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A Fried Chicken Challenge for those in Chi-town

jglazer75

By jglazer75
in The Heartland: Dining

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jglazer75

jglazer75

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Anyone know of a good restaurant where I can get some good Fried Chicken? It's just one of those things that I've GOTS to have on occassion and where I live (Lakeview East) doesn't have a whole lot in the way of Southern Fried Chicken (more Thai, Chinese, and Japanese than you can shake a chopstick at though).

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Fresser

Fresser

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If you don't mind schlepping, hop down to 53rd Street in Hyde Park (the #6 Jeffrey Express from the Loop will get you there) and go to Harold's Chicken Shack. They feature awesome fried chicken served on top of Wonder Bread & smothered in barbecue or hot sauce. The bulletproof glass in the restaurant only adds to the ambience.

There are two sides to every story and one side to a Möbius band.

borschtbelt.blogspot.com

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Sweet Willie

Sweet Willie

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If you don't mind schlepping, hop down to 53rd Street in Hyde Park (the #6 Jeffrey Express from the Loop will get you there) and go to Harold's Chicken Shack.

Aren't there other Harold's?

Some like White Fence Farm in Lemont, see: http://www.whitefencefarm.com/chicago/

There is also a chicken shack in Evanston on Ridge, just north of Emerson, just east of the RR tracks, near the NU campus. I think this used to be a Harold’s chicken shack.

"I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be"
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elyse

elyse

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Posted (edited)
If you don't mind schlepping, hop down to 53rd Street in Hyde Park (the #6 Jeffrey Express from the Loop will get you there) and go to Harold's Chicken Shack.  They feature awesome fried chicken served on top of Wonder Bread & smothered in barbecue or hot sauce.  The bulletproof glass in the restaurant only adds to the ambience.

Isn't it Herrell's? I'd kill for some right now.

Edited by elyse (log)
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disgruntledgrunt

disgruntledgrunt

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Yeah! Harolds's is definitely the fried chicken king. It's true, there are many others, but Fresser hit the nail on the head, the one on 53rd St. next to Mr. G's (I think it might be a Co-op now) is definitely the best. Do not be distracted by any other menu items, just stick to the chicken. You also have options as to how you want it dressed, hot sauce, mild sauce, salt and pepper. Don't forget to eat the two slices of white bread underneath the mountain of chicken and fries. The fact that they're saturated with chicken grease only adds to the experience.

disgruntledgrunt

"You don't win friends with salad...

you don't win friends with salad..."

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jglazer75

jglazer75

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I know this barely counts, but Wishbone had decent enough friend chicken for one of their weekly lunch specials.  It depends on how much you gots to have it, I suppose.

regards,

trillium

Well, to report back on my Fried Chicken Hunt:

After suggesting Dell Rhea's to my g/f she didn't want to drive all the way out there, which is unfortunate because I was definately up for it. Also, some day I'll work up the nerve to try Harold's. Honestly, the place scares the bejeezus out of me. There's one across the street from my school (near the loop) and I still haven't worked up the nerve to step foot in there. Having read the reviews, maybe I'll take them up on the offer of a reduced student rate on dinners :)

We actually ended up going to Wishbone in Lakeview. Not too bad, actually. I hadn't been there before and the food was pretty decent. The fried chicken was good, the potatoes were excellent and the collard greens and roasted squash were AWESOME. They had live local music (a folk-singer girl who reminded me a lot of Jewel) which I liked, too.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. Let me know if there are others, when the fried chicken beckons, I GOTS to answer the call...

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elyse

elyse

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Also, some day I'll work up the nerve to try Harold's. Honestly, the place scares the bejeezus out of me. There's one across the street from my school (near the loop) and I still haven't worked up the nerve to step foot in there.

What's scary?

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Fresser

Fresser

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Also, some day I'll work up the nerve to try Harold's. Honestly, the place scares the bejeezus out of me. There's one across the street from my school (near the loop) and I still haven't worked up the nerve to step foot in there.

What's scary?

Most Harold's Chicken Shack stores are in really ratty neighborhoods where, right or wrong, Caucasians really stick out. That's not to say the staff would be rude to you, but people can tell when you're not from around there. (Our intrepid moderator Aurora addresses this topic as well here:

Speed Queen in Milwaukee

Which reminds me of a funny Harold's story...

-------------PAUSE FOR FUNNY FRESSER STORY------------------------

When I was studying at the monastery, ah, the University of Chicago, some thrill-seeking students would occasionally depart Hyde Park and venture down to 79th and Stony Island to nosh at Leon's B.B.Q. One time, three clowns from Lawn Guyland piled into a beat-up blue Dodge Dart with a tan trunk and drove down to Leon's. After midnight, mind you.

Upon exiting, one of the party was greeted by a neighborhood denizen, who stated, "Silly white boy...You (sic) in the wrong 'hood!" {"No," I thought to myself upon hearing the story, "It was the trunk of the car that was the wrong color, not the hood!} Then the guy smashed a beer bottle on the windshield of the fleeing Hyde Parkers.

What's nice about Hyde Park is that it's one of the only truly integrated neighborhoods in Chicago. You'll see black, white, Indian & Pakistani, and pretty much everyone else. So if you mosey into the Harold's at 53rd & Kimbark, (or any of the ones in the downtown area, such as 608 W. Adams, 7 S. Wells or 636 S. Wabash), you should feel comfortable. And the chicken is yummy!

