Sweet Chick
Sweet Chick is what you expect by the name. Good food, chill vibe and refreshing cocktails.
The franchise started out as a single location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but has expanded to the Lower East Side, Los Angeles and the newly-opened Prospect Heights location.
With four restaurants, two of which in Brooklyn, New York, "Spread love is the Brooklyn way," is their motto remembering the late hip-hop legend Biggie Smalls.
We chose to visit the Lower East Side location at the historic 178 Ludlow St. What the neighborhood knew for many years as Max Fish.
Before entering the restaurant, you're already getting "cool" from the door handle that's a huge red wrench and the 90's hip-hop bumping. The decor is unique to its rectangular space, rustic repurposed furniture with a modern country touch. The hanging Edison style bulbs give the restaurant a nice romantic dim lighting, and the mason jars used for water give it that cozy grandma's house feel.
At Sweet Chick, you're likely to see a suited executive from wall street sitting next to a hipster with worn converse — diversity. The eclectic vibes remind you that you are in the heart of NYC. The staff is as friendly as they are cool, their mantra, "we went from negative to positive and it's all good" again remembering the late Biggie Smalls, you almost feel like it's your homie taking your order at their new pad.
They're best known for their fried chicken and interestingly different waffles, so that's what we went for. The food there is what they like to call, "American cuisine with a Southern accent: rustic but modern American food and twists on classic dishes and cocktails, plus home baked desserts that will make you feel like a kid again."
To start, my friend and I had their mac and cheese. Priced at $9, it’s made with gruyere, fontina, aged white cheddar and is topped with Ritz cracker crumbs. For our entrees, we went with the original fried chicken paired with a dried cherry waffle ($17) and the buffalo fried chicken paired with an original waffle priced at ($18). All so good make you wanna slap ya momma. The chicken was crispy yet juicy, while the waffles were just as perfect in texture as they were in flavor. To die for. #NOM
Also, if you're a vegetarian, they have a fried chicken available just for you.
My favorite part of dinner was my delicious cocktail, the Sunday Candy. It was a stimulating mix of Gin, St. Germaine, Lime, and Raspberry-Riesling Emulsion, priced at $12 like all cocktails on their menu. Upon return, I'm definitely trying their Christopher Wallace cocktail dedicated to Biggie; it's a five-year aged rum, blended scotch, maple syrup and whiskey barrel aged bitters.
By the end of our meals, we were too stuffed to order dessert, but it's on our to go back for list.
Believe me sweetie, Sweet Chick got enough to feed the needy. Not really, our dinner date came out to $80 total, but worth every penny. The hype is still very real and we were delighted to be witnesses.
They currently don't take reservations, so check them out during the week to avoid long waits. Thank me later!
FUN FACT - YOU MIGHT JUST BE GRUBBIN NEXT TO LOCAL RAP LEGEND NAS, AS HE IS CO-OWNER.
