McHardy's Chicken and Fixin'

I know my wife normally does the restaurant reviews, so please do not freak out. Now that she is an entrepreneur, her critiquing time has become few and far between, plus she has never, and most likely never will eat at McHardy's. McHardy's Chicken and Fixin' is the type of restaurant that you might drive by 100 times without even realizing that you are passing an eating establishment. Characterizing it as a hole in the wall is both extremely accurate and not entirely fair at the same time. On the one hand, it is about as hole in the wall as you can get, in that the entire restaurant seems to be inserted as a small little store front on a block of Broad that almost completely consumes it. On the other hand, the restaurant is not crummy or dingy, in fact, it is hardly even a restaurant at all. There are no waiters and no tables; you simply walk up to the counter, order what you want and take the food wherever you want to go. I would never have given the unassuming little shop a second thought had I not read about it in a 'Must Try New Orleans Fried Chicken' article. I must say, I am extremely glad that I did. When people talk about the best chicken in New Orleans, maybe the world, they always land on Willie Mae's, and while I do not disagree, McHardy's is not too far behind. The succulent flavors at Willie Mae's are superior, but aside from the taste of the actual chicken itself, I think McHardy's is superior. To begin with, the chicken is great. The breading is always very crispy and flavorful, while the inside is moist and tender; every bite makes want just a little bit more. Unlike Willie Mae's, it does not take upwards of an hour to get in and out, and no one is rude to you or forgets to refill your drink for 45 minutes. Also, and most important, the value you get at McHardy's far surpasses what you get at Willie's. At the latter, you can pay ten dollars for 3 pieces of amazing chicken and a pretty decent side. At McHardy's, you can pay five dollars and get ten pieces of chicken that will make you wonder why you spent all of your cash elsewhere. I have only tried the fries at McHardy's, and was not particularly impressed, but when you've got ten pieces of juicy fried chicken, why take up room in your stomach with a side. McHardy's is not particularly kid friendly, but you can just take your chicken to a park or something, and they do have a lot of menu options. I want to put McHardy's above Willie Mae's, I truly do, but I do not think that I can. If someone said to me I could have only one more fried chicken meal for the rest of my life, I know I would pick Willie Mae's first, then probably Gus's in Memphis, and third would be McHardy's. However, if someone asked me where I could get the best fried chicken for the money, there is no doubt what my answer would be. Just writing about it now makes me want to run out and grab a quick five piece; I give McHardy's Chicken and Fixin' 3 and a half stars.