There are two sides to every story and one side to a Möbius band.

borschtbelt.blogspot.com

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YourPalWill

YourPalWill

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Posted

There's certainly no need to be scared of a Harold's in Hyde Park or anywhere else for that matter. The 53rd Street location is considered among many to be the best of the Harold's outposts in Chicago. The searcvh for great ethnic food, be it soul, Thai, Indian or whatever leads you into some of the neighborhoods that many in the city considere unstable.

I often frequent Edna's at Madison and Kedzie (great fried chicken and biscuits for those seeking such), Lem's on 75th Street for Chicago's best ribs, and Harolds for their excellent crispy flavorful chicken. If anything, though the pigment of my skin is much lighter than many other patrons in those establishments, i always find myself treated no better or no worse than any other patron.

There's simply nothing to be scared of there as there is nothing to be scared of in any of Chicago's fascinating working class neighborhoods...and there is some awfully good grub to be found in many of these places.

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Vital Information

Vital Information

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Posted

Nice to get a familiar face to drag me into a ridiculous thread.

1) There are Harold's Fried Chicken's in neighborhoods not the least bit "scary". For instance, there is one on Wabash pretty much across the street of the Chicago Hilton. Second, there is one on the west end of the loop on Wells.

2) Pretty much all Chicago eateries are on major thoroughfares that can be traveled by car. There are great places to eat everywhere in Chicago from Calument Fisheries and Dat Donut to Coleman's Ribs and Edna's. MacArthur's, LeCreole, Tropic Island, Lem's, BJ's, etc., etc., etc (and I am leaving off Pilsen, Little Village and other "ethnic" areas.) I have enjoyed all of these places and more. I have been there alone, with groups, escorted by wife, and joined by kids. I have never felt uncomfortable or out of place. It is my experience that people open restaurants because they enjoy serving good food, and it is in that spirit I take any restaurant.

3) Another choice for fried chicken would be Chef Luciano/Gourmet Chicken. Top-tenned by USA Today, but sampled by me for only the first time yesterday. Great stuff. Then again, they have bullet proof glass...

VI

http://vitalinformation.blogspot.com/
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Aurora

Aurora

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Harold's.

It's not scary.

No, it's not scary. It's greeeeeeezzzaaaaay!

They don't throw that bunched up piece of white bread in there for no reason. I don't mean to be crude, but those of you with any gastrointestinal sensitivity should STAY AWAY. FAR, FAR AWAY! That stuff will gurgle you well into the night.

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  • 3 weeks later...
JimInLoganSquare

JimInLoganSquare

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Nice to get a familiar face to drag me into a ridiculous thread.

1) There are Harold's Fried Chicken's in neighborhoods not the least bit "scary".  For instance, there is one on Wabash pretty much across the street of the Chicago Hilton.  Second, there is one on the west end of the loop on Wells.

2) Pretty much all Chicago eateries are on major thoroughfares that can be traveled by car.  There are great places to eat everywhere in Chicago from Calument Fisheries and Dat Donut to Coleman's Ribs and Edna's.  MacArthur's, LeCreole, Tropic Island, Lem's, BJ's, etc., etc., etc (and I am leaving off Pilsen, Little Village and other "ethnic" areas.)  I have enjoyed all of these places and more.  I have been there alone, with groups, escorted by wife, and joined by kids.  I have never felt uncomfortable or out of place.  It is my experience that people open restaurants because they enjoy serving good food, and it is in that spirit I take any restaurant.

3) Another choice for fried chicken would be Chef Luciano/Gourmet Chicken.  Top-tenned by USA Today, but sampled by me for only the first time yesterday.  Great stuff.  Then again, they have bullet proof glass...

VI

Well, all right, then. I've looked at that Harold's on Adams and Jefferson (a block from my office) for 10 years now and thought "yuck," but a "familiar face" might just have convinced me to try it. By the way, I haven't seen anybody on this thread mentioning it, but the Harold's numbering system is an absolute hoot, perhaps best explained in terms of quantum physics (i.e., utterly random assignment).

In abdomen veritas

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viaChgo

viaChgo

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Harold's.

The mild sauce sometimes varies from location to location but I think the hot sauce is pretty consistent. I ususally get hot sauce, salt & pepper w/extra hot sauce on the side. I like to take the white bread & roll a couple of sauce-laden french fries & make myself a french fry sandwich. mmmm good.

Edited by viaChgo (log)
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  • 11 months later...
ianeccleston

ianeccleston

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I just got John T. Edge's "Fried Chicken: An American Story", a great book about his search for "America's greasy grail". In the third or fourth chapter, he talks about a Chicago fried chicken joint called "Gourmet Fried Chicken" (which is done Italian-American style). He also mentions a couple other Chicago gems, including Harold's and Eat 'n' Run.

The one and only time eating at Harold's was great, the best I've had. I ate at the loop location - each store is independently owned and operated, so there is probably some variation in quality. Unfortunately, it seems as if the furthest north Harold's goes is that loop location. Is there a good chicken shack on the north side?

Has anyone else supped from this greasy cup? What's the best fried chicken you've had in the Chicago area?

Edited by ronnie_suburban (log)

Ian Eccleston

www.csacooking.com - a blog about cooking from our weekly CSA box

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