Griff’s Chicken Shack

Now closed.
The end of an era. Griff’s was my choice for comfort food during law school, and now that I’ve graduated, it is no more. I can’t say that I’m surprised, or that I was going very much toward the end — Griff’s kind of dropped off our radar because it was dropping in quality our last few visits. We started noticing that our sauce cups were barely half full, the wraps were weak, and it was hard to handle all the salt from the tenders and fries. On top of that, Griff’s was regularly closing early or arbitrarily, so we walked up to the door only to be disappointed on more than one occasion. I actually considered updating my review to remove a few stars a while ago, but I didn’t have the heart to do it because there was a time when I loved this place so much.
We had some good times here. A group of us walked into the 1-​year anniversary party by accident, a friend of mine rented the place out for two birthday parties, and I watched as multiple people I knew completed the Man vs. Bird challenge. I don’t know if I ever got over the fact that Griff’s was so anti-​wing at first then took down that hilarious part of its website to start selling wings. It was good while it lasted.

There is not one thing on their menu that is not mouth watering. I do have to give Mrs. Griff shout out here to because her key lime pie and banana pudding is to die for

I love Griff’s chicken strips. The meat itself is nice and juicy and not overcooked at all, and the batter is crispy and flavorful. The chicken strips are a decent size and I usually get full on a 2 strip basket with fries. I like that they use a flaked sea salt to season the tenders and fries. There are so many sauces to choose from and I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong with any of them. My only complaint is that the last time I was there they were out of their desserts and mac and cheese. Especially sad since key lime pie is my favorite and their’s is supposed to be good. Next time!

Eh, not as impressed as I thought I would be. For a place that has chicken in their name, I would expect some pretty darn good chicken. I will admit the chicken was moist and the mean was cooked well but the breeding on the outside left a lot to be desired. It tasted a little burnt despite looking golden brown. It was… blah. And the French fries were pretty miserable and they have to be pretty bad for me not to eat them.
3 stars for convenience, tender chicken, bad fried breaking and horrible French fries.

On my way back from NYC, I made the detour to try out Griff’s. Maybe I should’ve stayed on the road. I really wanted to like it. I really did.
The place was understandably empty — it was a late lunch. I ordered the chicken fingers – it’s what they’re famous for after all. The staff (of one) was friendly and welcoming.
The good news: they use real chicken — no pink slime at Griff’s. Big, beautiful white meat chicken breast. No problem with that at all.
The bad news: the balance between the chicken and the coating/​batter/​crust (whatever you wanna call it) was way out of whack. The volume of white meat overwhelmed the thin-​ish coating. Again, under normal circumstances, a generous portion of chicken wouldn’t be a problem. But the combo of the almost completely flavorless chicken, covered by a flavorless, seemingly unseasoned coating made for a real ho-​hum meal.
Granted, I passed on the bounty of sauces – which was obviously my bad. But I think I had the right to count on some flavor (ANY flavor) from a genuine Southern-​bred piece of fried chicken. I grew up down south – I know what fried chicken is supposed to taste like. Twenty years in New England has lowered my expectations a bunch, but my minimum requirement on fried chicken — even up here – is that it at least taste like … something.
Suggestion: If you go, opt for the sauce. And get plenty of it.

So I decided to give this place a try after seeing all the positive reviews from my fellow Unilocalers. I wouldn’t say it’s the best chicken tenders I’ve had but it is good nonetheless.
I went for lunch and upon entering there weren’t too many people around or seated. The place is a bit small but there was enough tables to sit at. Lighting was good and the noise level wasn’t bad. There were TV’s mounted to the walls but they were muted. Staff was friendly and welcoming and there was virtually no wait and no queue. I inquired about how large the tenders were and though I couldn’t get an accurate demonstration of their size, I decided to go with the four-​piece. Apparently when you order them, you have a choice of two kinds of sauces to go with it out of five or six choices. I chose the Honey Mustard and the Honey BBQ. The wait for the food wasn’t long as I ordered to go. I’d say roughly I had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes. The food came in a nice brown paper bag (there’s something about your food being packaged in a brown paper that makes me happy). Anyway, when I finally got to my destination, I finally dug in and realized that the tenders were huge! I’d say they were about 6 inches long. The tenders were very tender inside — not too hard or too chewy. The outside wasn’t crunchy or crispy and the seasoning was very minimal. The sauces weren’t thick so you don’t have to worry about dunking your tenders in a couple times and expecting it to finish. The sauces’ viscosity was thin. The sauces weren’t spectacular enough to write home about so I’d leave it at that. The meal came with a small cup of slaw which wasn’t sweet as you might expect it to be. To me, it tasted a bit bland. It also came with fries and they were very generous with their helping of fries. I couldn’t tell if their fries was from a bag or the real McCoy. I even asked my wife to taste one and even she couldn’t tell. Some of the fries didn’t taste fresh, hot or tender. Overall the food was fresh and tasty and it definitely would be a place that I’ll be visiting again because I’ve heard they have fried catfish which sounds yummy!

