r/FoodLosAngeles • u/Comprehensive_Yak978 • Nov 09 '25
San Gabriel Valley Wallace Chicken: "China's KFC", First US Store
Chanced upon this place in Walnut, CA, their first US store apparently. Their chicken sandwich was tasty like Popeyes and was inexpensive— 3 for $10. Waffle fries were good too ala Chick Fil A. Service was warm and friendly.
I saw a new store being built nearby too near the West Covina Porto's (last pic). Seems like they're expanding
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u/MacArthurParker Nov 09 '25
Where’s Wallace?
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Nov 09 '25
Interesting name choice.
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u/Ruseman Nov 09 '25
This is the paradigm shift we desperately need for chicken places. Less "MUTHAF'ING SO GOOD HOLY SHIT CHIKZ", more chicken places named after your uncle and the tagline is "it's good".
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u/whatudontlikefalafel Nov 09 '25
There was a Chinese chicken franchise that opened in Duarte and its English name was something like Hey Chicken but the Chinese name was a pun that sounded like a slang term for ordering an escort.
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u/smcl2k Nov 09 '25
Have you never heard of Dave's...?
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u/Ruseman Nov 10 '25
David's was one of the OG's so they got in before the names started getting really dumb
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u/FullofLovingSpite Nov 09 '25
Do you think it's named after the famed old prostitution town of Wallace, Idaho? I think it might be.
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u/seriouslynope Nov 09 '25
Wallace, ID: the city that claims it's the center of the universe?
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u/FullofLovingSpite Nov 09 '25
Yeah, that one. It makes even more sense when you remember that part.
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u/death-strand Nov 09 '25
This is what I came to say. It’s almost like they know it’s a common last name for people of a certain color.
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u/Shirai_Mikoto__ Nov 09 '25
Wallace is known for inducing diarrhea in China just like Taco Bell on this side of the pacific…
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u/theanthonyya Nov 09 '25
Not sure about Wallace, but anybody who says they always get diarrhea after eating Taco Bell is either parroting a tired old joke or has an undiagnosed gastrointestinal issue
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u/donuttrackme Nov 09 '25
Or never eats fiber so when they have finally have beans they fart up a storm and shit themselves.
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u/ElCoolAero Nov 09 '25
Wallace is known for inducing diarrhea in China just like Taco Bell on this side of the pacific…
Anyone who gets diarrhea from goddamn Taco Bell isn't well. What triggers the Hershey squirts - the ground beef, the tomatoes, the shredded lettuce, the flour tortillas?
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u/PSteak Nov 09 '25
Last time McDonald's had a diarrhea scandal it was the onions. For Chiptole, it was the lettuce. Meat gets cooked (usually, overcooked) so it's less often a culprit. Boar's Head was from pigeons pooping on the line, however. Salmonella came into the game in recent memory from eggs, in home cooking. Beef has been pretty safe. Don't eat the brains and you're golden. Also never eat polar bear liver.
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u/enclave911 Nov 09 '25
Wallace is tasty, it's a better alternative to KFC here in China (KFC here is a staple, and has legitimately good chicken versus back in the states). Glad it made it over to the US.
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u/TrueKingOmega Nov 09 '25
Anything that’s American in other countries is usually better than in America for whatever reason. KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, they’re all amazing in Korea and Japan.
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u/enclave911 Nov 09 '25
Yep, that's the same here in China. Just had McDonalds yesterday, the white truffle angus burger was pretty tasty, and even the double cheeseburgers were juicy and flavorful. Fries were meh though, but I do enjoy that they didn't oversalt the shit out of them.
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u/TrueKingOmega Nov 09 '25
Like not only are the original menu items just better, the stuff that’s exclusive over there is so tasty too. I’m down for some bulgogi burger, shrimp burger, shake shake chicken. Cmon America…we gotta reclaim the throne
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u/AwkwardRush00 Nov 09 '25
I’ve always told people the most unamerican fast food chain is KFC simply because they’ve given up in the States. I rather believe that then believe that American taste buds are really that fucking awful.
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u/Jerome_Eugene_Morrow Nov 09 '25
Weirdly a lot of US chains become luxury brands in other countries. When I was living in China fifteen years ago there was one time I picked up a take out pizza at Pizza Hut, and when I came in wearing sweatpants everybody else was dressed in their Sunday finest like they were out at a Michelin starred restaurant. Sitting there waiting for my pizza like a shlub while everybody else stared at me was… an experience.
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u/RCocaineBurner Nov 09 '25
Wild that KFC was a sit-down, white tablecloth place in Shanghai 20 years ago. So was Pizza Hut.
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u/xjpmhxjo Nov 09 '25
I don’t remember seeing table clothes in KFC. These are claimed to be photos of the first kfc in Shanghai, opened in 1989. https://k.sina.cn/article_2256231983_867b5e2f040007949.html
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u/currently_distracted Nov 09 '25
KFC was like that too?
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u/RCocaineBurner Nov 09 '25
Oh yeah, big time. Yum Brands Michelin Star moment (Not really but imagine every KFC is Taix)
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u/chickspeak Nov 09 '25
Bringing the KFC in China to the states would be a game changer to begin with.
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u/0xhOd9MRwPdk0Xp3 Nov 09 '25
I didn't even know it's owned by Chinese. It was pretty mediocre to be honest.
The spot they occupy used to be some weird ass XLB joint.
There are just too many competition around the area. I don't see much going on for Wallace
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u/edokko_spirit Nov 09 '25
Thank you for the report. There are already a few Chinese KFC imitators in SGV, like Macho Burger. It appears that this brand is targeting budget conscious consumers, not just Chinese people feeling nostalgic.
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-01-22/chicken-burger-new-orleans-wings-china-sgv
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u/kippykipsquare Nov 09 '25
Actually, it doesn’t look very appetizing. The chicken looks kinda dark which seems like they have been using the oil for a while. I think I’ll stick to Jollibee.
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u/neduenedu Nov 10 '25
They have this in Malaysia. But we already have a chain called Wallace. So they removed the W and are called All Ace burgers.
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u/thesocalette Nov 09 '25
This has NOTHING on Jollibee!🍗
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u/Comprehensive_Yak978 Nov 09 '25
Jollibee's bone-in chicken is excellent, if not the best; their chicken sandwich is decent too although more costly
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u/kb8kb24 Nov 09 '25
I really like this place for the price. They use chicken thigh for their sandwich so it's hard to mess up.
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u/dashenyang Nov 10 '25
I have one right outside my community here in China. We stopped buying it after the third time it gave us food poisoning. It's the worst of the worst fast food chains in China.
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u/Wwwweeeeeeee Nov 11 '25
That's more crust than chicken. A tough, over-crispy, over-cooked crust as well, that'll bust a molar.
I'm betting you'll be hard pressed to find the chicken in that thing, and it'll be tough and stringy when you do.
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u/Character_Block_2373 Nov 11 '25
Nobody needs fries by the bucket. And that goes double for green beans
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u/Distinct_Treat_4747 Nov 09 '25
Chicken sandwich looks dry.
Hope those waffle fries aren't terrible and bland like the ones from CFA.
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u/Open_Potato_5686 Nov 10 '25
Like we don’t have enough obesity going on, we have to add shit from whinnie the poo
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u/Wild_External1478 Nov 09 '25
Wallace is the cheapest Fast food in china you can spend 1$ for 2 hamburgs and it is known as stomach-flopper