Nashville hot chicken, a soul food lunch special, and a donut cake. That’s just the tip of the iceberg on what we found on Crenshaw Boulevard in South LA.
Over the last couple of months, my wife Ari and I have found joy in searching for the best food in South LA. We started our first food crawl on Central Avenue, and then we published a second crawl on Slauson Avenue.
For our third crawl, we chose the history-lined Crenshaw Boulevard. This food journey has the same criteria as the last two: Good reviews, good food, and a healthy amount of experimentation—all on one major Los Angeles thoroughfare. Now if you’re familiar with LA, then you know that there are far more restaurants on Crenshaw Boulevard than our meager $60 budget can afford. So, we have to make sure that every dollar counts with our top three choices.
Dulan’s on Crenshaw
First up on the list is Dulan’s on Crenshaw, a soul food classic in South LA. If you’re not familiar with this local chain that opened in 1999, there are three Dulan’s around Los Angeles: The original restaurant in Inglewood, another one in Gramercy Park on Century Boulevard, and the one we visited on Crenshaw Boulevard.
To be frank, this restaurant is no frills. Yet, residents still file six feet apart from each other in COVID-friendly lines for nearly an hour to get catered meals or coveted lunch plate specials. So we recommend that you order online about 20 minutes before you arrive. (We tried to order on the phone, but the cashier told us that Dulan’s is only taking mobile orders in advance).
At Dulan’s, we picked the lunch special, which is an entree complete with four fried chicken wings and two sides. We ordered yams and collard greens, but ended up with an additional side order of macaroni and cheese. We weren’t complaining.
The wings were of the common standard, and the greens were very balanced. We’ve had far too many greens that are either bitter or too sweet. The candied yams were delectable: The texture was soft, and its sweetness didn’t overpower any option on the entree. The only disappointment on the plate was the macaroni and cheese. We like to think that this was an offday, but the serving felt overprocessed.
Overall, we’re still very satisfied with our pick, and we can definitely understand how this restaurant has become a local favorite. We spent a total of $14.98 for the lunch special with no drink.
Hotville Chicken
Next place is Hotville Chicken! This young local eatery is just off of Crenshaw in the same parking lot at the Baldwin Hills (Crenshaw) Mall.
Believe it or not, the owner of Hotville Chicken is Kim Prince. And her great-great uncle, Thornton Prince, is a pioneer and creator of Hot Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee, dating back to the early 1930s. So when you eat here, you’re getting some authentic Hot Chicken.
The restaurant has a great lineup of hot chicken-centered dishes that can compete toe-to-toe with the best hot chicken you can buy in LA, including Howlin’ Rays and Dave’s Hot Chicken. Food aside, we’re impressed with the restaurant’s strong southern-inspired design. We love the homey fireplace, window shutters, and classic lights. There’s a small outdoor patio that sits up to eight people.
We ordered “The Shaw,” which is a hot chicken sandwich combo, complete with with “kaleslaw,” (imagine cole slaw with a kale base), and a side of heartily seasoned fries. the chicken was tender, juicy, and well-seasoned; the fries were crinkle cut, crisp, and finished with a custom seasoning; the Kale Slaw, was a surprising but delicious side; and we ordered an herbal lemonade, which had a hint of rosemary and mint. It made for a refreshing drink.
With no doubt, Ari and I will return to this restaurant, which easily ranks among the best hot chicken we’ve had in Los Angeles.
For “The Shaw” and a herbal lemonade, a complete meal for one person, we spent $17.52.
Southern Girl Desserts
For the last one on the list, we didn’t go far at all. Near the entrance of the Crenshaw mall is Southern Girl Desserts, a small storefront packed with big desserts. You might recognize this small shop from participating on Cupcake Wars which aired on the Food Network.
We were pleased to see a small line outside of the restaurant, with people leaving with large orders of cakes. We ordered the donut cake and strawberry pound cake.
The donut cake tasted a lot like it sounds. The icing is reminiscent of the glaze of a standard donut. The consistency of the cake is much like a donut. While on the sweeter side, the savory taste will mean you won’t be able to stop after one bite.
The strawberry pound cake is always worth trying. While not experimental as the donut cake, it has a classic sweet taste that seems appropriate for an after-dinner dessert (especially after a meal at Hotville Chicken).
For both the doughnut and strawberry pound cakes, we spent $15.60.
Overall, Ari and I were pleased with the food crawl. Did we miss one of your favorite restaurants on Crenshaw? Leave it down in the comments below.