Harold’s Chicken Shack

You know, I just really don’t get it. As much as I love the food here, it really ticks me off that even after you call in for your food, you still have to SIT AND WAIT for it to be cooked. I called in my order 20 mins ago and had to drive to get it so I’m sure it should have been done by now. This is not okay and they are wasting people’s time. I don’t know any other restaurant that does this! Harold’s need to get it together before they lose some costumes.

My grandpa was in Chicago visiting, and really wanted some fried chicken. We were told to go try Harold’s chicken, so we went! When I first walked inside, I found the bulletproof window kind of concerning, but was just going to wait to order my fried chicken. We got a mixed bucket and white bread. I will preface that we did have to drive the chicken back to my place before eating it, and we did not eat it fresh, but even when we brought it home, I found it salty and the skin not to be as crispy. Even when I get fried chicken from other places and bring it home, it still stays somewhat crispy.

Good fried chicken! Not greasy at all, went good with some hot sauce. They give you big pieces. Reasonable prices. I come back to Chi-​Town and I’m hitting up that spot again!

Some complain the chicken pieces are smaller at this location? However if its true, that’s a good thing. Smaller portions are better for the waistline. Chicken wing dinner with Mild sauce! Awesome. Was visiting and ate there two days in a row. This is another place where you’ll catch tude (attitude), don’t take it personal its a Chicago take out thing. Its our version of Jerry Seinfeld’s «No Soup For You»…BTW you get the whole wing. I came to Atlanta ordered 10 wings, they broke 5 wings in half and called them 10 wings! That ain’t right… lol.

I usually get the half dark with mild sauce. The wait for food sometimes is long depending on how many people are waiting but the food is definitley an experience!

To me, this location is still the ‘new Harold’s’ in Hyde Park. This ain’t my old Harold’s and I guess you can never truly go home again. That said, it tasted close enough to the old Harold’s that I suppose it will do.
Ordered a dark quarter with bbq, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Tasted just about like it used although I don’t remember the fries being that crappy in the past. Walked back to the hotel with my prize and ate in the lobby. Not sure if it was the first time that the lobby of the Hyatt has been defiled with Harold’s but I didn’t care!
Chicken was crispy on the outside and still steaming hot & juicy on the inside. The bird itself was flavorful and the seasoning was perfect. The bbq/​hot sauce combination is a real winner that makes your mouth water and your lips tingle. Definitely the way to go. All that for $ 3.20…c’mon now!
A long time ago, the fried chicken king decided to use a mix of vegetable oil and beef tallow for frying and perfected the south side version of fried chicken. He was a master and he has gifted future generations with what I consider to be the best fried chicken in the world.
I may not get back again for a while but I’m confident it will be roughly the same experience next time, even if it is another 6 years before I get hold of some more Harold’s.

The fact that the chicken is excellent is almost besides the point (I go for four wings, mild sauce, salt and pepper, which comes with fries, Wonder Bread and a little hoggle of coleslaw). Its real purpose is to be talked up by upper-​classmen so that frightened first years will get over themselves and head north of 55^th street and get some fried chicken in a place that delivers it to you in a bulletproof-​glass turn-​style. It is beyond notions of quality. It is Harold’s on 53^rd.

It is true what people say about Harold’s. Every location is different. Went on a Sunday and semi busy. Ordered several meals with extra sauce on the side… majority were mild. I ordered my usual. 4 piece with mild and hot… extra mild on it. No! they don’t do extra but yes on the side for a charge. I was so hungry and had been craving Harold’s for some time. Opened my meal and it had hot sauce and brown sauce on it… hmmmmmmm…When did Harold’s put mild brown sauce on it… Nope! it was BBQ sauce and also on the side. I did not order bbq sauce nor did anyone… Disappointed since I had a craving and paid for it… on the plus side they do put wet naps in it. .Don’t think I would return to this location.

Harold’s is the best thing about America (yes, even better than bacon and freedom). Harold’s is the best and anyone who says otherwise is, while entitled to their opinion, is just wrong. You can get an unreasonable amount of delicious, crispy chicken smothered in sauce for $ 4 WITH fries, bread and slaw and you’re still hating? I don’t know what to tell you, man.
And to the people complaining it’s too greasy: it’s fried chicken. It is cheap fried chicken. It is trying to clog your arteries on purpose. What on earth were you expecting? Kale?
Life is short. Eat the fried chicken.

Place looks like a dump inside. I always see people eating and wonder how they brave it. Got a real quick lesson in gentrification when I noticed all the U of Chicago students piling inside. I guess word does get around.
Food is pretty good, but the place is in serious need of a redesign.

