At the Triplet’s Food Mart, there are two things that never fall short: fresh fried chicken and hungry customers.
The convenience store, better known as “The Blue Store” for its blue-painted walls, is most popular for its addictive fried chicken wings. With nearly 2,000 likes on Facebook and lines of customers wrapped around the Mills Avenue store daily, it’s become a well-kept secret among the nearby Southern University crowd.
However, with the recent opening of a second store at 12222 Plank Road, more locals are getting their hands on this fried chicken.
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Craving a taste, I arrived at the convenience store around 10 a.m., before the expected wave of people to come at noon that Saturday.
To my surprise, before the clock struck 11 a.m., the parking lot was filled with customers waiting for their orders of 100-250 pieces of chicken. Early customers left with boxes, trays and bags filled with the crunchy wings.
Past the aisles of snacks, drinks and other convenience store items, customers placed orders at a small window at the cash register.
The lengthy Blue Store menu is posted on the window above the cash register, offering everything from hot dogs to nachos, cracklins to boudin. But myself and my lunch partner were there solely for the infamous fried chicken.
We ordered a 12-piece meal of wings to share. It was served in a white paper bag with a handful of napkins, and my lunch partner and I rushed home to try the hot and fresh wings.
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The chicken skin was golden brown and crispy, exciting my taste buds with a kick of spicy seasoning. When peeled back, the crunchy, mouthwatering skin revealed tender and moist chicken meat that left me licking my fingers.
Once my white paper bag was empty and all the napkins were used, I understood why The Blue Store customers would want to keep the savory chicken a secret.
To get your hands on some of the finger-licking Blue Store chicken, early arrival is recommended. The Blue Store is busiest during lunch hours on weekdays, weekends and during Southern University home games. Triplet’s Food Mart is open daily at 605 Mills Ave.
