Which is the best chicken shop in Selly?

Not sure where to get the taxi to drop you for your post-Broad Street feast? Desperate to know where you can acquire as many strips and chips as possible for three quid?

With the help of some of Birmingham’s toughest food critics, we have compiled the ultimate guide to Selly Oak’s most extravagant chicken shops.

Rooster House

Perhaps the most well-known establishment in all of Selly Oak, Rooster House plays an important role in many of our lives. The service is fast, the deals are cheap, and if you are really lucky you might even catch some of the cricket on Sky Sports while you eat.

Our food critic Geddy Stringer ordered Roosters’ most popular dish, the number one, and gave us his verdict: “The chicken is well seasoned, nice and tender. The chips are nice and fluffy, I like it.”

We asked one employee for his thoughts, he said: “It is the best chicken shop in Selly Oak. The chicken is juicy and fresh.”

Critic one word review: Satisfying

The Tab rates it: 7.5/10

Brookeys

Across the road sits Roosters’ fiercest rival, Brookeys. The huge diner-esque interior and wide variety of grub has seen this Selly Oak newcomer’s popularity boom.

The original seasoning and the home-made chips give Brookeys an upmarket feel, though the chicken is not recommended for those who cannot handle spice.

After demolishing nine strips and chips (for a measly £2.99) our critic Tom Ellis told us: “I like the fiery twist. The chips are like proper chip shop chips, but with a bit of extra crunch.”

When questioned on Brookeys’ reputation as one of the best chicken shops in Selly, a worker explained: “Brookeys isn’t the best chicken shop in Selly… we do good pizzas though.”

Critic one word review: Spicy

The Tab rates it: 7/10

Adam’s Place

Slightly further up Bristol Road sits Adam’s Place. Though mainly recognised as a fish and chip shop, Adam’s still seeks to act as competition to the mainstream chicken shops of Selly Oak.

But, their fried chicken is not the best. Anyone who isn’t thinking of getting a kebab or some battered cod should definitely look elsewhere.

Our reviewer, Josh Allan, was unforgiving: “There is a reason chicken isn’t in their name. You would be lost in Adam’s Place if you were looking for decent chicken. The chips were nice, though.”

Critic one word review: Mediocre

The Tab rates it: 4.5/10

Chicken.com

Hidden somewhere between Selly Soak and Delta Pi, Chicken.com is so tucked away one could easily miss it when stumbling home from a night out at Fab. Although it has received some unwanted publicity for its poor hygiene in the past, Chicken.com still has much to offer the easily satisfied student.

We ran into Chicken.com’s self-acclaimed number one fan Alix Edrich, who said: “Although sometimes the chips can let the side down, the chicken is amazing.”

When asked for the secret behind Chicken.com’s supreme quality, a member of staff explained: “I know there is competition up the road, but things are different here.”

Although this did not answer our question in any way, we loved his enthusiasm.

Critic one word review: Tolerable

The Tab rates it: 8/10

Pepe’s

More Nando’s than KFC, Pepe’s certainly has something different to offer the students of Selly Oak.

The experience is organised and professional, though it comes at a higher cost. The customer is offered a range of different sauces, each hotter than the last, to give their meal a personalised touch.

In order to get the true Mexican experience, David Shackleton sampled some strips coated in Pepe’s “extreme” sauce: “This isn’t fun at all. Someone please get me some milk right now.”

Sadly we could not interview the servers at Pepe’s, as the extreme sauce made it impossible to speak.

Critic one word review: Extreme

The Tab rates it: ?/10

Dixy Chicken

Located in the lesser explored side of Selly Oak, Dixy Chicken provides a beacon of hope for chicken lovers living on Heeley Road and beyond.

Due to its location, Dixy Chicken doesn’t attract the same drunken, desperate crowd as Rooster House or Brookeys. In fact, when we visited at 1.30pm there was no one there.

This time our critic Thomas Ling was left feeling unimpressed: “I feel confused. This is very underwhelming, where is everyone?”

Following a disappointing meal we tried to sneak an interview with some of the employees, but they had all disappeared… so we couldn’t.

Critic one word review: Dull

The Tab rates it: 5/10

In truth, anyone seeking the perfect Selly Oak chicken experience should order their strips from Chicken.com, but their chips from Adam’s Place, then sit and enjoy their meal in Brookeys.

Heck, they could even get some of Pepe’s extreme sauce if they are feeling especially crazy.

But saying that, they could just go to Rooster House…