We were in Evanston for a tennis tournament and were looking for a place to go for lunch. Ordered some fried chicken with fries. I seem to have ordered too much but the quality was not very good. The oil used to fry seemed old. Quantity was a lot and there was no way to order half the quantity for lower price. Not too pleased, will not go again. I prefer KFC. This is basically a take out place. No place to eat there. read more

Outstanding, succulent fried chicken. It's naughty but nice! Best fried chicken I've eaten.

If you love chicken then you should not miss this place! Chicken in here is so good. I ordered their six wings dinner which is six wings served with fries. I thought I would not be able to finished all of it that is why I choose take out but I was wrong. The chicken is still hot when I ate it and it was crispy the fries are crispy too, both of it are well-seasoned, the chicken has a perfect crunch in its skin and it was tender and perfectly cooked too. It was just literally so good and I seriously cannot get enough of it. I did not know they have this kind of amazing spot like this in the area and I wish I had known it sooner. I highly recommend this place. The food is delicious, the staff is nice and friendly, service is fast and prices are reasonable! read more

Always delicious, consistent and the staff are lovely people. Anytime i am in the area I must get the catfish and chicken bits!

This place makes excellent fried chicken, hot and cooked to order. I tried some of the sauces on wings, and when this place says something is spicy you need to believe them! Both the spicy BBQ and the Jamaican Jerk we hot enough to make me perspire. There's a kick to the gravy on the mashed potatoes, as well. In fact, of everything I tried I think the mashed potatoes were my favorites. Service was friendly. Because everything is cooked to order, it takes about 15 minutes, so if you're in a hurry it's best to call ahead. read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - Interior - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Not only does this business have fresh & amazing food every time I come , but they also have amazing customer service. This place have become a weekly staple for me and my wife. read more

If I can give this place zero stars I would. My wife and I are still new to the area and we have a few places we like to eat because we get disappointed with the lack of flavors. I decided to try this place out because of the high reviews. I should have know something was how when I placed a pick up order. We I was speaking to the lady on the phone everything was fine until she dismisses my question on what is the most popular sauce as this is my first time ordering here. She does not acknowledge my question and just leaves me waiting so I select the last sauce. Upon arrival it is busy, and my order should have been ready by the time I got there. I was told on the phone it would be ready in 15 mins. I immediately pay once I get there but my order wasn't given to me until 22 minutes later. Numerous people came in and grabbed their order so I do not understand why my order took 37 mins. Once getting home and eating the food both my wife and I were dissatisfied. The mashed potato's and gravy are whatever. Literally store bought would have been better and I would have gotten more. The spaghetti had no flavor, and my wife loves spaghetti so she was super disappointed. The chicken was juicy but had no flavor and the oil they used must be old because we both were sick to our stomach. I can get better chicken at KFC and not feel sick afterwards. The only thing that was decent was the biscuits but that is decent. Anyone can make them so that is sad. I do not recommend this place to anyone. Please go elsewhere and save your money and your tummy. read more

The chicken was cooked correctly, but wasn't very flavorful without the BBQ sauce. The fries they included were mediocre. They're stingy with the BBQ when you ask for it on the side. The overpriced biscuits weren't anything special; certainly not up to the standards of popular fried chicken places. To make it worse, they're so stingy that they won't even give you butter or honey for the biscuits, leaving you stuck eating overly dry biscuits. They will give you an excuse that there's already butter in them, though. They make you spend at least $10 if you want to use your credit card, which means you have to order extra if you don't have cash on you. That might be okay, but they only have canned drinks to choose from (again, overpriced). The lazy people who work there just ignore you and sit down to play with their phones when you walk up to the counter for service. To top it off, the place looks dingy. They're too stingy to take some minimal steps to make it look decent. They claim they've been rated best chicken in Chicago, but they're nowhere close to the best. Disappointing to say the least. I won't return. This has to be the most negative review I've ever written. What a shame I had to write this. read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - The dry biscuits that they won't give you honey or butter for. - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Grease pit!!!! The okra and fries where greasy with old oil! I will never go there again! We could have went and had a steak at Texas Roadhouse for $5 more! I told the waitress it was trash she never got the manager to address the problem. We paid and won't be back! They will never get our hard earned money again! I don't like shiny okra! I kept trying to pat down the grease off and would actually squish the okra trying to get the oil out and never could get the grease off. I love okra and for me to leave okra, there is a problem. Thanks but, no thanks Grease shack! read more

