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We are now offering $2 draft beers every Monday night (5pm-9pm) during football season!
We are now taking orders for fried turkeys!
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Found this place on yelp while look for lunch in the Richmond district. Sounded interesting and I always liked Home of Chicken and Waffle in Oakland.
Had the Fried Chicken with eggs and hash brown. Didn't see the chicken and waffle on the menu or I would have ordered that. The eggs were not done too well.
Eggs benedicts. Was OK, not the best I had but not the worst either.
The Hard Knox beer was good! I'll try it again if ever in the area and feeling like soul food!
There comes a time where you just want a hearty meal. I come to Hard Knox because it does the job. Before your food is served, they offer cornbread that is always fresh which means it is crispy on the outside and soft on inside.
For their main dish, I've tried their fried chicken, catfish, and chicken fried steak. The fried chicken is their specialty. Once you bite into the chicken, the juice drips out of the meat and the crunch on the skin is amazing. Their catfish is succulent with a southern style batter. They give you a tartar sauce to compliment the taste. What can I say about the fried steak, its fried steak!
I was pretty surprised when yelper's didn't enjoy the mac and cheese. It was always perfect meaning, the mac was never over-cooked and the cheese held its texture.
Lastly...... we are talking about 10 to 14 dollar meals.... are you kidding?!? The portions are huge. I can't even finish the food which means I get two meals out of it. If you are not a fan of leftovers, that means you're not doing it right. You throw the left over fried chicken, catfish or fried steak in your mini oven and itll still hold its original flavor.
Yeah so I've been a pathetic Yelper lately...BUT I'M BACK!
For my man's birthday I wanted to plan a surprise dinner. Our dinner had 13 guys and 3 girls. So of course I find a place to cater to the boys. What's better than soul food? I was able to make a reservation 2 weeks in advanced through my awesome friend BRIAN! Though my plan didn't go over as I expected (he said he knew I was planning something...) the night was still a success!
Brian was an AMAZING server. I don't think I've had such great service before. He came to take our orders, brought us corn bread, and came back to check on us periodically to see if we were good with our drinks.
I have to admit when I first ate here, around the time of opening, I really wasn't impressed. After the experience I had with the Hard Knox staff after Chris' birthday I will definitely be coming back. When I looked down the table it seemed as if everyone ordered a little bit of everything, we probably covered the menu! As for me, I ordered the chicken and waffles. I got a HUGE waffle and like half a chicken for $9! The chicken was delicious!!! Wayyy too much for me so I gave Chris a piece of chicken and 1/4 of my waffle. He had the short ribs with corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. He said the ribs were a little on the fatty side.
Parking does suck. I looked for half an hour. Try to avoid Friday nights if possible.
Thanks again, Brian, for such great service!
Bottom line- the highlight was the cornbread, the fried chicken, and the ice water. Slow service and all four of us had the blandest food I have eaten since the Midwest. Wow. I had Grilled Chicken breast sandwich (bland), 2nd person ordered cheeseburger was okay. super fatty tasting. fries were on the dry/burnt'ish size...3rd person ordered spicy chicken (too small in portion and not great flavor)--sauce that came with it (southwestern sauce---was seriously like pumpkin pie filling and vinegar. bizarre.
4th person- fried chicken was good according to the 4th person in our party. mac and cheese was lame. how do you F up mac and cheese? tasted thick like Velveeta shells and cheese but with a powdered cheese and something weird.
Anyway---to top it off. service was lame with no love and personality.
Don't bother.
The A-OK rating describes this place perfectly. The food and service here were fine, nothing special, but perfectly solid.
The meal started with cornbread muffins, which I considered to be too muffiny and not cornbready enough. I like my cornbread gritty and not too sweet; these muffins are sweet and almost cake-like.
