Lots of good, crispy cluck for the buck

Banana dessert one of the best from a truck

Debuting in January, Slap Chicken is another newcomer to the San Antonio street scene. It’s the vision of chef and owner Antonio Bonilla, who worked at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, spent some time at a sushi restaurant and realized food is his passion.

Bonilla describes himself as a self-taught cook on a quest to make good food. And he chose chicken as his medium. Friedchicken sandwich options have hit the San Antonio food scene like a tidal wave, and Bonilla’s products are a worthy addition.

There isn’t much mystery to the menu — it’s all about the cluck for your buck. Whether you are in the mood for tenders, sandwiches or wings, you can get your chicken fix here.

And almost everything comes with fries and a tangy vinegar coleslaw, making the prices, from $9 to $14, very reasonable.

Best dish: The standard chicken sandwich ($11) is the best way to start the Slap experience. It’s a fusion of sorts, with a coleslaw topping evoking Carolina-style barbecue. The golden-breaded white meat fillet extended outside the bun by a good 2 inches. It came fried to a crispy finish, and the meat wasn’t pounded out too thin.

Each bite featured the chicken flavor as it was supposed to be, with the slaw on top and pickles on the bottom bun like

the beginning and ending of a good movie. The fry sauce for dipping was a bonus, like those scenes after the credits of a Marvel movie.

Other dishes: The Nashville hot sandwich ($12) comes with specific instructions upon ordering — how hot do you want it? There’s a nuclear cayenne option, but I opted for mild, which still had enough heat to induce sweat. It was tasty, and just as big as the traditional chicken sandwich. It comes with a side of hot mayonnaise, so you can always increase the spice.

I always judge wings (six for $11 or 10 for $14.50) by the classic Buffalo sauce and go from there. Slap’s were so big it looked like the chickens had a fitness trainer before … you know. One of these wings would be the equal to two at most other wing shops.

But they were a little soggy and could have used an extra minute or so in the fryer to crisp them up.

Still, the sauce flavor hit on all notes, and I would check out the six rub flavors offered, too.

There are four sides on the menu, and I went with the Cajun fried pickles ($4), traditionally one of my favorites. These just didn’t work. Instead of thinly sliced chips, Slap serves spears, and there was too much moisture for them to hold onto the breading, which slipped off like a fish fighting to get back into the water.

But Slap is really onto something with its banana roll dessert ($7). It’s something I have never seen but wish to see again. It’s a mixture of mushed banana and cheesecake, rolled up like tempura sushi, served hot and gooey with a drizzle of honey. It’s one of the best desserts you will find on a food truck.

Chuck Blount / Staff Coleslaw and pickles surround the crispy fried chicken fillet on the traditional chicken sandwich. The fry sauce for dipping is a tasty bonus.

The Buffalo-style wings were big and flavorful, though a bit soggy.