Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Plymouth is Downright Lucky to Have Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken

Since I’m taking a hiatus from vegetarianism during this pregnancy, I decided now would be the perfect time to try a place I’ve long been curious about: . There hasn’t been a time when I’ve traveled Ann Arbor Road and wondered how – amid miles and miles of your garden variety of nationally recognized burger joints – Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is still going strong, despite eschewing conventional advertising.

It must be good, I’ve often thought to myself.

Well, I’ve come to inform Plymouth Patch readers that, yes, I thought right.

Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. Is. Beyond. Good.

I popped in on a Tuesday at 11 a.m. – thinking I could beat the lunchtime rush – and I was pleasantly surprised to find a steady stream of patrons, one after another. That should have been my first cue to what was in store. Moments later I left with a plastic sack filled with boxes of chicken that was hand-breaded, honey-dipped, and pressure-cooked to perfection. Here is what I loved and why: 

Chicken Breast Strips: First things first. Since the place is named for its chicken, after all, the expectations were high -- and Lee’s delivered. I couldn’t get enough of their chicken breast strips. Each piece was crispy and delicately – and evenly – seasoned on the outside, while the inside boasted all-white juicy meat, which makes for a sinfully delicious combination. Here’s what I (thankfully) didn’t experience: grease or gristle. My husband had the rest of the assortment, which was comprised of wings. He ate them all. Enough said. 

Potato Wedges: For the life of me, I could have inhaled a large portion of these in one fell swoop. I kept saying to myself, Okay, this is my last one; I’m going to save some for later. Well, let’s just say that I kept saying that until I realized that no more wedges were left. Each boat was a nice, decent size, and, like the chicken, was appropriately seasoned. No additional condiment was needed. (I tend to eat my fries and potato wedges with a touch of mayonnaise. Hey, don’t judge. Blame the French; I tried it in France several years ago and have been hooked ever since.) 

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy: Now, you can’t very well have fried chicken without mashed potatoes and gravy. Honestly, I must confess that I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to this comfort food classic. In my opinion, it is either good or just plain inedible. Well, Lee’s safely falls in the former category, and I especially like that they put the gravy on the mashed potatoes for you, which saves us a step. 

Fluffy Biscuits: I don’t know if the staff at Lee’s had already applied butter to these circles of baked sunshine or what, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Warning: like the potato wedges, these could be a serious downfall if one is counting their carbs, but, on the other hand, they are so worth the splurge. 

Three Bean Salad: I had never experienced a dish like this before, so this unexpected twist rounded out my culinary trifecta of chicken-starch-something green. The three bean salad is actually a medley of green beans, red beans, red onion, celery, and pieces of long, tube-shaped pasta, all of which is lightly bathed in dressing that is a tad bit sweet. (When I jump back on the veggie wagon after the baby’s born, I’ll be back for this and the potato wedges.) 

Aside from flavor, the greatest thing about Lee’s is the reasonable prices, particularly on Wednesdays when Lee’s takes a dollar off the price of each three-piece chicken or breast strip meal.

Now, I know this is a food review, but after savoring that smorgasbord of great food, the journalist in me was still left wondering Why? Why does the chicken taste the way it does? What is the story behind Lee’s famous recipe? Of course, I left without a clue of how to unlock their secret, and if I could figure it out on my own, well, let’s just say that those psychic tendencies would be better served figuring out the winning numbers of the next Mega Millions drawing.

But I can tell you at least part of the secret behind Lee’s success: It appears to be in the genes. Manager JoAnn Wilson, who is the sister of Joe Langkabel, who co-owns Lee’s with his wife, Irene, told me that three-quarters of Lee’s employees are related, and that all six of her siblings have worked there at one time or another. Furthermore, Wilson said that they all share a common objective of making great tasting chicken while providing friendly, speedy service. “Joe keeping us on our toes has a lot to do with it,” said Wilson.

The people of Plymouth should be so proud. And if they’re hungry, too, that’s even better because, after 45 years in business, Lee’s isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“This is Plymouth,” Wilson added. “Right here. We’re established. This is where we are.”