I had fried catfish with blackeyed peas and rice, and collard greens. I don't eat a lot of fried food because I tend to feel guilty about it, so the worst feeling for me is having fried food that wasn't good--all that guilt for nothing. So, I felt guilty about the fried catfish, but enjoyed it nonetheless, so passing marks for the catfish. My husband had smothered fried chicken over mashed potatoes, gravy oozing all over everything, and he didn't feel a bit guilty about it. He said the fried chicken was good, although he thought the fried chicken at Farmerbrown's was better. Again, though, passing marks.
I would definitely come back, the caveat to that being that I live pretty nearby and I know the parking secrets of the neighborhood.
Disappointed. I've heard good things about this place, but perhaps it was what I ordered. First of all, the corn muffins were like cake, and the pitcher of beer was still more $$ than ordering a single beer. I had the the smothered chicken, with mac & cheese, and potato salad. The bf had the chicken fried steak, and mash. The steak was so small and they used different gravy's on the steak & mash - a no no in the south. Glad I finally crossed it off my go to list...but won't be going back.
Last night was my first trip to this location after eating twice at their first outfit. The food and service was good (very cute server), but I think the flavor of the food was not as I recall...it was not as heavily seasoned. Maybe they are shooting for more main streamers? The cornbread was a bit too sweet and did not taste sufficiently of corn, but it was warm enough to melt the butter which was much appreciated. The beer selection is really interesting.
IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE FOR US!!!!!!!
that's what I think of when I hear the name Hard Knox.
A month ago, a friend has his birthday here, but I wasn't able to make it. I really really really wanted to go too, because I've always wanted to try this place. Oh well...but today I had my chance. Came here on a spontaneous spur of the moment double date with the bf, Sarah L. & Jon L. around 8ish. It wasn't too full, I would say over half the seats were occupied.
There was a regular menu (laminated) and a special menu (printed on white printer paper). We looked at the regular menu and said "THEY DON'T HAVE CHICKEN & WAFFLES?!?!?!" 5-10minutes later, they gave us the special menu which had chicken & waffles on it. 3 pieces of chicken & a waffle for $9 and an additional waffle would be $4. 3 of us wanted to order it, but the waiter said it didn't come with sides, so 2 of us chose something else.
BF - chicken n waffles + sweet tea
Sarah - 2 fried pork chops? with stewed cabbage & mac n cheese + sweet tea
Jon - Smothered chicken with collard greens & something else...with a side of waffle + cherry & cream soda (Sarah said that tasted like sweet Robitussin)
Me - fried chicken with mashed potatoes & mac n cheese + arnold palmer. I would say I ate half of bf's waffle, it was good drowned with syrup, probably good without the syrup but if that syrup is in front of me, I will use it. The mac n cheese was too cheesy & too salty. Mashed potatoes were good, had chunks. Fried chicken came with 3 pieces, it was a bit too salty, but it was good & crispy.Arnold Palmer wasn't as sweet a I'd like, I prefer Arizona's Arnold Palmer, they must add loads of sugar in that. Sweet tea wasn't as sweet as I expected, but it was pretty good.
They've got cool cups, I wanted to steal one but I didn't have a bag. Where can I get a cup like that???
Best part was the corn muffins, each person gets TWO. YUMMM, I still have one. I'll save it for lunch tomorrow. Surprisingly, I didn't finish all my food, it's so rare that I don't finish. I still have 2 pieces of chicken, my corn muffin & stole bf's corn muffin.
I say it's a nice place to go to, I had such high expectations for this place & was let down with some of the food. The atmosphere makes up for it. I would come back for ribs.
Parking was hard, I circled a couple times (must be prime time for parking), then found a space 2-3blocks away.
edit (since I can't update yet) - just had my leftovers from yesterday, I've now upped it to 4 stars. SO GOOD.
Don't understand how people are giving this place such good reviews! I went there for a bday party and they were really slow, hardly anybody else in the restaurant, but service still was VERY slow.
I got fried chicken greens and mac n cheese. Fried chicken and cornbread was good, greens were very bland, and I thought I order mac n cheese, but I got mac and cheese soup. Tasted like straight up Kraft!
