Can you book? Yes
Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Price paid per person: £24

What is it about the name Joe? Why is it always used in conjunction with fried chicken, lumberjack shirts and Jack Daniels? Don’t get me wrong, clearly as a Jo I’m not in any way against the name, I’m just terribly curious as to what the connection is. Even Google couldn’t help me. But what’s in a name, right?

I went for a catch-up with my pal two days after the soft launch ended so it had only been open a week or so. Presumably down to teething issues, service was ever so slightly slower than one would hope, but not enough to get your dungarees in a twist. Staff were very friendly and helpful with ordering.

We started with a simple but moreish artichoke, spinach and cheddar dip then went on to share half a crispy southern fried bird that had apparently been brined in sweet tea for a whole day and then sprinkled with lemon dust. Not only was it finger-lickin’ good, but boy was there a lot of it. The menu says it feeds 1-2 people; I’d like to see someone tackle that portion by themselves. It was crispy skinned and succulent, and you could really taste the lemon. On the side we had intensely comforting mac’n’cheese and some slightly healthy collard greens (i.e. cabbage) which well-complemented the chicken.

Being a whiskey girl, to wash it all down I had a the bourban-based Lucky Stag cocktail (Jim Beam Red Stag, Luxardo Maraschino, egg white, lemon juice and sugar syrup). A tad less sugar and it would have been a great cocktail.

Iced honeycomb and chocolate parfait sandwich to end was extremely delicious.

With two thumbs up, I highly recommend Joe’s Southern Kitchen. They even give you a handy wet wipe in case you get carried away with the chicken, so it’s date appropriate too.