Solid fried chicken next door to Mikro. I can’t say they are the best chicken fingers ever, but they are very good. I could see this becoming a regular stop if it wasn’t so unhealthy. The portions are huge and the sauces are delicious. Like all fried food it’s best fresh, so definitely better to eat in than take out.
My only regret is that they were out of all their desserts last time I was in. I’ll have to wait to try them out, but I’ve heard nothing but good things.

I finally got around to trying Griff’s (I know, where have I been?) for lunch today and I was not disappointed. My husband and I both got chicken finger/​fries baskets (2 fingers for me, 3 for him but he couldn’t eat all of it!). I had the Bobcat BBQ sauce and he had the Hickory BBQ. The chicken was whole, real, fresh, juicy, made to order, pretty much perfect. The «breading» was a cornmeal-​type traditional southern coating you’d see on fried chicken pieces but I’d never had it on tenders before. The Bobcat sauce was great, just a little spicy like I like it. I’d pass on the Hickory sauce though, that one was boring. I’m not sure if they were, as claimed, «the best chicken tenders in the world» (that honor probably still lies with Tully’s in Syracuse NY) but they were very good and I’d happily eat them again.
Let’s give the banana pudding it’s own paragraph though, shall we? SERIOUSLY — get the banana pudding. It was easily as good as that from Magnolia bakery in NYC and half the price.
Overall I really liked the vibe of the place. Very casual, homespun/​genuine feel. There were several lunch customers in and out while we were there but it was never busy, crowded, or noisy. The menu is pretty limited, but I appreciate a place that knows what they’re good at and sticks to it. Next time we decided to skip the fries and just order more chicken!

Awesome chicken fingers, made from scratch… cheap too!

I popped in here for lunch on a weekday and I was happy to see that it wasn’t slamming. I realize that’s selfish of me because the owners would probably love to see it crazy-​busy during lunchtime. Anyway, myself and my wife ordered the following: three piece chicken with blue cheese sauce, large red beans and rice (to go), two sweet teas and a pulled pork sandwich.
The chicken is as good as everyone says in their Unilocal review. Tender, huge, not overly crispy but super tasty with a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning. As everyone else has Unilocaled, I wasn’t able to pack away all three chicken tenders but that’s ok because I knew the leftover one would go great with my beans and rice. Side note: I foolishly (I’m a fool, a FOOL!) ordered blue cheese as my sauce and it was simply mayo with blue cheese. I knew I should have gone with my gut and ordered the ginger-​sesame one. I’m a blue cheese ho so I couldn’t help myself.
The pulled pork was huge and delicious and on a nice, soft roll. It wasn’t pre-​sauced but it was really tasty even without it. My wife got a sauce (bbq) with the sammy and she did slather it well. She also enjoyed slopping some of the complimentary cole slaw on it too. The sides of fries are good, crispy and huge. Too big to not share.
The sweet tea was awesome. I’m not from the south, my grandma wasn’t referred to as Mee-​Maw so I can’t say it’s authentic but it’s heavy on the tea flavor and lighter on the sweetness, which I loved. Most of the sweet tea I’ve had was so sugary I couldn’t handle it but as I sipped my tea I wished I had a Mee-​Maw who would always have a jug of this on hand.
Finally, the beans and rice were spectacular. The rice appeared to be of the «minute» variety so, nothing special there but the mix of beans, sausage, slight smoky flavor and tomatoey goodness was a symphony of flavors in my mouth. I think this large side was about $ 7 in a 16oz container. Expensive but tasty.
Overall the meal was pretty cheap for what we got and you can’t beat the quality.
Lastly, the guy working there, Courtney, was super sweet. I’m not sure if he’s the owner or just a dedicated employee but we thought he was delightful and helpful.

