Ezells Famous Chicken

Tried Ezell’s Famous Chicken recently and had a mixed experience. The chicken strips were quite good—crispy on the outside and juicy inside. However, the fried chicken itself was pretty average in terms of flavor and texture. The fries were a bit of a letdown—lacked crispiness and seasoning. One challenge I faced was with the staff communication. It was a bit difficult to place the order because the staff didn’t seem very comfortable with English, which led to some confusion during the process. Overall, it was an okay experience. Worth trying the chicken strips, but there’s definitely room for improvement in service and sides.

First time trying Ezell’s and I’m impressed! The fried chicken gizzards were crispy, juicy, and full of flavor — definitely a must-try if you’re into Southern-style eats. The okra was delicious too, perfectly fried without being greasy. The rolls were soft and warm, a great touch to the meal. Will definitely be coming back!🫶❤️

Chicken was good, but nothing special. Fries were about the same. Okra was bland, greasy, and not very crispy. Nothing had very much spice. The peach cobbler was very disappointing, I didnt take a second bite. If you have a craving for southern fried chicken and sides, keep looking.

In my kid’s words: This is one of the best chicken places I have ever ate at. The place is very warm and comfy. Even one of the workers wore something like a costume. The cajun fries are near perfect and so are the normal fries. The chicken tenders are just special I don’t know why I like it too much. The servers are also very kind. Love to eat there when I can

I stopped by here to grab a to go chicken tender lunch today. The shop dining area was not busy, but they had many to go orders lined up. I took mine to go as well. It was fresh and hot. I ordered the Chicken tenders and Cole slaw. After paying, I noticed the peach cobbler. I will need to get one of these during my next visit. Overall it was quick and tasty. Recommended.

Crisp, crunchy, yummy crust on the chicken, but it was a bit greasy. Maybe it's just been too long since I've had fried chicken, and that amount of greasiness is normal. A bit disappointed in the corn. Tasted canned. The okra was good, but I prefer mine a little more browned. The service was friendly and fast, and the place was clean. Good place for a quick lunch.

Always great for a dinner to go. I love being able to set a pickup time in the morning for an evening pickup. It's always ready on time and fresh. The family likes this fried chicken the best! The staff are always happy to help.

Ordered a big tray of fried chicken and a bunch of sides with Olo in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. Showed up when the app told me to and they had everything ready. Very nicely packed in a big foil pan. Would definitely do again to feed a crowd quickly.

Had this chicken at my brothers house last Saturday night. We had both strips and bone in plus regular and spicy. I loved both of the flavors but the spicy was wonderfully delicious! The crispy coating was not too heavy and was perfectly seasoned. The tenders were exactly as labeled. Very tender and juicy! The spicy bone in pieces were delicious?! Crispy and juicy and yummy! This place has wonderful tasting fried chicken! Next time I gotta try everything else offered here!

The customer service at this establishment leaves much to be desired. I placed an order to be delivered because I was having guests and the order was delivered incorrectly. I was missing items, and when I called to discuss it they explained that they could not Deliver the items that were missing. Their excuse was, they don't make deliveries, it's done through doordash. My response was, they are responsible for the property. Items being placed in the bag for DoorDash. To pick up so ultimately, it is their responsibility to make sure that the order was handed over correctly to doordash delivery person. After trying to get this issue resolved, first of all they hung app on me and then when I called back, they wanted me to come Uber and pick it app another time. And I explained to them that really defeats the purpose. Since i'm having dinner guests tonight and i'm missing items. Secondly, when I place the order online, I explicitly said to ring the doorbell when they arrive. So what happened? I go to the door for another reason, and lo. And beholdMy food is sitting on the front step, where it's cold and rainy. If I hadn't have gone outside, I would have never known it was there. Suffice it to say I am never using that place again. Their customer service is horrible and I didn't like the way I was treated on the phone when I call to discuss the discrepancy with my order.

Went there with 17 minutes before close no chicken available only tender not willing to make anything gizzards chicken or anything customer service sucked I hope they close down. Won't ever go there again will spend my money elsewhere. That's my best way to fight crap service!