Hubby got meatloaf, it was just ok. There was no kids menu so my little ones end up splitting a hamburger which came out with the bottom bun drenched wet and soggy. When I asked for a new bread it took him 10-15 minutes to bring me a new one. Our waiter had a bit of a tude too!
Wouldn't call it authentic soul food and wouldn't go back to Hardknox!
It's been a long time since I've indulged in a big plate of fried chicken. I just got tired of being disappointed over and over. (That and the fact that I ride the 21 bus which is constantly overwhelmed with the stench of Popeye's whenever it gets remotely close to Divisidero St.) So when my friend took us to Hard Knox, I figured Now Is The Time!
It was good. Really good. Not super great fantastic, mind you, but Really Good. Lots of flavor and not greasy. I had tame sides (coleslaw and mashed potatoes with gravy), which were good too. But the yams that my friends had rocked super hard! Yay for yams!
As some others have said, the cornbread muffins aren't very 'cornmealy' but that was just fine with me. They are more muffiny, served up nice and warm. De-licious!
Oh, I was a little weirded out with the 'GOD' channel playing on the wide-screen tv over my head, but I just let it take me back to the road trips I've taken through the Bible Belt. Yeehaw!
I got fried chicken and waffles!!!! Actually it was smothered fried chicken....hmmm
So my other friend got just regular fried chicken, it was dark meat. I got the smothered fried chicken, which was breast meat with GRAVY!!!
I love gravy, so this is my kind of place. What I liked as an added detail about this place were the mason jar cups =).... Good'ol soul food meal.
Pros:
1. Food (chicken and waffle special for $9)
2. Cute cups
3. Corn bread
Cons:
Hard to find parking... better circle a few times and hope you get lucky.
The corn muffins here are deeeeeelicious. As are the macaroni and cheese, and the candied yams! The smothered chicken is good but not great - I still prefer Roscoe's.
The Hard Knox Pale Ale has a light and almost fruity taste, with a bit of a nutty aftertaste - I likes.
Overall the food is thoroughly enjoyable, and the service is great. Personable and lively staff - excellent service from our server Brian. We had a birthday party of 10+ and nothing was overlooked.
The only thing I don't like is the location - parking is terrible. I was LUCKY to get a spot 3 blocks away... and you can only imagine how long I was circling the area. I will be back though, if I can ever find parking again.
They got some pretty good country fried steaks here ! well so far thats all i know since that is what i got. But i also stole one of my cousin's BBQ chicken ! that was delicious ! The portion is pretty much for 1 person, after one plate you'd probably be full haha.
OHH i almost fogot. THeir corn bread MUFFIN is like the BEST ! I needed 3 of them to satisfy myself !! too bad there was only 3 since other people ate their own haha.
Ohh if you are going around dinner time, its going to be kind of hard to find parking unless you are extremely lucky! just keep it mind this is on clement, parking is like... hard . i parked 3 blocks away.... haha well this is an awesome restaurant ! Everyone should atleast try it once !
Cue the obligatory, I'm from Louisiana so I know Southern food line.
3 stars overall:
1 star for trans fat and telling SF to shove the Health Surcharge up its ass
1 star for good service and the sides that come with the entrees
1 star for having Abita Purple Haze - a Cajun's drink of choice.
I got the smothered Chicken and it was just ok. The explanation sounded so much better. Maybe it was the piece of chicken I had, but there were like 1000 pieces of bones in it.
Will go back again and try the other menu items when I have a craving for home again.
Blackened cat-fish, cheesy mac-n-cheese, and pillow-y mounds of mashed poh-tay-tohs... fried chicken and beer.
My friend took me here after a 6 hr. shift volunteering at West Coast Green in SF, and after starving throughout the entire tradeshow, the food here was a sight for sore eyes. Huge portions for a student on a budget, and I can stuff my face with their cornbread all day - even though I thoroughly dislike cornbread in general.
