WARREN, Ohio – For many, a trip home to the Mahoning Valley is not complete without a stop at Buena Vista Café in Warren for its Greek fried chicken.

The dish has become a local institution, drawing in both lifelong residents and those who have moved away but return seeking a taste of nostalgia. Some even go as far as having it shipped to them when they can’t make it back.

“A young man was coming back from the Persian Gulf one time to get married,” said Nick Frankos, owner of Buena Vista Café. “When he got off the plane and to the location in South Carolina, they had our chicken there waiting for him. They asked him what he wanted when he came home, and he said, ‘Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken.’”

The recipe traces back to Frankos’ father, also named Nick, who co-founded Buena Vista Café with his wife, Irene, in 1956. In the early 1970s, the elder Frankos attended a soft-serve show in Denver, Colo., where he made an unexpected purchase: two pressure fryers for $3,000.

“My mom almost killed him because in 1971 or 1972, that was a lot of money,” Frankos said.

Those pressure fryers became the foundation for Buena Vista’s chicken, setting it apart from traditional deep-fried varieties.

But it wasn’t just the equipment that made the difference. Frankos’ father spent months experimenting with marinades, seasonings and frying techniques, seeking perfection.

A worker at one of the nearby manufacturing plants, self-described as a “chicken connoisseur,” offered to help refine the recipe.

“He said, ‘You let me taste it, and I’ll let you know if that’s where you need to be,’” Frankos said.

For three months, Frankos’ father gave out free samples to the lunch crowd, tweaking the process with each batch. Finally, the chicken connoisseur gave his approval.

“He goes, ‘That’s it. Stop. Whatever you did, that’s where you need to be,’” Frankos said. “And 171 tons per year later, here we are.”

Nearly 50 years later, in 2019, Frankos finally met the man who had unknowingly shaped the restaurant’s signature dish. The former steelworker, now living in Columbiana, happened to visit the café on what would have been Frankos’ father’s birthday.

“I said, ‘You’re the chicken connoisseur. I’ve been looking for you for years,’” Frankos said.

Each piece of chicken is carefully prepared, starting with trimming excess fat. It is then wet-brined for 24 hours before being dusted with seasoning and fried. To maintain its crispness, staff members pat each piece with a paper towel to remove any excess grease.

“If we’re doing 3,000 pieces on a Saturday for a graduation, every piece gets patted,” Frankos said. “It’s a little more labor-intensive than how a lot of people do it. But I think that’s what makes us different.”

The restaurant recently introduced chicken nuggets, prepared using the same process.

“I have to give credit to my wife on that one,” Frankos says. “It’s nice at a party. Instead of walking around with a chicken bone in your hand, you just pop them in your mouth.”

For many, Buena Vista Café is part of what Frankos calls the Golden Triangle of Warren dining, along with Sunrise Inn and The Hot Dog Shoppe.

“When people come home, they have to hit all three,” he says.

Customers like Larry Brzyscz and Mark Kindle, who were recently having lunch at the bar, attest to the chicken’s reputation.

“You ain’t going to get any better chicken around,” said Brzyscz, of Cortland, who has been eating at Buena Vista since childhood.

“I’ll eat the skin,” said Kindle, of Mecca, after Brzyscz, who was on a carnivore diet, passed his crispy pieces to him.

Frankos, who makes a point to visit every table, said consistency is key.

“They say, ‘It tastes just like it did 20 years ago,’” he said. “So that makes me feel good because we’re doing something good.”

After nearly 70 years in business, Frankos credits his family’s dedication and the loyalty of customers for Buena Vista’s longevity.

“My dad used to sleep in a booth,” he said. “The cook would come in at 6:30 in the morning and wake him up. He’d work, go home and take a shower and be back for the lunch crowd at noon.”

“To be here 69 years in a place that’s, I hate to say it, depleted a little bit, I think it’s a credit to what our families have done before us. They laid the groundwork for us.”

And when it comes to the chicken, Frankos has one rule: “Don’t change nothing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Pictured at top: Nick Frankos holds a platter of the Iconic Uncle Nick’s Greek Fried Chicken with potato wedges.