Where is the Screamin’ Chicken?
The Screaming Chicken is located fairly close to Hillsboro, Oregon, and was my first stop on this chilly rainy February morning. If you set your GPS for the address of 304 Front Street in Gaston Oregon, you will be in for a pleasant drive past some nice Oregon countryside. There aren’t too many turns and the time on a boring state road is pretty minimized, so very quickly you’ll find yourself in the lovely quaint town of Gaston, Oregon.
The Screaming Chicken. Well, the name might evoke some kind of worry – maybe even think of some kind of panic or negativity – in fact nothing could be further from the truth. The owner is a sweet kind lady whose smile is warm and who invited me into her diner in a cold and rainy April morning. I introduced myself and asked her if she would mind if I did a story about her restaurant on my website – she didn’t mind, maybe this wasn’t the first time she’d been asked, that was alright with me too. I looked around – the restaurant was an eclectic blend of country kitchen and chickens. They feature some unique menu items that I might someday order and some others will definitely find me coming back for a lunchtime review very soon.
Screamin’ Chicken Menu
I looked at my menu. It looked like the restaurant – the same eclectic “we’re gonna be what we’re gonna be!” attitude that demanded customers read everything and ask the appropriate questions – which I did. There were several pages for breakfast – some questionable items for breakfast – I’d need to ask about the “Roadkill Patty” and the “Big Big Big Pancake Combo” – Little scary that one.
I asked the owner about the roadkill patty – she smiled and said there was a goat, snake, and rabbit in the back. No doubt she’d been asked that exact same question about a billion times. Still she seemed to enjoy both the joke and my momentarily shocked expression, she might even have felt a little bit sorry for me at my shocked expression, I guess I believed her – and why not. Then said, no, it’s a bison, hamburger, sausage patty – goodness that sounds delicious!!! I settled on my favorite – Chicken Fried Steak, the old standby and looked around again. There is quite a bit of seating here. Six four person tables, two six person tables, two two person tables and four bar stools.
There are also two large televisions currently showing soccer (or football if you’re not in the US) and a list of delicious breakfast specials: Berry Pancakes, Marion Berry, Blue Berry, Red Raspberry, all written on a chalkboard right near the entrance easily seen by customers on their way inside. There is a kid’s menu that features five different items under $4 with a picture of Clyde – the screaming chicken.
The Meal Itself
My food quickly arrived and as I requested, the home potatoes (prepared on site) were crispy and delicious. The gravy was thick and just right. The Chicken (yep) fried steak was fantastic and filling and the eggs were wonderful. I was warned about how filling the biscuit was so in preparation I cut mine in half in case I couldn’t eat it all. I think the butter may be prepared on site, it’s so light and easily spread. I’ll have to ask sometime. The biscuit was warm and delicious. I was not ill-informed. Thankfully I found some space to fit the last half of the biscuit and managed to get the final bit eaten.
Summary of my Visit
I can say that my trip to the Screaming Chicken Diner in Gaston exceeded all of my expectations. This is what a small town diner should be about. The service was excellent, the food was fantastic, the location was great, more than enough parking. The weather might have cooperated more, but hey, it’s Oregon, in February, so, unpredictability is generally the first and only option. My final conclusion for the Screaming Chicken – Highly Recommended. And I’ve already started my punch card!! Can’t wait for a followup Review for Lunch and Dinner. So you know the Screaming Chicken also offers punch cards for each adult meal that is purchased, so I sent along with a buddy and got two punches so am already working on a free meal! I give the this diner located in Gaston, Oregon 5 HeyWillamettes for their excellent interior, wonderful home cooked food and very hospitable service.
Rating: 5 Heywillamettes!
Hey Willamette Valley 