Harold’s Chicken Shack

One word. NASTY!!! The chicken taste like it was beat up. It just did not taste normal or right. I can’t say it taste as though it had been fried in old oil. But it had a taste I won’t soon forget and will not attempt to revisit… ever. This was not my first time at this location. But this is definitely the last. It’s a shame since there aren’t many on the north side. Ugh, nasty!

I really like fried chicken and this was not what my tatse buds are looking for. I like KFC much better. Coleslaw was good.

START USING WHOLE WINGS AGAIN!!! And until then, Im not coming back. I used to love this place when i needed to get my wings with mild sauce fix on. The wait is long, but the wings were good… only thing i don’t like is they won’t put mild sauce on my fries… they will only put it on the chicken, but will give u sauce on the side, pretty dumb but, whatever! Anyway, they recently started giving wing fling sections instead of whole wings and that sucks because me and my hubby got only drummette pieces… i like the flat pieces on the wings. Anyway, i guess i will be getting my WHOLE wings from another Harolds out south from now on. P. S. my hubby said his chocolate parfait cup only looked good!):

No taste .
Very expensive and their was no taste .The crust smelled good and that tasted OK, other than that I guess you have to put sauce on it ?
To give this place a fair shot we tried it again same result .i have had Harold’s for as long as I can remember on the south side and it never tastes like this .
It is a shame for this place to have the Harold’s name people on the s side would definitely not stand in long lines for this stuff.

I was at the Celebrate Clark Street festival and spied Harold’s. I thought I’d get some to go for a later time. I’m not that far, given that I live in Edgewater, but I’m one of those people who loves to pick up stuff while I’m in the vicinity and save it for later. Kinda like a squirrel, I suppose.
I hadn’t visited a Harold’s Chicken Shack in a very long time, having just come back to the area. In fact, it’s been so long that it was on the south side, where I thought the only Harold’s existed. The clerk also told me that there is a new one on Wilson, in Uptown. Yay!
These cooks take their time, which I like. Could be that they have more on hand at other times, but I waited a good 10 minutes for my order, and that was fine by me. Well-​cooked food takes time to do right. And that way I knew it was fresh and not sitting there for hours, like in some restaurants.
The woman behind the counter was as friendly as she could be – really likes people and it shows. I decided to get a chicken and cat fish combo dinner — and when the counter woman reminded me that they had okra, I got some of that, too!
I’ll be back for sure, and since they deliver — I’m set! Go git some chicken and you’ll get a smile on the side — for free!

I find some of the low reviews for this location somewhat odd, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions. On the day that I visited, some nice R&B from V103 was pumping out of the speakers, an exceedingly nice employee took my order, and the food was expertly prepared. Even the fries, which seem to be bad food service fries, were as well cooked as could be expected. This is a good place to pop in for a quick bite if you’re in Rogers Park and you fancy some fried chicken.
As for those of you who complain that the chicken is bland, well, it is. The batter is not spiced in any way that I can tell. Ask for your chicken «fried hard with salt and pepper». It will make a word of difference to your dining experience. I would also suggest that you get your sauce on the side for dipping, but that’s a personal preference. I find that the batter becomes soggy and the process of eating a huge mess if I have sauce poured all over my food.

This is the worst Harold’s I have ever tasted. This is not the South side recipe or portions. They really need to work with the original store to get it together.
Also I feel bad for the North siders who don’t know what Harold’s really taste like. It is not this, this is a bad knockoff.
FAIL!!!

Bottom Line Up Front: Disappointing
I’ve heard such good things from my friends on the south side, I was extatic to learn there was a Harold’s in my new neighborhood. Unfortunately, like Flavor Flav says: «Don’t believe the hype.»
The portion was generous and made fresh, but was rather bland for my taste, very little spice or flavor from the chicken itself. I asked for all of their dipping sauces, and one was worse than the next. The hot sauce was all heat and no flavor, the BBQ just tasted like ketchup and olive oil. Stupid me, I went back the next week, thinking I might have just had the only bad batch of chicken that the place ever made, NOPE.
Look, if you want to get the «Chicago experience» I suppose you can check it out. As far as it goes in a blind taste test, this stuff would get dominated by Popeye’s and the Colonel.

