OK, so I’m probably a little crazy for writing about a fast-food restaurant in a mall food court, but apparently this is another best-kept secret from those “in the know” as to where to get really good, tasty chicken.

First time I heard about Chick-fil-A, some people I worked with in Beverly Hills who lived in the Torrance area were raving about it and insisted that we actually use a lunch hour (and a half) to trek all the way to South Bay Galleria to visit the food court. And the knowledge of its existence has been a blessing and a curse ever since. See, there isn’t a Chick-fil-A on the 3rd Street Promenade or Beverly Center. The nearest ones to West L.A. are South Bay Galleria and Del Amo Fashion Center.

What’s so great about it? All Chick-fil-A chicken products are prepared fresh daily. And they use 100% whole chicken breast meat, not parts of a chicken. Even their nuggets are actual chicken strips, not that weird texture of meat parts mashed together. Their Chick-fil-A filet, Nuggets, and Chick-n-Strips are hand breaded daily and cooked in 100% non-hydrogenated peanut oil. This helps to contribute to their low trans fat and saturated fat numbers. And on top of that it tastes sooo good! Ferget Popeye’s or KFC. Chick-fil-A actually considers your health. Their Web site even covers nutritional information, a meal calculator, allergen info, gluten info and diabetic exchanges.

I recommend the Chick-fil-A sandwich so that you actually get the breaded chicken. Make sure to ask for some sauce–there are 14 flavors to choose from. And they don’t just have French fry sticks but waffle-shaped fries–crispy outside and tender inside. But make sure to respect their day of rest. Apparently founder, Truett Cathy, wanted to give Chick-fil-A employees the opportunity to worship, spend time with family and friends or just rest from the work week, so the restaurants are closed on Sundays.

South Bay Galleria
Ben Gray - Unit #225
1815 Hawthorne Boulevard
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 214-5488