Pickle chicken fingers at the Strip Joint Chicken, a new restaurant in Calgary on Feb. 14.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Strip Joint Chicken
312 3rd St. SE, Calgary
587-349-2449
Website: stripjointchicken.com
Price: $5.25-$16.95
Cuisine: Chicken strips
Atmosphere: Fast-food-meets-strip-club-meets-Instagram-dream-come-true
Best bets: Peanuts be jelly, cucumber salad, corn bread.
Vegetarian friendly? No.
Additional information: Open at 11 a.m. seven days a week. Open until 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Even after eating there, I’m still not sure where I stand with the Insta-friendly concept that is Strip Joint Chicken.
The fast-casual eatery opened at the tail end of 2022 to much fanfare thanks to a hilarious and captivating social-media campaign in which the mysterious eatery teased itself in a playfully seductive way. Was it actually going to be a strip joint that also served chicken fingers?
My curiosity was piqued along with most Calgarians’ and many people flocked to its riverside location beside Fortuna’s Row when it officially opened. Operated by the folks behind Fork and Farm Catering, Dennis and Jennifer Jeffrey, the restaurant has dedicated itself to the humble chicken finger.
It’s used as a blank canvas for a multitude of flavour combinations that, for the most part, don’t disappoint. But the main reason people descended upon Strip Joint was its interior design.
Neon signs illuminate the interior.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Perhaps best described as a “McDonald’s gone wild,” the central order counter and seating areas all boast the cool neon hues of purple, pink and blue while an always-reserved table with curtains has a pole affixed to it (for visuals only). Slogans such as “big dip energy,” “grip it, dip it, strip it” and a neon sign that reads “tender lovers” further play into the strip-club-meets-fast-food vibe here.
It’s funny, yes, but does it get old after one visit? I’d also say yes. It’s this feeling and the price point of many menu items that leave me wondering how many repeat patrons Strip Joint actually gets.
Before delving into the food, I know ingredients are expensive. We all know grocery-store prices have gone up. The situation has made me sympathetic to rising menu prices – heck, I even paid $30 for a plate of basic pasta the other week – but it has also made me think harder about where and how I spend my money.
What Strip Joint comes down to: Would you pay approximately $5 for a single chicken strip and no sides? If your answer is no, then this spot is most definitely not for you.
The eatery features cozy booth seating.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
If you’re like me and love a good chicken strip, there are more than enough reasons to give the place a shot.
The golden-crispy standard strips ( “naked”) are delicious. The proprietary spice mix in the batter offers plenty of, and just enough, flavour. The restaurant’s most economical option – you also receive a dip at no charge – is a great opportunity to try one of the sauces that other strip creations come tossed in or drizzled with. No qualms about the dill-pickle-back ranch.
The “peanuts be jelly” is probably the most creative entry on the menu and features the classic strips drizzled with satay sauce, red-pepper jam and a Wonder Bread aioli with crushed peanuts on top. It’s sweet, it’s salty, and it’ll keep you coming back for another bite.
PB&J chicken fingers and a boozy slushie.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
For all you pickle lovers out there, the ”pickle tickle” may have an eye-roll-worthy name, but topped with the aforementioned ranch, as well as chopped house pickles, dill pickle chips, dill salt and fresh dill, it’s a dill-pickle dream come true.
When it comes to sides, Strip Joint’s marinated cucumber salad with mango, peanuts, fresh mint and a subtly spicy serrano-mango dressing is a refreshing gear shift from all of the deep-fried goods one can consume here. I highly recommend it.
The funeral potatoes were recommended to us by a bubbly staff member as a signature item on my first visit. Three croquette-ish creations of shredded potatoes and cheese landed on the table but were left half-eaten. Undercooked shredded potatoes are never appealing.
Funeral potatoes are a favourite.Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
A bourbon apple caramel fried hand pie is satisfying enough flavour-wise but is also as unevenly cooked as the potatoes and nearing a state of soggy. Perhaps an off day.
In terms of drinks, there’s fountain pop (a must for all fast-food spots), Village Brewery and Inner City Brewing craft-beer options, as well as a selection of non-alcoholic and boozy slushies.
The dark-and-stormy-inspired rum slush is a real hit, as is the hibiscus hurricane with gin. Its refreshing, tangy taste makes me think of summer – only four months away and counting – but the $12 price tag is hard to swallow.
For as drop-dead sexy and playful as Strip Joint presents itself, it’s hard not to see it as a one-time food fling for most.