Read about this spot in a top 50 chicken spots in the U.S and realized I had a business trip to the Chicago area and decided to make a pitstop. I ordered the 2 piece breast and wing with catfish nuggets. Food came out scorching hot, I burned my entire mouth, but it was worth it. Food was seasoned perfectly and for $12 the portion size could have fed 2 ppl. The seasoning on the chicken kind of resembled KFC, but 400% better. Well worth the detour, but it provided me a very nice scenic route to North Chicago with glimpses of Lake Michigan! read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - Menu - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I wanted to give them another try. I was in the area, dropping off a client in Evanston, so I got a 7 whole wing dinner, to go, for $10.99. In one of my pics, for comparison, you see an empty tablespoon. In the next pic you see how big the wings was in comparison to the tablespoon. Never again!!! (5 other reviews mention how small the pieces of chicken are!) read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - A tablespoon. - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Great chicken. Juicy, great sauce, and an Evanston staple. Highly recommend their chicken bits.

Best fried chicken in Evanston. Delivery service is great but you can only tip when they 1st process your card, not upon delivery.

I've only had the fried chicken, which is very good. Not "best ever" territory, but very good. But what I love is that our phone orders are ALWAYS ready on time. I can't say enough how much I appreciate this. We are feeding our family, and sometimes we pick this up as we're running around to soccer games and what have you. And Chicken Shack doesn't let us down. read more

Recently moved to Evanston from California and this reminds me of my favorite chicken from back home! 10/10 definitely recommend you try here. read more

This is the best chicken place I've ever been to. After decades of consistency, this is a holy grail spot. Get the bits or a three piece, you will not go wrong. Not a place you dine in but amazing to take home or picnic at the beach. Cannot emphasize how good this place is ! read more

This is an old Evanston tradition that does a high volume of carry out orders. They do have maybe 3 tables if you want to eat there, but not much ambiance. Carry out is fast, though, and easy. Chickenshack has really good fried chicken, and as many have said, it's better than the Harold's Chickenshack chain in the city. They offer hot sauce or barbeque, on your food or on the side. My personal recommendation is if you're a fish eater, you have to try their fish! They have catfish, perch and tilapia dinners, in small or large sizes. I love the tilapia! They have rib tips and a few other things like side options (at an upcharge) besides fries, but definitely try the fish! When I eat fried foods, this is my guilty pleasure!! read more

Fresh amazing fried chicken. AND CHEAP. And late at night. Must limit self otherwise I'd die in a month. Don't bother with things like spaghetti side or mashed potatoes - that's just the same prepackaged crap you can buy at CVS for a dollar. But the chicken is top notch. read more

Damn this joint is good! Seriously, this is the best fried chicken I've ever had. Ultra crispy, juicy, salty goodness. Dayum...it's better than Harold's...that's right! I said it! read more

Shortly after college, several friends and I lived in a few apartments around Ridge and Noyes. We would enjoy frequent evenings of pinochle or poker and cheap scotch, and our takeout of choice. Many nights that was Chicken Shack, the perfect distance away to call in the order, walk down while it was being prepared, and walk back. Those were some good, greasy eats. I hadn't been in here for about seven years, but for old time's sake, I stopped in today for lunch after a haircut at Noyes Street Barbershop. It was cleaner than I remember and less scary (of course this was Saturday at noon). You still have to wait 15 minutes for your food, and they're still closed Sundays. The guy in the kitchen called out through the window to me a few times: "One more minute, buddy. Almost up." "We don't pre-cook, so call it in and we'll have it ready for you by the time you get here." "All set, here you go." That was a nice, unexpected touch, because we used to sense a slight bristle at this place. The chicken was as good as I remember. I got the half-chicken mix dinner, and the guy gave me an extra wing. I'm not sure if that's an everyday occurrence or an occasional courtesy. The wings and thigh were just okay, but the breast and leg were very moist and SOOO delicious. The fries are crinkle-cut crap, but dip them in the Shack barbecue sauce to make them edible. I've never tried the hot sauce, but my roommate loved spicy food and ate their hot sauce all the time. Sure, it's greasy and heavy, but it's nice to know that Chicken Shack is still serving the good people of Evanston. I won't be a regular customer, but I may stop in occasionally. read more

