which you rarely find in the UK and should not be missed. Drop it over your chicken, dip your chips in it or drink it straight. It too good to waste.
The staff were friendly and attentive. Service was really fast. The inside was very cosy and there was a DJ spinning. Pretty cool!
Billy, I’ll be seeing you again very soon!

I found the seasoning and flavours of the batter lacked the punch and richness that I was hopping for, for me it tasted nothing more beyond the salt and pepper. The ribs were decent, really settled sweet and smoky flavours, perhaps even better than the chicken itself. Overall, I would be more than happy to return for take away as I felt the quality justified the price. But with most items cost two times when you sit in, I am just not sure if it is value for money.

A New venture as of December 2015 is I town and I knew what to get as soon as I saw the menu as I walked in casually over weekend.
The ‘Stinger Burger’ at new Soho Chicken shop Billy and the Chicks. Chicken breast marinated in Kashmiri chilli powder & Morgan’s Scorpion chilli, the world’s second spiciest chilli. Hell yeah! Only, for my palette l, it wasn’t really hot at all. A little brief moments I pondered my tongue going for a swim, but it was all too brief. I’ve had the worlds hottest chilli in Seattle and didn’t bat an eyelid, so maybe I’m immune to it all.
I did like that it’s in a toasted demi-​brioche bun by none than Bread Ahead and an extra bit of cheese from Neal’s yard. A tag team combo worthy of any meal. In fact i would say that the cheese helped make it.
For me though the burger was OK. Very meaty chicken. Which of course is good but I’d prefer like how batter is to a good fish cod, to have a thicker coating of herbed spicy crust to the chicken to really taste that with the meat.
Had to also get some of their devilish riblettes for added meaty pleasure. Rude not to really. I thought these were interesting to see on menu, but OK. I think it’s better to just try ribs for only a fraction more. Less tender I’d describe just more crispy almost.
Good to see gravy and a fair few other sides on menu. Fairly cosy space inside, though much bigger than you realise from exterior. Nice little décor touches too (see pics).
The prices are very affordable actually. I know I went on soft launch weekend, but it’s decent prices, for soho anyway.
Saying all this I’d go back to try the chicken on its own, to really taste it without a bun; but not sure it’s the best fried chicken I’ve had… and in London there is a lot. Early days though so let’s see how they develop. To be honest it’s just good to see a dedicated fried chicken place that’s not on the outskirts of London!