Restaurant Review: The Hen House

The Hen House is a chicken and waffles restaurant located on Mass Ave in Roxbury, and since I pass by it on my way to work, I've been meaning to go there since it opened several months ago. I finally stopped in on Saturday to check it out, and the cashier explained that their signature meal is fried chicken served with waffles and a Colt 45. I wasn't all that hungry, so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. "Do you still want the Colt 45?" he asked. (I declined. That time.) The sandwich was huge and tasty, heaped with pulled pork topped with cole slaw. I liked the ambiance- it's very casual; you order at the counter and can sit and eat either at the spacious and tidy indoor area or at the picnic tables in the outdoor front patio. Best of all, the prices are grad student friendly: a full meal with a beer comes to around $12.

I went back last night with a few friends for the chicken & waffles. You choose your type of waffle, butter, and chicken (tenders, wings, or pieces), and then add your own sauce (they have about 15 types). I had a cornbread waffle with cajun butter and wings. Oh, and a Colt 45. The waffle was delicious and wings weren't the best I've had but pretty good nonetheless. We shared some collard greens, baked beans, and cole slaw, and those were all good, too. Overall, I liked the food, the atmosphere, and the prices and will definitely go back. The Hen House is open until 2AM on Fridays and Saturdays, which will come in handy after one of those long nights in the lab. I still need to try the ribs. The one negative is that it's not vegetarian friendly at all (most the sides are cooked in pork fat), so your less carnivorous friends might want to skip it. And although you may end up with Type II Diabetes if you eat there more than once a week, the occasional indulgence never hurt anyone.

Pictured are my entree and my friend Justin, who sadly lost his Colt 45 advertising gig to Billy Dee Williams.