As you might have guessed from my rating system, where I somewhat boldly declare that it’s possible to give a place like Bauhaus the same 4/4 rating as Del Posto, I enjoy trying new sandwich shops and food stands just as much as fine dining establishments. Keeping with that trend is this review of Genuine Roadside, a fast casual food vendor in Gotham West Market with a heck of a chicken sandwich, even though they are billed as a burger joint. Interestingly, Genuine Roadside is another product of AvroKO, which also designed sister establishments Genuine Liquorette and Genuine Superette, as well as an interesting joint venture with the Dante team in Greenwich Village called Dante at Genuine. As an aside, AvroKO has also designed more upscale restaurants, such as another that I’ve reviewed, Park Avenue Winter.
Anyway, the Buttermilk Battered Chicken Sandwich at Genuine Roadside was awesome. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and not too greasy (they do all their frying with canola oil). It was basically everything you look for in a chicken sandwich, which for me, includes a little bit of slaw on top for acidity. The heat from the sambal mayo is a nice touch, too. Even though it’s served on a hamburger-sized bun, the piece of chicken itself was pretty big, extending well past the edges of the bun. For that size and quality, I can live with the ~$10 price tag, though I wish the sides were a bit cheaper. It’s hard for me to justify paying $4-$5 for a few fried pickle shears, but I’ll get over it.
Roadside also earns bonus points for great employees. I mistakenly thought they were open until 11:00pm the night I placed my pick-up order, and when I arrived around 10:15pm realized that they actually closed at 10:00pm, but were nice enough to accommodate me with a smile even while in the process of cleaning up and closing, which I appreciated.
It’s not like me to not order the dish a food establishment is known for, so I suppose I need to go back for the burger, but the chicken sandwich is a winner.
Summary:
- Rating: 3/4 Stars
- Pricing: $
- Food: American
- Dress Code: Casual
- Neighborhood: Hell’s Kitchen
- Website: www.eatgenuine.com
- Instagram: None, but you can see photos here
Rating System Guidelines:
4 Stars: outstanding, cannot wait to return
3 Stars: great, would be happy to return
2 Stars: good, though not necessary to seek out
1 Star: forgettable, ought to dine elsewhere
My rating is meant to account for not just the quality of the meal and experience, but also the value, without favoring the ultra expensive. In other words, a high-end restaurant (e.g. Del Posto) and a casual eatery (e.g. BaoHaus) can both receive 4/4 stars, even though they are extremely different atmospheres and the former is clearly “nicer.”
Alexander Sonageri 