For our first installment of Long Beach Tender Review I will be reviewing and analyzing the social impact of the chicken tenders from MVP’s Grill and Patio (#3), located at the intersection of Redondo and 10th. Locally, MVP’s is rather famous for their hamburgers but today we will be starting a discourse on their tenders, which are located in the “French Fries and Stuff” subsection of their menu.
I would surmise these tenders as a clean and crisp bite that pairs excellently with a ketchup or BBQ sauce, yet they are a tad dry without the aid of a condiment. Perhaps this is due to a lack of excess fat and oil that tenders often have after being cooked, which allows them to be eaten without feeling too full or indigested. Since I have a sensitive stomach (from overeating tenders in my youth) this is especially important to me. Additionally these tenders were well breaded and every bite had a good combination of chicken and breading.
My only issue with my order is that they were quite small and the tender to fry ratio was a bit off, as I finished my tenders long before the fries. Whereas a properly balanced basket of tenders and fries will be finished around the same time. The fries them self were quite hearty, and between the tendies and the fries I was quite full, so I was not too upset with the small portion of chicken.
Regarding the location of this MVP’s, it is very easy to spot while driving down Redondo and quite accessible by foot or vehicle. Since this location has no indoor seating or access for patrons, the only seating available are some benches which are placed near the order window. Unfortunately these benches have no particular markings or placement that allows for easy social distancing, and it is left up to the patrons to distance themselves. Inversely the outside seating does make purchasing tenders at this location much safer than an indoor location. The impact of this outdoor dining setup does allow the community to have a safe location to eat tendies in these trying times.
TASTE: 8/10
VALUE: 8/10
LOCATION: 7/10
“Nothing remarkable but honestly they were pretty good.” -Long Beach Tender Review