Chicken and Waffle at Frisco Fried

John Birdsall

House Special two-piece fried chicken and waffle ($5.99, $1 extra for the breast).

​Thursday, July 15, 2010

John Birdsall

​Hard to believe Frisco Fried has been open only six months. At 2 p.m. yesterday, the Bayview soul-food restaurant felt like the kind of place that defines a neighborhood, as ladies with sunglasses and Coach purses waited for grocery-bag-size takeout, and a young woman under a shimmering sweep of ringlets showed off week-old little Dontaye to the cooing staff.

The place is painted Giants orange, decorated with enough home-team totems to make you think the games were still being played at nearby Candlestick. There's a gallery of African American heroes ― Dr. King, of course, and a Christmas-card-ready portrait of the Obamas. Handsome as that is, it can't touch Frisco Fried's House Special chicken and waffle, two crisp-crusted pieces of some of the moistest bird this side of Treasure Island. The flavor pulses on the strength of salt and garlic powder, counterpoint to the waffle's restrained pumpkin-pie-spice sweetness: a classic version from Bayview's new soul-food destination.

Frisco Fried 5176 Third St. (at Thomas), 822-1517.