An old Worcester fried chicken spot is now ‘NU Chicken.’ How’s it different?
The site of a former fried chicken restaurant on Worcester 's Park Avenue is now the home of a different fried chicken restaurant. But this one has a couple of twists that make it stand out from the rest of the deep-fried coop.
That would be NU Chicken , which aims to bring higher quality and a little higher nutritional value than what you'd get at most of its competition.
For starters, the chicken is fried in 100% avocado oil, with the aim of making meals lighter than those fried in seed oils. Additionally, all chicken is fried in gluten-free batter, just to make it a little more accessible.
Let's be clear: We're still talking about fried chicken. This will never be health food. But the team at NU Chicken has made little tweaks in an effort to make tasty chicken that doesn't weigh you down when you're done.
That also applies to the drinks and desserts. Instead of the usual Coca-Cola or Pepsi products, NU Chicken serves "Tractor" brand beverages, including soda, lemonade and iced tea.
Like many fried chicken restaurants, NU Chicken does milkshakes. But unlike most spots, NU Chicken serves frozen custard shakes and sundaes, a sweet wrinkle to give customers something a little different.
The aesthetic is also a hoot. The restaurant says its chicken is "out of this world." That's become a running theme in the restaurant, as shown by the astronaut logo design, space-themed spice levels and signature dipping sauce, called "moon sauce."
It was co-owner Joshua Van Dyke's 7-year-old son, Logan, who came up with the "out of this world" theme. It's since grown into an eye-catching aesthetic, thanks to some partnerships with local artists.
Van Dyke, along with co-owners Douglas Zavala and Aaron Smith, opened up NU Chicken as a restaurant spinoff of NU Kitchen , the nearby Worcester restaurant/cafe that now has multiple locations.
So why open a fried chicken restaurant? For Van Dyke, it's a simple answer: They love eating fried chicken.
Van Dyke says he still loves running NU Kitchen. But the health-conscious cafe serves more than 100 items across breakfast, lunch and dinner. It can be a lot.
NU Chicken presents what Van Dyke sees as a fun, new project. Fried chicken restaurants are smaller, have simple menus and can crank out orders.
NU Chicken held its grand opening Friday, Sept. 5 at a location that was previously home to B.T.'s Fried Chicken & BBQ , which closed back in February.
Taking over a space that also served fried chicken made for an easy transition for the NU Chicken team. As Van Dyke noted, building out a restaurant is a lot easier when the hoods and deep fryers are already in place.
The new owners still made sure to give the space a facelift, re-doing the interior as well as the parking lot.
The building had always had its own lot. However, the new owners are making an effort to clean up the lot and re-mark the spaces. Customers in the past have been confused about whether they can park there.
Good news: You can park there and eat some darn good chicken. Customers can eat in or order ahead online for a quick takeout experience.
What to know about NU Chicken
Check them out— Website | Instagram
Is there online ordering?— Yes, you can order through the NU Chicken website .
What's the address?— 318 Park Ave., Worcester, MA 01609
What's the parking situation?— NU Chicken has its own off-street parking lot next to the building.
When are they open?— Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.
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Monday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Tuesday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Friday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Saturday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Sunday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Read the original article on MassLive .
