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    Harold's Chicken Shack

    3.6 (98 reviews)
    Open 10:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Harold's Chicken Shack Takeout or Delivery

    Harold's Chicken Shack Photos

    HAROLD'S CHICKEN SHACK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Harold's Chicken Shack

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    Shani R.

    I give 3 star because the short puggie lady at the front is rude , nasty , and dismissive for no reason but the chicken was great maybe they should place her on mop duty

    Malcolm I.

    Great chicken! They run a straight forward operation and gave me tasty food. I never had mild sauce, and it was good, especially on my fried hard wings.

    a basket of chicken wings and french fries
    Anna S.

    Harold's is a South Side institution and this place is an excellent place to satisfy your craving. Harold's was designed for each franchise to develop its own ambiance/vibe - it was specifically trying to avoid the cookie cutter molds you see from other fast food places. This is probably why it's a bit inconsistent from location to location; this franchise is great. My usual order is a half chicken meal with both mild and spicy sauce. I thought this came out great - it has the same excellent taste as the other Harold's places I've been to. It's been rated as one of the best Harold's in Chicago and I think the ranking makes sense. The location itself is very clean and everyone was very friendly. There are a few tables around but it's not designed for you to dine-in; it's made for takeout. Harold's cooks its meals to order so expect to wait at least 10 minutes. It's not as fast as your other fast food franchises - but most fast food places don't cook your meal to order so I think it's well worth the wait. They also accept grubhub orders here if you don't want to order at the counter and wait. I think it's definitely worth the wait - Harold's is something I try to get whenever I am back in Chicago!

    Shawnda L.

    We were in Chicago on vacation and our first stop was to Harold's Chicken off 35th street. James the owner was super nice. We had gizzards, liver, cat fish, coleslaw, wings and grapes with toffee. EVERYTHING was delicious!! The grapes were surprisingly delicious. The sauce did not disappoint! I'd recommend you check out Harold's Chicken on 35th street.

    Chicken and fries
    Winnie L.

    Protip: Make sure you have plenty of time to wait for your order. There's not much seating inside so pick somewhere nearby to eat or don't order anything that will get soggy while you take it back home. Highlights: Wings were pretty good and I'd be open to trying other items from the menu. Lowlights: It look forever to get our food and we didn't order very much. French fries were very soft and not really my style.

    1/2 White Meat Chicken Dinner
    Russell M.

    I'm a truck driver from California and every time I'm visiting or driving through Chicago the first thing I do when I touch down is get me some Harold's chicken this place is 5 stars across the board kind of mad this location had no banana pudding BUT SCRATCH that the CHICKEN the SAUCE ain't nothing BETTER!!! and my fat self done been to uncle Remus and all them copy cats yeah yeah nah Harold's got my dollar when it comes to the chicken In Chicago keep doin

    2pc catfish and 2pc lemon pepper wings with fries
    Phyllis B.

    August 13, 2022, dining after parade with the lovebugs. It was the kids and I first time in Chicago, but not bay's. As a foodblogger and foodie, I eat by researching reviews, food pictures, and presentation of the food first-hand. This establishment is a Chi-town staple; but the wait time was not bad at all. Not sure if it was meant to dine-in because they had the bigger tables blocked off. On the other hand, there were 2 smaller tables visible, but already occupied. We cleaned the tables off and sat down after the previous customers. Then proceeded to wait for our food to be ready. I ordered 2pc catfish and 2 wings (lemon pepper), came with order of fries. My food was seasoned well, not salty at all - just bursting with flavor. Will definitely recommend and also eat here again upon return visit. #memphisfoodblogger #chicagoroadtrip #dinein #wherelocalsgo #travelingblogger

    Shafqat D.

    Of course I'd visit Harold's Chicken #88, considered to be the best of all the Chicken Shacks. Harold's Chicken Shack was explicitly called out as the place to go for Chicago's take on fried chicken when I visited Skydeck earlier. The breading, the crispiness, the crunchiness is perfect. They've got the right amount of salt in their fried chicken. The fries are well done. The sauce is legitimately spicy; there's a clear difference between spicy and mild. What's great about the mild sauce is that it's not a sweet sauce--it is actually "mild." Main downsides I see are the unusually small amount of coleslaw and the current tax due to the wing shortage (20% tax is hard to chew on). The 1/4 chicken dinner is what I'd recommend people get. You won't be disappointed!

    Fried Chicken and Fries..
    Devon G.

    Chicken was good. Nice and fresh. Got Sauce on the side. Service was great and had Nice throwback pictures on the wall..

    1/2 white chicken dinner.
    Jose C.

