Southern

If Shakespeare were to write a review of Southern, he would doubtlessly entitle the work, «Much Ado about Something Not Warranting So Much Ado.» Southern, Byrd and Barrel, Gus’s, Old Standard: our town is in the throes of a veritable fried-​chicken renaissance. Battered birds are on our minds and tongues, if not in our tummies, and many restaurants have sprung up to add their greasy plates to the pile. Southern, in an effort to distinguish itself, presents for our high-​fat consumption the fabled Nashville native «hot chicken.»
Now, most fried chicken is served hot (unless you’re raiding your leftover bucket in the fridge). Nashvillians claim a twice-​hot version for themselves, one that is both hot in temperature and in flavor. Southern offers levels of spiciness to accommodate those whose interest in the Dixie treat is not paired with a high pain tolerance. (The reviewer tried the «hot,» a step below the ultimate «Cluckin’ hot» and found the capsaicin levels moderate enough to not swiftly beckon an ulcer.)
So whyfore wouldst the Bard cast shade upon thine bonny establishment? Because, while good, quick, and reasonably priced, Southern’s fare is not worth the wait. At peak hours, patrons queue up through the building and onto the surrounding sidewalk to get their hands on the fiery poultry. After downing a meal, one will surely wonder why all the fuss. The ingredients are better than the average established by the finger lickin’ chickens chains we grew up with. But is a thigh a revelation? Is a wing a delicacy? Do your taste buds demand more of the hot’s heat? Nay. You’re likely to consider coming back the next time you’re in the neighborhood and there’s no line. Fried chicken by any other name would still taste as fair.
(Side note: the service was excellent across the board, so the above in no way slights their collective efforts.)

Prepare to get addicted. The fried chicken here is unlike all the others I’ve tried; the breading is crisp and never falls off the tender chicken in a breaded mess, and the hot chili oil sauces play a mesmerizing symphony on my tongue. The sides are solid (favorites are mashed potato and macaroni ‘n cheese) and even the pickles on the side leave me wanting more… the long lines are more justified here than they are at Pappy’s next-​door, but I just call ahead and order to-​go :)

Holy crap! Found my new favorite STL restaurant. Saw the line, then walked right back out. Then my boyfriend decided to look at the line, and said, ah that’s short, it won’t take long. Boy, am I glad we went back in. :) Had a fun chat in line with the other #stlfoodies behind us, trying to decide what to have. Seriously so good, worth the wait. Can’t wait to try it again. You won’t be disappointed. I heard several sitting around us saying this is the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. They are right.

Southern does chicken right! But beware of the unassuming levels of spice; their «Medium» heat is nearly intolerable for me, someone who grew up on spicy food. After a couple times ordering the medium-​spiced tenders, my husband and I decided that we’d be better off with the «mild.» Spice-​induced runny nose just isn’t sexy.
I tried the burger, which was surprisingly good considering its simplicity, and the sides served here are awesome. The greens are flavorful, as are the butternut squash, mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes.
I’m thankful Southern extended hours on Friday and Saturday because it gives me another great option for dinner for the fam.

I was so excited to want to try this place out when it first opened up. I kept waiting to go with friends and it just wasn’t happening. Finally my dad wanted to go for lunch before an event down in St. Louis. What a perfect time and idea. I was excited to go and couldn’t wait. The set up is very similar to their neighbors, Pappy’s, which is conveniently right next door/​down the hall. Chicken and barbecue, YUM! You all just have my southern heart.
You have a menu hanging from the ceiling and some paper menus to look at as you wait in line. We got there when there really wasn’t a line. So huge tip is go early. Because just like their neighbors, once they are out of something they are out for the day. I got the original 2 white piece meal, which was super good. I liked the breading and how moist my pieces were. Like they were so juicy and tasty and… can I go back for seconds? But seriously, that was some of the best fried chicken that I’ve had in awhile. I also got some mashed potatoes and lima beans (the seasonal vegetable of the day). The potatoes were good. They had a good flavor to them. I would recommend getting them if you don’t know what sides to get. The lima beans were alright, nothing to seriously write home about though. My mom got the same meal I did, but her sides were the chips and sweet potatoes. She enjoyed her meal as well. The sweet potatoes weren’t bad at all, and that is coming from someone who doesn’t like sweet potatoes. My dad got the 3 white piece chicken meal in their hot seasoning. The guy at the counter ask how crazy he was for doing that because it was hot. We answered crazy enough. My dad got the mac n cheese and beets as his sides. He liked his chicken, but agreed that that was probably just a pinch too hot for him. I had a taste of his mac n cheese and wasn’t really impressed by it. To me it tasted awful, but he liked it so I let him eat it. All the meals come with bread and fresh pickles. I wish I could get a jar of these pickles because I would just love to snack on them.
The only two negatives that I cannot fault the business for are the lack of parking attached to this building and not easily being able to get back onto Olive at certain times of the day. Both things are a nightmare to deal with.
I would say if you want some good fried chicken, you really should give this place a chance.