This was REALLY not good, sadly. Like inedible, and trust me I'm really not that picky. I can get down with just about anything. But when the entire meal basically tastes like heavy cream & mayo, I started to feel queasy eating it. Best way to describe it was that the entire meal tasted beige. The chicken was extremely bland. The potato salad was also very bland. I could taste a bit of onion in it but had to sprinkle on my own pepper which sadly didn't help. It was pretty much straight mayo & potatoes. The blue cheese dip tasted like unseasoned ranch... so like mayo and cream?? The best part of the whole meal was the roll. It had the most dimension, by far. I threw the rest away after this and struggled keeping it down.

The last time I went to Ezell, they only had two locations, coming back recently there were so many locations all over Seattle and I was little concerned as quality tends to go down as places scale and this brand unfortunately fell victim to it. I got 8 pc chicken and the white meat were kind of dry and rubbery tasting and it felt under seasoned. The dark meat was okay but it wasn't as juicy as I remembered it. It was too bad because I recommended to my local friend who never ate at Ezell and I kind of hyped it up and he was also pretty disappointed and he said his chicken was too salty and not crispy. What a shame though, sometimes staying small is the way to go. This is no longer a spot for fried chicken for me anymore.

Quick and tasty chicken! You can't go wrong with Ezell's. The chicken tenders I had were delicious and so were the sides. Looking forward to stopping by this location again soon.

The best fried chicken in Seattle! I've been coming to Ezell's for years and it always satisfies my fried chicken craving! I don't know what crack they put in it but I seriously can't get enough of all their food. My favorites being their tenders of course, the spicy breast, BBQ beans, BBQ sauce, and the best sweet potato pie! I can say Ezell's can be hit or miss sometimes the food is more fresh, hot, spicy, or flavorful, but when you hit it while it's good I promise you will be coming back for more. They normally have super quick service though sometimes it can get busy during lunch or when their full with online orders. I normally get takeout but they do have a dining area which you bus yourselves after ordering upfront and them bringing the food to you. If your in the Seattle area or just looking for fixing a chicken craving Ezell's has to be a stop on your list!!!

This place is a step up from KFC. The chicken and tenders are good here, but it is not authentic soul food, and the sides are gross. I would not recommend them. I went here yesterday and got the spicy fried chicken and tender with Mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. The fried chicken is good, but don't confuse this with authentic soul food. Overall, I would go here again, and it is a good place to get a quick meal. Although, I will never get the sides. Furthermore, the chicken is better than all other fast-food fried chicken.

Order id: AAA93MCEACBG 2:10:43PM I left a phone message asking for a callback after my recent order was incomplete. My call has not been returned. We placed a to go order for a 16 piece half & half dinner with 3 sides and a serving of peach cobbler. Total cost of $71.28. After waiting 20 minutes or so we got home with only 4 rolls and 9 pieces of chicken. The Mac & Cheese was dry and gummy. The chicken was okay. Nothing special.

I ordered online at 11:30 am, my food wasn't ready until 12:20 pm. Three items. They were unorganized and in way over their heads. Got home and realized they forgot the mashed potatoes. Very disappointed.

Food cold food hard No taste Cole slaw was decent Service was great Us to go to Kentucky fried chicken at least the food comes out. Soft delicious.

This is the blandest, most overpriced fried chicken I've ever had. Both Safeway and KFC have better chicken. Service is friendly and parking fairly easy, but do yourself a favor and don't fall for the hype. Seattle Times is paid by advertisers to write these reviews.

Hit or miss with this location, depending on who's working. Usually order meals for pick up, mostly tenders and some times 2 piece meals. There are times food is fresh from the fryer; absolutely delicious, living up to reputation. Other times, chicken is evidently fried with overused grease or too long, in that it is a very unappealing DARK brown color. These are times I necessitate the use of a hot sauce drowning As far as service, food is ready right away. Never gotten a greeting nor had my order been checked for exactness; okay, though, as orders are pretty straightforward and abundant in volume (so not really expecting any banter). However, in regards to my most recent visit from yesterday, the lack of customer service was very off putting. Placed an online order early evening; 10 minutes later ready for pickup. Upon entering, my daughter and I got in line behind another customer picking up. As we approached the counter, not any one of the three employees even acknowledged us in the least bit. As I was about to tell them I just wanted to pick up my order, one employee looked right through me and took the order of someone who just walked in while the other two decided it was time to count the sauce containers. I spoke up and then was told my order was ready a few minutes ago. Dumbfounded.

