Basilisk is a STAPLE of this NE Sandy neighborhood, located inside what is locally known as "the Zipper" building, home to several food vendors and the bar Paydirt. I have visited this spot many times over the years and the Basilisk food quality and service remains consistently good over nearly a decade of patronage. The patio at the zipper is perfect for a spring lunch date with your bestie. I order my chicken sando first and then grab a drink at Paydirt while I wait! Service is always great at Basilisk and the fried chicken is the kind you think about days later. read more

Basilisk - Fried Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Basilisk is another of those Portland restaurants I regularly visited on work trips to the city in the 2010s. It's been around 7 or 8 years since my last visit but I remember the fried chicken sandwiches coming with two thick, juicy, fried boneless thighs. I found it difficult to eat more than half a sandwich given the size and excess meat. Usually I would end up pulling one thigh out and saving it for later! I decided to visit again on a recent weekend trip to Portland, arriving for an early dinner at around 4:30 PM. It was surprisingly busy, with at least a quarter of the seats taken in the shared seating pool even though it was so early in the day. Luckily there wasn't a line to order and the food came out within 15 minutes. Fried Chicken Sandwich ($13) - Just as how I remembered, this sandwich is still huge with two breaded and fried thighs on a bed of lightly dressed, crunchy cole slaw. It's really tall and doesn't compress well due to the abundant crunchy elements throughout. There's the bun that's heavily toasted until extremely, almost aggressively, crisp and almost dark golden brown, absolutely doused in butter a la Texas toast. There are house pickles on the bottom bun, very quickly pickled such that it develops no acidity, but changes to that crunchy yet soggy pickle texture. The two chicken thighs are expertly breaded until full of crags and valleys, seasoned well, and fried until crisp. The crispy quality is of a lighter variety rather than a hard crunch, very delicate as compared to a typical flour based fried chicken dredge. The chicken is different from what I remembered. Instead of being juicy full thighs, almost an inch thick at the meatiest, these patties are thin, sad, like a single thigh butterflied and cut into fourths width-wise. The breading is far thicker than the chicken itself - in fact the chicken almost is an afterthought here, completely getting lost in all the breading and everything else in the sandwich. Seriously, look at some of the photos from other Yelpers taken in 2016 and 2017 and compare to my cross section photo. It's a huge difference. I bet it's a cost cutting measure and it certainly isn't an appreciated change. Maybe it's just a sign of the times - while the 2010s air waves thumped with 'All About That Bass," the thick thighs have now unfortunately been 2020s Ozempic zapped. The major downside of the sandwich is surprisingly the bun. It's by far the most dominant component of the sandwich. It's the crunchiest element and the butter flavor completely overwhelms the taste buds. This is why fried chicken sandwiches are usually served on soft and pillowy buns, or at least buns that are only lightly toasted, so the bread can focus on and cradle the crunch element rather than supersede it. This is the first time that I can recall a sandwich where the bun is the dominant entity. (3/5) Dandan Fries ($10) - These fries are deceptively filling. They're really snackable and give a distinct moreish quality. It's like a snack where I absentmindedly keep reaching in the bag for more and suddenly it's completely empty. The fries combine a somewhat lightly fried potato, a delicate crisp on the outside and an extremely fluffy almost fall-apart tender inside, with a nutty, spicy, and mouth tingly mala sauce. The sauce is thick, rich, filled with fatty goodness. It's actually a really good glue, adhering the crushed peanuts on the fries so well, nothing falls off while lifting the fries out of the bowl. I especially love the mini cornichons mixed into the fries. They add just a bit of sweetness and acidity that balances so well with the fatty dandan inspired sauce. Without them, I think the dish would feel far too rich. With them, the fries go down the gullet at a quick rate. (5/5) I can't help but feel a little disappointed at Basilisk. It's another one of those places that seems to have decided to sacrifice quality in order to keep prices relatively low. While I enjoyed the Dandan Fries, I'm not sure that's enough of a draw to get me to revisit. Bathrooms - Four unisex rooms shared with the other establishments in the building. Requires code to enter. read more

