Preface: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my first free inquiry blog! Over this semester, I will seek to answer the question: What are the best take-out spots in and around Victoria? To determine the top spots, I’ll be stopping into a new venue of varying prices/styles and rating them based on a 40-point scale one to two times a week. The 40-point scale is determined by the sum of the four subcategories. These are, appearance, overall taste, customer service and bang for your buck. As you may have guessed, each subcategory is worth 10 points. My blogs will all follow a similar format consisting of a simple introduction to the restaurant followed by my full review of one of their items based on the 40-point scale. At the end of each review will be my compiled list of restaurants, ordered from highest to lowest scores. Hopefully, by the end of the semester, my compiled list of top spots will help you in deciding what to go eat! 😀
Chicken with a View
Photo Credits: My photo
To some, the small city of Victoria, British Columbia, is best known for its cool climate, vibrant culture and rich history. To others, mainly me, it is known for its deep array of high-quality takeout spots. Over this semester, I will seek to answer the question of what are the best takeout spots in and around Victoria?
For my first blog, I wanted to keep it simple, so I decided to check out the newly opened Lee’s chicken in Esquimalt. Lee’s chicken is a fast food style chicken restaurant; think that of popeyes or Chick-fil-a, but with a local feel rather than a corporate one. Due in part to Lees being, to my knowledge, a Vancouver island-only franchise. Meaning higher quality ingredients and a feeling of a little more care in every meal.
My Order: 3 Piece Chicken Meal with Fries
Appearance: 3/10
As you can see, it’s nothing special when it comes to the presentation at Lee’s chicken. The meal comes in a bland white box sporting one logo on the side. Once opened, you are greeted with a pleasant sight of delicious-looking chicken, so how could I not award at least a few points. Nonetheless, very dull appearance, 3/10.
Overall Taste: 6/10
Where Lee’s lacks in appearance, it somewhat makes up for in taste. The chicken was extremely crispy, like genuinely the crispiest chicken I have ever had, which was appreciated, but unfortunately, it was also dry. The spice combo they used, was quite nice, increasing the overall taste of the chicken by a lot. The fries were bland as they had little to no seasoning and they were a bit cold, so not great. Included in every meal is a free biscuit and gravy. They were both fine, bland like the fries, but on the contrary, they were actually hot. Overall, better than KFC or Popeyes but nothing to go crazy over, 6/10.
Customer Service: 6/10
As it is a newly opened restaurant, I expected a few hiccups in the service. Surprisingly it went pretty smooth. The person at the till was exceptionally friendly and helpful, making for a quick interaction there. After ordering, I’d say it was about 3-5 minutes before my order was ready. Leaving the restaurant, I was very pleased with the service and planned to give it a very high rating. That was until I was far away from the restaurant and checked my bag. To my disappointment, they forgot my sauces. Instantly, I was devastated, drastically lowering their customer service score, 6/10.
Bang for your Buck: 5/10
The meal came to 15.39, not including taxes. This price may seem high, but it’s fairly standard when It comes to ordering from chicken-specific places. Much like the rest of the restaurant, pretty average, 5/10.
Final Score Breakdown
Appearance 3/10
Overall Taste: 6/10
Customer Service: 6/10
Bang for your Buck: 5/10
Final Score: 20/40
Final Thoughts
To conclude, Lee’s chicken scored a 20 out of 40 on the Jaxon Roorda 40-point takeout scale. Reflected in its score, Lee’s is criminally average, but still, it’s an excellent spot to grab a bite to eat if you have a craving for higher-quality chicken. The chicken is quite tasty, the staff is friendly, and it’s averagely priced, so I would recommend Lee’s if ya get the chance!
Jaxon’s Top Takeout in Victoria List
- Lee’s Chicken, Esquimalt – 20/40
