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Category: Chicken Wings
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkDivision (Blue)
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I love this place. Yeah, its not the best place to eat in at, but that is some good, good chicken at a very good price.
I know the Wicker Park branch does not have quite the feel of other Harold's locations, I'm just happy there's one in the area.
And yeah, its not good for you, but who cares? Its fried chicken.
You can check out a full review on my blog.
http://fastfoodreviewe...
I don't care how bad it is for you, good fried chicken is a delicacy. Seriously. I just said that. Wanna fight?
Anyways, the Harold's Chains are an institution in Chicago. I was first delighted with their existence when I interned in college in Hyde Park. To me, that Harold's on 53rd street was the source for awesomely fried and breaded meat, full of Chicago flair, and a touch of the south.
Yes, I am getting poetic about fried chicken, I love it, but since it kills you, I eat it maybe 3 times a year...
When I learned there was a location in Wicker Park, I scoffed. "It can't be like my 53rd street one", I moaned. I remembered what happened to Chicago favorites of mine as soon as they expanded. They all went to crap. Joy Yee being the best example. So, I gave it a shot. The allure of their tangy yet spicy sauce and well fried perch led me to bite the bullet.
It's good. It's great. Yes, it's an acquired taste, and I could hear my arteries hardening, but dammit, if you're going to eat breaded and fried meat... go for the gold! Eat the best available. If you happen to be over by 6 corners... this is it.
/fried chicken fandom.
I guess I need more than word of mouth to satisfy my actual mouth.
I sought out Harold's because people had told me I should try it, given my penchant for tasty chicken from skanky sources. And although Harold's gets full points for being low-brow (I rather enjoyed the thoroughly surly service), the chicken itself, where the rubber meets the road, just doesn't do it for me.
Why didn't the rubber chicken cross the road when it met it? Cause it came from Harold's,,,,
Here's the thing, and I may be misunderstanding this; Under the fries there are a couple slices of bread. This is ostensibly to soak up the nice grease and juices from the chicken and fries. But there were only a couple of tiny, lonely stains of funk. Nothing to make the bread feel necessary or as delightfully wrong as they should be.
I like fried chicken, and although I can certainly eat this fried chicken, I won't be going out of my way for it again.
Sorry.
7
12
Delicious liver and wing combo!
I made it to Chi Town yesterday and will be here for 5 days. My first stop Was Harold's Chicken Shack. Man O' Man was the 1/2 white chicken dinner on tilt,. 2 breast/2 wings and a carton of fries with some hot sauce poured on top. MMMMMMMMMMMMm....You could smell the vinegar from the hot sauce steaming from the bag. It took all of 15 minutes from the time I ordered till the chicken touched my lips. You talking about some hot, juciy chicken. Ooooooweeeee! The chicken was fried to a rust colored sheen. Crunchy it was, oh yes, so very crunchy. One bite and the juice was ooozin. Just imagine a crunchy seasoned to perfection juciy breast and wing. I drove about 30 mins from the airport and in traffic. I had no idea where I was going or how good it would be. I just know I was on a Harold's Chicken Shack Mission. The drive was so worth it.
I have walked by here for the last couple of years and never gone in because I never thought a Harold's not on the south side would be any good. Surprise surprise! That was some good stuff. Actually some of the best Harold's I had in quite some time.
I decided to stop over a little bit before the Salud Tequila Event. I was starving and in the mood for some chicken with mild sauce. I ordered a six piece mild. The guy behind the register asked me if I wanted the sauce on the chicken or on the side. I gave him a funny look and said on it. He already knew why i looked at him like that. He said, "I know on the south side there are no questions asked and you get it automatically on the chicken, but on the north side, they are particular."
This happens to be one of the cleanest Harold's I have ever been inside of. Very spacious and they are fast. Walked home after I got the goods and ravaged it like never before. Mmmm good!
Mild Sauce Cologne is what we call it at work. Once you eat a 6 piece wing meal with mild sauce, you are wearing it's fragrance the rest of the day.