It was my first time having blackened catfish, but I really liked it. It reminds me of a soul-food version of "ca kho" - but that might just be the fob in me for making that comparison. They're both catfish, except the Vietnamese version is saucy. It's probably the distinct taste of catfish that brings me back, but it was good...
My friend ordered some kind of stout beer that was particular to the Hard Knox Cafe only - and we were able to finish a pitcher between the two of us within the hour. I don't know what it was called... but I'm sure if you ask, they can tell you what they have on tap.
Great place for informal dining on a budget. 3.5 stars. =D
A few weeks ago, I came here for the first time with a group of friends. My dinning experience was horrible. First of all, my beer came and after a few sips I see a fly at the bottom of my glass!!! WTF.
Next, I ordered the TURKEY WING...big mistake! The two giant turkey wings I got tasted nasty. It tasted like it was boiled in hot water and nothing else. It was bland tasting and the texture was kind of slimy on the outside and completely poach dry on the inside. I couldn't even finish the one of the wings. DO NOT GET THIS AT HARD KNOXX!
Also, I understand that this place can get really busy, but there service was still poor. No one came to refresh our drinks and we couldn't even hail the waitress about the fly in my beer. In there end...i just took it as a loss, paid, and left...vowing to never come back again!
They have a new updated menu with lots to choose from including brunch!
We tried the BBQ chicken (2 sides) and also the chicken and waffles. Both were outstanding. This gives me a reason to wake up early to go to brunch!
I came here twice for lunch so far and my experience has been pretty good each time.
First time I…
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I've had Hard Knox Cafe bookmarked for more than a year, ever since Kevo raved about the fried chicken at the one on 3rd. Unlike the best hamburger I've ever had, I can't name the best fried chicken I've ever had, just a bunch of good ones and a bunch of not-so-good, although the original Stroud's in Kansas City probably comes closest to the best. Someone proposed this for today's lunch w/ Rinky, Marian and Anna and I was all over it.
Alan and I had flown in from Hawaii the previous night, arriving home at 10PM. I hadn't had anything to eat since sometime in the afternoon when I had a taco salad on the plane. I have no idea what time my stomach thought it was, but I was hungry, though not starving. Rinky and I arrived at little later than I had intended at 11:45, a product of jet lag and traffic, and Marian and Anna were waiting for us. The space is smallish w/ high ceilings and an upstairs loft level. Walls are covered w/ corrugated metal and there are cool old mechanical objects randomly affixed. Prices are astonishingly low: 3 pieces of chicken and two sides for $10. Included in addition to the two sides are two cornbread muffins. We decided to split an order of beignets. Four beautiful beignets covered w/ the requisite powdered sugar arrived, w/ the Californian addition of fresh sliced strawberries and blackberries. They weren't Cafe du Monde but they were terrific and I loved the berries. I ate one of the corn muffins and liked its taste and texture. In addition to the regular menu there's a specials menu. One of yesterday's specials was chicken a waffle for $9. Alan had asked me to bring him some chicken. Not realizing how much food there was going to be I ordered a chicken and waffle w/ mac 'n' cheese for him to go.
I ordered chicken w/ boiled cabbage and red beans and rice for myself. I had iced tea and Rinky had lemonade, both served in glass jelly jars w/ handles. The cabbage was wonderful and the fried chicken was very good. The red beans and rice were OK, not as good as my friend Joan's father's, which are my standard. But I can't be sure it wasn't just that I was getting full. I ate the leg and the thigh and brought home the breast and the red beans and rice and the muffin. The waiter was hard working and patient. As lunchtime progressed it got busier. Somehow our takeout orders must have gotten confused. Alan's mac 'n' cheese turned into red beans and rice and we ended up w/ 4 corn muffins. I'll bet Marian or Rinky got the mac 'n' cheese in their to go order. No big deal. It was a small error. From Anna I learned to customize my order more next time: I'm going to order just wings and thighs. I'll let them sort out the number of each since I like both. There *will* be a next time.