The chicken is absolutely the best. The value questionable but it's nice to have once in a while. This time, I tried fries as the side order and it was a mistake. The fries was soggy, flavorless and looks raw. Skip the fries.

I ordered a four piece chicken with corn and beans on doordash at about 1pm. The corn was overly peppered and the beans were too salty but at least they were hot. The chicken was very cold. The chicken looked and tasted like it had been sitting out for a couple hours. The biscuits were decent. I would not being going again since this place clearly does not cook their chicken made to order. The chicken was very dry and had very dark color indicating the oil had not been swapped out that day. The wing pieces were especially salty and bad - the chicken wing is usually indicative of how the chicken is and this wing was very bad. This place among many others in the Seattle area fries their chicken hours ahead leaving customers with a bad product. $20 for a 4 piece meal that I had to throw away because my stomach immediately felt upset after one piece. I do not recommend Ezell's so called famous chicken.

Long lines, under staffed, took 20 minutes to get my lunch (I'm certain my order was delayed because I didn't leave the cashier a tip), several customers came in after me and were served 10 minutes before me, chicken was dry. Sorry Oprah... not a good experience. One and done!

I love Ezells so much. I'm not a huge fan of fried chicken but their chicken tenders are so so so good, especially the buffalo ones. I'm personally a huge fan of their fries but I will put up a fight to anyone who says their rolls aren't good because let me tell you I could eat one any day. I will say the food is much better eaten at the restaurant instead of takeout which most things are but I find the very hot chicken is just a next level experience. Only negative thing I have to say about the food is the rolls are sometimes half warm half cold which doesn't bother me too much but there's nothing like a fresh out of the oven roll. The staff is always very nice and friendly and always accommodating, and the dining experience feels like your at your cousins house for dinner in the most comforting kind of way. So if you say you don't like Ezells, WRONG. TRY THE CHICKEN TENDERS

Giving 2 stars for the efficiency and friendliness of the staff. They need some quality control. If course I realized this after I left the restaurant. I hope they replace or reimburse me.

I have been eating at ezelles for 15+ years and cannot overstate the deliciousness of their chicken. This is my first visit to the new Ezell's in Factoria. I usually get the pound of spicy tenders with BBQ sauce. The tenders are perfectly crisp and not overly spicy. The fresh baked roll is light and fluffy with a slight sweetness to it - a perfect compliment to the tenders.

Just don't do it. Had the spicy chicken and it came out so bland/flavorless. The sides are grainy (mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese). It's been a few years since I've eaten at other Ezells so not sure what changed.maybe just this location? Bad day?

First time ordering from this E... the results are disappointing. The chicken portion is smaller compared to other E's. The fried goods are not golden. It's so dark and unappetizing.... It was a bad dinner. This will not be our spot.

The quality of food here is so bipolar. Yes Ezells is typically a great cheat meal, but do they even check the quality of the food they put out? The latest order of tenders were dry and for the cajun fries...I'll just post a photo of completely under-seasoned fries (I can't even count more than 6 fries that actually had cajun seasoning). Service has been hit or miss too. I'm progressively more unimpressed over time, so it's time for a break from here.

It's still tasty but the portion (or the size of the chicken?) has become quite small. 8 pieces doesn't feed 2 small size adults. Hopefully it'll get better as there's not another place for good plain fried chicken (no sauce on the chicken please!)

We ordered the mix of spicy and non-spicy chicken family meal. It wasn't bad at all, just nothing super special :) The online ordering is very easy and they honored the time they said that they were going to have the food ready Although, I have to say, their rolls are quite delicious! So if i go, i'd probably just go ahead and order their rolls rather than chicken :)

I went here with my dad and the chicken was phenomenal. The rolls are also amazing as well. The service was nothing special, but the shop was nice, tidy, and organized.

First time last time customer of ezell's at this location - and must carefully consider that other locations will be the same. Chicken overdone, fried crust very thick as if twice fried (yuck! Big problem there ! How long do they keep it), no spice even tho spicy was ordered. Mashed potatoes too runny, potato salad OK, that is all, sweet potato pie was alright. Purchase price approximately $25.00 - a waste of money

Food was good but it took 20 minutes to get a 16 piece. Meanwhile I'm watching people come in, order, and leave while I still wait. Finally get mine, go home and find they only gave me 15 pieces. Makes me wonder if this is all because I didn't leave a tip when I ordered. Aren't tips for a job well done, not for a job I hope you will do well? And this is take-out, not dining in with a waiter. Asking for a tip for a restaurant like this just ruins the experience and makes me just want to get KFC instead for a guilt free worry free trip. If you don't leave a tip, you're left wondering if you'll get the oldest pieces, deprioritized service, or worse...

