Don’t let the Hen & Flour’s compact downtown Medford storefront fool you, the family-owned restaurant packs big flavor in a small space.

Located at 141 S. Central Ave., Hen & Flour boasts an appetizing menu of chicken dishes and Creole-influenced sides.

Those main dishes include fried chicken every which way you can imagine: a fried chicken sandwich, tenders, legs and thighs or the fried chicken half bird. Sides include their signature red beans and rice, mac and cheese, coleslaw, hush puppies, or a combination of greens that include collard greens, turnip greens and more.

I entered the lunch spot last Tuesday and immediately smelled some familiar Southern aromas of sweet flour and rich spices.

Hen & Flour’s four-table dining area is cozy, quaint and welcoming with bright natural wood floors and a nautical theme of framed sailboat photos. A smattering of house plants added a little greenery. Smooth jazz music added to the ambiance.

David Nowakowski and his wife, Chambree Nowakowski, co-own the business, which opened in late 2023.

On my visit, I went for the fried chicken sandwich with a side of mac and cheese ($15.50), but I had to try their red beans and rice ($4) — the restaurant’s signature dish — so I did.

Including a tip, my meal added up $23.40 in total, which I felt was a very solid price for what I got.

I expected a bit of a wait when I made my order, but the food arrived after only an impressive 11 minutes.

I give them points for presentation. The side dishes arrived in ceramic bowls and the chicken sandwich was served in a paper-lined basket.

I was shocked by the plentiful portions. The side of red beans and rice was nearly a small meal and my fried chicken sandwich was larger than both of my fists combined.

The taste surpassed my expectations, too.

The crispy, fried chicken fillet was sandwiched in a wheat bun and dressed with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.

On first bite, the sandwich offered a balanced mix of sweet, savory and a little spice. The hot, crispy breading of the chicken rounded out a fantastic dish.

I may have liked a little more barbecue sauce on my sandwich, but Hen & Flour offers hot sauce and other condiments for customers to lather their meal to their own satisfaction.

Along with my side of mac and cheese, I also received two hushpuppies — a delightful surprise considering I had not ordered them.

Regarding the sides, the eatery’s mac and cheese may have captured my heart, but the red beans and rice captured my soul.

You can really taste the Creole inspiration in the beans and rice.

The dish included red kidney beans, Andouille sausage and vegetable stew served over white rice with a sprinkling of parsley. The spice of the sausage, the savory red beans and the fluffy rice really complimented each other, leading the dish stand out as my clear favorite.

I found the mac and cheese delightful, too. It was served with pepper and chopped leeks to bring out extra flavor.

While hushpuppies can sometimes be dry, Hen & Flour mastered the balance, each bite a delicious, cornmeal-filled burst of flavor.

I came in hungry, but left fully satisfied with about a third of my meal saved for later in a to-go box.

Hen & Flour truly surpassed my expectations by not only creating dishes to rival the cuisine of my home region in the Southeast, but by also surpassing some of my favorite chicken and Creole spots I enjoyed as a kid.

Paired with reasonable prices and sizable portions, I give them top marks. 

Hen & Flour is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays; and noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

For hungry locals on the move, the store offers takeout and delivery is available through DoorDash.

For more information about Hen & Flour, including menu options, find Hen & Flour on Facebook, call 541-499-0803, or email at hen.and.flour@gmail.com.