As soon as I saw this restaurant in the river front times, I knew this was a must go to. After, seeing hot chicken restaurants from Nashville on different travel shows, I knew I would have to travel there to try it. But since we have one now in St. Louis the wait is over.
Upon walking into the restaurant there was a line already out the door. The somewhat small space doesn’t allow for a lot of seating but for what it lacks in seating makes up in great hot chicken. Although the line was long, they kept getting people in and out at a nice pace.
I ordered a four piece chicken tenders with the mashed potatoes with gravy and southern greens. Of course being my first time there, I went straight for the hottest option on chicken, clucking hot. There was a good amount of heat with the first couple of bites but the heat really came with some time during the rest of the meal. Chicken aside, one of the best parts of the meal is the piece of bread that is underneath all the chicken. This piece of bread catches every drop of sauce and crispy morsel that falls off the chicken while you eat it.
My girlfriend ordered the 2 white piece plate with the general tso sauce, Mac and cheese, and chips. The chicken was juicy and the General tso sauce was beyond good. The Mac and cheese was creamy and was topped with bread crumbs which added a nice crunchy aspect. If it wasn’t for the desire to get the hottest chicken, I would have ordered this type.
One thing that really stood out to me was that the wait staff and even the chef were constantly walking through the seating area checking in on patrons. I just don’t see that very often until you go to a nicer sit down restaurant. I would completely recommend this restaurant and I am really planning my next trip to Southern.

The food is amazing! We got 2 chicken breasts-​1 medium and the other hot. Both were delicious and packed some heat and the chicken was moist. The friend green tomatoes and mac & cheese were awesome! The staff was very friendly and the owner, Rick Lewis circulated the restaurant checking on customers. One of the best places
I’ve eaten in St. Louis!

My review is based upon an alarming amount of visits within a small amount of time…
I know fried chicken is the new trend and I thank god for it. A few other establishments in the city have taken it on and frankly left me underwhelmed and in some cases in awe of the prices. Not here. Southern does everything well from the time you walk in the door to the moment you leave 5 pounds heavier with a smile on your face.
You may encounter a line, but just like their next door neighbors, it moves pretty quickly and you will find a place to sit so stop panicking.
Not a huge menu because Southern is a well rounded concept and it’s all in the execution. Order your chicken in varying levels from original (delightful) to a not for the faint of heart slow burn. I loved it, but I have a pretty high heat tolerance. They warn you when you order for a reason folks. All the sides I have tried have been pretty good. For me the most important is the mac and cheese which seems to be evolving and getting better each time I go. Yes, I said each time. It’s important.
Tell your vegetarian friends you will see them another time and go and enjoy all Southern has to offer. If you are disappointed you probably didn’t order enough food.

The wife and I, after a recent stop in Nashville at one of the famous spicy chicken spots, have been craving good fried chicken and we’re excited to try Southern. It did not disappoint! We went there during a torrential downpour, which dampened my experience a little bit. But that had absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant.
Right next to Pappys, we went around 2 on a Saturday. The line was not too bad, about 20 minutes or so and we waited another 20 minutes before eating. The seating was definitely limited in here, but I assume that when the weather gets nicer they may have outdoor seats. The food was, well, incredible. We tried the mild chicken tenders and medium chicken breast. The chicken was perfect– crispy skin with tons of flavor, juicy and tender on the inside. We also tried out the General Tsos style which was good. But next time we’re just going for the medium.
We tried the fried tomatoes. They were pretty thin and a little heavy on the frying for my taste but still good. Also the biscuit with honey butter and jam. The biscuit was HUGE. But tasty. Just be prepared for way too much food for a normal human being.
Looking forward to going back!