I ordered the spicy 2 piece dark meat fried chicken lunch special togo. When I got back to the office, there was two drumsticks, taste was good, customer service was good, sides were good but was expecting 1 thigh and 1 drumstick (maybe I have to ask for it?) If two drumsticks are normal for a 2 piece I guess that's that.

Saw this on the news had to check it out. It seems like if there is famous in the name, it never tastes good. The batter on the chicken had a good crunch, but it was flavorless. The chicken had no seasoning on it. I am not sure why this would be "famous". Very expensive for low quality food. Mashed potatoes tasted like instant and no amount of salt and pepper could save it. Mac and Cheese was flavorless, not sure how it is made but very disappointing. Potato salad was not too bad but you could tell it was not fresh and probably sat in the fridge for awhile, tasted like a refridgerator. Best thing was the roll and it really was not that good. This should have not been feature on the news.

This was a classic fried chicken joint. Loved the size options and the chicken tasted very fresh. Also loved the Cajun seasoned fries! Would definitely visit again.

Workers were talking sh*t in Spanish thinking I wouldn't understand, it's hands next time I see them OMM

Ordered original flavor tender , they're ok like Cheesecake Factory chicken strips Mashed potatoes don't have potato flavor & texture too runny, gravy not good Corn was good Also ordered spicy fried chicken, not spicy at all, the batter was burnt and it was just salty not spicy. I'm supportive of small business but wouldn't recommend this place. KFC and Popeye's chicken is better. It's a hard pass for me.

Chucken was dry, small, tasteless and overpriced. Roll was mushier than Wonder bread. Corn was flat - I've tried Ezell's four times in the past 12 years from Bellevue, Renton and Seattle and none of them are good. There are so many other places that are tastier and friendlier.

Best place for fried chicken and their fried gizzard!! I know when people see "gizzard" they find it off putting but it's so amazing!! The staff were friendly, quick, and mindful of all the safety protocols. The food was made to order, hot, and so delicious.

Wanted to support the BLM movement and black owned business, so we came here for lunch and ordered half and half tenders. These chicken tenders are BOMB! Super tasty! I have to literally guard these from my kids.(they were getting into the bag while I drove home, they couldn't stop!!) This place feels very organized with the COViD guideline and feels very clean. We will definitely be back!

Don't bother ordering online, went to get my order 10 minutes after the promised time on the website and for some reason the food wasn't ready, claiming some "internet problems " but my card was charged on time. Absolutely no respect for the customer. Taking my business elsewhere.

Our family was on vacation and the kids wanted to eat some chicken tenders. So of course, we go to our go to app, Yelp. Upon reading the reviews, we decided to give it a try and I think since Oprah specifically orders this chicken to be shipped to her, we and to try it. The restaurant is in a shopping area. Upon entering, it is clean with ample booth seating. We ordered the family meal since there were 4 of us and we were hungry. It's almost comparable to Popeyes chicken. The only difference is that it's a little tender and juicier as where Popeyes can be dry at times when it's overcooked. Family enjoyed the meal and we were all satisfied. I'd come back again.

This is a generous 4-star review just 'cause I love Ezell so much, but it's been a frustrating experience with this location with each of my three visits during Covid times. It's great that they are always busy, but the staff appears to do nothing to limit the number of customers who are inside at the same time. Between people waiting in line to order, people waiting for their orders and delivery drivers coming and going, it gets a bit chaotic and social distancing is difficult to maintain. I always feel uncomfortable inside. I was excited to see that they now offer online ordering, which cuts down on some of the time spent inside of the restaurant. However, they still don't offer curbside pickup, which would be a great bonus. I ordered online and called when I arrived to verify my order was ready. To my surprise, they said they never received my order and suggested that I come in and order from the counter. When I asked inside about my online order, it took two different people to find my bag already waiting for me. Maybe it's growing pains with the online system or maybe it's partly a communication problem because they seem to be tracking orders by name rather than by number and names can be hard to understand when spoken through a mask. I hope they continue to improve their business practices while they continue to produce some darn good food.