As if I don't love this place enough, now it's serving brunch everyday. Beignets (pretty good), Belgium waffles, egg dishes and grits are now on the menu. AND, one of the specials was chicken + waffle. 3 pieces of those yummy chicken plus an entire waffle for $9!
When a second location opens up, I always worry that it doesn't measure up to the original. Well, no… Read more »
I usually just go here to get a cheap hamburger and fries. Their food is more like 3 star quality to me, but it is a pretty good deal at $6. I usually just order from their online site and haven't had any problems yet. I've only been there once when the food wasn't ready by the time I got there, so they are pretty reliable in that regard as well.
A soul food restaurant run by an Asian guy in the Richmond district? Can it be authentic? Well, it is a mixed bag, the fried chicken is great, cornbread is yummy, burger is huge! the fish is just so so, all the side dishes are pretty good. Stay away from the Philly cheese steak sandwich which is bland and the cheese is cold!
The best part about this restaurant - cheap pricing and friendly service , so if you want a sit down quick bite but don't want to go to Micky D. This is the restaurant for you!
We were on the way 2 Bill's 2 get a burger but changed our mind and went here instead since we got a parking right accross the street.
It was my aunt,my cousin and myself and we were all starving . I had the fried red snapper, Rice w/ gravy and Greens.
The food was pretty good I loved the cornbread.
The greens ehh not the greatest but some hot sauce and some vinegar hooked emm up.
The rice and gravy was cool the gravy could have had some better flavor.All in all it was pretty good I would go back for sure to see if the fried chicken is any good.
I was gonna give them 4 stars but I ordered a Bluemoon and they did not have any orange said they don't sell enough 2 have oranges who does that. Well I will tell you more then one place in the city does and they both suck for that 2.
I will put them on Blast in another review.
Brought my appetite
Corn muffin and fried chicken
I am so full now
_____
$10 for fried chicken might seem like a lot, but that included two of the best tasting corn muffins I've ever had, some yummy candied yams, black-eyed peas and rice (which perhaps is an "acquired taste?"), and three pieces of fried chicken. It was a the best fried chicken I've had in a really long time, too, although I confess I probably haven't had any in a year and the last time was KFC--which was the reason why it's been so long! But after my meal at Hard Knox tonight, I'm wondering when I'll go back for fried chicken again.
My only complaint was that there wasn't enough chicken. I wouldn't have this complaint if it had tasted bad. However, it really as more like 2.25 pieces of chicken, as opposed to a genuine 3.0. I literally said out loud, "What the F*CK is this? I didn't know that I ordered a buffalo wing!" But then I took one bite and I STFU. It was that good. In fact, my friend even picked up one of my bones and tried to find some meat on it but there wasn't any--true story! It was that good.
So next time you're feeling skinny and want to do something about it, you should try Hard Knox Cafe for yourself.
I was suprise to see good Soul Food outside of the Kansas City area where I had always felt like it was either the mecca or close enough too it.
The 2 pieces of deliciously golden toasted corn bread right as you receive your drinks, excellent touch.
Service, like Fine dining but still low key.
My boyfriend ordered the meals since he's begining to get his grown man on and I don't mind.
He ordered us...
The ribs sides: mash potatoes/ and fries
Fried Chicken sides: greens/and Mac and Chesse
Fried Chicken is a hard craft to master. ( well) But Hard Know Cafe knew what it was doing when it brought this half Black and Filipino girl her chicken! The ribs good not the best but having had Kansas and Saint Louis ribs I am a spoiled girl.
Overall, Great Luck spot to bring a group of girl firends like the table next to us (just catching up while still looking Fab)
A family where the dad was all about the left overs and the delicious corn bread.
or the date in the corner not afraid to get down with the get down on the soul food.
It's ok southern food, but they get high marks for their sweet potato pie. It's very nutmegy and fresh!
Chicken Fried Steak: Not bad, it's above average but I can make it better at home.
