We blind tasted 17 rotisserie chickens from Bay Area restaurants. Here's how Costco ranked
There are 17 rotisserie chickens spread out on the table. The skin on the birds ranges from pale and caramel to burnished and charred. Some are speckled with herbs, many are trussed and two come with a wedge of citrus. One chicken, No. 11, is half the price, juicer and nearly twice the size of its peers — like Shaq standing next to any celebrity.
The San Francisco Chronicle Food & Wine section conducted a blind taste test to find the Bay Area's best rotisserie chicken. The team fanned out across San Francisco and the East Bay, procuring chickens from restaurants, butchers and grocery stores, and then bringing them to the Chronicle newsroom. That means birds from Costco and Gus's Community Market went up against chickens from restaurants like RT Rotisserie and Daytrip Counter, the newest in the flock.
The panel of judges consisted of myself, restaurant critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan, wine critic Esther Mobley, assistant Food & Wine editor Caleb Pershan and food reporters Mario Cortez and Elena Kadvany. On one day — internally referred to as 'chicken day' — we sampled all 17 chickens at room temperature, one by one, with senior Food & Wine editor Janelle Bitker on carving duties.
We took note of saltiness, appraised aromatics and analyzed distinguishing seasonings. We loved schmaltzy, crisp skin and abhorred the rubbery ones. We wanted meat rich in moisture and dreaded when a piece was dry. 'My mouth is the Sahara desert,' Fegan remarked thirstily about test subject No. 1.
We rated each on flavor, juiciness and skin. A good chicken excels in all of those categories, which influence the judge's overall score, on a 10-point scale. The findings show that restaurants typically make better chickens than markets and butchers; they often use higher quality birds. Also: We need to be eating more Peruvian-style chicken.
Any discussion of rotisserie chickens must include price, since the food is an affordable staple for many families. Bitker weighed every pollo and calculated the price per pound. Note: Some birds came with complimentary sides and sauces (more on that below), so the comparison is imperfect. The most expensive, at $20 per pound, came with two sides; without them, the priciest chicken was $12.63 per pound. Generally, the more expensive chickens performed better, with one giant exception.
I don't think I can look at another chicken for at least a month. Without further ado, these are the top 10 rotisserie chickens in the Bay Area.
Daytrip Counter is the new casual chicken spot from the folks behind the acclaimed, now-closed Daytrip in Oakland. Brined in a vinegar solution and injected with schmaltz, the chicken scored high for flavor, but the group was divided on matters of skin and juiciness. Fegan noted that the skin was not fully rendered. Mobley found it to be dry, but Cortez thought the thighs were juicier.
9. Guerra Quality Meats
Score: 5.58. Price: $6.69 per pound
The West Portal butcher shop had some of the crispiest skin of the congregation — so crispy and schmaltzy that it earned my only perfect score for skin. Fegan, meanwhile, liked the skin but not the flavor of the meat. Pershan observed that this was a runt of the litter.
The expert trussing of the bird from Little Original Joe's, the takeout counter and market in West Portal, caught everyone's attention. Flavor-wise, however? Cortez deemed it 'boring' and Mobley thought the skin too salty. Fegan described it as 'very middle of the road.'
7. Market Hall
Score: 5.81. Price: $9.95 per pound
The caramelized, glazed skin on the bird from Market Hall, a specialty market and deli in Oakland, caught Fegan's eye. But the panel couldn't agree on the flavor: Mobley tasted garlic, I detected paprika and Fegan noted a barbecue-like taste. (The marinade includes those ingredients plus a ton of thyme.) Kadvany issued bonus points for its 'shreddy texture.'
Cantoo is a Venezuelan-Chinese restaurant in the Tenderloin known for its mountains of fried rice and rotisserie chicken, tenderized with a beer brine. Mobley loved the skin and savoriness, while I found it to be rich and ham-like.
5. Souvla
Score: 7.13. Price: $12.63 per pound
Souvla, the casual Greek mini-chain restaurant, sells a limited number of whole feta-brined birds every day online. Kadvany called out the tenderness, as did Mobley, noting the flesh as 'buttery.' I liked its citrusy tang, and Cortez and Pershan raved about the garlicky skin.
The casual chicken arm of the Rich Table operation, RT Rotisserie, earned points from Fegan for presentation, with the buttermilk-brined bird's evenly cooked, well-burnished skin. Kadvany and Mobley ranked it as their favorite for skin. Nearly everyone perked up at the presence of the fried garlic garnish.
This local Peruvian restaurant chain's chicken ranked as the second most flavorful, pleasing (and perplexing) the judges with its earthy spice. Fegan wondered if it was za'atar while Mario was reminded of 'taco seasoning.' I knew it was a Peruvian-style chicken upon first taste of cumin.
2. Costco
Score: 8.53. Price: $1.16 per pound
This chicken was by far the juiciest, practically dripping with moisture, and stayed warm longest. The value also must be noted: The price disparity between Costco and every other place was cavernous, nearly five to 20 times cheaper than the rest at $1.16 per pound. However, there is one big caveat: The oversized fowl is only available to those with a Costco membership, which starts at $65 per year.
It seemed like a shoo-in for gold, but an underbird left the warehouse chicken in the dust.
1. Rooster's Peruvian Rotisserie
Score: 9.28. Price: $10.66 per pound
Rooster's makes the Bay Area's best rotisserie chicken! The low-profile Peruvian restaurant, which opened last year in the Mission District, delighted the board with its bird's juiciness and lovely skin coated in a flavorful, cumin-forward spice mix, which some noted was also well-distributed underneath the skin. We all nearly clapped upon first trying it.
It scored high marks across categories, with some voters like Cortez and Pershan even giving it a perfect 10. Most of the voting body was unfamiliar with Rooster's, but now its legend will be solidified as the David that defeated the Goliath that is Costco.
A final note on sauces
In order to keep the tasting blind, we held off on sauces until after our final tabulations. By the sixth chicken, everyone's eyes darted to the sauce island, a plate stacked with small containers. We licked our lips at the prospect of moisture.
Many chickens are designed to be enjoyed with — and improved by — condiments. Daytrip Counter's chicken performed averagely, but the restaurant shined bright when it came to sauces. The five judges (and Bitker) placed Daytrip's spicy chile-lime butter and tart lemon tahini in their top three choices — nice foils to the richness of the schmaltzy chicken.
Some packed heat: The spiciest was Rooster's rocoto sauce, but it only appealed to Cortez and me. Others believed it to be too spicy and unbalanced. The crowd favorite? RT Rotisserie, especially its creamy chimichurri, followed by the smoky chipotle yogurt.
What rotisserie chickens did we miss? What other foods do you want us to taste test? Should I go to therapy after eating so many chickens? We want to hear from you: Email me at Cesar.Hernandez@sfchronicle.com.
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