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In a high-ceilinged, brightly lit corner space, Chirping Chicken serves up huge portions of haphazard BBQ platters to bustling locals craving cheap, filling grub. Customers place their orders at the busy counter and take a seat at one of the dozen mismatched wood tables, where Styrofoam plates piled high with grilled meats and starchy sides arrive within seconds of ordering. Speed comes at a price here, though; most dishes taste dried out by a strong heat lamp. Huge portions of crisp-broiled chicken breasts and legs bear a salty, herb-infused skin, but the meat is bland and dehydrated, while the bits of beef clinging to the BBQ ribs are rubbery and unyielding. Sides don’t help—pita is straight from a bag, and salads are composed of watery iceberg lettuce. The orders keep coming, though; in the early evenings the joint is filled with toddlers and their harried parents and undergrads on bargain dinner dates. In the wee hours of the morning, revelers stream in to staunch their hangovers. — Laurel Fantauzzo

Baked sweet potato, $3.24