See all

We were driving into PDX for an event. My son wanted to have lunch at a popular Nashville hot chicken chain that has locations in Portland. Their description shall remain vague and they will be nameless. I wasn't feeling like franchise food so I asked him to look around. He steered us to Basilisk. Boy, he picked a good spot. Basilisk shares a communal dining space with a Vietnamese spot, a bar, and a pizza place. It wouldn't be fair to compare Basilisk to Nashville Hot Chicken because the flavors are different and unique in their own right. I probably could have downed the dandan fries and been happy with my meal but I'm an overachiever. We each had the sandwich, shared the dandan fries, and my son had koolaid flavored soft serve. Warning to the wise - don't get too confident about the heat levels. The heat doesn't kick right away. It's a slow drop until you get that punch in the throat. Good punch but one nonetheless. Enjoy! read more

Was craving a fried chicken sandwich and this hit the spot! Great texture and flavor and a lot more sandwich than I was expecting (in a good way!). The fried chicken was so good, though I wish I'd gotten it spicy (I like everything spicy.. next time) and the Dan Dan fries were really good, I wish they'd had a little more kick in the spice department but again that's just me. Quick friendly service and I love the open seating, lots of other fun restaurants to try, can't wait to return! read more

Basilisk - Fried Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Some of the better hot fried chicken I've tried! Love how their sauce is not buffalo and was actually delicious on top of being spicy. The hot chicken plate came with two juicy thighs, fried fresh to crispy perfection on top of two toasty milk bread slices. Definitely a great post-drinking food. Staffs were so efficient too, churning out fried chickens throughout a busy weekend night. A super fun and energetic spot for late night grubs! read more

Basilisk - Hot Chicken Plate - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Have been wanting to try this spot for a long time and I have to say the hot chicken sandwich did not disappoint. Definitely on the heavy side though. It's in a cluster of other restaurants as well so you can make a food adventure out of it if you bring a date or some friends. Highly recommend! Service is at the counter. Mainly outdoor seating. Bring a jacket! Portland can be cold. read more

See all

Basilisk is well known for their chicken sandwich, but we recently discovered some other menu items that were also great! The salad with fried chicken was the star of our meal. At first we hesitated due to the $15 price... "oh no, another way too expensive salad?" But no! The salad was big and PACKED with fried chicken. We also got the Dan Dan fries, which at $10 we had similar misgivings about. But lo and behold we were also pleased with the portion and the flavor. Moral of the story: don't be afraid to stray from the script at Basilisk! read more

Best fried chicken sandwich in Portland. Period. They are so consistent, and the value is incredible. The sandwich is so tall, and flavored to perfection. The Dan Dan fries are the perfect side, and the flavors again are so consistent. Service is always quick and kind, and the set up at the Zipper has plenty of seating, and fire pits. read more

Incredibly crunchy and flavorful. Fries were tasty as well. The soft serve was also a treat.

I haven't been to Bailisk in a while but still dream about that great fried chicken! I had the Salad on first visit and the sandwich on follow up visit. Both outstanding The only reason we have not returned is the lack of parking! Such great food. Wishing there was a second spot, maybe in Vancouver? read more

The service was quick and easy. They bring out the food to your table with the number they gave you. The sandwiches are massive! It can be easily shared as two sandwiches! The fries are also shareable with that Szechuan pepper kick and pickles and cilantro mix - AMAZING. The Zipper is a shared space so it is welcoming! Will be back to try other foods! read more

See all

My partner and I were looking for a good and new go-to place in our neighborhood, but that wasn't the case. This was our first and last time here. It's in a cool area and the food came out in a reasonable time; however, the service was one of the worst I've experienced in Portland. We came in on May 17th around 4:15 pm and whoever was at the front counter was not welcoming at all. We asked for the burger to be cut in half as it was a to-go order, and after that, made us feel like a burden. She muttered a snarky reply and remained like that throughout the interactions. When we received our order, we replied with a thank you, and they never said you're welcome. When leaving, turned away and purposely avoided saying anything. We are truly disappointed, as we were excited to eat here. read more