OK Unilocalers, let’s get serious for a second over here. Looking for the BEST chicken tenders on the planet and probably in the universe?!? Look no further, because Griff’s Chicken Shack has them and from the numerous 5-​star review here, clearly the universe agrees. Totally an assuming place just like it’s next door craft beer/​gastropub neighbor Mikro, and if it weren’t for social media to spread the virtual word about true hidden jems like Griff’s and Mikro, the world would be a sad, sad boring and bland place. (Is that what life was like before the interwebs?!) I am impressed yet again with the high quality output of Hamden cuisine and if we end up having to stay in the New Haven area for another 3 years (oh the joys of being a doctor’s hubby), I’ll have zero problem getting fat and happy at Griff’s and Mikro on a daily if not hourly basis.
Today was my first visit and while I’ve been to Mikro a number of times, my wife isn’t a deep fried food kind of gal so I’ve been just waiting for the right wifeless opportunity to make the drive out and give it a try. Plus I even had the honor of having Mister Griffin himself take my order! A lot of items on the menu caught my eye, but I was a man on a chicken tender mission and my mind was made up many many moons before stepping foot in to this chicken tender mecca.
I ordered two 4 tender baskets and got the TNT buffalo and Bobcat BBQ as my two complementary sauces. I tried to persuade my mentee to venture outside his 2 TNT buffalo sauce sauce zone, and Mr. Griff was kind enough to throwin a free premium sauce as I was trying to sell him on the endless joy that BBQ sauces bring to society. This sauce and flavor loving maniac is much appreciative of the kind gesture, and will be sure to pay it forward in life. (And with this rave Unilocal review!) The plethora of sauces alone would have kept me coming back for more, as the flavors range from the standard east Carolina BBQ sauce (dark, thick and peppery) to more unique and abstract sauces like Doc’s Key West (creamy and key lime flavored) and Asian Sweet Chili. The tenders come plain and not smothered in sauce as you’d find at Smokin S’wings. This is the perfect way to highlight the freshness of the white meat chicken breast used in these plump tenders. Ours came straight from the fryer and were a perfect golden brown. I especially loved the coarse sea salt that the tenders were finished with. It was like special fairy dust because these deep fried birds are what dreams are made of! Having them sauce-​less really lets you appreciate the light and crisp batter used on these puppies, which lock in the juiciness of the meat and have a fantastic spice blend in themselves that you can savor each bite even without these tasty sauces. Being the self-​proclaimed lover of flavors and all condiments in general, I drowned each and every bite in saucy goodness. It was nice to have one fiery bite of the TNT buffalo sauce, which reminded me of the hot sauce you get in packets from Chinese take out places with a blend of good olé gringo buffalo flavor, then immediate chase that with a sweeter, peppery bite of the standard BBQ sauce, then have a 3^rd bite of the hot buffalo sauce. I even mixed and matched by double dipping bites in different sauces, so the possibility are endless here! I’d even dip one of the complimentary crayons in the sauce and eat that badboy too, but I wanted to use my first Griff’s experience to gauge how daunting The Challenge really is. (Eat 10 tenders in under an hour and get your photo on the wall; anything over 15 is free; beat the normal human record (21) and get it for free and a tee-​shirt; the all-​time record is 32!) The all you can drink sweet tea is a great option when you’re looking for endless liquids to cool your palette being these tenders are served hot from the fryer.
I’m excited to return and try other items from the menu, but I“m a guy who knows what he likes and when a food does me good as Griff’s tenders have, I’m going to have a tough timing choosing anything else and will probably get a tender or 10 on the side!

OMFG. I have no idea why it took me so long to try this place.
The chicken fingers are ENORMOUS and the sauces are delicious. Can’t wait to make a return trip really soon!
All you can drink sweet tea is awesome as well!

I felt that I needed to update because of the constant amazing service I’ve gotten here since my last review. This place was such a gem when I found it, and if I didn’t have to go down Whitney and all its stupid traffic I would be here more often. I still always get Doc’s Key West sauce, I want to buy it and try to make different things with it, sooo good.
Its best when Griff or Cowboy Courtney is there (but I haven’t seen him lately?). I love the vibe to the place and the Sweet Tea is real Southern sweet tea, I cannot get sweet tea like that anywhere! I still get the occasional freebie, like them on Facebook and he’ll post random freebies for the day.
Prices have increased, but I feel that its still reasonable. A chicken sandwich will cost me 5 bucks and will fill me up, with fries and slaw its a meal for when I’m REALLY hungry. Split a basket of 5 – 6 with someone and its really reasonable, but I am still in love with the sandwiches here.
Try eating a fast food chicken sandwich after eating here. I dare you.

