The Militant ventured down to the South Bay on Friday to check out a unique food spot called…well…uhh…The Food Spot. It’s a Costco-esque foodie-centric fast food stand that not only adjoins the Skechers factory outlet store on Vermont Avenue and 190th Street, but is actually owned by the 1992-established Los Angeles-based shoe company. Though somewhat near Metro’s South Bay Transit Center and the Metro J Line, it’s…quite a trek through the decidedly industrial landscape of warehouses and office parks that skirt the 110, so The Militant just drove down there.
The Militant actually went in the store just to see if he could find some deals. Like, why not. Actually, though the selection was rather immense, the prices looked to be somewhat higher than what he sees at his local WSS store. Until he spotted the “Clearance” section and may or may not have purchased one of their comfy AF walking shoes for A Nice Price. He only wishes they had some comfy AF combat boots to compliment his camo fatigues.
The sun was setting over the South Bay, the shadows were growing longer, and likewise so did the line compared to when he first arrived, though it wasn’t super crazy long. The Militant ordered a Nashville-style spicy chicken sandwich combo with (upgraded) Garlic Parmesan Fries and a drink. It all cost just under $11 (and he also wasn’t forced to give a tip at the credit card terminal(!).
His order took a while, perhaps around 10 minutes, which was to be picked up in a separate window after your name was called on the public address system (The Militant had to tread carefully when “Militant” was announced, though that didn’t seem to turn any heads here, hah…). But everyone seemed patient and the wait didn’t seem excruciatingly long. Granted, the packaging was a bit much – even though The Militant made a “for here” order, they nevertheless packed his chicken sandwich combo in a large branded cardboard box (maybe it’s to pay homage to a shoebox?) which was in a large, handled plastic bag. He sat down in the outdoor eating area which had an L-shaped counter of solo seats bracketing a few tables that had sunshade umbrellas. The dining area was clean and well-kept.
The fries were of the shoestring persuasion and delivered equally in both the garlic and parmesan categories. If they sold this at Dodger games instead of the woefully inconsistent stadium Garlic Fries, us Dodger fans might forgive the team’s postseason nosedive.
As for the spicy chicken sandwich, it’s got the requisite potato bun, cole slaw and two pickles. The well-breaded chicken patty was both crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It tasted like something you’d pay $11-$13 for somewhere else, but at The Food Spot, on its own, the sandwich only sells for $6. Like wow.
The Militant would be totally down for a return visit to try out their burger (reportedly of the smash persuasion) or even their soft-serve ice cream, which looked like a popular item here.
According to Skechers’ CEO, The Food Spot is only planned as a one-off thing and isn’t slated for expansion or additional locations in either other Skechers stores or elsewhere. The crowds on a Friday evening were moderate, though the scene might be more packed during weekend days. As of now, it’s one of the South Bay’s best-kept secrets. As of now.
The Food Spot, 19000 S. Vermont Avenue (at 190th Street), Gardena.
HOURS: Mon-Sat, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ; Sun, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
