Monday, September 18, 2006

Brooks Chicken, Oneonta NY



Brooks House of Barbecue, Oneonta NY


This restaurant is often our lunch or dinner stop whenever we're traveling from my parents' house to my sister's house - a half-way point between Binghamton & Saratoga Springs, NY. My sister went to college in Oneonta, so our family has been a fan of Brooks Chicken for over 25 years.
My sister's college roommate refused to eat there - not because she was a vegetarian or that the food wasn't delicious, but because of their sign. The neon figure of the chef chasing the chicken with a hatchet was just too much for her to handle.


7 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

I love the neon sign! It reminds me of the non-politically-correct cartoons when I was a kid.

Julie Zickefoose said...

Oh, if only it were animated, so we could see the chef swiping away at the chicken. Thanks for this--I love it! May it never be replaced. I would put that in my living room if it were to be torn down.

Susan said...

Julie - your living room??? Well, you're the artist - I guess you know best!

Susan Humeston said...

My dad went to school at Oneonta with the original owners - Fran & Grif Brooks. My father is originally from Saratoga Springs, and I'm from Middletown, NY, living in Florida now. We used to visit relatives in Utica and stop at Brooks on the way (my dad used to love all the back roads as opposed to the highways). I'm 50, and my dad is 87 - I remember going there as a youngster, and meeting the owners. I believe their children have taken over the business now. It sure is a small world!!

Anonymous said...

I have been a resident of Oneonta all my life and the sign that the restaurant bares out front is nothing short of a landmark. I am fortunate to know the founders, second and third generation and all are nothing but fine upstanding folks and stop at nothing to take care of their employees, customers and community. This town wouldn't be the same without the sign and the Brooks' Family! Plus, the food and service is outstanding!!

Marc said...

We were at Brooks last Saturday night while visiting Cooperstown. The neon sign is pretty funny to see at night, that's for sure! The place was full, with nearly everyone there seemingly enjoying their chicken and ribs (it looked like one huge family gathering of The Simpsons with people making noises while eating frantically).

I wasn't thrilled by the place, though. The slices of top round in sauce was ok, but the sauce was too sweet for my liking. And my S.O. thought the chicken had a funny taste to it, so she didn't eat it.

Anonymous said...

I have to say that i think Brooks' is the best there is! I moved from Oneonta after college and after 25 years I moved back to the area. While away, I lived in the some of the most well know barbecue towns in the country and Brooks' certainly takes the cake or should i say chicken. I also believe that a lot of everyone's taste starts from where you grew up and we are all about Brooks'! My wife and I along with friends of ours frequent Brooks' often and have never had a bad experience. By the way, the sign they have seems a little updated than the one that i remember, but it makes us all happy to be there when we see it.