We’ve been here a few times and we never leave disappointed!
Stopped in for lunch today and both Tom and I got chicken tender baskets with french fries and coleslaw and the awesome dipping sauces – Island BBQ, honey mustard and blue cheese. I always try to get a different sauce, but it is so hard when the ones I’ve had are so good! The chicken is so juicy and huge, you will not leave hungry. They have a chicken tender eating contest (currently 32 tenders is the record) but you’ll be satisfied with just a few! I also enjoyed the sweet tea – the real stuff! The owner is really nice, the food is fast and the atmosphere is relaxed and colorful – and today, he was playing Jimmy Buffett! Any place playing Jimmy has my vote!

Griff’s is pretty good! They have a small menu of choices, but the chicken tenders beat out anything else they have. I do not know what they do to make them so good, but they are amazing. They have a wonderful selection of sauces, and all of them are tangy and delish :) My boyfriend ordered the BBQ ribs, and we were not impressed. Very dry and they were not that great. They were not seasoned right. I would give Griff’s another shot because I enjoy the embiance of the place and the people who work there are so friendly. I also love the drawings on the wall from everybody, they are so cute. I love that they have coupon clipper coupons and you can save some cash that way too.

Great chicken fingers! Good sauces and some good wraps! Has a selection of Foxon Park sodas! Make sure to try the Elvis wrap! Very friendly atmosphere. Great for a quick meal or take out!
Be sure to try the chicken challenge! I helped to start this crazy idea!

You’ll never be able to order a chiken finger basket from Chili’s again. Or anywhere else for that matter.
The owner Scott is originally from Florida, so he knows a thing or two about southern hospitality, and he’ll certainly take care of you here.
You can order any size finger basket you want, coupled with any of their awesome homemade sauces (Sweet Thang being my personal favorite.) They also serve wraps (the Elvis is tops!) as well as wings.
Served with fries, the basket is brough out to you in all its glory. Each chicken finger is so delicous and packed with flavor you’ll wonder how you’ve ever enjoyed chicken finger baskets anywhere else.
If you’re feeling daring, do the «Chicken Shack Challenge,» to see how many chicken fingers you can eat. A minumum of 10 is required to get your picture on the «Man vs. Bird Wall of Fame.»
The record is 31.

This is GREAT chicken! I have been a couple of times now and the food was excellent each time. The chicken tenders are fresh and juicy. I would not recommend you let them sit for too long since they will get soggy after about 10 minutes. (This probably explains the only other negative review.) I found that if you tear off the end, it will cool down a little quicker. The fries are good and have what I think is shaved sea salt on them. The only downside is that I wish there was a way to try a few different sauces without having to take a chance of not liking the one you picked.
The average person should find the 2 tender meal filling enough. Both of my kids can’t wait until we go back again. Be sure to check out some of the witty drawings posted on the far wall.

My brother and I went there today for lunch and LOVED it! I actually just made this account just so I could leave a great review for this place. Local owned business always win my vote. The owner is so nice and a great guy! (Forget about all the Elvis paraphernalia! hah!)
My brother and I each had the «5 tender basket» it came with a BUNCH of yummy fries, cole slaw (take it or leave it) and 2 sauces. Let me tell you, we each had enough left over for another person. The 2 or 3 tenders should suffice for the average Joe.
I had the TNT buffalo and honey mustard. great and AWESOME, respectively. My brother had the bobcat BBQ and some other spicy BBQ and were just as great!
I had their sweet tea. It’s the best I’ve had in a while — and I’ve lived in the south! That should be sayin’ something here!
All in all, they’ve gained two regular customers today.

Very good fast-​food. Chicken fingers are among the best you can get for the speed. But listen to the advice: two is probably enough for most people, even 3. Dont be tempted by the «extra sauce» you get by ordering 4. Its over the top — just buy the sauce. I tried hickory and the buffalo. Both were very good.
Atmosphere is clean and simple. Nice tables and set up.
Service was also very friendly and quick. And don’t miss the sweet tea with refils. Delish.
A good option in Hamden.
Note: The owner has a very hands on approach. After I pointed out something, he offered to fix it immediately. Having someone who cares about the product he puts out makes all the difference. Looking forward to my next visit.