Sneaky's Chicken — Restaurant in Sioux City

Tried to stop here on our way through town. When we first walked in, it was a ghost town and the waitress just stared at us, we asked where we were supposed to order for takeout and didn't get an answer. I explained we had never been here and asked again, do we order here or at the carryout window and the staff seemed to be irritated and said we could order there and to just sit at the bar. While ordering, I asked if I could substitute a different cheese on a sandwich because I don't like Swiss and the bartender just said "no", not even "sorry we don't do substitutions". She also told us this "isn't McDonald's", no shit. I looked on their menu afterwards and it says .20 to add a slice of cheese so I'm not sure why they couldn't just charge me .20 cents for a different slice of cheese? She said they could remove it, but not put different cheese on there? Whatever. I ordered something else so she asked me what type of dipping sauce I wanted and then never got it for me. I asked for a pop to go and they said they couldn't do that, they have a whole separate carryout area but you don't do drinks to go? She asked if we needed ketchup and we said yes and she got out old off brand ketchup packets from a cupboard when there was super nice Heinz ones sitting on the counter above that same cupboard. The portion size is ridiculous and the food is so bland. I got barely a fistful of fries and 3 skinny chicken strips with a shitty roll for $12. The staff was rude and the food wasn't good, wish I would have gone anywhere else. This place was so disappointing, what a terrible way to start...

Rating: 3/5 stars As a fried chicken aficionado who appreciates the nuances of different frying techniques, I had high expectations for Sneaky's based on their reputation. I visited during a busy lunch rush and was impressed by the excellent staff who managed the crowd efficiently despite being slammed. The Good:

Outstanding service despite heavy volume Buffet style allows you to see exactly what you're getting Decent salad bar offerings

The Disappointing: The chicken itself, unfortunately, didn't live up to the hype. As someone familiar with broasted chicken technique, I was disappointed to find the chicken lacked proper seasoning and, more critically, showed signs of being overcooked. Properly broasted chicken should have that beautiful golden color without the dark browning or hard crust that I observed here. My Theory: I suspect many of the glowing reviews stem from the buffet format - there's something appealing about unlimited fried chicken that can overshadow quality issues. However, as someone who values technique over quantity, I'd rather have one perfectly executed piece than a buffet of mediocre ones. Bottom Line: Sneaky's is okay if you're looking for a casual buffet experience with decent service, but for truly exceptional broasted chicken, I'd recommend making the drive to Lally's in Le Mars instead. The difference in execution and flavor is worth the extra miles. Would I return? Probably not, unless I was specifically craving a buffet experience over...

Adorable, wonderful, unassuming place with excellent, reasonably priced food and exceptionally friendly staff! This place is now a regular detour whenever I’m visiting. Sneaky’s has, without a doubt, the most wonderful broasted chicken I’ve ever had. The seasoning was absolutely perfect, and the chicken was thoroughly cooked but still delicious and tender; not a single bite was dried out or over/undercooked. The sides were wonderful as well; freshly prepared and flavourful in a natural way that only comes from plain ol’ good cooking. There was absolutely nothing pretentious or too over-the-top in terms of preparation. This is definitely not one of those ‘try hard’ hipster places that thinks they’re going to be on some Food Network episode if they just do more random, nonsensical things to your food, this is a down-to-earth, as-advertised place for real people to enjoy real food made by people who take pride in what they do and want to provide an excellent meal at a very reasonable price.

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the entire experience from start to finish, and are ever so thankful that Sneaky’s was recommended to us by a local! LOVE YOU MORE! [you’ll understand...