Mac and Cheese: Below expectations. A little watery, but well seasoned.
Corn bread muffins: On the sweet side and very good!
Red Beans and Rice: Just ok, a little spicy but could better.
Tasty cheap eats. As a first timer trying soul food I had a good experience at Hard Knox Cafe. I'm not sure if it's truly authentic like the South but pretty good. I go t the turkey wings with black eye peas and corn on a cob. The servings doesn't look that big but boy all the sauce and ingredients fills you up quick especially since it came with two corn muffins too. Yummy!
Overall my food was good but I wouldn't eat soul food all the time. It's just too rich for me. Service was A-ok and who knew they don't have free refills on soft drinks?
Sometimes you must say YES to your fried chicken cravings and this is the place you want to do it!
Hands down the best fried chicken I have ever had! I was smiling from ear to ear until the next day even because it was just that good! Not greasy, perfectly seasoned, just delicious!
My husband loved his blackened catfish too! We also enjoyed our garden salad that had diced peppers, tomatoes, onions and enough for 2! Our sides were the collard greens, mashed potatoes with gravy and rice and beans. And the piping hot corn bread is delicious!
We loved the atmosphere, the music, the staff everything was great! We will be back to try other things on the menu, but I know it won't be long before the fried chicken craving comes back again!!
O my gawd. Have you tried Hard Knox's bread pudding lately? Well, I have, and that deserves 5 stars in and of itself! I even received a couple birthday candles atop the bread pudding -- who can say they've had a bread pudding birthday cake?! I can.
I can't reiterate how awesome the service is here. The place can get real busy, but the servers are so attentive. They keep your water glasses full, wine glasses full (after being asked, of course), and the service is so efficient.
Oh, and new to the sides menu: sweet potato fries. Hard Knox Cafe is experimenting with new additions to the menu, and it's looking real good so far!
Having been to Hard Knox several times now, these are the tried and true facts:
* You will get more…
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I wanted to try something different and I heard so much about a place called Hardknox Cafe. My toughest decision was which location! Since I happen to be in the area after visiting the park - I decided to give it a try.
At my first glance of the menu, I was drawn towards something I haven't had in a long time. Fried chicken. I ordered it and I did not know I was in for such a treat. Typically I could not finish two pieces and here I ate three. It was the most juiciest, yet crispy fried chicken I've ever had in 20 years!
Next time I'm in the area, I'm going to put on a smile and visit this place once again. Thanks for the delicious treat!
I've been here several times and my favorite thing about Hard Knox is that the food isn't overly greasy, which can be a difficult feat for Southern cooking. I don't know how "authentic" it is, in comparison to bbq places in the South, but if I ever do find out, I'll let you know.
I've had their fried chicken, fried catfish, greens, mac and cheese (they make the creamy rather than baked type), and rice and blackeyed peas... all are very good and have a nice hint of bacon flavor. Mmmmmbacon! I only wish their cornbread wasn't in muffin form; I like my cornbread a little softer, like when it's cooked in a rectangular cakepan. But it's damn good cornbread!
There's plenty of room in here for larger groups, the decor is charming, and they've got several tvs for sports watchers. The waitstaff has always been friendly and attentive, but without hovering. It's just a really calm, relaxed place to have good comfort food.
i got the fried pork chops with mac and cheese and cabbage. the pork chop was good. smelled like fried chicken, but it was a chop! i wish they didnt cook it that long because it was a bit dry bit the part near the bones was nice and moist
cabbage was good. mac and cheese was really good when it was hot. once it cooled... it was a bit too thick and cheesy.
and the sweet tea came in a mason jar with a handle. i was expecting it to be a little sweeter (like mcdonalds sweet tea. i like that a lot!)
the corn bread muffins were so cute. i felt bad eating away the cuteness!
and the best part! i just ate my left overs for lunch today. the corn on the cob was so good. it must have been marinated in butter or something. mmmm i wish i had more.