We are new to the area and fell in love with this place. I was bummed that they forgot all my dips... and I paid for extra. Well that was nothing in the spectrum of what this meal offered up. We all loved it UNTIL THIS!!!!!

THE BIG: Southern ambience in the Pacific Northwest. THE BLACK AND WHITE: Coming from the south, I had a lot of expectations when coming to Ezell's. The ambience of the restaurant is definitely set in the south with the over the counter service and decor. Their options include original, spicy, and half & half for their fried chicken. If you're not feeling bones, they have the tenders to check that need. One thing that irked me was they charged $.45 per sauces. Service was quick, I think because there was always an overflow of fried chicken sitting out. I got the spicy 2 piece dinner which came with 2 sides and a roll. Let me tell you, that roll is to die for. So good The spices on the fried chicken was great! The only downside was the chicken inside was dry AF. That's a major sin when it comes to fried chicken. Another down note was the mac and cheese didn't provide the same creaminess that reminds me of home. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall damage was $9.89 for a 2 piece dinner. Affordable for the surrounding area and you'll leave full.

If you are scrolling through Yelp for a quick bite recommendation, let this be the restaurant you land on. I highly recommend their Buffalo chicken tenders. My fiancé and I split a pound of them and it's more than enough food. It comes with a dipping sauce add two rolls for a reasonable price. The tenders are absolutely covered in sauce but the tenders don't lose their crispness. The fresh rolls are warm and slightly sweet. I did dock a star because I have ordered their chicken pieces before and you could definitely tell they had been baking under the heat lamp since the skin was hard/burnt. Honestly my favorite side from this place is their baked beans. The mac & cheese is just okay - not very consistent as some times it's a bit more solid but recently it was watery.

Came here with a large group after a long hike. We were starved and so excited for food! Been wanting to try this place for a while. You can tell this place is popular because it's got long lines - get ready to wait in line to order, then wait in line to pick up your order. The chicken was good - was it the best? No. But it was good. I enjoyed the dark meat way better than the white meat. I felt like the white meat pieces were oddly shaped....almost like not from a normal cut of chicken. We got the 8 piece family meal and typically, you'd expect all pieces of the chicken but we definitely had a hard time identifying some pieces....like some were huge. The white meat pieces were dry to be honest. The dark meat was much better. The sides were alright - got the mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Both were OK. The rolls were really delicious and maybe that was my favorite part. Comparing Ezell's "famous chicken" to "Heaven's Sent" - Heaven's Sent definitely gets my vote. We went to both spots back to back after 2 weekends of long hikes. Among the 8 of us that went to both places, we all thought Heaven's Sent had better fried chicken and sides (sadly, it is further away).

This is my go to fried okra place, for sure. Of course we love the chicken strips and the Mac 'n cheese is perfect, but the okra is such a rare experience in Seattle that I feel extra supported every time I pass an Ezell's--I know they get it. We also enjoy their fluffy rolls and alternate the potato salad and beans in our combo order. They've been SO slammed since everything shut down, it's like ordering from a celebrity business these days. I've called and they closed early. I looked for them on Door Dash and they weren't there because too many orders in house. I've picked up food just to find my Mac is missing (more than once, I started checking after the first time so I could go back and fix it before my drive around the lake and not have to miss the perfect compliment). They've been out of my beloved okra even, and yes, I still ordered. The people running this place are very nice, respectful, and I'm appreciative of their effort and heart in making a consistent, delicious product in an insane environment, with lines out of the door. They take time to make it right if it's wrong and serve us as if we are regulars from the first visit. I docked a star for the saltiness I think hits the potato salad too hard and the usually perfectly fried but it happens too fried chicken. Anytime I'm hurting for a proper taste of Texas eats and fixin's and I'm not up for DIY, I'm headed here and I'm so thankful. Thanks again for making fried okra, I feel the love.