I’m usually reluctant to rate a restaurant at 5 stars. If I were a teacher, I would be that strict one who can always find some little mistake to mark down on so that you’ll end up with 99% instead of 100%. Good thing I’m not a teacher! But the point is that I’m selective.
I know there’s a lot of hype around this restaurant, so when I visited for dinner, I wasn’t expecting too much, especially since my not-​so-​great bbq experience next door by the same owners. However, as it turns out, I love the chicken here! I know it’s supposed to be hot chicken (based off of restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee), but I don’t do spicy well. I ordered the original 2 piece dark chicken meal, which has the least amount of spice in it. I say least because even though it’s not supposed to be spicy, the spices in it still give it a tiny kick, but that’s okay because I can handle that and it tasted awesome to me! The meat was cooked so well and the outside breading part was perfectly crunchy and a delicious complement to the meat inside.
For sides, I had the greens and something with butternut squash. The butternut squash was my favorite side because of the texture and the sweetness. It was well cooked and helped round out the meal.
I really enjoy Hattie B’s famous hot chicken in Nashville (and I’ve also enjoyed Prince’s), and this comes pretty close in tastiness — except that it’s actually in my city! Until Southern opened up, I wasn’t satisfied with the options here in St. Louis (I’ve been to Old Standard and wasn’t that impressed). Now I know where I’m headed when I get a craving for some artery clogging awesomeness — straight to Southern!

Better than Gus’s. Would be as good as Hattie B’s in Nashville if the heat levels were better calibrated. To wit, the hot felt like medium, and the cluckin’ hot felt like hot. Granted, my spicy-​food tolerance is very high, but I’d like to see the hottest option challenge me a bit, rather than provide a mere kick.
That said, the crispy coating and tender meat (I got the 2-​pc white plate) were on point, as were my sides of beets and butternut squash. The beets were *really* good. Wish the plate had come with a small biscuit, though. Instead, we had to order the biscuit appetizer – delicious, but HUGE. Three of us ordered two and didn’t finish them.
Price-​wise, this was actually kind of cheap given the quantity.

My coworkers and I have been dying to try this place and we finally were able to just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Am so glad we did as this is the best fried Chicken I’ve had in STL and they are doing Nashville hot chicken absolutely perfectly also.
I had the medium tenders with the mac n cheese and house chips — everything was great! The tenders had a nice kick and were super moist and flavorful. My colleague got the hot tenders and he said they were pretty spicy — we had ordered everything to go so we could eat back at the office. Let it be known that everyone in our nook of the office now knows how hot the hot is as we watched him painfully enjoy those tenders. Super amusing if I might say!
Even having been open for a while now, Southern is still pretty packed around lunch time — we popped in on a Thursday around noon and the line was maybe 12 to 15 people outside of the entrance. It took around 25 minutes to order and this wasn’t a big deal but good for those on a tight timeline to try to arrive a bit early!

I’m not a chicken connoisseur by any means and I’m a firm believer that fried chicken can only be so good. That being said, Southern perfects the «art» of ‘hot’ chicken.
Southern is the conjoined sister restaurant of Pappy’s as it is actually connected in the same building. It shares the same restrooms and co-​owner, and it really shows. The style is very similar to Pappy’s with the «wait in line and order» style and group seating. You will find individual tables if you are lucky enough.
When we went, it was very crowded and we were forced to sit in a group table with a few others. I’m a very self-​conscious saucy chicken eater, so I was definitely grabbing extra paper towels to make sure I wasn’t elbow deep in sauce.
The quality of a fried chicken restaurant depends largely on their selection of sauces, especially a ‘hot’ chicken restaurant. Southern has a good variety of sauces with a wide range of spiciness ranging from mild to cluckin’ hot. They also have an asian inspired sauce, general tsao, that is their sweet and spicy sauce.
I got the half chicken plate with general tsao style because it seemed like the best bang for your buck. My girlfriend got the four chicken tender plate with hot sauce on the side to dip. Since my girlfiend got the sauce on the side, we were able to try the chicken without any sauce, and it was actaully very flavorful without any sauce, some of the best fried chicken I’ve tasted. I really enjoyed the general tsao sauce, but not so much the hot sauce. I felt the hot sauce was just hot oil that added spiciness but no flavor. While some may enjoy this, it’s just not my thing. Also, while some have mentioned that their «hot» sauce is not that spicy, I found it to be a level of spiciness that I expected given that they also have a level of spicy above, cluckin’ hot.
The traditional way to eat hot chicken is to have the chicken tossed with the sauce, however if you are not sure which style or sauce to get, then I would recommend asking to get sauce on the side. This way you can also try out more than one sauce. If you do decide to go this route, I would recommend getting the chicken tender plate, as chicken tenders are slightly easier to dip in sauce.
As far as the sides go, I’ve tried the mashed potatoes, greens, mac n’ cheese, and hoppin’ john. Out of those, I really preferred the mashed potatoes and hoppin’ john. The mac n’ cheese was just what you would expect, nothing special and the smokey flavor of the greens wasn’t my favorite.
Overall, I highly rate this place and I will be back to try some of the appetizers that others on here have recommended.

