NATIONAL CHICKEN FINGER DAY

Irene O'GormanNew Projects

Kramer Engineers has designed systems for literally thousands of restaurants across the great state of Ohio; and we’ve sampled bites from almost all.  But in 2020, the Covid beast arrived to chew up and spit out many of our favorite eateries.   However, since today is National Chicken Finger Day, we wanted to pay homage to some of those that made it through and continue to feed us.

Although our team had a huge list of go-tos, we had to narrow them down to just a few picks.  The criteria was, lunch eats that were takeout and/or delivery friendly to our downtown Columbus office.  Here is a list of 10.

CHAIN RESTAURANTS

CONDADO TACOS

While they don’t serve chicken fingers, Condado has a special place on our list as we designed the systems for several of their locations.  So of course, we sampled the goods and found that the food really stood out.  Their inspired tacos range from the traditional (with a twist) to the creative.  But if you’re looking for off the hook sauces, look no further.  You can make a meal of the chips and dips alone.  And with delivery thru Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Door Dash they make getting the stuff super easy too.

ROOSTERS

Although their menu covers a variety of items, Roosters is our go-to place for chicken parts.  Whether you want wings or fingers, you can have them done your way.  Breaded?  Naked?  They don’t judge.  And they have 12 sauces to pick from, ranging from mild or sweet to “donkey” and “nu-killer”.  But no matter what level of heat you choose, you’ll always get an order of consistently perfect chicken.   The only downside is that the only way to get your order is to dine in or pick up.  Far as I can see, there are no delivery options…at least not in the Columbus area.

CHIPOTLE

Need I say more?  Who doesn’t love Chipotle?

  • Choices, choices and more choices
  • Cooked right there on site
  • Food fast
  • Tasty stuff

And with availability thru Postmates, Grubhub, Uber Eats, Door Dash and who knows how many other delivery services they’re at the top of the list for easy delivery options.

LOCAL CANTINA

I realize that this is the third restaurant in the Mexican cuisine realm, but hey, we love what we love.  And the Local Cantina does not disappoint.  Yes, they have burritos and quesadillas.  But what blows them ahead of the pack is the sheer number of out-of-the-box taco selections.  There are 22 standard, always on the menu tacos that have ingredients like none other; the “Crunchweezy” is my personal favorite.  But then they have the WTF…Weekly Taco Features 😉 that make choosing almost impossible.  Almost.

But do they deliver?  Yes, they do.  Order through their website or check Postmates and Uber Eats for limited locations.

THE EAGLE

The Eagle straddles the line between chain and non-chain restaurants.    They have become so popular that they now have 6 locations spanning multiple states.  So, I had to include them in the chain list.  However, if you’ve ever had their fare, you’d know they’re anything but. 

The Eagle does fried chicken, but not drive-thru style fried chicken.  They have elevated the bird to “fine-dining” fried chicken.  They include all the comfort food sides that you would expect to see accompanying fried chicken but offer it in a modern bar/restaurant setting.  And if you are in the Columbus area Door Dash will bring The Eagle to you.

NON-CHAIN RESTAURANTS

CLUB 185

Moving away from chains, we start with a local gem that has been serving up pub food since 1954.   Club 185 is one of the places that we all agree on when we choose to go out for lunch.  With over 50 menu items, there is something for everyone and many items are big enough to share.

Club 185s website says that they deliver, but I have yet to find the delivery service.  And their online ordering page is unavailable.  But you can still call and order ahead for takeout.

SCHMIDT’S SAUSAGE HAUS

Schmidt’s is a historic landmark in German Village; a southside Columbus neighborhood which has been serving up sausage and a complete menu of authentic German food since 1886.  They are a tour stop destination for anyone traveling to/thru Columbus; and have been featured on TV shows such as Man vs Food.  So, you can image the crowds that line up outside this culinary Disney World, 7 days a week.

Luckily, almost all the known delivery services are there to relieve you of the stress of waiting on a table.  So you can have your cream puff delivered and eat it to.

THE OLD MOHAWK

Another German Village fixture is the Old Mohawk.  Although the restaurant has lived through several name incarnations since 1933, the local pub was bought in 1977, renamed the Old Mohawk and its still thriving today.

Those of us who are lucky enough to live/work close by can choose from an eclectic mix of food favorites from meatloaf to lasagna; turtle soup to bratwurst.  There are 3 pages of options, and not a bad choice on the menu. But best of all, you can order carryout or delivery thru Door Dash and Chow Now.

PLANKS BIER GARTEN – HIGH STREET

Don’t let the name fool you.  With a name like Planks Bier Garten, you would expect German fare.  And although there are 3 traditional items on the menu, the rest consists of piled high sandwiches, burgers, wings and some seriously amazing pizza.  However, don’t confuse this Planks with Planks Café & Pizzeria on Parsons Avenue.  Different restaurant, different owner, and the pizza at Planks Café & Pizzeria (Parsons) has a sweet crust.

Now although both Postmates and Uber Eats list Planks Bier Garten on their sites.  Neither is offering delivery at this time.  You’ll have to call ahead for takeout.

NON-RESTAURANT CHAIN

CLUSTERTRUCK

Finally, there is ClusterTruck.  ClusterTruck is not a restaurant and despite the name, it’s not a food truck.  It’s technically a ghost kitchen.  They have a brick-and-mortar location where the cooking magic happens, but no dine in service.  ClusterTruck is strictly a food by delivery company; and hands down, one of the best options for an office breakfast or lunch when it comes to ease of use.

They have an extensive breakfast and an all-day pub fare menu.  Everything is cooked fresh to order and delivered to your curb, usually in 25 minutes or less.  You can also schedule an order for a specific day and time.  But the thing that makes it ideal for groups is the ordering process.

For instance, let’s say we want to have an office lunch.  Gone are the days of writing down everyone’s selection and making a group order.  All you do is pull up the site, invite the lunch participants, they get an email link, and make their food selection(s).  It can be set it up for one person to pay for the entire group or to have each individual pay for their own meal.  Either way it all gets processed under the group and the food is delivered at the same time; process is extremely intuitive.  Once the food arrives, each item is labeled with the name of the individual it goes to, no guess work.

They have everything from breakfast burritos or avocado toast, to burgers, sandwiches, salads and vegan fare.  But since today is National Chicken Finger Day, I recommend the chicken strips. : )