Covid-19 Takeout Review I've been eating Ezell's for 20+ years and I still love getting their Fried Chicken even though there's a lot more options for chicken these days. I'm so happy there's a location in Bellevue, so I don't have to drive far for Ezell's. I decided to get some on a Thursday night around 6pm. When I got there, there must've been 10 orders in front of me and another 10 groups in line. Fortunately, the line moved quickly and the staff were churning out orders as fast as possible. By the time I got to the register, I knew what I wanted. I always have to get 1 lb. of gizzards. In my opinion, their gizzards are still the best in Seattle after all these years. I can't stop popping them in my mouth. In addition to the gizzards, I ordered a 4-piece chicken Half Spicy and Half Regular. I normally get all spicy, but I haven't had their regular flavored chicken in a while. I love how crispy their skin is, which is one of my litmus tests for Fried Chicken. I tend to lean towards dark meat, but I the chicken breast this time around was pretty moist. I have gotten dried breast pieces in the past, so this was a good sign on this experience. I knew there was going to be a little of a wait, so i was expecting that. However, the restaurant properly practiced social distancing and everyone was respecting other occupants. instead of waiting, I decided to grab bubble tea in the same complex and come back. By the time, I returned which was about 10 minutes, my order was ready. Apparently, they called out my number while I was gone, so my order came out faster than 10 minutes. There's a lot of Fried Chicken options out there these days, so there's plenty to choose. 20+ years ago, Ezell's and KFC were pretty much the only options. It's nice to see that they've continued to be so popular after all these years. I still love getting chicken here once in a while and it never disappoints.

The fried chicken was good as usual! Dark meat always good. The skin was a bit dark even for spicy but other than that it was good. Also ordered the spicy gizzards, liver and okra. The gizzards were great and liver wasn't too over cooked. I assume they weigh before they fry because the portion size is so little for half of a pound. The rolls are a must, they're soft and have a good chew when you get them fresh! Not as good second day. My main complaint is that my okra was extremely burnt but they still gave it to me. I had to throw away half and the other half had a very burnt taste to them. Was extremely disappointed.

The food is really great. Service is fast and friendly. Ambiance is alright too. Anyways I want all their chicken for myself. So you better get over there before I do.

Ezell's is a hard one for me to review. When they're at their best, it's among the tastiest chicken I know. But they are rarely at their best. I can really only talk about the chicken tenders. I don't bother with bone-in fried chicken, for reasons of being a bearded man. When you get tenders that are freshly fried for the first time, they are truly tender, with succulent meat and crispy coating. The spicy recipe is particularly yummy in my opinion. I would happily wait for fresh tenders every time, but that's not how they have things set up. As far as I can tell, they fry up a big batch of them in advance and then put them back into the fryer to heat them up when someone makes an order. The result is often tough chicken with a coating that's cooked a bit more than ideal--not burnt, usually, but headed that way. Another issue I have may be one of supply chain issues. For years, they had the perfect barbeque sauce for the strips. It was sweet and tangy and complimented their spicy tenders amazingly. Recently they've switched to a thick, very sweet sauce that isn't anywhere near as good. It hasn't exactly ruined the experience for me, but it bothers me. I've taken to getting blue cheese and ranch instead of the barbeque. The old sauce was my favorite for more than a decade. My best advice is to go when they are busy enough to have a high turnover of tenders to increase your odds of getting a fresh batch. That said, even the warmed up tenders are better than most chicken strips at restaurants (which are usually dumped right from the food service freezer bag into the fryer). I haven't had the best of luck with the sides here, either. The rolls that come with the tenders are top notch, and the fired okra is great. Everything else I've tried has been ho-hum. Come here for the chicken. Get it hot and fresh. You won't be disappointed.

Food is usually good but don't go at night when they are about to close. Biggest problem I had was with takeout. There always seems to be something missing from the order.

Where to begin. mid-June 2021 I received a meal with undercooked, bland chicken featuring someone's hair, and more baked bean sauce than actual baked beans. They wanted to make it up to me with a free meal which I redeemed only to receive a decent portion of funky attitude. "The meal is free; the sauce is extra" was the phrase he used while giving me a customer service voice. Last time I checked a meal is when one eats a collection of foods together until they're satisfied. Meaning the ketchup on the burger is part of the meal, no? So why would hot sauce be not part of a fried chicken meal? After mansplaining what "extra" means I was encouraged to get in line and they charged me for the sauces. Ever had a company want to make it up to you then pull the petty card on you when it came to sauces?? It was a first for me too! Two stars cause the second time around the chicken wasn't bland.