Street Eats: Mya's Fried Chicken
When Ray Ray’s moved south to the Ace of Cups parking lot earlier this year, they left behind what was arguably the most well-known food truck location in Central Ohio. Mya’s—an upstart specializing in fried chicken—wisely pounced on it.
Mya’s is run by a husband-and-wife team, Mark and Rachel Tolentino, and they quickly endeared themselves to the community. Remember the power outages earlier this summer? Mya’s was open, and handing out free chicken as a form of relief and a show of goodwill to their new neighbors.
Although fried chicken has been increasingly trendy at restaurants around town, Mya’s is the first truck in Columbus to specialize in it. Thankfully they’ve set the bar high with a quality offering that has, like Ray Ray’s before it, rapidly earned fans. They also follow the same operational model as their predecessor—a set location open on weekends only.
Mya’s starts with antibiotic- and hormone-free Ohio Proud chicken, which is soaked in an herb-infused buttermilk brine. The same mix of herbs and spices is used in the dredging flour to further enhance the flavor. The chicken gets its extra-crunchy traditional crust from being shallow-fried twice. Where:
The truck parks in the Super Food Mart lot at the corner of Pacemont Road and High Street in Clintonville.
THE SCOOP
When: Mya’s is open from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
What to get?: First decision: are you a light or dark meat person? (Bonus points to those who say dark.)
From there it’s a choice between fried chicken pieces, fried chicken biscuit sliders, or chicken and waffle sandwiches topped with homemade hot sauce and Ohio maple syrup.
Mya’s made-in-truck biscuits are also justifiably popular. Served warm, they’re particularly good slathered in herbed honey.
On the side: Sides include mac and cheese, green beans, smashed potatoes with pan gravy, and creamy coleslaw—all made from scratch.
Everyone in line on our last visit had a different favorite, but the smashed potatoes are our pick. The homemade gravy atop them starts with the chicken drippings, so it’s rich and meaty. Pure comfort-food contentment.
Mark plans to debut desserts this winter, and we’ve heard rumors of fried apple pies.
Don’t forget: The herbed honey and spicy vinegar drizzles. These additions add a little heat and a little sweetness to the meat and are not to be missed.
Bethia Woolf, owner of the tour company Columbus Food Adventures, blogs at streeteatscolumbus.com
Photos by Jodi Miller
Mya's
@myafriedchicken
614-209-9004