Craving fried chicken? Don’t just wing it, head to Concord for some the best bird in town. Ruby’s is the latest offering from the team behind North Strathfield’s famed burger food truck Mister Gee. 

This time around they’re swapping the whoppers for fried chicken sangas, tenders and wings with all the Southern soul food sides. From the outside, Ruby’s looks like any other takeaway joint on Majors Bay Rd, with a long counter at the front and a scattering of tables and chairs on the footpath. The only difference is the steady stream of customers spilling out onto the street clutching a Ruby’s red box in their hands.

Each carefully folded carton contains precious cargo, either fried chicken pieces or a chicken sandwich, along with crinkle cut chips and homemade pickle slices. The big decision, however, is working out what level of spice you want, with six gradations of heat to choose from.

Play it safe with the Southern Fried chicken, which offers a completely spice-free experience. For those who like it hot, the seasoning starts with Ruby’s Original, building in intensity to Hot, Hot N Heavy, Ruby’s XXX and finally FMUF, which is essentially blow-your-head-off hot.

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The chicken tenders are not the usual limp skinny fillets, but big craggy schnitzels coated in a layer of cayenne-spiced batter that’s almost as thick as the chicken itself. The crinkled skin is crisp and greaseless, so you won’t be needing those cute moist towelettes.

We gobble down the Hot N Heavy, which offers the perfect balance of heat and spice. Trade up the Ruby’s sauce for a tub of the kaya, a Singaporean coconut jam that adds a sweet cooling hit to the super spicy crust.

The sides are typical of a fried chicken joint. The mac ‘n’ cheese is unashamedly American, made from overcooked elbows in a plasticky blanket of melted orange cheese. It’s equal parts dirty and delicious. The coleslaw takes its cues from KFC, with grated cabbage and carrot tossed through a light buttermilk dressing, adding the necessary freshness and crunch. As for the corn, it has been stripped from its cob, the plump kernels stirred through with a chipotle butter that will have you licking the spoon clean.

The fried chicken sanga is a simple stack that includes a chicken tender topped with coleslaw, pickles and melty cheese on a soft, sweet bun. If you’ve overdone the heat, seek sweet relief with the refreshing housemade pink lemonade or bring the temperature down with the not- too-sugary Gee’s iced tea.

Double down from the deep-fryer with a doughnut for dessert. Crispy fried dough balls come iced in more of that delicious kaya coconut jam, with hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top.

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