Delicious spot to have a spicy fried chicken sandwich. Solid fries, dog friendly, though they don't have dog options on the menu, they did offer to not salt the fries I was getting the dog. Super awesome service. read more

See all

Insano. All star plate. Need a good lunch spot on a work trip and let me tell ya... Best chicken sandy I've had in forever. Excellent local beer available as well. read more

The cashier was very helpful and courteous!! Watching her dealing with other customers revealed the same cool attitude!! Now to the food: I purchased the chicken sandwich with crispy fries. Literally, the best fried chicken sandwich I've had so far at any restaurant. Huge serving with two perfectly fried pieces of scrumptious chicken. I'm not big of a chicken, but this is definitely one of the things that I will come back time and time again. My wife, who loves chicken will love this place! I had no idea that this place even existed and that there is like three or four restaurants within the same complex. Pretty dang cool!! Might be coming here for the next couple weeks while I'm visiting. The beer was really on point as well. The surrounding area kind of looks suspicious, but nobody seemed to bother or be bothered by anybody. I'm gonna make this one of my top visits while in Portland!! read more

See all

Atmosphere: Good atmosphere in the Zipper Food Hall Food: Chicken sandwich was huge and quite tasty Price: Price was good for the size of the sandwich Service: Don't remember Parking: Street parking read more

Basilisk - Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Pretty decent Fried chicken sandwich. Very crunchy and decent. Nice outdoor space, shared with the other restaurants in the zipper. I have seen a lot of good reviews of this place but felt like the chicken wasn't as impressive to me. The fried part was a bit too oily for me and it felt as though the fried chicken was three pieces of thin meat and not as much chicken. It also felt like my fried chicken was left in the fryer a little too long. It could've just been the day. It's nice that they had hot sauce at the bar that you could easily choose from, though the labels were a little hard to read. The service was really nice though and helpful. read more

Basilisk - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Great chicken sandwich, the crunchiest I've ever had. The restaurant is in a building with a few other eateries: A pizza place, Taco place and a Boba/ Banh Mhi place. You order at the front and take a number. Indoor and outdoor seating with a fire pit. read more

Basilisk - Regular Fried Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The first sun is out and if you wanna have a good chicks outside basilisk is one place to go. For the first time I'll tried their salad with fried chicken. They also offer a vegetarian version with fried tofu. The chicken was perfect as always the salad is a mix of greens with a boiled egg and ramen noodles. Interesting and filling. Definitely small menu but worth a bite! read more

Basilisk - Hubby is enjoying His fried tofu - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Still coming back. Staff kills it every time, always good if not better each time. Best chicken in town. Warm fire outside. Get your hard drinks next door. Please bring a food truck or second location to Gresham. You guys would crush it out there. read more

Basilisk - Gary Busey - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Easily the best chicken sandwich in Portland, and excellent fries. Quick service, and a great place to meet up with friends to eat inside or outside. read more

Still #1 for fried chicken in a town that does it well. And service has gotten much friendlier compared to years past. read more

Basilisk - I prefer their scrumptious fried chicken in their salad versus the difficult to eat sandwhich. - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Basilisk is part of the Zipper with a handful of food options and a bar. There's plenty of seating and fire pits outside. Nice place to hangout as there's something for everyone. The ordering process was easy and the staff brought out our order directly to us. The coke float was interesting but good. It had a kool aid soft serve ice cream topped with Coca Cola, their twist on a classic root beer float. read more

Basilisk - Cherry coke float - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Chicken salad is AMAZING! Ingredients are always fresh. Chicken is always crispy. Customer service is laid back, but existent! Thank you!

