San Francisco’s greatest fried rooster comes from a fuel station
My friends and I were singing this when we were leaving a backyard party in the Mission District for an important stop before heading to the next party. We wanted to bring a very special treat: “Petrol station Chicken! Gas station chicken! “
It’s hard to believe that some of the best fried chicken in San Francisco can be found at a place called Gas & Shop on 17th Street and South Van Ness. It’s the kind of place the cashier makes you leave your debit card when you refuel your car because they don’t trust you not to use a stolen card.
The Krispy Krunchy Chicken counter in the Gas and Shop on 599 South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
I had been obsessed with “Gas Station Chicken” for a few years and stopped by occasionally when passing by or after a few drinks. When entering the establishment, it is impossible not to smell the delicious goodness that emanates from the left side of the counter, where the food is under heat lamps. Little did I know it was a chain and didn’t even want to call it by its real name until one day I saw another location on a seedy section of Eddy Street in the Tenderloin.
“What the…?” I said to myself and then sent my wife a photo with the message, “There’s another gas station chicken and it’s not even in a gas station!” And that’s when I realized I needed to learn more about Krispy Krunchy Chicken.
Stuart Schuffman, AKA Broke-Ace Stuart, reviews the fried chicken at the Gas and Shop on South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
It ends with what I thought was one phenomenal roast chicken in a gas station on Mission is actually part of a chain of over 2,600 locations in 47 states, American Samoa, Malaysia, and Mexico. They are almost exclusively available in liquor stores, gas stations and convenience stores. Which explains why I’ve seen one at the corner store at the Lake Merritt BART station and one at a gas station upstate near the California-Oregon border in recent years. Last time I got my folks on the fame of Petrol Station Chicken on a road trip this summer. They too are believers now.
So how come one of the best fried chicken chains in the country is always surrounded by bottles of Boone’s Farm and racks of Slim Jims? It’s pretty interesting and kind of brilliant.
Gas and shop manager José M. Guillen will be walking through the station’s convenience store with a fresh batch of Krispy Krunchy Chicken on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
Krispy Krunchy Chicken founder Neal Onebane had been in the convenience store business for 18 years when he realized that customers didn’t really have many options for fresh, delicious food. So he started the KKC brand in 1989 when he started roasting chicken in one of his stores in Lafayette, Louisiana. Within six years, KKC was represented at 50 locations because Onebane had come across something special; Not only were customers lacking a good variety of food, but convenience store owners were looking for ways to make more money without the expense of renting another location.
The next 2,599 locations prove that he was obviously on to something. Onebane and KKC Executive Vice President Dan Shapiro were even named Louisian of the Year once.
An eight-piece box of Krispy Krunchy Chicken from the Gas and Shop on South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
But what makes the chicken so good? I knew you would ask that. Onebane and Shapiro claim it’s because they inject the marinade into both the chicken and breading so that the bird tastes great throughout, rather than just the crispy fried portion. I’m more of a eater than a cooker so take your word for it, but holy hell it’s delicious.
Stuart Schuffman, AKA Broke Ace Stuart, shows an eight-piece box of Krispy Krunchy Chicken from the Gas and Shop on South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
The outside has the perfect crispness while the inside stays juicy, soft and flavorful. It has more character than KFC and less spice than Popeye’s … though I love some Popeyes. However, the sides on the other chains are probably better, and I don’t recommend buying the fried shrimp from KKC. Aside from the alarming concept of getting shrimp at a gas station, it’s not nearly as good as the chicken, either. I have yet to try her entry into the great chicken sandwich war, so I’m curious to see what other tricks old KKC has up its sleeve.
Stuart Schuffman, AKA Broke-Ace Stuart leaves the Gas and Shop on South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco with a box of Krispy Krunchy Chicken on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
After the march down 17th Street and sing “Gas station chicken! Petrol station chicken! ”We finally reached our sacred goal: Gas & Shop. Of course we wanted to get some beer and white claws for the next party, but most of all we needed a bucket of Krispy Krunchy Chicken. So we brought in some delicious $ 25 worth of fried goodies (which is a lot of KKC) and marched to the next party. When we arrived we were greeted by someone who yelled, “You brought petrol station chicken?!?”
The Gas and Shop, 599 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
Charles Russo / SFGATE
There are eight Krispy Krunchy Chicken locations across San Francisco.
Stuart Schuffman is the editor-in-chief of BrokeAssStuart.com.
