By Samantha Taylor
One of the healthiest meats most of us know we can eat at a restaurant is chicken, but many places cook it the same way so it seems to taste the same all of the time.
It is nice to find a restaurant that cooks chicken different and that place is Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, at 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., north of SR 56 in Wesley Chapel. What’s different about their chicken? They roast it skin-on, making it really moist and flavorful. Make sure you remove any skin so you reduce the fat.
As with any place you eat, the sides you choose are an important part of how many calories can add up in that meal, so I got their barbecue beans and the small Caesar salad. Order the dressing on the side and ask for no cheese on the salad. That way you can have a little bit of dressing by dipping your fork into the dressing and then into your salad.
The baked beans were low in fat, but they do add a small amount of brisket to it while it cooks to add more flavor and a little more fat. But the great thing about beans is they are high in fiber and also a good source of protein.
My entire meal only had 570 calories but you know me, I only ate until I was full, leaving me an extra serving of chicken and beans. A classic yeast roll bumps the meal to 730 calories, so ask them to leave it off the plate to avoid temptation.
Dickey’s, a Texas-based chain, also offers tender smoked turkey breast which, I bet by the taste of the chicken, is probably really good too.
Diners can enjoy a free dill pickle with their meal and a cup of lactose-free ice cream on the way out the door.
