The quiet stretch of Market Street below Octavia, before you get to the BOOMING new area we like to call Mid-Market, doesn't really have a name. Bold Italic famously tried to make "Valencia Bottoms" happen. We prefer Zuni Gulch. Whatever you want to call it, there's a new grab-and-go eatery there by the name of Proposition Chicken (1750 Market Street), and we're here to tell you it's pretty good.
It's a simple concept from the people behind Straw, that carnival-themed place with the donut burgers on Octavia, and you can only get your chicken a couple ways. You have two chicken preparation options, fried and rotisserie (they're calling it "flipped" here for alliteration's sake), and one vegetarian protein, tofu chicken. So, Fried, Flipped, and Fake. Then you can have any one of those as a sandwich, a salad (currently it's kale with tomatoes and carrots), or an entree with a biscuit and coleslaw. Then there are sides.
Our recommendations: The rotisserie chicken as a meal, a sandwich, or a salad, is a pretty solid bet, though for the latter you should request some extra dressing on the side because it's kind of inconsistently dressed nevertheless it will make you feel quite healthy and proud of yourself.
The fried chicken is good, but we like the chicken strips (an optional side) better, if only because the batter-to-chicken ratio is more consistent. Also great: the fries, served with a delicious malt-vinegar mayo.
You'll have to ask your vegan friend how the tofu is, because we have no idea.
The only real downsides to this place are the service, which can be a little slipshod (they're still only a month old and trying to get a handle on things), and the front door, which sticks open. And because 70% of humans are too careless and unaware of their environments to check if a door has closed behind them, it is often carelessly left open. And it's chilly out there these days.
There are a couple of tables and some counter seating for eating in, and we'd call this a totally terrific new option for weeknight eating. Note: No booze, though. It's BYOB for now.