I grew up in the Northwest Suburbs, and knew nothing of Heralds until I got my first job engineering at a studio on 18th street. A brief discussion with a south side client about what we were gonna do for lunch lead to a trip to Heralds.
I'll never forget that first impression. Ghetto, stingy, and they took my order through bullet proof glass. I was gonna order a chicken breast, but was advised otherwise. 6 piece wing meal with Mild Sauce. I've never had anything else from Heralds. It.... is...... an ADDICTION!
This location on Milwuakee is actually really nice. Everything is made to order. There is no chicken sitting under heat lamps when ya come to Heralds.
Heralds is what I would call "Chicago" style chicken. If your looking for spices in the batter go to Popeyes or KFC. Heralds is all about fresh chicken, salt, pepper, and the Mild Sauce. I don't know what their secret is, but I find myself sucking every last morsel off of every bone like a heroin addict desperately milking the last of his stash for a fix.
You know that episode of the Simpsons were Homer gets high every time he bites into the Ribwich? Eating Heralds gives me that experience.
A friend was raving about Harold's Chicken Shack. He kept insisting that I try this place out. With that in mind and the fact that every corner of the Southside had a Harold's, I made sure I tried their chicken before I left Chicago.
It was OK. Nothing great about it. Their mild sauce was just waaaay to sweet for me and their hot sauce tasted just like Cyrstals' hot sauce.I prefer Popeye's over Harold's on any given day.
idk if its the fact that i am not a fried chicken aficionado or just the high expecations, but i harolds didn't blow me out of the water. my chicken was good, but nothing i hadn't had before. i think i liked the catfish better than the chicken.
I love Fried Chicken. I wish I didn't like it as much as I do as I know it is not that good for me. Harold's is not the best fried chicken I have ever had, but it is good enough that I go back for more. Reasonably priced, and the hot and mild sauce both have good flavor to them. Also like that the orders are made fresh, and it is nice to have the chicken still hot when I get home.
Another test for me is how the chicken is the next day cold out of the fridge, and Harold's passes the test.
Fresh chicken is always better than lukewarm chicken and that's what you get here. The mild sauce isn't too spicy, but definitely gets messy (which is the way to go). The fries that came with my 6 wings were fine, but I had to eat the chicken first, so the fries had to suffer. Next up, hot sauce...
I get the feeling that all the fame of Harold's has brought it down several notches. I went to grab some lunch there yesterday afternoon. I asked simple questions about what came with the "dinners". I got the "you should know that" attitude even though it was my first visit to a Harold's.
I ordered the 1/4 dark chicken dinner which came with a drumstick, thigh, cole slaw, bread and sauce. The coleslaw was excellent yet a small portion. Fries were thick and soggy. The bread was on the bottom of the plate to soak up the extra oil from the chicken and fries. The chicken dis not impress me at all. Not much flavor (lacked spices) and a tad overcooked. I also think that the oil in the fryolators needed to be changed as the chicken and fries were a tad bitter. I do appreciate that they cook your meal to order but I don't think it is worth the 10-12 minute wait.
Sadly, chain fast food joints like KFC and Popeye's taste better and offer better value.
Got grease? When a hangover is kickin strong, and your day is pretty shitty otherwise, let Harold's be your bright spot on the horizon.
Walk in, order an 8-piece mix, hang out for 10 minutes while they lovingly prep and make your chicken, take home and enjoy. I am intrigued by the other menu items they had.. you can order a fried fish and chicken combo, you can order chicken livers, other gizzards, etc. I'm definitely interested in going back to try out some deliciously fried food. Why not?? You should too.
I would give it 3.5 stars. This isnt amazing chicken, I actually prefer Browns chicken over this, however, the fried LIVERs are divine, yes, try them! This place doenst really spice the chicken or anything but they cook it fresh to order. The wait has never been longer the 8 minutes for me. If you are craving fresh fried chicken, this place will suit you well.
