REVIEW: KFC in Catterick Garrison

I’m relatively new to the charms of fried chicken cooked with the Colonel’s secret recipe.

When growing up there was never a KFC in Richmondshire and it was McDonalds every time when we ventured to Darlo on the United bus.

But the kids love it and so we call in now and again when they’ve been good, or they’ve not been particularly good, but neither have they been overly naughty.

Crazy fools that we are, we called in to KFC in Catterick recently without the children. If they knew they’d would be furious so let’s not tell them.

My experiences of KFC and not always been positive. I won’t name the restaurant we visited once on a Saturday afternoon which was dirty and dingy, with tables full of rubbish and staff full of attitude.

Actually I’ve changed my mind. It was the KFC in Yarm Road, Darlington. It was a hole and although we’ve been back we always have drive through, despite my car being even more of a hole.

We had another bad experience at a KFC down the M1 once. It was the services with the restaurants on the bridge. Leicester Forrest East I think. It was too busy, they were too slow, everyone was too hungry, I just wanted to get back in the car and to take my place in the queue of traffic heading south.

Anyway, I’m glad to say they were very quick at Catterick, despite a group of Nepalese trainee soldiers ordering in bulk. Some seemed to be ordering to eat in and were placing a secondary order to take back to the barracks, either for a friend or for a midnight feast on their own.

The restaurant also looked immaculate, as did the staff who were friendly enough. Not being KFC regulars, we always feel slightly intimidated by the menu and usually opt for a boneless banquet box meal which includes fried chicken off the bone, popcorn chicken pieces, regular fries, a regular drink and a choice of side. Coleslaw, beans, sweetcorn, gravy.

The gravy is apparently the stuff of legend but coleslaw always reminds me of chicken and coleslaw sandwiches at the top school in Leyburn so I usually opt for that. The popcorn chicken is the weakest link in my opinion. Fairly tasteless, like popcorn. But you can swap for an extra side if you ask nicely.

Popcorn chicken aside, the food was hot, fresh and tasty. Not perhaps a banquet, but it still feels like a sizeable meal and you don’t get that ‘ooh I could have another of those’ five minutes after you finish like you do at other fast food restaurants.

Stand by for next month’s review when depending on cash flow we will either be reviewing somewhere swanky or a Greggs.