Synopsis of my last review: ⁴⁄₅. Only a rather cold serving of Macaroni & Cheese stopped me from awarding Southern the coveted rating of 5 stars…
So my subsequent visit to this fried chicken Mecca proved to be great! The Mac & Cheese was hot and cheesy, while the vinegar slaw was a nice way to cool the palette between bites of that Cluckin’ Hot delight!
Take a bow, Southern. You continue to amaze and satisfy. 5 stars well earned!

Think Pappy’s but a fried chicken joint. Same setup & décor from the paper towel rolls on the table tops to the ordering format to the line wrapped around the building… this is Pappy’s baby daddy.
Let me preface my review by saying I am not much of a fried food eater so my 3.25 star review (rounded to 4 for Unilocal purposes) should be taken with a grain of salt if you love a good greasy spoon.
Moving on… the employees were all fantabulous! Very pleasant, (especially the adorable door greeter chick) the line manager was super cool as well. I was smiled at by 3 other employees and asked if I had been helped by another 2 employees. I’d say this place is ran pretty efficiently.
Now on to the grub… I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes (in my daddy’s honor, he loves them) 2 original wings and a banana pudding. I know none of this really matches but like I said I’m not much for deep fried droppings.
The Fried Green Tomatoes were AMAZING! The wings were fried hard (purposely crunchy) and well seasoned. The banana pudding was a disappointment; nothing like I imagined, lacking the savory sweetness that I know good banana pudding to have. I suggest the chef revamp the recipe but who cares what I suggest.
Nicely decorated, local desserts on-​hand, connected to Pappy’s with a shared restroom and rear parking lot.
Enjoy, it’s so St. Louis.

Delicious.
This chicken is flavorful, tender, and has the perfect amount of spiciness. You should definitely try it; it beats out Juniper and Old Standard.
The sides are OK– the slaw is nothing to write home about, the Mac n’ cheese is standard, the hoppin’ john was fine, and the banana pudding was runny.
Come for the chicken! You won’t be disappointed.
Also, the fried green tomato sandwich is pretty flippin’ good too.