I was told by a few people to check out Harold's after I moved to Wicker Park, and I finally had the opportunity on a snowy Sunday night.
So, its fried chicken... I picked up a 1/2 chicken mixed meal and it was pretty excellent. The best parts were the breast and the leg. They stood out head and shoulders above the rest. The price was just fine for the amount of delicious food I got.
My one complaint is that the chain chicken joints seem to have more flavor in their chicken.. more spices, etc that makes the chicken taste more than just deep fried goodness. This is rectified by the side of hotsauce.
I'll be back to explore the menu more.
Right up the street!
My tummy was grumbling for something in the fried food group so I walked the freezing cold streets of winter-time Chiburg to give Harold's a whirl. What a warming glowing warming warm glow this place emits. The exhaust fans were obviously off to conserve heat and the place was chalk full of fried chicken haze, it was eerie and magical!
I am quite excited for the mood for Harold's comes back. The half-chicken was quite nice for the amount paid and the guys running the place mean business.
I've eaten Harolds in the hoodest of hoods and the ones in he loop and this one ranks upper tier. Some of the original harold's on the south side have gone down the toilet with premade chicken they refry just to get you out fast. This one always makes it fresh so it has a longer wait. The freshness give it a juicyness to it that is uncompared with any chain restaurants. Best fried juicy chicken breast you can get without having to dine in. If you haven't got mild sauce on your chicken, DO IT, that's an order.
Being a southern boy I regularly crave Fried Chicken (and yes, as a southern boy I capitalize it with the respect due certain deities). The place probably would've looked a little dingy and grubby back in the 70s, which to me says it MUST be awesome, and the food didn't disappoint. I'll definitely be going back.
I've been to Harold's a few times and have tried the catfish, wings, and the white meat dinners, and I cant forget the fried okra side. The food is great and you can chose to either get mild or hot sacue on it or on the side- I usually get the hot sauce on the side. The food tastes so good going down maybe because it's covered in grease! This is going to sound nasty, but the only problem I have with harolds is that I taste the grease in my mouth and throat for almost a day afterwards! Hence I only go there if i'm a MAJOR fried chicken craving, otherwise I tend to stay away from it.
The few times I've been there, there has always been a handful of people waiting for their food, regardless of the time! The location itself is small, when you walk in there's a counter you order at and there a few stools to sit on and wait for your food. The wait time is around 10 min, you can call ahead if you want. Most people take their food to go, I've only seen someone one eat at the restaurant once.
I've eaten at this location a couple of times and have no complaints. The chicken is about as greasy as any other Harold's, and the sauces are pretty much the same as well. It is neither better nor worse than many Southside Harold's, and it is by far the best Northside Harold's I've tried (e.g. a Loop location that was just beyond awful and is now closed). If you like greasy fried chicken, go no further. It's definitely better to eat here than any fast food chain.
This is my guilty pleasure for sure, I love good fried chicken and Harold's has some of the best in the city!
I would go for the wings dinner with hot sauce on the wings and on the side, and for those that don't know these aren't your bar wings they are real full sized wings. The regular fried chicken is tasty as well and most of the sides on the menu are great. Moreover, everything here tastes good with their hot sauce, I don't know what they put in it, but I could drink that stuff straight if wouldn't give me acid reflux the next morning.
Something to know, this place is mostly a carry out spot, but they have a few window bar seats where you can eat if you can't wait or have a long way to go and hate soggy fried chicken. Also the chicken takes some time to make, but they have a TV and magazines to keep you occupied until your delicious meal is ready.
I would go to this place all the time, but I rather not become the fattest man alive. I totally give this place the RICH stamp of approval.
Harold makes mince-meat out of Colonel Sanders and Popeye. The secret is the sauce. It compliments the chicken perfectly, and augments the only-decent french fries. I have no need for the slice of Wonder bread, but, I understand that it comes with the territory.
