Although the recent lockdown news has restaurants and retailers across the city in a tough situation, there are still plenty of places open for takeout and delivery. Comfort food is particularly appreciated right now, and Toronto's newest chicken joint is delivering.
Legal Tenders, a Las Vegas-themed, Queer-owned spot in a tiki bar on Queen West, is slinging hearty, crispy chicken tenders for a dose of comfort and nostalgia during these strange times. The new restaurant is located inside Parkdale's Shameful Tiki Room at 1378 Queen Street West. Legal Tenders opened for pickup orders a week and a half ago --before the second set of restaurant restrictions were announced. Last Friday, the launch day, was met with a hefty number of orders and they completely sold out of chicken tenders.
Owner Alana Nogueda pictured above.
The concept is inspired by owner Alana's hometown of Las Vegas and favourite throwback snack: chicken fingers (let's face it -- was anyone's favourite childhood food, NOT chicken tenders?!). The compact menu features their signature chicken fingers, which are generously sized and made extra crispy with their secret seasoning blend. All tenders are served alongside their creamy, tangy coleslaw and a choice of house dips like ranch, cayenne honey, spicy mustard and marinara. Also on the menu are salty waffle fries, plain or loaded with Buffalo garlic butter and ranch, as well as gooey house-made garlic knots. For now, they only offer non-alcoholic drinks but are working on potential cocktail kits for the future.
Legal Tenders is currently available for pickup only by ordering through an online menu and pickup outside of Shameful Tiki. Your best bet is to preorder and make sure you get your hands on some tenders before they run out, but walk-ups are accepted too. They are open from Wednesday to Sunday, 2-10 p.m., so place an order to support this new small business and experience the extreme crunch of these tasty chicken tenders!
