city chicken 

A food native to Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania in which cubes of pork and/or veal are put on a short, wooden skewer, breaded, then baked and/or fried.

I've heard that city chicken originated during the Great Depression, when folks didn't have enough money to buy full cuts of meat, so they assembled meat scraps on a wooden skewer, creating a make-shift drumstick. Hence the name.

Are yinz havin' city chicken for dinner?

city chicken by TRF August 31, 2006

city chicken 

A pigeon.

The term dates to the Great Depression and likely originated in New York City. Specifically, folks in the city (often immigrants) were too poor to buy chicken, so they would catch pigeons and eat them.

The name can refer either to the pigeon in general or to the pigeon as a meal.

I'm so hungry, I'ma need to get me some city chicken tonight.

city chicken by T.B.R. November 23, 2006

city chicken 

Pigeon on a stick.
A shish kabob made with pigeon meat.

I never knew what city chicken was!
Here is that recipe for city chicken, grill it with the ribs.

city chicken by blurvie April 18, 2009

City Chicken 

Deep fried pigeon

City chicken is deep fried chicken.

You're wrong Priscilla

Douglas is correct

City Chicken by Krypton313 July 23, 2025