One of my friends took me here, and while I may not be an authentic soul food connoisseur, I've never been to the deep south, still this was I know damn good fried chicken when I've eaten it. Each entree comes with two sides and corn bread, which I think is a ton of food, and considering the price it is pretty reasonable especially for soul food.
We also had the cajun blackened catfish, which was just ok, it was a little dry for my tastes and because I was comparing it with the fried chicken, the choice is pretty obvious the next time Im here. The corn muffins were pretty good, but I did think that they were a bit on the dry side, I usually prefer them with a little more fat. The mac and cheese and candied yams were really good, the mashed potatoes, coleslaw and collard greens were ok, but I didn't quite care or the potato salad.
Friendly service and a chill atmosphere, and pretty good food with generous portions. I enjoyed cramming into the corner with friends into bright red booths and sipping lemonade from mason jar styled mugs exchanging laughs and stories. I'll definitely be back, after all I've got my eyes, on the brisket, smothered pork chops and chicken fried steak...
3 1/2 Stars
Good Fried chickens.
I loved the ox tails. Tender fall off the bone.
Above average solid southern comfort food with large portions.
Came here last night for dinner, my friend had never been here before and wanted to try it out. It was pretty early (6:30 pm) so we were able to get a seat in the booth right away. I always have trouble ordering here, because I want to try so many of their sides! The waitress told us they had a new side - sweet potato fries! YUM! I already knew I wanted to order that. Each entrée comes with 2 sides of your choice and 2 corn muffins.
So seeing as how I wanted to try everything (and no this wasn't my first time eating here) we decided to share everything! Our first entrée was the Cajun meatloaf ($10) - w/ mac n cheese and collard greens. The second entrée was the 3 piece fried chicken ($10) w/ mac n cheese and sweet potato fries. The meatloaf was really good, pretty flavorful - the gravy on it was a little bland, but that's okay cause I don't like salty foods anyway. Everything else was really good: I esp like the mac n cheese (one of my favorite foods!) and the sweet potato fries. Love the hot cornbread too!!! Yum yum yum!
Parking is pretty crappy here - it is the Richmond district. But I was able to find parking about 4 blocks away so that was okay. Service was great, very friendly and tentative. There's only 1 bathroom (guys and girls share), and the booths are very comfy to sit in. Very relaxed atmosphere! I think the next time I come back, I need to order something else other than the fried chicken - I hear the ribs are delicious!
holy deliciousness.
best *and* worst part about hard knox? too close to my apartment. waaaay too close.
i had a random thought of bbq for dinner, and those in the know of the best places to go led me to this mecca of all that is bbq'd and good.
though i've heard their fried chicken is to-die-for, i went with the spare ribs. you know those folk tales of delicious bbq ribs with just the right amount of sauce, sweet, a bit spicy, and falling right off the bone?
that darn thing fell right off the bone.
so.good. nom nom nom nom
you can pick whatever southern sides your little southern food cravin' heart desires. cornbread brought warm to your table, fountain drinks and flavored sodas (stewart's bottles- not straight from the fountain, sadly), and a decent beer selection.
it fell right off the bone.
just thinking about it makes me mouth water.
the helpings are *not* small. bring an appetite. or a doggy bag. and pack in an extra jog or trip to the gym the day you go, you'll be glad you did.
but man. so.good.
.
Authentic Soul Food? This is what Hard Knox claim.