This place has by far thee best fried chicken! [Outside of going to cali for Roscoes..but that is an entirely different beast in itself.] They have these "bargain buckets" which is basically a gathering of the best chicken has to offer...thighs and legs. Bring me to dark meat heaven! My sister used to work out in Evanston and said her and her coworkers would order here for lunch. "It was so good, it never made it home." And wow was she right. Great breading, great flavor, crispy and juicy. Chicken comes with your choice of bbq, honey bbq, or hot sauces on the side. Forget the rest and try the hot sauce. Im not even a huge hot sauce seeker but this stuff is awesome. A debate over the table arose whether it was the chicken or the hot sauce that puts Chicken Shack over the top..either way you cant go wrong. While I was at it I went ahead and tried the rib tips, onion rings, and mushrooms. I dont exactly make it custom to drive out to Evanston to pick up food so I made the trip worth it. But with a gem like this I'll have to make my way out there more often. Onion rings and mushrooms arent much to rave about. They come in individual white paper bags so they must have gotten soggy during transit. But flavor wasnt really there regardless and nothing I would order again. I have still to find better shrooms than browns. Rib tips were okay but not the way Im accustomed to them. Hickory smoked and unsauced. The hot sauce remedies them nicely..but what doesnt their hot sauce go with? Oh and the "bread" that accompanies the dinners..is actually bread(white from a sliced loaf). I guess I shouldve known better. Usually when I think rib tips I think of garlic bread. ah well.. Fries werent notable. Im guessing they keep their deep fryers lower for a better deep fried chicken cook..but its not the greatest for the fries. Not crispy and a bit on the starchy side for my liking. Unsalted and not exactly "see through the bag" greasy caliber. The best fries from a chicken place is still popeyes to me. Call ahead, bring cash, and keep your eyes peeled..you might miss this one on the drive. read more

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4 stars. Lost 1/2 a star for raising the prices everytime I turn around and another 1/2 for not having a credit card terminal. However, the other day I saw that they were using a cell phone app to take credit. Suspect... Yes. But, def better than before when they didn't accept ANY plastic. I'm still not gonna hand over my card number to for some one to enter into their phone - my millions are not up for grabs like that! Other than that.... I'm a huge fan. The bone-in chicken is great. Especially, the dark meat. The white tends to be dry, sometimes. The boneless wings are really huge hunks of breast meat - really nice. The catfish is certainly something to try. The best I can describe it is 'chicken-fried fish." Delish! For some reason, they don't put salt on their fries. #aggravating Bring some change for a beverage - you have to buy it from a machine. #weird Only two tables in the joint, so 'take-out' is your best option. #shack! Everything is made-to-order (most of the time), so call ahead. #slow I usually can eat off of my order twice - lunch and dinner. #hugeportions Enjoy! read more

Rib tips were great, fall off the bone and could taste the slight smokiness. Chicken was clean, tender, and crisp. Couldn't taste old oil which always a worry with a shack. Fries are basic crinkle cut which I'm not a fan. Definitely take out, 0 ambiance. read more

I've been coming here since high school and I've always ordered the box of bits with bbq sauce slathered on. I'm not generally a bbq sauce guy, but I like theirs a lot. Can't speak for any of the other items. read more