You’ll definitely have love in your tummy after dining at Southern. It may be heart stopping and you’ll have heartburn, but it will be true Southern comfort food love. I honestly think the only healthy food items on the menu are the Cole Slaw and Succotash. Fried Chicken and comfort foods are not about being healthy, they are about COMFORT and Southern provides that in a big way and with BIG flavor.
I’m a little quirky. Let me explain; I do not like tomatoes, but I do like Fried Green Tomatoes. So whenever I see them on a menu, I cannot resist and they are totally irresistible here. They’re thinly sliced with a very light breading. Normally I am not a dipper, I enjoy the natural flavor of the FGT. However, here I have changed my ways. They serve up a side of Buttermilk Lime Dressing, that gives their fried tomatoes and extra tang, that had my tastebuds dancing a Souther jig.
I was warned by other reviews and I didn’t listen. I ordered the Medium Chicken, not knowing they had a new mild intensity that wasn’t listed on the menu. It was big in spicy flavor, but it had beads of sweat popping up on my forehead and my lips tingling and burning from each and every bite of some of the best chicken in Saint Louis.
I ordered a 2 Piece White which included an above average sized wing and an extremely large breast. Enjoying a comfort food lunch, I doubled my carbs and ordered Mac-​n-​Cheese and Mashed Potatoes with Pan Gravy. Pan Gravy? Being a farm boy, I was confident this was just a marketing play of words. I was wrong, I could honestly tell from the pan drippings that it was the real deal. Their mashed potatoes and pan gravy are worthy of a Sunday night dinner down on the farm.
My other side; Mac-​n-​Cheese was also a winner. It was baked Mac-​n-​Cheese, the way it is supposed to be served. It was small elbow macaroni with a rich and creamy sauce. What set it above others was the crispy baked topping. I may have been a bad boy having two carbs with fried chicken, but I enjoyed every bite.
My dining partner wasn’t as adventurous and ordered his 3 piece Dark Chicken, Original. He may have been the smarter diner. Next time I’ll being going Original. It had the same big flavor from the seasoning, just minus the extra fire. His sides were Succotash and Hoppin John. The Succotash was a healthy mix of vegetables. According to him, the Hoppin John had good flavor, but was on the dry side.
What would a Southern Fried Chicken dinner be without a refreshing glass of sweet tea? A total waste of comfort food, is what it would be. However, you do no need to worry about that here. Southern has brewed up what I consider some of the best Sweet Tea I have enjoyed in my life. It is the perfect blend of added sugar, so it is not overly sweet.
My only complaint about Southern is their hours. I have a weird work schedule and it does not coordinate well with their open hours. The only day I can make it, is Wednesday. So I guess I’ll be having lunch here every other Wednesday.
When: August 19, 2015
Why: Lunch

Yes! Yes! Yes!
Not embarrassed to admit I even like grocery store deli deep fried chicken… who doesn’t? One word… HEAT! Not just heat, but great flavor.
For a minute, I thought the pickles, veggies, and sides all had the spice… turns out, the spice on the chicken has solid hangtime. Be prepared to make a few trips for more iced tea. If only they served beer… specifically PBR!
I only tried the Hot, but maybe next time the «Cluckin’ Hot» option might be in order.
But this place is awesome and deserves that 5^th star. Thanks to Unilocal for bringing this joint to my attention! Fresh veggie options that compliment the meals.
House made chips went perfectly with tons of salt… ask you doctor if it’s right for you!
Ready to go back now!

Got to try 4 out of 5 of their sauces on their chicken, and most their sides.
Pretty much my favorite would have to be the original or the medium. (their medium is spicier than the general «medium») Their hot is about as spicy as a mango haberno spicy level from BWW. Quite good but you definitely start heating up and sweating if you go with that choice.
The General Tsos was definitely my least favourite, out of the choices. (did not try the cluckin hot, apparently it’s like blazing from BWW)
The chicken is AWESOME. Nice crispy flavorful skin, and tasty meat. A lot of chicken places the meat is completely unflavored but this place, it soaks into the meat.
Out of the sides I got to try, the mac n cheese was probably my favorite. Very good taste with a crunchy texture on top of the soft mac n cheese makign the perfect mix.
The hoppin john was very mediocre, I was disappointed about that because the cashier /​waitress did recommend that. It was just a bland rice + sauce dish
The southern greens was a bit too salty for my tastes, but maybe thats just how its supposed to be.
Mashed potatoes were solid, cant go wrong with that.
You are on the opposite side of town for me Southern, but I will definitely be back.
This place gets quite packed so coming with more then ⁴⁄₆ and getting a table is just based on luck so.

I usually only eat fried chicken when I’m alone, sitting in my room with the blinds drawn and a blanket over me, but I couldn’t resist the call of hot chicken at Southern. Mother of pearl. It was worth a public display of my own shame just to get a taste.
Here’s what to know:
–It’ll take you about 25 – 30 minutes to get through the line once you get inside the door.
–The line is long, but it’s worth the wait.
–Do NOT claim a table if you haven’t ordered your food. Tables open up. It’s all gonna be OK.
–This chicken is HOT. The «medium» was too hot for me, but I suffered through it because fried chicken.
–They have a non-​hot option. I’m too scared to try it, because I know I’ll win a Darwin Award for eating myself to death.
I honestly believe people will be saying that this place is to fried chicken what Pappy’s is to BBQ. It’s that good. There’s no comparison to Hodak’s or Porter’s or anywhere else. This place nails it. Great, friendly staff.
Cluck cluck, baby. Keep it comin’.