Now, is it true that there are 36 Harold's locations in town? For chrissakes, he should be running the Colonel out-of-town. The real extra-tasty-crispy can only be found at Harold's.
Hmmm.... I'm really not sure how many stars I should give this place.
This is my first try at a Harold's Chicken after some friends raved about it. I like that the chicken is fried after you order it. I couldn't wait. I ate a drumstick in the car on the way home. It was greasy, juicy and delicious. I was ready to pledge myself to Harolds forever.
But... well...
One of the wing pieces came with feathers. Yes, fried and still attached (see pics). My first thought was, "are they raising their own chickens in the backyard?" My second thought, "ew, if they can't even get all the feathers plucked off, they are probably not cleaning the skin any good either." Yes, people, I have actually slaughtered, cleaned, and cooked fresh chicken before. I know how it should be done.
I dunno... I was grossed out. I still ate the chicken (after peeling off the skins, which is too bad cuz the fried battered skin is really the best part), but for now, I don't think I'll be back to any Harold's any time soon.
I have yet to eat the chicken, but I will tell you the fried catfish is now what me and friends now refer to as "the dopeness". Food here is cooked to order so be prepared to wait 10-15 minutes but it is well worth it.
The sauce is one of the better sauces I've had, and this is coming from someone who spent 30 years in Kansas City area.
The portions are large enough for the price; I could barely finish the small order of catfish which was 3 or 4 hefty strips on a large bed of fries. mmmm.
I would recommend just getting take out as the interior is fairly small and the general ambiance is lacking.
This Harold's outpost in Wicker Park is quite welcome, as the Popeye's down the block has long since departed. Go for the local, I always say. I came here for the first time late last year, not expecting much -- the initial reviews in the Reader panned the scrawniness and dryness of the chicken. However, what I got was exemplary fried chicken, juicy and flavorful throughout. The true test of a decent chicken shack is how they cook the breast. This one more than passed muster -- not dry and overdone, and proved why it's my favorite chicken piece.
Harold's is a Chicago institution, as evidenced by the numerous shops interspersed throughout mostly far-flung, predominately African-American neighborhoods in the city. Thank goodness I don't have to go far afield anymore for the best chicken in the Chicago area. Not one for fancy sides, the dinners come BBQ-style, with fries, 2 slices of bread, and cole slaw. One can request the addition of hot sauce, their signature BBQ sauce (recommended!) and/or salt & pepper. The already-tasty crust of the chicken becomes nearly transcendent when that BBQ sauce soaks in. Also on offer are gizzards and liver, some fish (perch and catfish), mushrooms and okra, all breaded and deep fried.
Don't feel like picking it up yourself? Tough titties. They used to have delivery available, but have since abandoned the service. Dining in is an option, but only if one is truly on the go -- six barstools and two countertop-style tables on opposite ends of this tiny storefront aren't too conducive. The store is kept spotlessly clean. Each order is cooked to order by 2 extremely busy staffers, so expect about a 10- to 15-minute wait.
Just so we're clear here, this is a chicken shack we're talking about. No vegetarian options are available -- they fry in a signature mix of beef tallow and vegetable oil. There's nothing remotely healthy on the menu. Just tuck in and eat tonight, then serve yourself an extra helping of oatmeal in the morning. Your arteries are gonna need it. But it's so worth it.
This is the worst Harold's Chicken Shack, but that isn't saying much because it still beats any other chicken chain in Chicago. You can still get "buckets" of awesome fried goodness. The chicken is still deep-fried in oil mixed with beef tallow.
Okay, let's take a break and understand this. Beef tallow in your deep fry oil is crucial. It is what made McDonald's before the vegans sued them for beef fat in their oil. Tallow fries at a higher temperature and gives a flavor that while you may not be able to pick it out, will appreciate what it does.
Their chicken is delicious and juicy with a crispy crunch that'll never let you appreciate Popeye's or Brown's the same again. I say that because KFC goers will just never understand the complete awesomeness of really really good fried chicken.
