The combination of chicken tenders and tender pork ribs seems so natural, it's obvious only in hindsight that somebody needed to put them together on a menu.

Judging from a packed dining area at Finley's Chick-N-Rib, it seems plenty of others agree with the pairing.

An inspired combination is one thing; pulling it off is another. This place executes its small menu with expertise, with bite after bite evoking a sense of amazement and sheer glee.

The chicken tenders have a crisp batter that encases moist and tender breast meat. There are dipping sauces and they do the job, but these bites really don't need them. The signature pork ribs, juicy and flavorful with almost fall-off-the-bone tenderness, rival the better barbecue joints in town.

Along the lines of great 'cue, the excellent pulled pork sandwich offers a generous mound of smoked pork with pickles and onion, all in a burger bun.

And the smoked chicken with a proper spice rub conveys a tenderness that would make Otis Redding sing.

By the way, there's a reason why the smoked items are so good: Owner Bruce Finley opened B&B Smokehouse on Pleasanton Road with his brother in 1984, and it's still a South Side favorite.

If you order a combo that includes fries, take some time to savor them. Hand-cut and fried to a nearly perfect crispness, they would hold their own in the fanciest order of steak fries. Yes, they're that good.

You'll have to order onion rings separately, and you're going to want some. They're battered, tossed with coarse bread crumbs that evoke panko and fried until they're crisp and golden brown.

The Sugar Baby dessert perhaps exemplifies the restaurant's approach of conjuring happiness out of common ingredients. It starts out with a thick slice of Texas toast, but it's deep-fried and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, then topped with real whipped cream. It just works. The crisp, fried texture of the thick bread contrasts expertly with the lightly sweetened cream. If the bread were thin, this dessert would collapse in a greasy mess. Instead, the bread balanced the crispness of the fried exterior with a tender crumb inside. Think of a much more luxurious version of the classic breakfast cinnamon toast. But for dessert.

Take a bite, and then just try not to smile.

Twitter: @etij


More Information

Finley's Chick-N-Rib

5890 De Zavala Road, west of Interstate 10 at Mountain Air, 210-558-7427 (RIBS)

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

Price range: Meats, $3.99-$20.99; sides, $1.99-$3.99; small bites (fried pickles and onion rings), $5.49-$5.99; salads and sandwiches, $4.99-$7.49.

Hit: Ribs, fries, onion rings

Miss: Chipotle dipping sauce was a bit sweet

Lighter Choice: Believe it or not, there are salads on this menu and they looked good

Noteworthy: This place also serves beer and wine.

Finley's Chick-N-Rib