In my 38 years, I have eaten my share of fried chicken! From celebrity chef Carla Hall’s amazing fried chicken and waffles to Chef Amaris Jones’ homemade southern fried chicken, I have enjoyed some of the best. That includes the quintessential Black Thanksgiving where 70-something-year old Grandma Juanita of Juanita’s Kitchen in Miami cooks her signature fried chicken for family and friends.
I think I know a good fried chicken when I taste it and can identify awesome soul food, as well. Our recent visit to Charlotte, North Carolina landed us at Kiana Morrison’s Nana Morrison’s Soul Food located at 2908 Oak Lake Blvd #106, Charlotte, NC 28208. We had an incredible experience with delicious food and great service. The business is managed by a beautiful queen and her son who made us feel like family.
Served fresh from steam tables, there is not a long wait for amazing soul food. The brand is based on the cooking traditions of the owner’s grandmother, which was evident in the three different plates we selected. They were all pretty good, but the fried chicken was definitely my favorite.
Chicken is the heritage bird in African-American cuisine; and with low country cooking it is almost sacred. It was cool to enjoy fried chicken prepared without popular store bought seasonings like Lemon Pepper, Badia or Goya Complete Seasoning and Lawry’s seasoning salt. I’m so tired of tasting them in soul food that I am about to explode. While they might be tasty, they’re not inherently representative of true African-American cuisine.
Nana’s fried chicken had a nice balance of seasoning that invoked cast iron skillet preparation, truly reflecting the African-American Southern Gulf region or low country cooking. Each bite was fried to golden perfection, not greasy. The chicken was accompanied by the usual suspects, sides like their amazing macaroni and cheese and candied yams that are peeled fresh daily. Delish! Make sure they are one your sides.
The other standout were the ribs. I was super surprised because I didn’t see a smoker out back, but those ribs were good af! They are the ribs your favorite uncle or grandfather makes when his team hits for the bookie during Sunday Football and he decides to cook as a celebration. That’s exactly what these babies tasted like.
They were seasoned in a way that allowed the BBQ sauce to accentuate the rub’s seasoning without overpowering or warring with it. There was just enough sauce for me to use two pieces of white bread to make one of the best ribs sandwiches I’ve had in a while. (They should seriously think about selling ribs sandwiches.)
Our other items were tasty but didn’t pack a flavor punch like the fried chicken, mac and cheese, yams, and ribs. There were so many other amazing options, but we were just too full and satisfied to order anything else. I will be back to try all the other delicious looking entrees. If you find yourself in Charlotte, NC, make sure you give them a try. I can safely say you won’t regret it. Give them a call at (704) 357-3700 for more information or to order.
