Grade: B+
When it comes to hole-in-the-wall dining spots in Phoenix, I have acquired an appreciation for bars on windows.
I would like to think this is because the restaurants with bars in the windows are the ones with something valuable inside. It is of course more likely that they are just in bad neighborhoods, but whatever the reason, Lo Lo’s Chicken and Waffles deserves bars.
A visit to the eatery at 10 W. Yuma St. after dark will verify this. And if the restaurant’s surroundings don’t scare you enough, the platters of fried chicken are sure to give you a heart attack one way or another.
The first time I visited Lo Lo’s I was painfully unfamiliar with southern cuisine. I honestly hadn’t touched a piece of bone-in fried chicken in maybe ten years (I had some KFC when I was young).
The mustard yellow walls of the cramped interior were covered with posters of famous jazz artists — Herbie Hancock, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis — and the signatures of people who could sign the ceiling without standing on their toes.
After getting seated I found myself looking over an assortment of southern food that was more foreign to me than the menu at a Vietnamese restaurant. I was terrified, yes. But I was hungry.
So, naturally, I ordered the item on the menu with the largest font — Lo Lo’s Famous Soul Food Platter.
I was not disappointed. The smothered potatoes were flavorful and hearty, the chicken, of course, was excellent, and the mac and cheese was undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had.
Since that day, I’ve picked up some tips to bring your Lo Lo’s experience to its full, artery-clogging potential.
Besides getting the chicken and mac and cheese, the waffles are a must (as I probably should have guessed). I had my doubts about the way waffles would work with the other dishes, but I don’t have them any more.
Also, ask for a “jar of Red Drank.” Free refills of Kool-Aid are an embarrassingly appropriate complement to the meal.
Unless you have a tremendous fondness for the taste of pure butter, however, I would avoid the grits. The cornbread has also been a bit dry, but I’ve learned to be wary of the inconsistency of such foods.
The only other disadvantages are hours and prices; Lo Lo’s closes early most nights (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday -Thursday), and it’s tough to fill up for less than $15.
Also, the shameless gluttony that necessarily comes along with eating much of Lo Lo’s food means it probably isn’t such a great first date restaurant. But among friends, nothing says bonding like ripping into a steaming hot fried chicken thigh and exchanging bites of homemade side dishes over a fat jar of Red Drank.
Contact the critic at daniel.neligh@asu.edu
