Basha’s Chicken

So I just happened upon a Facebook community group post about how good Basha’s Chicken on Thirteen Mile near Hoover was. After a quick search I found them and decided to check out their social media links as well.

I went to their Facebook page and found the owner Mo and his partner acting up on a video type commercial they made. It was funny, entertaining, and energized. The older fella in the kitchen towards the end just looks at the two younger men like “look what I have to put up with.” I shared and commented on how much I enjoyed their theatrics and commented that we would be in soon.

Well ,that soon timeline was unexpectedly today. I saw the store front as we were driving by. I had to do some quick maneuvering. In no time I was turned back around and on my way. The parking lot was a bit underdone, needed to be resurfaced ,about seven years ago would be my guess. But that’s not why we were there so we baja’ed into our parking space, shut the car down and I went around to open the door for my traveling companion.

We made our way into Basha’s. The place had a really nice red and black sign as well as red and black decor. It was clean at first sight and we walked over to the counter to check out the menu. We entered with smiles, as I was excited to try out this establishment ever since a saw their video. Our enthusiasm was not met or matched in any way by the young lady behind the counter taking our order. She seemed disinterested. Somehow misguided in her choice of customer service as a means to earn money.

Ordering was a struggle. Between the background noise and our clerk being very soft spoken we couldn’t hear. When asked a couple times what she had said, her annoyed response, and agitated demeanor seemed to have the same effect on my lunch buddy, annoyance and agitation! After the painful 6 minutes we paid and were told it would be about twenty minutes.

Since it was not a very friendly conversation or atmosphere inside we decided 20 minutes would be best spent in the car. So back to the vehicle we went. We chatted about what a let down it was being greeted in such a manner. However, we were determined to make the best of it and try their fish and chicken without bias.

Our order was the three piece tender lunch special, with onion rings, cornbread and a drink and the three piece cod lunch special with corn on the cob, cornbread and a pop. Originally had wanted to try their chicken sandwich and her first choice of a side was the coleslaw. Unfortunately they had run out. We kindly assumed that those items are a hit with the folks.

When the 20 minutes had passed we re-entered the store. Our previous greeter seemed more upbeat as there were several more customer’s inside waiting on orders. Her responsive behavior could have also been from the fact that one of the owners was now behind the counter with her as well.

Our order was ready and waiting on the counter. My lunch date went to grab our drinks from the coolers to the left of us and I stayed back because I was excited to speak to Mo, who I had recognized from the video. I felt a rush of enthusiasm and excitement as I approached the counter and explained to Mo that I had seen his video online and that I found it humorous and the video was the reason for my patronage. He was not as friendly or engaging as I would have hoped from the video. He simply said thanks.

As he moved me along I rejoined Danielle and headed back out to the automobile to eat our lunch. The small chair-less/ table- less space was a carry out only joint.

After all was said and done, the food was still a hit and I must say saved the day. The chicken tenders were big, juicy and the breading delicious. The onion rings were also very flavorful, and the cornbread was moist and fantastic. Sharing a bit with my lady, the cod was fried to perfection, batter was tasty and their tartar sauce was wonderful ,as well as their grilled corn on the cob.

So after the lackluster customer service experience, Basha’s fare saved the day and I would recommend them if you are looking for a good quality meal, large portions, and decent prices. I hope that it was only an off day for the people working today and next time this strange, unusual, high powered mutant customer comes on in they greet me with a wink and a smile.