Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

I couldn’t tell you the last time I ate at Koo Koo Roo for sure, but it might’ve been like 10 years ago. I worked briefly as an assistant at CAA, where many of the assistants would go eat fancy lunches at nearby Beverly Hills eateries with their $6/hour salaries (took me a second to realize money was not a concern for them). I usually brought soup or ran to Starbucks for coffee, or didn’t eat. (Those were lithe days—I lost about 12-15 pounds, which was the upside!) I do remember one day going with a few fellow wallet-watchers to Koo Koo Roo. I remember it being depressing and not very good.

So, when I received an invitation to go to a press lunch for the casual-fast chain, featuring its new healthier offerings, I was a bit apprehensive, but what the heck, right? And it was in the ‘hood, just at the Santa Monica and La Cienega location, convenient.

Piled high salads at 500 calories or less, glazed rotisserie, and pie…

Koo Koo Roo has collabed with chef/cookbook author Devin Alexander on the menu, who explained that she was an overweight teen, and her approach was to eat regular foods but tweak recipes to make them healthier, which is what Koo Koo Roo has done to its menu.

The menu started with salads, all around 500 calories or less, between 8-20 grams of fat, and piled high—Chicken Caesar with Sundried Tomatoes, Asian Chicken, BBQ Chicken and Southwest Salmon. The best of the bunch was the Chicken Caesar, with those unexpected sundried tomatoes, which was a nice touch. The Southwest Salmon gives a lot of bang for the buck with a hefty piece of salmon and was pretty good. I was a little less enthused by the Asian Chicken and BBQ Chicken. Salads are priced around $7.50-$8.95.

Cookbook author Devin Alexander, who worked with Koo Koo Roo to create its healthier menu

Next, we tried the rotisserie chicken, important menu items for the chain, one with Sweet and Spicy Orange Glaze and Cajun Apricot Mustard Glaze. Both were highlights of the menu. While not a new offering, the simple fresh tomato salad served with the meal, with a bit of olive oil and herbs was very tasty. ‘Unfried’ Chicken and ‘Unfried’ chicken tenders—breaded and baked—were bland. Would not recommend.

Then—by now I was busting at the gut—a turkey dinner was brought out. Koo Koo Roo does swift business on its Thanksgiving menu, particularly its takeout which is $20 for four people; you can also go eat there for a $10 one-portion T-giving meal. Of the meal, the Cornbread Stuffing with turkey bacon and Syrupy, Mashmallow Topped Sweet Potatoes were part of the ‘Better For You’ menu. Both were OK, but keep in mind I’m not a big sweet potato person. Also, I guess since I know I will likely only eat stuffing once in a year, I’d rather have my dad’s, which pays no attention to calories but is delicious. The apple pie was not lower calorie, but warm and tasty.

I have to say, overall, I have a much better impression of Koo Koo Roo after the ‘Better For You’ tasting. Even the interior felt cheerier than I remembered. If you want to get filled up by a good salad, I would recommend. And the glazed rotisserie really is flavorful and juicy. Again, that tomato salad, a KKR mainstay, so simple, I want to recreate myself. I would really pass on the ‘Unfried’ Chicken.