Add your choice of sides at Panka Chicken, from thick-cut fries and salad to hearty rice and beans. Photo: Byron Jones Media.
Writer: Karla Walsh
Did you know the average American eats 102 pounds of chicken every year, according to remarkable estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture?
So you might as well make those poultry pounds count. As we await the Korean fried chicken from Basic Bird’s soon-to-come spot in Beaverdale—a spinoff of Harbinger’s popular pop-up operation 4-8 p.m. most Sundays—we checked out three other newish restaurants that do chicken right. They’re all good reasons to cross the road.
Chicken Wings 3 Ways at Bix & Company
This Valley Junction sports bar opened in early March and is owned by Matt McCormick, Darren Helm and his mother, Bambi Helm, whose father, Robert “Bix” Bixenman, inspired the name. The recipes come from chef Tony Formaro (yep, that’s George’s son) and honor old-school local favorites from Orlondo’s, Noah’s Ark and 4th Street Chicago Italian Beef.
- Try it: Share an order of six ($12) or 12 wings ($20) tossed in Bix’s BBQ sauce, bone wing sauce or hot Buffalo sauce.
- Find it: 111 Fifth St. in West Des Moines.
Mole de Pollo at Faustino’s Taqueria
It’s also all in the family at this Mexican restaurant that opened in February in Beaverdale. Husband-wife team Asael and Sky Faustino, as well as Asael’s brothers Jose and David, serve street tacos, soups, quesadillas, burritos and more. It’s all delicious on its own but over-the-top tasty with the seven-option salsa bar.
- Try it: Order the mole de pollo ($12.50) for a platter that just might inspire you to book a trip to Guerrero, Mexico, where these family recipes originated. The entree includes two chicken breasts simmered in a flavor-layered mole sauce, plus a side of refried beans, rice, salad and corn tortillas.
- Find it: 4944 Franklin Ave.
Pollo a la Brasa at Panka Chicken
Mariela Maya has been serving a taste of her native Peru to town since she opened Panka in 2019 on Ingersoll Avenue. In late February, she introduced a bit more street-food flair at her new poultry-focused restaurant near Drake.
- Try it: The pollo a la brasa is marinated in ají amarillo, a chili pepper, and brined for 48 hours, then slow-cooked rotisserie-style. Customize your platter based on your party size ($12.50-$30) and enjoy traditional sides like thick-cut fries and a salad with cucumbers and carrots, or other options like fried yuca, coleslaw, rice or beans.
- Find it: 3018 Forest Ave.
Prefer to cook at home? Our website dishes up all the secrets to re-create Mulberry Street Tavern’s roast chicken with aji amarillo sauce and grilled romaine salad, along with dsm contributor and cookbook author Wini Moranville’s delicious 30-minute chicken tarragon. Cluck here for the recipe.