Not gonna lie… it’s not the same without bulletproof glass. For the real experience, you gotta head south, but Harold’s Chicken Shack #1 is no longer with us. [Moment of silence].
There’s something delicious about Harold’s. Maybe it’s the freshness of the fried goodness. Maybe it’s the love that the chicken is made with at the place. Maybe it’s the vinegary hot sauce that accompanies the chicken ever-​so-​awesomely. I’m not sure. But the chicken is mouth-​watering. My stomach is growling as I type this review.
Well, I’m talking all this ishh about how awesome the it is, but to be honest, the chicken BY ITSELF is aight. Doesn’t wow me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but something is missing. That’s where the sauce comes to play. It takes the chicken to another level of tastiness.
I’m not complaining that there isn’t bulletproof glass. I do feel safer haha. The staff here are really nice too. I feel at home while dining at or picking up food from #44. The inside of the restaurant isn’t anything to write home about, though. But you come here for the chicken.
Tip: Parking lot on the side of the building!

Best fried chicken in North America.
Fries, wings, a slice of bread, and a can of lemon-​lime soda (pop) for $ 4!?!
Not only that, this food is SPECIAL. The hot sauce poured on the fries & chicken wings is phenomenal. You can only order it this way. Why? Because your fries just wouldn’t taste as distinct without it.
I was very impressed with the service, the fact that they take anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes on an order shows how much they put into making the chicken as high-​quality fried as you could possibly make it be.
I will be back here, perhaps not #44 but Harold’s is certainly a staple in the Chicago street food universe, and it is something to be shared with the rest of the populace.

The Harold’s Chicken Shack on Clark #44 boasts «Best food on this side of town» and that’s true since Harold’s well-​known on the South-​side of Chicago and #44 is the located on the most North side of Chicago, Rogers Park. This one is closest to where I am and it delivers! And it’s delicious.
If you are comparing this Harold’s to some of the best of South-​side, like the 87^th St. (my personal favorite) then this one is a bit lacking. But there are Harold’s on the south-​side that I would not visit again, especially the one in Hyde Park where you get your chicken through a bullet-​proof glass and where you have to fight off people from eating your food. (I don’t know why but there’s always a guy asking for left over chicken at this location WHILE you’re eating it).
What you get: # of pieces of chicken, chicken parts, fish you ordered on top of a bed of fries and white wonder bread.
Tip 1: Get the mild sauce and have them drench it. Don’t get it on the side or eat Harold’s without it.
Tip 2: Don’t put it in your car. The smell is overwhelming in an enclosed space especially during the winter months when you don’t want to open the windows.
Tip 3: It takes at least 15 minutes for any order because unlike KFC, Popeyes, Brown’s etc, they fry it when you order it.
Tip 4: There’s a separate tip jar for the cooks on the other side of the counter. Show them your appreciation!

#44 may not be the answer to life, the universe and everything, but they do make some dang good chicken!!! It is just a tad laden with salt and grease, but that is as it should be. Harolds is not something I should or would eat very often, but mom and I agree it is the answer to a fried chicken craving.

I am just about to embark on a major lifestyle change and eating foods like Harold’s will not be possible for the foreseeable future. As part of my foodie farewell tour, I felt the need to get one last White Half in before the marquis goes dark. I am very glad I did. #44 is just as good as the Hyde Park location, and the woman behind the counter was very friendly and was enjoying her work.
As for the review, just read Jason T’s below. He sums up Harold’s #44 perfectly.

I saw other reviews claim this is the best chicken in Chicago or the best they ever had. I can only assume this is coming from people who do not know how to cook or haven’t eaten at KFC yet.
I can cook better chicken wings at home. I was so disappointed not only in the quality, but the taste. I think the other reviewers were fooled by the sauce added on to it. I on the other hand had the sauce on the side., and let me tell you, the fried chicken was so bland and so cheap. I don’t buy my meat at Jewel but even I can get better quality chicken there.

