Lake Wylie Dining: Lee's Famous Recipe

At lunchtime today, I found myself in Rock Hill, following a dentist appointment. It isn't often that I'm in Rock Hill at lunchtime, and so I thought I'd celebrate that fact with a trip to Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken. Mmmmm mmmmm good.

I used to go to Lee's whenever I was in the area, because considering the fact that I am Southern (with a capital "S"), my body needs fried chicken on occasion. It's genetic.

Lee's has always been a great choice. The chicken is perfectly done, every time, crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. Having never encountered a Lee's any place other than Rock Hill, I always thought it was a local establishment. And since I like to support the locals and have a small prejudice against chains, I always felt doubly terrific about my visits to Lee's.

Then, tragedy struck. Lee's closed. There was a void in my life. I eventually migrated over to BoJangles for my fried chicken fix. (Very tasty, with a kick. But still, a chain.)

When I heard that Lee's had reopened, joy filled my heart. So today I stopped by for two chicken legs, taters and tea. I noticed on the cup the website address, and decided to see what they had to say for themselves.

HOLD THE PRESSES, tater tots! Lee's is a CHAIN! And not only that, but a chain that originated in OHIO!!! Lawsa mercy, burn my grits. I'm disenchanted.

It turns out that LEE Cummings, nephew of Colonel Harland Sanders (does THAT name sound familiar??) spent his childhood making chicken with the Colonel himself. Lee and the Colonel opened up 800 KFC's before selling out in 1962 to John Brown.

After selling KFC, Lee Cummings tweaked his recipe a bit and opened up his first restaurant in 1966, followed by a couple hundred more, and several changes in ownership of the franchise over the years.

So that's where we are, and now, my friends, you know the rest of the story. I might have to give it all up and go back to my own mama's recipe, prepared perfectly every time, with rice and gravy that will harden your arteries but warm your very soul.

 

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