Here, all entrees are served with your choice of 2 sides and 2 corn muffins. The corn muffins were ok. I like the fact that it came out piping hot and it is definitely fresh. The crust was crisp, and the inside was soft, but it was a little too dry, crumbly and it lacked fat. They do provide butter spread on the side, but a little more oil on the batter before baking would have totally changed the whole texture.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Me- 3 Piece Fried Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes and Collard Greens. ($10) My chicken was burnt on one side and they tried to hide it by plating the burnt side on the bottom. LoL, what jokesters! Mashed potatoes were good, but the gravy tasted weird. I know it might sound funny, but we tasted something "alcohol-like" in the gravy, and no, neither of us had any alcohol before or during our visit here. Collard greens were bland and boring. They should have cooked it with ham hock or at least with some sort of protein to give it a little taste. Blah...!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
BF- Fried Catfish w/ Potato Salad and Candied Yams. ($13) The catfish was dry and the crust was hard. Way over fried! Candied yams were too sweet. Potato salad was decent, but still, uugghh...!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Despite the food, we loved the atmosphere. Cool décor (I'm guessing they're Giant's fans), comfortable booth seating, clean and well lit. Servers were very friendly, but slow with taking our order, getting us our food, and to give us our bill, but that's alright cuz I'm a Giant's fan too!
We will not be back because they are not what they claim to be.
I brought two Native Southerners here for a meal. Not only were they pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the restaurant, but they also liked the prices. Most items were on average about $10 a person which is a rarity for a hearty meal, let alone one in the city. The entrees come with a choice of two sides which will definitely feel you up. My turkey with mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese was tasty and filling. My boyfriend got fried chicken, mac n' cheese and sweet potato fries which he also gave a thumbs up. My boyfriend's dad is a collard greens connoisseur and he also approved of his meal. (I forgot what he ordered beyond that). Come with a healthy appetite and leave with a full belly. The cornbread here is really good as well, especially when it's piping hot. This location is much bigger than the one in the Dogpatch area. We were seated right away.
Fried chicken covered in gravy? with macaroni and cheese? with red beans and rice? Coke in a jar? Sheet metal walls? Pretty cheap?
YES PLEASE!
I really want to like this place because the workers here are so nice and friendly but the food is just OK. I had the shrimp po boy with a side of mac & cheese and coleslaw and a glass of lemonade to wash everything down. I did not have high expectations and left unenthused.
The slightly spicy sauce on the sandwich was good but I felt they skimped out on the shrimp. I just got a few pieces of deep-fried shrimp that had a rough cornmeal batter. It looked pretty but was not anything special. The mac & cheese was dry and bland as was the coleslaw. I like my coleslaw drenched in the sugar/salt/vinegar marinade but this one tasted dry and some of the lettuce leaves were starting to turn brown. I did think the raisins were a great addition to the slaw though. I did, however, enjoy my lemonade in its rustic glass jar. It was sweet and tart...maybe a little too sweet though as my heart was pounding after I finished.
I almost forgot the corn muffins. Those I must say were DELICIOUS. They were piping hot from the oven and so yummily sweet and moist with a generous spread of butter. :)
I've tried the fried chicken here before too. If you ask me, KFC is a gazillion times better.
The place was packed, so I thought it was a good sign? The upstairs seating is a little cramped (where we sat) and warm.
Soda came in a jug..cute! I don't really like cornbread..but their cornbread muffins are off the hook! They're sweet & moist & served piping hot. I got the fried chicken which was a breast, thigh, and wing. And for my 2 sides I chose mac n cheese & fries. All of that was only $10! The chicken was moist and nice and crispy. The mac n cheese was kind of blah..not very flavorful. I was disappointed with the mac n cheese since I've been craving some bomb ass mac n cheese for months! The fries were what my cousin called "overcooked." To be fair though, it was around 930 on a Friday night...so we probably got the last of everything. My brother said he got the odds & ends of his smothered chicken..he tasted both dark and white meat. My cousin loved his fried catfish sandwich and my aunt's turkey wing fell off the bone.
Maybe it is hit or miss...if I come back again, I'd wanna try one of their sandwiches, I was tempted to get the Louisiana hot link sandwich that night it was only $5.50. Portions are big and prices are cheap, that's one reason why I see Hard Knox being packed.
Neighborhood: Dogpatch
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Lakeside
Category: Soul Food
Neighborhood: Bayview/Hunters Point
Category: Soul Food
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Soul Food
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Vietnamese
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