Big fan of fried chicken. Basilisk is one of the restaurants at the zipper and I really enjoyed the hot chicken plate. The pickles were nice and refreshing and the bread was very buttery. The spicy chicken was not playing, it was actually very hot and kind of the dark slow burn kind of spicy, I definitely needed more water. The chicken was also super crunchy. Ordering was a breeze and we didn't have to spend too much time waiting for our food. The zipper has a large communal seating area with great lighting and in the summer the big garage doors open up. I really want to come back and try the other places there. The only draw back is that parking is kind of abysmal in that area and with the giant apartment complex being built next door it definitely doesn't look like it'll be getting any easier. I mean it won't stop us from going but just to keep in mind. read more

Basilisk - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Wednesday must be a bad night to go. The entire atmosphere was dead with maybe 3 "seatings" in the entire area. But that's not the issue the issue is waiting 15 minutes for a chicken sandwich with two extremely greasy chicken thighs. It taste as if they were precooked then held warm for too long then refried in friers at too low of temps. Considering the thickness they wouldn't have taken more than 6 minutes to cook from raw and would have been piping hot. These were honestly warm at best and took almost 3x as long. They had nothing else but like a salad ticket so it's all a little confusing. Over all based of this experience I'm it sure what Portland residents like about this place. read more

For full disclosure, my gold medal fried chicken is Howling Rays in Los Angeles. I'll say that basilisk takes a solid silver. Ambiance depends on when you go, since the outdoor seating can be very limited if it's busy since there are quite a few other food places nearby. Service is quick. The food I believe is great. Fried chicken sandwich is my favorite in the Portland area, beating out Biggs and Jojos. Dave's hot is not in the same league as those others mentioned, but is a solid fix for the price. My Favorite meal at basilisk though is the fried chicken salad with a side order of Dan Dan fries. Fantastic blending of southeast Asian flavors with deliciously fried chicken. I split this with my wife and we are utterly satisfied. Don't forget the Kool-aid soft serve to complete the meal!! read more

Food is good. Not amazing but good. However there is no parking. There is never parking. Take the bus or don't bother. Dave's hot chicken. Half block away with a parking lot. Can drive by here and maybe ya get lucky. But probably not. Horrible location. read more

Food was ok but not amazing for fried chicken place. Expected more based off of reviews. Hattie B's is the standard to strive for imo. Ambience was very lack lustre and cleanliness was an issue for me. I didn't like the fact that this place is in very close proximity to a homeless camp. I sat at an outside table and felt that everything was dirty with a smell of urine. There was also a bird flying around inside the restaurant. Other customers were trying to clear the bird from the space, but it didn't seem to be a priority for staff. read more

Best fried chicken sandwich I've had in Portland. And the slaw is the law as far as this Cowboy is concerned.

Unusual cuisine. Dan Dan.fries are tasty as recommended. My friend and I both had the fried chicken salad. It was off the hook, delicious and pretty too. This place is recommended. read more

I really like that they have both chicken and tofu options. My husband eats meat, I don't so we always appreciate restaurants where we can both enjoy dinner. Sandwiches are good and affordable. read more

I ordered the chicken sandwich with Dan Dan fries. The sandwich was very tasty but also massive. It comes with two fried chicken patties so no need for sides if you get one and don't want leftovers. Seasoning was just right and plenty of greens to balance it out. The Dan Dan fries were a skip for me. I thought it would be a nice fusion dish but it was way too salty for me. The Dan Dan sauce they use was very heavy on the peanut flavor and not so much on the numbing spice. It was also a little unusual to have pickles thrown in there. The portion was huge, definitely shareable. This place is located in a food hall of sorts. You clean up afterwards by placing cutlery and plates in each restaurants indicated bins. Lots of seating for groups in an open air but covered space. Parking was very difficult so plan ahead or carpool with people. read more

Basilisk - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

the chicken was cooked and breaded very well. saucy, crispy, texture heaven, perfection. the spiciness level was also on pt imo but i wish there was hot honey on it and maybe some coleslaw too the fries were good, well seasoned but the mac salad tasted a lil bland... our friend got dan dan fries but maybe she shouldnt have... it did not suit our palettes pleasantly surprised to see filipino-inspired beer on their drinks list LOL that was cute also the venue? vibes. spacey, airy, comfy read more

