‘Craft’ chicken? Oregon chain opens new Boise drive-thru: ‘Oh, man. It’s mouthwatering’
To understand the Chicken Shanty’s philosophy, founder Tyson Miltenberger wants you to consider the beer industry.
The difference between, say, a flavor-packed IPA and a comparatively bland macrobrew? That’s how Miltenberger likes to think of his regional chain’s food, which he calls “premium craft chicken.”
“That’s what we consider ourselves — is craft chicken,” says Miltenberger, who launched the Oregon brand in 2020. “We do everything from scratch. It’s casual fast food, but ... we use premium ingredients.”
Expanding into Idaho, the Chicken Shanty recently opened a small franchise drive-thru with an outdoor patio at 6219 W. Overland Road. Boise customers are discovering what “premium craft” means.
Cage-free, no-antibiotics, “top-quality chicken,” Miltenberger says. Grilled chicken Philly sandwiches using Tillamook cheese. Spices from Oregon Spice Company. There are a dozen sauces, too — nearly all made in-house.
The resulting bird?
“Oh, man,” Miltenberger says proudly. “It’s mouthwatering. Every day we’re getting comments on our Facebook or Google reviews that it’s the juiciest chicken that they’ve ever had.”
Coconut, crab
A snippet from a recent five-star Google review of the Boise restaurant? “I got the coconut chicken basket, and it was literally the best chicken I’ve ever had.”
(Coconut chicken? With sweet chili sriracha dipping sauce? Um, yum.)
The Shanty sells a variety of fried chicken strips, wraps, sandwiches (including the trendy Nashville hot style, of course) and wings, too.
But the most popular item, Miltenberger says? Wait. That’s a — Mr Crabs Sandwich. Seafood?
Don’t worry. It’s got bird on it, too. Mr Crabs is the Chicken Shanty’s version of a crab rangoon, with a spread using Pacific Northwest crab. There’s also hand-breaded chicken, cream cheese, sweet chili sauce and shredded lettuce on a toasted hoagie. Including fries, dipping sauce and a drink, it goes for $14.99.
Because of red-tape challenges with the city of Bose, Miltenberger says, the drive-thru at the Shanty is ... different. Employees exit the drive-up Shanty trailer to take orders at vehicles, food is made in a second small building, then it’s brought back and handed to the customer. You can park and eat on site, or go sit on an outdoor patio that has umbrellas shading the tables.
Food carts, expansion
Miltenberger says “it’s crazy” how positive the feedback has been in Boise.
Since starting the first Chicken Shanty from a bare-bones food cart with his family in Medford, things have growing steadily. The franchise chain just signed its 15th location, he says.
After that initial $300 cart, he remembers, “we started doing, like, Dutch Bros.-style kiosks. And now we’re starting to do a little bit larger restaurants with drive-thrus.”
The success boils down to Shanty’s chicken recipe. It’s a delectable gift that customers find keeps on giving, Miltenberger says.
“Our breading, because it has different spices in it — it’s a taste that they’ve never had before,” he brags. “When you’re done eating our chicken, 10, 15 minutes down the way, you still have the flavor in your mouth, because our chicken just has all that spices in it.”
Hungry? The Chicken Shanty is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It also offers delivery through DoorDash.
This story was originally published August 28, 2023 at 4:00 AM.