Tasty Chicken Box — Restaurant in Arlington

Oh man. . . I 105% want this little take-out enterprise to make it-! The sign says "Tasty Chicken Box & Lamb"-- which does have you wondering what the cuisine is, exactly--- though the inclusion of "Lamb" does strongly suggest Mediterranean/gyros, of course. But it's actually a bit more/different than that. It's Mediterranean/Egytian-- which proved to be an INCREDIBLY refreshing and delicious change from the usual take-out joint fare. In fact, it's right next to an Italian take-out and a Mexican take-out (both of which looked fine, but--- run of the mill). And while gyros are available, that's definitely not their primary offering. The aluminum "box" dinner is their strength. In my case, very tender, well-seasoned pieces of cubed chicken and lamb over rice, nested with a very impressive salad of mixed greens-- all topped with a simple but extremely tasty white sauce.

There are endearing just-opened growing pains in evidence-- problems with the electronic menu board not working; a couple of very tempting menu items that require a 20 minute wait time (a tough ask of a customer in a take-out operation); only four seats/2 tables in the front room; and-- one fellow came in looking for something sweet, and that bridge hadn't been crossed quite yet. And there's just enough ambiguity in the name & sign to add a risk factor that some folks might pass by. I absolutely want to see them tweak these things and succeed mightily. None of this knocks a fraction of a star off of my rating.

A charming young woman (Basma) was running the front when I came in. I would guess. . . one of the owners, probably ? Truly enjoyed chatting with her as well as hearing her interact with the other patrons as they came through. Give this place your custom, Arlingtonians-- it's maybe a small fraction pricier than its neighbors, but not detrimentally so-- and the quality of the food alone...

Alright, buckle up, buttercup, because I'm about to drop some truth on ya about Tasty Chicken!

Okay, so first off, the chicken? Honey, it's cooked to juicy perfection. The spices? Impeccable. It's got that kick that makes you wanna slap yo' mama—but like, in a good way! And the rice? Oh, don't even get me started. Fluffy, flavorful, and just the right amount of seasoned.

But here's the real tea: the white sauce. It's creamy, dreamy, and I could probably bathe in it. I'm not even kidding. And the red sauce? Oh, honey, it brings the heat! Not for the faint of heart, but if you like a little fire in your life, then you need this in your life, ASAP!

So, overall, Tasty Chicken Halal gets a solid 10/10 from yours truly. Go get yourself some, and tell...

I feel like all these reviewers got paid to give such great reviews cause this place is mediocre at best. The service is good and prompt but the food is….not good. I got the chicken over rice and the chicken tasted like something I made in the crock pot so it was kind of mushy and stringy and bland but then when I finished eating it, it just sat in my stomach like a brick. I was so uncomfortable for the rest of the night. I didn’t even eat that much of it because I didn’t like the texture.

I did get an order of the hummus however and that was realllllly good. So maybe I would go back for some hummus but never again am I getting a meal there. Not worth the taste and...