Stagolee’s – superb fried chicken in Fulham

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Stagolee's - chicken and liquor restaurant in North End Road Fulham

Stagolee’s – the chicken and liquor restaurant in Fulham

The Southern USA is famous for certain things: swamps, alligators, country music and – of course – the best friend chicken in the world.

Stagolee’s – a new restaurant in the trendy part of Fulham – describes itself as a ‘chicken and liquor joint’. It’s relatively cheap, the food is great and if you’re hoping to go out with friends for a meal and some drinks, you could do an awful lot worse.

Fulham is one of those areas of London that most people don’t normally visit. It is in a bend of the river, so you’re not likely to happen upon it while travelling somewhere else. But it has some great nightlife, some lovely pubs and a real sense of community.

The restaurant itself is boisterous and lively, and it is decorated with a sort of industrial chic – the walls are covered with photos of the American south and the food is served on aluminium trays. It’s very friendly and the staff are American, so when you ask about the ‘Moonshine liquor’ or the ‘buttermilk biscuits’, they actually know what they are talking about.

The menu is small – but it’s all very fresh and beautifully cooked. There are some great starters – such as devilled eggs and spinach dips – but the most interesting stuff is the chicken. The Hot Chicken is brined – soaked in salt water – and then dipped in buttermilk and fried. It is succulent and really tasty with a crisp outer coating. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could go for the ‘Tom Devil’ very hot chicken, but we chickened out (sorry about the pun).

At some point in the meal, even the most refined eater will be tempted to pick up the joints of chicken and eat them off the bone. This is not a place for finicky eaters!

Normally you’d expect some kind of coleslaw with chicken. Stagolee’s have got a really fresh carrot salad, with raisins and plenty of sweetness – just to cool things down. The crinkle cut chips are good and crisp and – if you want a real taste of the south – there is also cornbread to wipe up the juices. This has a slight sweetness and slightly crunchy outer layer.  For pudding, we had a key lime pie, which is like a cheesecake – but nicer!

Succulent chicken chips stagolee Fullham

Succulent chicken with really crispy chips

The drinks are wonderful. I had a selection of four single barrel bourbons, which were all light and beautifully balanced, with buttery flavours of oak and caramel. My wife had a Mountain Rita Cocktail, with moonshine liquor, lime and sugar – which was delicious but very potent. So don’t expect to drive home after a cocktail here! Our bill, incidentally, came to about £85, but most of this was on the drinks. If you’re teetotal, you can eat cheaply here.

Oh, and the place is named after the song about Stagolee – a gangster who killed one of his friends during a game of dice. I’ve put a link, so you can listen to the song while you’re deciding which friends to invite for a meal at this lively restaurant.