Ramblin’ Chick is located at 512 Court Street, between Nelson and Huntington Streets, and is currently open on Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The first and most obvious reaction to the news that Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith, the couple that founded, very publicly grew, and then very publicly bankrupted and sold their Ample Hills ice cream brand and parlors—and then kind of did the same thing again with The Social, another Prospect Heights ice cream parlor—have just launched a new and totally different Brooklyn venture is: “Really, guys? You want to do this again?”
And the short answer to that question is: Hell yeah, they do, and you should be stoked they did. Because not only is Cuscuna and Smith’s resilience admirable, but also (and more importantly) Ramblin’ Chick, their new spot specializing in chicken smashburgers and nuggets in Carroll Gardens, is a pretty perfect everyday neighborhood spot, a fast-casual restaurant with a full menu of crowd-pleasers and a lived-in, roadside vibe.
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
“After Ample Hills and The Social, I was wary of doing ice cream again,” Smith told Brooklyn Magazine. “Honestly, I thought about it, and a lot of people were like, ‘Hey, that’s what you know, that’s what you should do. It’s what people expect from you.’ But other than doing the same flavors with different names, I couldn’t really think of something new to say.”
So while there is, of course, ice cream to be had at Ramblin Chick—in both milkshake (the peanut butter one was excellent) and soft-serve formats—it’s Smith’s inventive chicken smashburgers, available in five different varieties at the opening, that take center stage.
The “OG BK” and “Buffalo Game Day” chicken smashburgers, $11.99 each; fries $4.50 (Photo by Scott Lynch)
These are all big-flavored, appropriately gloppy beasts, each one starring two patties made from chicken thighs and fried to a crisp. The “Buffalo Game Day” one comes topped with American cheese, lots of zingy sauce, and an ingenious cheeto and cornflake crumble. The “Caesar’s Great Escape” was also very good, with a bit of the namesake salad, dressing dripping, and a Parmesan crisp adding both depth and crunch to each bite.
The “Chicken & Waffles” smashburger (Photo by Scott Lynch)
A brunch-y offering on the menu subs in a pair of waffles for a bun, arrives slathered in maple butter and topped with a couple of strips of bacon. There’s also a chicken-chili one, which is pretty much guaranteed to make a mess. But if you want a slightly tidier option, the OG BK Burger is the move (though you do need to enjoy caramelized onions to really appreciate it).
Four-piece chicken nuggets with “Ramblin Sauce,” $4.99, and Ooey Gooey Mac and Cheese with pretzel and potato chip crunch, $5.99 (Photo by Scott Lynch)
The nuggets, which Smith says are formed individually by hand, with no fillers—”a real labor of love,” as he puts it—are just as good as the burgers, a crock of “Ramblin’ Sauce” dip bringing plenty of pep to the party. Sides include some first-rate fries, some even better “ooey gooey mac and cheese,” which gets sprinkled with bits of pretzel and potato chips, and, for all you health nuts out there, a kale salad.
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
The name Ramblin’ Chick is inspired by a line in the Woody Guthrie Americana anthem, “This Land Is Your Land,” and the decor follows in that spirit, with hand-lettered signs, wood-paneling, and framed vintage ads. There’s seating for about 20 inside, plus a spacious back patio they’re sprucing up for spring. And it’s all been done, as Cuscuna put it, on “The shoe-est of strings of a budget.”
“Sure, we thought about giving up,” she continued. “But the itch to create something again, something that gathers people together, and creates a sense of community, is really strong. It was one of the things that I loved most about Ample Hills. And we’re not ever done doing that.”
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