We try to avoid chain restaurants, rarely reviewing them and almost as rarely eating at them. So it’s always good news for us to find a locally owned spot, especially when its food is tastier than average.
King Edward’s Chicken and Fish, which began in St. Charles, has now come to Crestwood. Its location is almost discreet, tucked back into a small two-level commercial building at the northeast corner of Watson and Grant Roads. His Majesty does a brisk carryout business, though there are several tables and a counter in a room with a New Orleans theme.
The chicken is golden and glorious, the fish moist and not overcooked. But the real find is a chicken liver lover’s delight, livers that are very lightly battered so they don’t remain in the fryer long enough to turn to rocks. And it really does seem to be a batter rather than a breading, so that the chicken is crisp rather than crunchy. It also contains fewer carbs that way, if you need help in rationalizing a preference.
Besides cod and shrimp, King Edward’s also serves catfish, clam strips, frog legs and jack salmon, plus poor boys on Saturdays. Clam strips hold many memories for us, from the days when Howard Johnson’s, in New York and Massachusetts, and later in St. Louis, served the delicacy on warm, buttered hot dog buns with square edges. If you’re not from St. Louis and haven’t run into jack salmon, a few words of explanation: It’s the local name for whiting, which is usually skinned and served bone-in. It’s a mild white fish, very tasty, very easy to bone. In fact, we know someone who grew up eating jack, found herself in a position where she had to bone and serve a 6-pound fish in front of a group and carried it off without a hitch, never having boned anything but jack her entire life.
Two additional caveats: The royal court closes early, 5 p.m. on Sunday, 7 p.m. the other six days. And if you’re coming west on Watson Road, the parking lot can only be entered if you turn left onto Grant Road (there’s a light), left again to the building. The king is on the upper level, facing east.
King Edward’s Chicken and Fish
8958 Watson Rd., Crestwood
314-843-3474
Lunch and early dinner daily (see above)
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access: Adequate
Smoking: No
Entrees:$4-$8
also at
1201 S. Duchesne Dr., St. Charles
636-946-3660
Comments
2 responses
Hello to the folks who make the best chicken in town.
How about adding coupons to your web site.
We have a bunch of people here in Earth City that would like to cross the bridge and get some of the greatest chicken in the world.
The chicken was good. The fries were crinkle cut (bad), and not as hot as they could have been, and the ketchup on the table was obviously some really crappy off brand. The restroom was impeccably clean, and the service was friendly.