Like many in Bakersfield I’ve purchased that amazing value known as a Costco rotisserie chicken for $5. Like the $1.50 hot dog and soda, it seems designed not for profit but as a way to build foot traffic. It’s hard to resist, but local grocery stores have added similar products, sometimes costing the same, sometimes more expensive. For a busy family, it’s a great quick meal.

Now Cowboy Chicken has invaded from Texas, after opening in Fresno and San Diego, and this place is a game changer — if you can find a parking spot. The chicken here is rotisserie, but it’s made with a wood fire. And it’s superior for that very reason, adding a subtle smokiness that is typical of good barbecue but not in an overpowering sense. That and some amazing side dishes tells me this place is going to round up a lot of Bakersfieldians.

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