Harold’s Chicken Shack

You may have too wait they cook it to order but chicken taste fresh an it’s not redipped in the grease like alot of other harolds

Damn good chicken! The service can be hit or miss depending on who is there: ranges from great to less then courteous. All-​n-​all, I recommend. Food is fresh, wait time is normal for cooked to order. Open late for nocturnal debauchery.

I have been to this Harold’s many times, they have great food but terrible customer service.

There are only less than a handful of restaurants under this franchise that have good food and service. This is one of them. I love not too far from here, so this is usually my weekend football hot spot. The service is great and even though it takes a while, the food is cooked to order. A lot of places don’t do that anymore.

Terrible customer service! I couldn’t even understand the person who answered the phone. The one on 87^th and Stony at least has better customer service.

Worst Harold’s I’ve been to in the city.
Went in and placed two orders of 5 piece wings and the order literally took 45 mins to fill. From what I was told the place is under new management or has new employees but as we waited they were just sitting in the back talking to one another and constantly leaving in and out of the restaurant. Place was crowded and almost every person there asked what was going on with their order because they take so long. And to make it worse, one of the employees comes from the back and hand delivers a breast to her friend on a paper plate while every other paying customer was waiting on their order.
You couldn’t pay me to come back here again.

‘Chicken so fresh you are going to be looking for feathers in the bag!’-Sharon
Need I say more?!

Get the perch. Love this place. It is also on Milwaukee Ave for those who don’t enjoy the charm of the south side Englewood community. They have a table if you want to eat there, but I strongly suggest you get take out. The large perch $ 11 will feed two easily. Don’t forget the grape pop.

This Harold’s is the bomb!!! It is always cooked fresh, however you may have to wait forever but I don’t mind when it’s being made fresh. The chicken is really crispy and fresh.
You may have some locals standing out front at times which is my only down fall. The customer service isn’t the greatest either, but hey this isn’t a 5 star steakhouse so it doesn’t bother me. It is definitely at bit pricey compared to other fried chicken joints but worth it.

Number 2 is located in the Woodlawn neighborhood near the CTA Cottage Grove Green Line. The chicken is always cooked to order. With that said, I advise anyone to call ahead because your order will take about 15 minutes.
The wings are always delicious with the cole slaw and fries. I always order my wing with the mysterious mild sauce.
I must complain about the customer service. A couple of days ago, I ordered my food and when I came to the glass window, the guy who was at the register was staring at me like I interrupted his work. If he is reading this, remember that customers are always the lifeline of the business.

There are two Harold’s close to the U of C: 53^rd and 64^th and Cottage. I prefer 53^rd. Let me tell you why.
While I do think that the chicken at this location is better — fresher, crispier, more saucy — and that it comes with a greater abundance of fries [53^rd seems to have cut the fry allotment some time in early 2011] — it is substantially more expensive and only includes 1 (as opposed to 2) pieces of white bread. For my typical meal, the ½ dark with S&P hot and dark sauces, I pay somewhere under 5 at 53^rd unless it’s on special (Sun-​Wed), in which case I pay 3.51. HOT DAMN! At the 64^th-​st. location, today, I dish out 7.17 for that same meal. Although I was not given a receipt, I think this cost reflected tax and extra-​sauce fees, neither of which are extra at the 53^rd st. Harold’s. I didn’t see any signs about specials, and while I was there, a woman came in and asked whether there was a lunch special and the answer was in the negative.
In addition to the other advantages, the crew at this Harold’s seems more personable and sociable. At 53^rd they’re all business, probably because they have more of it. At 64^th, the wait is longer, but that’s not really a problem, because you can always call in to either location.
However, the other reason I prefer the 53^rd location is because I feel unequivocally and consistently safe there. Walking down Cottage to the 64^th location does not confer the same sense of security. Even during the day, it is a relatively more risky endeavor.
Note: Sam O. who also reviews the 53^rd and 64^th locations, disagrees with me and has the exactly opposite preferences. Without giving specific reasons, he claims that he «still wasn’t very impressed» by the chicken at 53^rd. Surprisingly, he writes, «By the way, this location [53^rd] has the nerve to be more expensive than the other Harold’s in the city! LOL.»

One of the BEST Harold’s in Chicago, if not the best as I haven’t tried all the locations but I have been to several.
This one on 64^th and Cottage is great because the chicken is FRESH and not overcooked (hence the 10 – 15 minute wait, which is worth it)
You can also call your order in which pretty much makes the deal PERFECT
773−363−9586
To all you (the ones who know little about good fried chicken) out there ranting and raving about that one on 53^rd in Hyde Park, this is where it’s at!

Your meal will take forever before they pass it through the glass on a lazy susan like some treasure leaving the vault at a bank. And treasure is what it is, because even though your shoes will stick to the floor on a hot day this place serves up some mean fried chicken. The accoutrements are nothing to sniff at either, from fried okra to hush puppies all are done well. The servings are enormous and filled with love. Call ahead to avoid the wait.