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Everything tastes like chicken in Lake Highlands.

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While we inarguably have a shortage of fantastic, healthy restaurants in our neighborhood, we see no such deficiency of venues serving fried chicken. Chicken legs. Chicken breasts. Chicken gizzards. Chicken fingers.

Big Mama’s Chicken and Waffles attracts diners from both sides of I-635. Any given day sees a line of cars wrapped around the lot, stretching into Audelia’s right-hand lane. Police officers, plumbers, suits, young adults and families mix at Mama’s outdoor picnic tables, even as the convenience store across the way blasts classical music to keep violent crime at bay. (Big Mama’s is located at the southeast corner of Forest-Audelia, an area that has made top-five on the police’s violent crime hotspots list several of the past 10 years.)

Their slogan should be, “Big Momma’s: worth the risk.”

Henderson Chicken, located on Abrams near Royal, enjoys a similarly loyal following, and their side dishes are addictive. That fried corn. Those pickled jalapenos.

Another Henderson’s is “coming soon” to Audelia at Royal. Or are they simply moving locations? When someone answers the phone, we will get back to you on that.

Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken opened last spring on Skillman at Royal.

A few years ago, Chicken Express replaced Backyard Burgers on I-75 at Royal.

A new Chicken Express is underway at Skillman at Eastridge — one neighborhood resident sent us a photo, and, by email, wondered, “Just how much chicken can one neighborhood consume? Funny. On the south side, we have KFC and Chick Fil A, and now will have Chicken Express.  And of course, not really Lake Highlands, but a little drive gets you to Raisin’ Canes …”

Courtesy George Chandler

Ah, yes, a spanking new Raisin’ Canes is under construction and set to open this fall at the southeast corner of Forest and I-75. Across the street from Popeye’s Fried Chicken.

As someone pointed out recently in the comments section, at least it’s not more payday lenders.

Not directly related to the plethora of chicken restaurants is a prevalence of live chickens living in the neighborhood, as noted in our 2009 story about urban chicken farming (the trend has only grown since the article).

And there remain those questions I pondered last year about the relationship between chicken owners (especially the ones who treat their chickens as pets) and chicken dinner.