Address: 125 Glenda Trace, Newnan, GA 30265
Hanley & Myself were invited to PONKO Chicken New Newnan location to meet the people behind the biz, try food beyond their food truck, and give our honest thoughts. I’ve been invited to things like this a few times in the last few years, and I let everyone know IMMA BE ME ABOUT IT.
If it sucks, Imma say so. If it’s dope, we gonna say it’s dope! But no one can “buy me” unless they offer LEGO sets, Lorcana cards, and hot tub getaways.
Getting this out of the way: affording to eat out sucks. No one is cheap (and actually good). That’s just the way of the world, and Newnan is no different. The prices at PONKO are not low, but they try their best to do what everyone claims to do: be worth it.
And there is a lot to love about the food at PONKO. While I found a few things bland (the rice, green beans, & fried mushrooms mainly), nothing was bad. And the good things were VERY good. It easily clears up the debate on “why don’t we just grab fast food? Cheaper. Probably just as good.” This is good.
It bothers me that some of Hanley & I’s usual favorite dishes, mushrooms and green beans, were so skippable, but it’s called PONKO Chicken. Not PONKO Mushroom and Green Beans. Although that would be a really awesome business…
It is always important to note that I am a Type 1 diabetic and my diet is very specific. When eating out at a new place, I try a little of a lot in order to manage my blood sugar the best I can. PONKO is very carb-heavy, and my blood sugar got a real good beat-up by the end of dinner. That is totally my own fault. But if you are on a specific diet, PONKO is gonna be a bit tough to work with. Not impossible! But a bit tough! Should I have eaten the entire fried hot dog? Absolutely not. Do I regret it? No. It was one of the best things I’ve eaten.
I’m no food critic. I’m just a perfect, idiot baby with a mustache that, for some reason, is respected for it. And I eat a LOT of chicken. I eat more tenders than your toddler, AND I know my alphabet better than him, too!
The stars of the constellation were the tacos, the chicken fingers with the OG sauce, the hot dog, and, surprisingly, the chicken wings!
When we first got there, I turned down an offer to try the chicken wings because, let’s be honest, nowhere that offers chicken wings at a counter has good chicken wings. I assumed I wouldn’t like them, and then I’d have to be mean about it. I SAY THEE NAY! I’m not even a Teriyaki wing guy, but PONKO may have my favorite Teriyaki wing.
The last bit of praise I’ll heap on PONKO is something that made me love Waldo’s Chicken and Beer so much. Both of these places ask you to order on your feet–no table service. But once you are down, the table service comes throughout your visit. They will ask if you want drinks, if they should clean off some dishes, if your napkins are to your liking, if you believe in true love (maybe not that one).
Yeah, having to wait in line to order your food isn’t ever gonna smash as well as “servers” do, but that post-order helpfulness is awesome. And PONKO was doing this for every table. THIS is how you separate yourself from so many other places. Customer appreciation.
If I’m coming to eat with you, I want to support you and enjoy myself. Everyone in the building should be working together to appreciate each other and those sweet sweet chickens.
The people making PONKO work in Newnan are great people, the standout dishes are some of the best in the price range, and the table-to-table customer service is refreshing.
If they can avoid price hikes, employees neglecting the tables, and butchering the beauty off their menu, then this spot is gonna rock for a while.
