It’s with a sense of trepidation that I enter the Dixy Chicken on Kidderminster’s Comberton Hill and place my order.
I have reason to be worried. This particular outlet is one of the few places across all of Worcestershire currently with a zero hygiene rating, which usually means urgent improvement is required.
After a visit in December 2021, inspectors found that hygienic food handling, the cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and management of food safety all required “major improvement”.
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Despite this however, the takeaway is still a hit with diners apparently – it currently has a rating of 3.9 stars from more than 100 customers on Google.
With all this in mind, I decided to bite the bullet and pay the Dixy Chicken in Kidderminster a visit to see why it was proving so popular.
What’s it like inside?
It was near empty when I walked in during the early afternoon and I thankfully didn’t have to queue before the friendly worker on the counter took my order.
After I ordered a classic chicken fillet burger meal, I sat down and my eyes were instantly drawn to stains on the side of the table and inside of the overhead lamp.
I then glanced over to the toilet, which was blocked off by a bin.
A sign on the toilet door read “please don’t open, dead inside” which I sincerely hope is a reference to The Walking Dead TV series.
I wasn’t hoping for five-star surroundings obviously but the stains and reminders of rotting zombies were a bit off-putting as I waited for my food. I suppose you expect worse at a place with a zero hygiene rating, though.
The chicken burger was bland and tasteless
Is the food any good?
So I went for the classic chicken fillet burger meal, which cost me £3.79 for the burger, chips and a can of Pepsi.
As you might expect at that price, the chicken didn’t exactly provide an explosion of flavors in my mouth.
In fact, it was really dry and pretty much tasteless, and I didn’t have it in me to finish it to be honest. It left me struggling to see the appeal of Dixy Chicken unless I was desperate on a night out.
It’s worth noting that for the same price, you can get the ‘sizzler’ coating which provides some more flavor but that doesn’t change the fact the chicken itself was very disappointing.
The chips were fine – a bit bland maybe but I found it was a good size portion for the price. However, it’s hard to recommend this particular meal over the offerings at other fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC.
What’s the overall verdict?
You can’t argue with the price but I just didn’t find the food satisfying, especially when there’s so many other better options when it comes to fast food.
I was expecting worse, given its hygiene rating, but I’m afraid to say Dixy Chicken failed to win me over this time.
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