Some people check the clock while they wait for a table. In one Richmond neighborhood, people check the clock and then decide to stay anyway, because the fried chicken on the other side of the door is worth every minute.
Waits here can stretch past an hour on busy nights, and the crowd still keeps showing up. The chicken is floured, not battered, and fried until it crunches.
The sides come in portions big enough to fill a to-go box. The staff treats solo diners, families, and out-of-town guests like cousins at a holiday meal…