Ok, so I don’t live in the area, but I’m in Hyde Park almost once a week. I’ve decided that I’m just going to eat at Harold’s whenever I’m in this neighborhood.
I always get the small gizzards… comes with fries, bread and drenched in mild sauce… SO frickin’ delicious.
The venue isn’t the cleanest, coziest or very spacious at all and there’s always a line and a 5 – 10 minute wait. But so what? There’s a lot of people there for a reason, and that reason is: Their chicken is the shiz. And it’s cooked fresh, which is why you wait.
They’ve got a $ 5 minimum on credit/​debit, so I always get a 1-​liter of pop with it to make up for that. But I get a delicious, FILLING meal with a big drink for a little over $ 5, it really can’t be beat!
The staff isn’t overly friendly, pretty no-​nonsense «Give me your order and GTFO» and it’s hard to hear when your number is called… but all the negatives, in my opinion, are outweighed by the deliciousness and the affordability of this place.

The ½ Dark Special came with two large pieces of dark meat, two leg pieces, coleslaw, fries, and two white pieces of bread. All for $ 3.50! I ordered my chicken with Hot Sauce and Salt & Pepper.
But despite this «great» deal, really reconsider this dietary decision before you head over to this famous South-​side institution. The food was sloppy and fattening, some of the chicken barely had any hot sauce, and you’ll feel the flabby chicken churning in your digestive system days after you consume the meal.

Harold’s is not only a place to get good chicken, but it’s also an experience. Fried chicken, bread, and fries drowning in sauce. Seriously, is there anything better?
The only downside was the wait. Perhaps because it’s so popular, I felt like I waited a while for my food.

I change my mind about you Harold’s. Today’s chicken was pretty darn good. So crispy and smothered in beautiful mild sauce. We will meet soon. Please keep the bullet proof glass. It’s part of your charm.

Well, I waited two days to eat here. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. After 1.5 days on a clear liquid diet I was ready to put in some work on some fried chicken.
1. It really is a shack.
2. I am not a fan of talking to people through windows.
3. They only sell liter bottles of soda. (I only drink soda with vodka in it.)
4. When I asked for the soda with my order, they didn’t give it to me. And, when I went back to ask for it, She said, «I didn’t charge you for it.» THEN, tried to make me wait in line to get it. No ma’am. Not today. NOT! TODAY!
5. When I FINALLY opened my bag o chicken, it had hot sauce ALL OVER EVERYTHING. Smh! That’s like asking for A1 steak sauce to put on your filet!
From what I could taste the chicken was good, but NOTHING in the ENTIRE world is worth all that other stuff.
And, at the end of the day, Williams chicken (Dallas, TX) got you Harold!

My order is always ½ dark, salt and pepper with hot sauce on the side for $ 3.84.
I usually call my order in, but be warned, they don’t fire your order until you pay so go ahead and hop in line when you arrive. That being said, it seems like they always have my order ready super fast if I call in compared to if I just walk in but that might just be my bias. I tend to wait less than 10 minutes for my single order but I imagine for large orders the wait could easily be 20 minutes.
The place is a bit ratty, there are only four tables, around dinner time, parking can be hard to find, and I’m pretty sure there are no restrooms (there is a door marked «MEN» down a dark and narrow hallway by the vending machines but there are gumball machines blocking the hall. I’m pretty certain no one is supposed to go back there. It’s super creepy, check it out the next time you stop in!). Buuut, the chicken is delish and cheap and I’m going to keep coming back!

It took a while for our 15pc wings to come out even though there were only three other people waiting at the time. The chicken was all right, some wings were doused in their hot sauce (which isn’t hot at all) while others had none at all. The simple salt and pepper breading was done well, but I definitely expected it to be crispier. The portions are large, but the chicken is mediocre.
Harold’s is a Hyde Park institution, but one I won’t miss at all upon graduation.

One of the tastiest fried chicken I’ve ever tasted. My ex-​coworker took me down to Hyde Park because I’ve never been to that neighborhood before. It was really good. Their sauce is smooth with a kick at the end. My coworker ordered fried gizzards and I tried it. There’s a tiny crunch on the outside and then chewiness. I was happy with everything. They come with white bread, which according to my coworker, is typical of Southern soul food. I didn’t really care for it; I was just focused on that nicely fried chicken.

This location is rated best fried chicken joint in the entire country!
After the happy hour on Fridays to end the long week, there is nothing better to eat than 8pc dark bucket (with hot sauce) and medium fries (with bbq sauce). The best. Period. Nuff said!

For this chicken, price is key.
With a University of Chicago student ID (which gives you 10% off), you can pay a bit less than $ 6 for an 8 piece bucket of dark meat (from Sunday to Wednesday, the days when they have special pricing). On top of that, every order of fries is massive. I ordered a medium, and what I got looked like it should have been a large. Everything is about value here, and I was very pleased.
The salt and pepper flavor for the chicken is great. If you ask for sauce, I think they tend to put too much, and it overpowers the other flavors. Also, if you ask for sauce on your fries, it makes them soggy.
Whatever way you put it, this place has great chicken for an even greater price. It’s not the best chicken, but I would definitely take it at such a low price.