Sometimes I get a taste for a good old American favorite like fried chicken. I was happy to see that there was something besides a Mexican restaurant on that end of Clark St. I walked into Harold’s, the décor is basic, there is a display case with lots of deserts and one person who takes orders. I order the wings.
Wow, they were great, fried to perfection: crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside. Most of the menu consist of chicken, but they also have fish (fried of course). I also recommend adding salt and pepper and if you are daring «mild sauce» to the chicken. Mild sauce is a tangy slightly spicy and slightly sweet sauce that can be sprinkled on the chicken or ordered on the side. If you need a chicken fix Harold’s is the place to go.

Hey Unilocalers, way to pay attention to detail and start a parallel review thread. Leaving out the «44» from this location is like referring to Michael Jordan without acknowledging his Bulls’ jersey «23», and that just don’t fly in Chicago.
FINALLY, I ate at Harold’s Chicken Shack. FINALLY, I drove my butt up to Rogers Park like a big girl whose heard horror stories about the neighborhood in the 70s. FINALLY, my friend and I had dinner after not seeing each other for a month.
I read some reviews and knew not to get a full dinner… so I got the $ 2.99 Snack Pack: 2 wings, fries and a slice of white bread. In my book, that’s still a lot of food.
My mistake? NOT GETTING IT WITH MILD OR HOT SAUCE: slaps forehead: I know Unilocalers, you’re like «WTF?»
Either way, it was good: fried, salty, peppered and worth some extra finger-​licking. The fries were lacking just because I didn’t have sauce or ketchup.
The staffers in charge were quite nice, and I love how next to the cashier, they have a little notebook where you can leave them feedback. Ah, old-​school Unilocaling.

«NO SOLICITATING»! Ha ha, this sign always makes me laugh. Not to mention the framed prints of chickens and the stuffed (fake?) rooster.
I don’t often get a hankering for fried chicken, and when I do, I try to suppress it, because that stuff will kill you. But Harold’s is within striking distance of home to scratch my itch when necessary. And besides, it’s nice to have a place that’s not a taqueria.
The fries are crap, the cole slaw is boring, the onion rings are decent… but the chicken is GOOD. Damn good. Very juicy, nice and flavorful, and never heavy with oil. And the dinners are a hell of a deal – $ 5.40 for four pieces of dark meat (my preference), a pile of fries, and two pieces of Wonder Bread which are obviously superfluous, but you can eat them all the same if you really want to pig out.
Gene is right that the counter persons are unusually pleasant. But you sure will wait a while for your food, especially if one or two parties have ordered right in front of you. The kitchen seems to take the orders one at a time, but then again, the food comes out hot and fresh, so I suppose that it’s a tradeoff.

After dropping my laptop at Quest, I saw this place and decided to check it out…
They were closed. At 11pm (the sign outside said open on Friday ’til 2am)
All out of chicken, but they were willing to sell me whatever desserts were in the dessert case (I decided to order a slice of red velvet since I was there already)
Either that red velvet cake or the burrito I had later gave me a tummyache (to this day I’m not entirely sure which one was the culprit)
EPIC FAIL :(

This is a funny place. The ladies behind the counter were very entertaining. I did not know that your order is made fresh and it takes about 15 minutes. The hot sauce was very spicy. Not very hot. The cole slaw was out of this world. Very creamy. The fries and the mushrooms need some work. It gets a four stars for the meaty wings and the entertainment value.

This is the store that asks the musical question, «Is it really Harold’s Chicken Shack without the bullet-​proof glass?» I’m happy to say it is. This recent addition to the Harold’s chain may not be the greatest (I wouldn’t know, not having tried them all), but it’s pretty damn good. It’s what you expect from Harold’s — crisp and spicy crust, moist meat, and your choice of sauces. Served on 2 slices of white sandwich bread. Mmmm, that’s good eatin’! Your cardiologist might not approve, but screw him.
Next time, I’m going for the chicken and catfish combo.
Service is predictably surly. And this section of Rogers Park is dicey enough that the bullet-​proof glass should not be out of the question. Enough back to make Sir Mix-​a-​Lot shake.