This location offers up fried fish and okra too. The fried okra is great. They don't have a bulletproof glass counter window which takes away from the decor.
Occasionally they have 8 pieces of dark meat for $5.99 which makes it cheaper than any other fried chicken place I can think of.
This location's chicken is a bit greasier and their hot sauce is a bit saltier, but it's still amazing.
As long as I can have my fried chicken on wonderbread and fries with hot sauce dripping over it with a 5 minute wait so hot grease doesn't shoot all over me leaving short-order cook type burns, I'm a happy camper with this Harold's.
Whoever is behind Harold's is responsible for one of this generations greatest discoveries in physics. Right up there with Universal Gravitation and Special Relativity sits Harold's somehow fried yet not greasy chicken. They should just shut down CERN and save us all the (minute) possibility of earth (and surrounding celestial bodies) being swallowed up in a man-made black hole, and instead divert all funding to Harold. He's got a much better track record.
I always drive by this Harolds and I've been meaning to try it. I haven't had Harolds since my UofC days when there were only a handful of Harolds. The breading seems fluffy and sops up the sauce real good. I got all three sauces on the side, mild, barbecue and hot. The barbecue sauce is really smoky flavored.
Sauce is 50 cents extra, although they are generous with it. The "bucket" of chicken comes in a bag so it is kind of messy unless you get the sauce on the side. An 8 piece (2 each of breast, thigh, wing, and leg) bucket is $9.65 plus sauce(s) plus tax.
As soon as anyone came in they were waited on immediately. All food is prepared from scratch, so be prepared for a wait.
This was my first Harold's experience in Chicago ... and WOW! I'm in love. The service was absolutely outstanding, with the woman behind the counter coming out to sweep up and clean up where we were planning on sitting. She apologized *immensely* for the mess, which wasn't even that bad. The food was fresh, the chicken was crisp, and the hot sauce was intense. It's the kind of place you go for a true comfort meal, or if you're in the mood for some grease and hot sauce. Fried chicken to me is a lot like sushi ... it's absolutely filling, but you don't feel stuffed. I'll definitely be going back. For the price, it was a delicious meal.
EDIT: Just so y'all know ... I went here AGAIN today. They are so friendly, always friendly. No lie. I haven't had a bad/rude experience in all my visits!
Mmmmmmmm.... if you like chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken breast, or any fried chicken you don't even need sauce for because of its greasy goodness; You'll love Harold's. It is one of my faves, and I suggest if you've never had it you need to get to your local Harold's Chicken Shack ASAP!
Its Harolds, what else is there to say? Im glad I dont have to go out south anymore
but its not as good as the one on 87th...and whats up w/ closing so early? Harolds isnt supposed to close before 12
This gets an extra star because it is the cleanest Harolds I've been to. The fried chicken is good, but only fresh, its not really the best "eat cold" chicken, probably because its of the really crispy side of the spectrum. I love that side of the spectrum. It can be a bit pricey, when compared to grocery store chicken, or other places chicken (that regularly do coupons). Chicken size is ok, not tiny like Popeyes, but not quite as gargantuan as Browns. I like to appreciate every chicken place for its uniqueness and Harold's excells at its plainness (not in a bad way). If you imagine home made fried chicken, not southern fried, not extra battery, not cajun, not buttermilk (like Brown's) you imagine this. Thats not bad at all.
Best chicken ever! There is no comparison. I want "1/2 white with mild sauce" to be my last meal so I can die happy. 5 STARS!
Can this truly be the cleanest Harold's in Chicago? I think so. I ordered the small catfish with mild sauce and fries and it came with two pieces of white bread and slaw. Not for the faint of heart or those on a carb-free diet, but for the rest of us, it's definitely recommended. Their fried catfish is to die for. I spent under $8.00 without tax. If you super impatient, call ahead of time to order. I will be back.
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Chicken Wings
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Category: Chicken Wings
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
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