    Gotta love Harold's. Especially at this location. It's conveniently located near the Cell, and unlike other locations, they actually have good customer service. After I ordered my chicken dinner, she politely advised it would be 15 minutes. It was more like 25 but that's ok. You know you're getting fresh fried chicken at the end of the day. Their credit card machine actually worked and I asked for extra hot and mild sauce on the side and I was prepared to pay for it, but they never asked me for additional money. As for the chicken? I mean damn. Freshly fried golden chicken covered with fries and plenty of mild and hot sauce covering everything. Definitely no skimping going on here. You can either eat the bread at the bottom during your meal or wait to the end once it's sucked up all the mess from the food. Gotta love Harold's man.

    1/4 Dark Meat Chicken Dinner with fries and a bunch of Sauce

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    8 days ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Terrible chicken wasn't cooked fresh pre cooked chicken terrible . Never going back to this restaurant

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    They are quick and efficient!! Flavor remains the same. Close location...118th and Pulaski

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    There is nothing like good Harold's chicken !! I love the mild sauce with lemon pepper!!!

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    3 years ago

    Just ok.The wait is so damn loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.In a crunch this is my go to.

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    Shaw's Crab House

    Shaw's Crab House

    4.2
    (2.8k reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$$

    My husband and I returned back to Shaw's Crab House a year later, and it was still just as fabulous…read moreas it was before. We were lucky enough to get the same amazing waiter. He'd been there 32 years. Hope to get him next time we're back. Honestly, it's the freshest seafood around. They know how to shuck oysters and prepare them perfectly anytime of the year. The oysters were absolutely amazing. And then the crab legs....oh my goodness..delish. Everything was just so delicious. And I have to give a shout out to their sweet, creamy butter. Lastly, we love sitting in the thick of it where you get to see them preparing the oysters and all the seafood. Love this place. Thank you Shaws!

    Incredibly delicious. Everything was as fresh as can be. Definitely come if you like crab!!…read more We were a little mislead by some of the pictures online / on the website of the Norwegian crab (not by any fault of their own, just a poor assumption from our side). When we received it we were a little disappointed by the size. But the pieces were still so juicy and delicious! Just want to give a heads up also that their menu is on rotation, what you see online may not be what you get! Love me some sushi, so I was excited to try the California roll, although it was hard to justify it being $18!!! The crab was very minimal, as you can tell by the pictures... it was missing the classic California roll taste given barely any meat. The Mac and cheese side was good. Nothing too special. plus. But standard is the best word I can think of. Shareable portion, which is a plus. Service was excellent. The server was friendly and personable. Ambiance is great, it's an elevated crab house aesthetic. There is a dress code to enter. Overall, I can't say we had the experience of the price we paid. They gave us free the dessert sampler for our anniversary, yay!!!

    Photos
    Inside main dining room
    Inside main dining room
    Full Dozen Oysters
    Full Dozen Oysters
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    Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

    Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab

    4.4
    (3.3k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$$$

    Joe's Seafood in Chicago has an unusual amount of personal history for me. It opened as a…read morepartnership between Miami Beach's iconic Joe's Stone Crab and Lettuce Entertain You, bringing South Florida to Grand and Rush. I first went when it was still a huge, buzzy Chicago spot, and one of my most memorable dinners came after my high school graduation in 2003. I even got a speeding ticket on Lake Shore Drive with my grandmother in the back seat on the way to dinner, which still makes me laugh. Chicago was an especially fun place for Joe's to arrive. Open outcry trading was still a force, and the wealth creation around it was wild: people who had dropped out of high school could become millionaires in their twenties, while math PhDs from the University of Chicago could make fortunes in the same ecosystem. It was a golden era for hustle culture, when commerce idolized Tony Montana in a way that today is more likely to idolize Jamie Dimon or David Solomon. Death Row and Bad Boy ruled the airwaves, while Michael, Shaq, Kobe, and Allen Iverson defined the NBA. Basketball was so dominant in Chicago culture during my coming of age that I still map other things, including restaurants, to NBA teams. Joe's felt like the Miami Heat coming to Chicago in much the same way Smith & Wollensky represented the New York Knicks: each brought a recognizable piece of its hometown culture into another major city. Joe's brought real South Florida sizzle to Chicago, and it landed at exactly the right moment. Going there felt like an occasion. Florida took longer for me to understand in full. My family has roots in the state going back decades, farther north along the Atlantic coast, and I didn't visit Miami until March 2007, when my sister started graduate school in Coral Gables. That trip began my love affair with Miami and helped me understand why the original Joe's was such an institution. A close family friend's father spent time around Miami in the 1960s and 1970s. He knew local fishermen who caught stone crabs, which gave me an appreciation for the older South Florida culture around the food, separate from Joe's own history. Another Joe's memory captures an entirely different moment. Looking through my OpenTable history, my July 31, 2008 reservation at Joe's in Chicago is the earliest reservation I can find at a restaurant that is still open today. I was 23, working at UBS, preparing to move to New York while the firm was already on fire from its mortgage losses, and Lehman would file for bankruptcy just weeks later. I was broke but wildly aspirational, dreaming about dinners at Balthazar, begging my way past the doors at Cain and Tenjune, hoping to drink for free, and trying to meet women comically far out of my league. Through all of those memories, the restaurant itself has been remarkably consistent. The stone crab claws are incredible, the seafood is excellent, and Joe's holds its own among Chicago's serious steakhouses. The room has traditionally felt a little more formal than Miami, with bow ties, polished service, and a darker old-school steakhouse rhythm, while still being genuinely welcoming. Finish with the key lime pie. Years later, my wife and I held our wedding reception at RPM Seafood, another Lettuce restaurant, then ate at the original Joe's during our honeymoon in Miami during COVID days later, which felt like a fitting circle back. In sheer range of venues, repeatability of quality and atmosphere, and consistency of hits, Lettuce is the gold standard in Chicago, with some of that same reach in Vegas and DC. I've been extraordinarily privileged in my exposure to hospitality, and I still repeatedly admire Rich Melman's model, taste, and execution, now carried forward by the next generation of the family. Joe's is a prime example: world-class, durable, unmistakably Chicago, and absolutely somewhere I want to return next time I'm in town with some dough to spend. While Joe's may not be French, this place still earns my highest marks: très bien!

