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Harold's Chicken Shack

3.6 (99 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 9:00 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
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

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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.

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

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

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.

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10 months ago

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

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1 year 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

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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The owner Sonnie Kireta and his security Milton Brawner used excessive force brutally assaulting my…read moreson who was a 3 year patron. My son had to leave in a ambulance,. had to go through wound care and physical therapy, unfortunately he had to learn that no where is a safe space and Bars in Hyde Park are not safe just because it is Hyde Par. Milton the security and owner had been drinking as well that night that's what I was told.. Beware this is not a safe place. The matter is still allegedly still being investigated we n witnesses it wss April 23 2026 because they won't release the entire video footage because it probably would incriminate the. I am still disgusted! I guess they have special privileges... Cancel the Cove .....

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What a fantastic place to eat. We went on a Friday night and had a wonderful meal. The staff was…read moreattentive and everyone was very friendly. The star of the show, however, is the food. We started with the biscuits and pimento cheese. This isn't your grocery store variety of pimento cheese. It's a mix of sharp cheese and peppery pimento that pairs perfectly with the biscuits, that have a sweet honey coating. Next was the perfect gumbo. Spicy and full of chicken and Andouille sausage, it's some of the best I've had, outside of New Orleans. We shared the half chicken and spare ribs. The chicken was perfect, along with squash, green beans and tiny tomatoes. I absolutely loved the tender spare ribs. This place just screams love. They food is all about the love of family gathered around the table. The whole feel is about family. From the cozy seating, to the music in the background! 10/10!

100000/10 DON'T WALK...RUN!…read more I was here for a birthday celebration and Virtue did not disappoint! That short rib with creamed spinach and crushed potatoes...NO NOTES! That was the best bite of the night, hands down! The sides were amazing as well! The mocktail was exceptional and sweet! The service was alright. However, the highlight of the night was the owner coming over to our table to chat with us briefly. He was so sweet and welcoming! Virtue gained a new loyal customer & cheerleader!

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Harold's Chicken Shack - tradamerican - Updated October 2026

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