The Southern Sampler boasts a long-standing position as the No. 1 appetizer at all 45 locations of Fatz Cafe. “It has been the top contributor since its first week on the menu and has only grown in preference,” says Zac Painter, VP of Marketing for Cafe Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of Fatz. “Our guest comments have been overwhelmingly positive.”
The sampler features the best of Southern hospitality: hand-breaded Calabash Chicken, Skillet Pimento Cheese Dip with garlic bread, and Fried Pickle Skewers over potato straws. It comes with two housemade dipping sauces: dill ranch and FATZauce.
“Calabash Chicken is our top-selling item, and has been for over 25 years,” says Painter. “These are no ordinary chicken tenders—marinated in buttermilk for 24 hours, hand-breaded in a secret spice blend and lightly fried—they’re crowd-pleasers every time.”
The pimento cheese dip stars a premium, locally sourced pimento cheese, blended with maple-bacon jam and served in a hot cast-iron skillet. The Fried Pickle Skewers are skewered before being fried, breaded in the same secret Calabash spice blend, and served over housemade potato straws. “These bold, Southern flavors complement each other so well, everyone at the table will be drawn to this dish,” he says. “There’s more than just a dash of Southern in each of these items.”