    Had dinner at Joe's last week...service is still excellent and the restaurant is still great…read moreoverall, but the food has definitely declined in quality unfortunately. The baked potatoes and other sides were still delicious but the steaks came out dry and overcooked. The quality was very much lacking. Our waiter was kind enough to remake both steaks, which was very much appreciated and the second round was better but still not as good as we remembered. We'll likely return ... hopefully this was just a one time problem?

    Photos
    The dining room
    The dining room
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    Ocean Grill & Bar

    Ocean Grill & Bar

    4.2
    (188 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    This was such a gentle experience. Our waiter was so friendly and polite, the food was fresh and…read moredelicious, the drinks were good, the environment was calming.. overall it was such a nice place to have dinner. We're actually going back tonight !

    After living literally 5 minutes away from this lively Vietnamese hotspot, I can't believe I never…read morewas curious enough to go check it out . Well, it is kind of tucked away in a desolate area on Canal Street, but still. One of my good friends suggested we check this place out after hearing about it from a co-workers. The only thing I know about Vietnamese cuisine is pho (which for some insane reason, I've never had) and banh mi, which I tried (and loved) while visiting my fave cuz in the Bay. . I arrived early to this very large, beautifully decorated venue on a Tuesday night and was intrigued by the set-up. One side was all tables, the other side was tables and multiple gigantic screened tvs playing Family Feud and the World Cup games. Kinda crazy. I chose to sit on the big screen side while waiting for my date. He called to say he was running late and to get the order started. I had been waiting a bit, so i caught the eye of one of the workers, who came right over. He was so friendly and accommodating and answered all questions. I ordered the green Thai kumquat iced tea, spring rolls and the chicken wings he highly suggested. He rushed off to place the order. Moments later, a couple of distinguished gents walked in and sat at a huge round table cater-corner from me and soon thereafter the nice man who took my order sat down with them. I'm assuming he was the owner for obvious reasons. I gained more respect for this establishment because customer service goes a very long way with me and he obviously cared about that. Our server, a very friendly young lady, brought my drink out and I was surprised to see that it was served in what looked like a sippy cup, with a cartoon design on the lid. Kinda weird seeing as I am an adult, but it was a tasty beverage, nonetheless. My friend showed up as the spring rolls and chicken wings came out. We devoured both, which were delicious and then placed our orders. I went with lobster noodles and my friend got the beef tenderloin pho. Even though my entree presentation wasn't the best, it was a very tasty dish to both of us. The beef tenderloin pho was definitely the star of the show! The broth was fragrant and flavorful and the beef was tender beyond measure. I'm an avid ramen fan but this pho definitely had my attention and I can't wait to try more. Ocean Bar and Grill is such a cute, quirky place that caters to date night diners, groups and families. They were all in there that night and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I know I did. I'll definitely be taking my daughter when she comes home from her summer internship!

    Photos
    D3. Tr sua thi xanh - Thai Milk Tea (Green)
    D3. Tr sua thi xanh - Thai Milk Tea (Green)
    O22. Oc Mng Tay Nuong Mo Hnh Grilled Razor clams w/ scallion oil
    O22. Oc Mng Tay Nuong Mo Hnh Grilled Razor clams w/ scallion oil
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    O9. Nghu Xo Cay Clams stir-fried in chili sauce

    Harold's Chicken Shack - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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