Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

1075 Redwood St
Vallejo, CA 94590 View Map
Phone: (707) 642-6454
Drive Thru open: Sunday ?Äì Wednesday 7 a.m. ?Äì 11 p.m.
Thursday ?Äì Saturday 7 a.m. ?Äì midnight

Chicken Express lives up to its slogan ?Äúnot your typical fast food.?Äù Here
the food is fast and fresh. It?Äôs not overly seasoned or spiked with hidden
ingredients. It’s also good value for the price.

Unfortunately the Chicken Express in Vallejo (there are locations in
Fairfield and Watsonville too,) looks like a typical fast food restaurant.
There is a popular drive through lane and a little parking lot outside.
Inside are a few tables and large windows that make eating inside feel like
being inside a fish tank. A scuffed floor and stained tables indicate lots
of use, but everything appeared clean.

The smell emanating from Chicken Express is also similar to a typical fast
food joint, however here the smell is of roasting chicken and garlic.

Ultimately people come here for the food. The menu is limited to Chicken
entrees, but a little imagination has been added to create some variety.
There are the Rotisserie chicken meals, which come with a choice of Spanish
rice, refried beans, cole slaw, or mashed potatoes with gravy or corn. There
are also chicken tacos, burritos and sandwiches.

We tried a rotisserie meal with beans, rice and tortillas. While waiting
for this to be served, we helped ourselves to the salsa bar. The fresh
tomato salsa was a little wilted, as if it had been made earlier that day
and had been sitting in a hot environment, not as if it had come out of a
can or had been made days before. There were also a selection of marinated
vegetables such as jalapeno peppers and carrots.

On their own, the rice and beans were bland, but they made a great backdrop
for the chicken and the salsa. The rice had a bright color. The beans were
done just enough. They were also very moist and they didn?Äôt have a lot of
fat added. This is a fabulous way to prepare large portions of both rice
and beans and then allow the customer to add seasoning as he or she wishes.

The chicken itself was succulent and falling off the bone. The secret blend
of lemon and herbs in the marinade adds just enough flavor to make the skin
edible, without overwhelming the chicken. The chicken we had was a little
overdone for my taste. I assume this is a side effect to having chickens
cooked and ready and waiting for you all day.

Portions are large. A whole chicken was enough for a large meal for two
with leftovers for sandwiches the next day.

On the day I was here, service was brisk and efficient. The crew seemed to
be getting along with each other and able to focus on their jobs.

Other things to try here are the desserts. The carrot cake looked good in
the case, but I was just too full to eat it. There are also breakfast
entrees that make a great start to the day without being overly expensive.

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