Queens Tribune

New Texas Fried Chicken
803 Cypress Ave., Ridgewood
(718) 386-0413
Cuisine: Take-Out
Hours: 10 a.m. to midnight
Delivery: Yes
Parking: Street
This week, I made a discovery. My wife had been craving Buffalo wings for a week now, and I didn’t feel like cooking, so I decided to do some research – it seems that there aren’t that many places in Western Queens that specialize in these tasty, bite-sized morsels.

Flipping through the internet I stumbled across New Texas Fried Chicken in Ridgewood and decided to head out and pick up dinner for the family.

Inside, the place is covered with pictures of the food, with fried chicken, Buffalo wings, sandwiches, cheese steak and other specialties lining the walls. The menu is a mish-mash of all sorts of temptations, from Peach Cobbler to family-sized meals of chicken and sides. I made my choices, paid the man, and drove the 10 minutes home, hoping that the food would stay hot and that it would meet the hype I had seen.

I was not disappointed on either count.

To start, the wings were perfect – they weren’t covered in sauce that attempts to add flavor; instead, they were crisp, zesty and carried just the right bite that is easily cooled by a slight dunk in bleu cheese. My wife was pleased, and we were then allowed to continue with dinner.

For my 10-year-old, I went with a staple – what she calls chicken on a bun. A breaded patty sits on a large sesame bun and is topped with mayo, tomato and lettuce. The sandwich is a classic, and these Texas guys got it right.

I had the gyro, which, frankly, was one of the best I’ve ever sampled. The meat was tender and somewhat rare, sliced fresh from the spit. It was soft to the bite and filled with the flavors one expects in quality gyro meat. The condiments were fresh, and the tzatziki sauce plentiful. Wrapped in a triangular foil, I didn’t have to worry about the potential mess spilling onto my lap.

My wife was kind enough to share her wings, so she was able to dig into half of the cheese steak I had ordered. Though it differs slightly from its Philly hallmark in toppings – they used mayo, green pepper, onion and American cheese – the texture of the hero roll that catches the drippings and the sweet and salty blend of flavors, makes its own mark as a local classic.

We stowed the leftover second half of the cheese steak and turned our attention to the aforementioned peach cobbler. It was a small dish, pre-made, and just right for a single dessert. We popped it in the microwave and split it between us over small dishes of vanilla ice cream; the perfect end to a great night when we just didn’t feel like cooking.