See all

Fair warning, this is a vegetarian review for a fried chicken spot. That being said, my husband is a raging carnivore (oops I mean very friendly omnivore) and can vouch for how good the fried chicken sandwiches are. My take on the fried tofu sandwich is a solid 3.5 but rounded to a 4 with the spicy sauce. The tofu itself had a good fry and the portions are MASSIVE, but the flavor was a little lacking for me. They either need to season the tofu more or just add a more flavorful sauce on the sandwich to account for it. The spicy hot sauce they offer definitely elevated things so my plan next time is to just get it on the sandwich to begin with. I think in the battle of fried tofu sandwiches -- I'll have to give it to Jojo's on this one. The dan dan fries are amaaazing -- and once again, the portion is anything but wimpy lolol They're covered in a savory sauce with crushed peanuts on top and so much cilantro goodness. Would definitely get again. Parking is awkward around this area; especially right now due to construction, but easy to park a couple blocks down and saunter over. Overall, this place is great if you want a fried chicken sandwich for one person and a fried tofu sandwich for the other person. They do a good job of warning you that the fried tofu sandwich is NOT vegan (as part of the breading process) so fyi! read more

Basilisk - Fried tofu sandwich - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's been a long time since I've back here. They have some tasty and crispy fried chicken here. It's nice that you can order from here and other food from the surrounding area and eat together. The spicy fried chicken dish has a good kick to it. The bread is a good compliment to it. read more

Basilisk - Fried chicken plate - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came here after a long day exploring the city. Got the hot chicken sandwich and mac salad - both were great! The spice level is HOT so be prepared for that! Price is reasonable and staff is nice. Would definitely give Basilisk a try! read more

Let me start by apologizing for the Dan Dan fries pic. Someone, who shall remain nameless, mixed the fries before I could snap a pic. Hello, do they not know me? Ok, now for the review. OMG - ITS DELICIOUS! Giving it a 4.5, but I'll tell you why I couldnt give it a 5. There is a method to my madness The chicken sandwich is humongous and delish. There are 2 thighs on it so be prepared to open wide. I literally had to take 1 out to eat it. Who knew, but I'm a breast woman. HA! Personally, I prefer chicken breast to chicken thigh sandwiches. I think the meat to breading ratio is better with breast. So when you have 2 thighs, it's just a little too much breading for me. But it is perfectly crispy and golden brown - not greasy. The brioche bun is toasted with a good hint of butter and the cole slaw is light and cuts the fattiness of the chicken. Now let's get to the fries. Spectacular and goes so well with the sandwich! The portion is big and it's rich. We shared it among 3 people. The sauce is a magical concoction of peanut butter, hoisin, spice and everything nice...highly recommended! The seating area is a shared space with other restaurants, like a really good food court. Nothing fancy but it beats sitting outside in the cold rain. Speaking of outside, there were tables and a cozy firepit where you can hang out. I included a pic of a boba tea that I got from a nearby restaurant sharing the seating area, called Hello Pho. It's the Brown Sugar Creme Brulee milk tea. Damn, that was G.O.O.D!!! read more

See all

Fried Chicken heaven! Wether you get the plate lunch with a side of Dan Dan Fries Or you go for the Hot Honey sandwich You won't be disappointed! Why not 5 ? The only downfall is the service. Not once have I been there and greeted with a smile not treated as a human. It feels like the staff just doesn't enjoy their job who does these days, I suppose... But that chicken doeeee!!! read more

I was starving after getting my hair cut and somehow my hairdresser and I had gotten into a 20 minutes discussion about fried chicken. This left me with only one choice, find bangin fried chicken right now. I gotta tell you, mission 100% accomplished. Hot Chicken Sandwich was amazing but the Dan Dan Fries were absolutely, utterly, out of control good. I love the old building here and will return to check out the other vendors if I can pry myself away from the chicken. Highly recommend Basilisk! read more

Basilisk - Hot chicken sandwich and Dan Dan Fries. Don't dare steal the Frank's. - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon