Iconic Coast buffet is known for great fried chicken, but Southern sides steal the show

It would be easy to argue that fried chicken is the most iconic of all the famous Southern dishes. It’s not an easy dish to master, especially in a restaurant setting where you would be making batch after batch.

As a consequence, really good fried chicken is not easy to find.

There are a couple of places on the Coast that I like, but when I need a fix of Southern food I head to Hartz Chicken Buffet in Ocean Springs. It’s a well-managed buffet, and the fresh food just keeps coming out of the kitchen to accommodate hungry guests. You are just not going to find food that has sat too long under the heat lamp at Hartz.

A big reason I love Hartz is the Southern style side items that are available daily. The last time I looked, there were more than a dozen and included classics like mashed potatoes and gravy, red beans, green beans, turnip greens and fried okra, to mention just a few of my favorites.

But my all-time favorite, and I do not know another restaurant that makes it, is pea salad. A classic pea salad is made with green peas, cheese, bacon, and onion and a dressing that is made with mayo, sour cream and vinegar, but of course Hartz has their own recipe, and I knew better than to ask for it. It’s the star of the show as far as I am concerned.

The fried chicken at Harz is always tender, moist, well-seasoned and not over cooked. The crust is crispy and perfect in every way.

For just ten bucks, you get two pieces of chicken and three sides, but if you want to sample a few more veggies it is inexpensive to add another side or two. I also love their mac and cheese, green beans and greens. It’s a grand meal for a bachelor who more often than not does not have time to fix vegetables. There are also always a few desserts to chose from, usually a cobbler of some sort. They are always delicious.

Hartz has been around since 1975, so you know they are doing it right, but go see for yourself. If you stop by just after 5 p.m., you just might see me walking out the door with a loaded take-out tray. Hartz also has installed plastic partitions in between tables as a safety precaution for diners during the coronavirus pandemic.

If you go

Hartz Chicken Buffet

Address: 800 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs

Hours: 1030 a.m. to 830 p.m. daily

Phone: 228-875-0384

This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 5:50 AM.