I was a Harold's Chicken frequenter, until I came across the Chicken Shack. I'd say that this place is the best if you're down for the simple home-style fried chicken with french cut fries. That's what I always get here (and used to get at Harold's), but there are other things on their menu too. The location is pretty small. They have a few tables and seats, but those who sit there are pretty much waiting for their take out order. If you're driving from the East, it's hard to find the place. But if you're coming from the West, it's so easy to spot. I'm knocking down one star from this rating because they don't accept credit cards or debit cards. So when I'm craving this place I usually have to make a stop for cash first. read more

Did someone call for delivery?? For fried chicken??! Umm...this guy did. ANd ya know what? It was still good. My buddy and I were hungry at work and for some reason, we decided to order some fried chicken...but who would deliver such a delicacy? Chicken Shack. Yeah, we found out this pleasant surprise online and quickly called to place our order. We each ordered the daily special: four pieces of fried chicken, fries, and white bread [which I still don't understand]. All of that for around $5. That's not a typo. FIVE DOLLARS. The chicken, to our surprise, was CRISPY and still hot. I'm not sure how that works because every time I pick up chicken and take it home, it usually gets soggy. The chicken was soooooooooooooo tasty. You don't even need the hot sauce, but it definitely adds a different element of flavor to the mix [it's a vinegar based hot sauce, just in case you wanted to know]. My only bone to pick is the fries...they weren't good. The meal would have been, for lack of a better word, awesome. BUT, the meal was still delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I got hot sauce on my pants and had to frantically find someone at work who had a Tide-to-Go detergent pen. read more

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This is probably the best fried chicken I've ever had. They wait until you arrive to put it in the box. So it stays nice and crispy. What you end up with is hot fresh fried chicken. You can add fried shrimp to any order - the shrimp are also amazing. The fried are crinkle cut and they're hot and fresh too. The employees are always really nice and friendly too. Heads up they accept credit cards for orders over $10 but you can't add a tip on your credit card. read more

This is the best fried chicken I have tried in Chicago, and maybe ever; a friend came to visit from LA and we have been hitting fried chicken joints around town, but the Chicken Shack might be the winner. We did have to wait about 20 minutes to get this into our hands but when it did arrive...magic. So juicy; perfectly-cooked meat, the biscuit was baked just right, and the mash and gravy were also pretty good, albeit a little light on the gravy for my tastes. And we paid like $6.50/person for the privilege. (As others have mentioned, this place requires a $10 minimum for credit cards, but for the solo diner, it's basically impossible to spend $10 so bring cash!) The biggest problem with Chicken Shack is its location...with Harold's doing bird just barely below the level of Chicken Shack, it's going to be hard to justify a 30-minute drive for this stuff when I can walk to one of the Harold's near my house in eight minutes. But for "date night fried chicken", I will come back to check out the Shack! read more

The half mexican and puerto rican lady is very nice but she's touching the register with the same gloves she packed the food with. Her hair is long and hanging as well. You are in the food industry first and foremost you should know better. And with covid going on it makes it twice as bad. Shame! read more

It's good fried chicken, crispy and tasty and hot. However, I'm not sure what the big deal is-- it didn't change my life or anything. I recommend ordering ahead-- ordering and waiting takes awhile. We also tried the fried mushrooms and okra, both decent but again, nothing too spectacular. Wanted to try the biscuits, but at a buck each, that seemed a silly luxury. I'll go back, but perhaps when I have a coupon or something. read more

I'm a huge fan of fried chicken, and this place is a winner winner chicken dinner. Their two legs two thighs all-day special is definitely a winner. Their chicken is definitely savory and delicious, and their biscuits are good, too. I like how affordable they are. Definitely good if you want a cheap meal! It's $10 minimum for credit card, so bring some cash and you'll be having a winner winner chicken dinner too! read more

I'm not sure how I missed this place for great fried chicken. I noticed a blurb on Thrillist fb.com page for the 21 best fried chicken in America and here enters Chicken Shack. Certainly reminds me of my grandma's chicken. Also reminds me of Harold's a bit, specially when you make a fresh fry/hot sauce sandwich out of the white bread, which adorns the meal. Two breast and two wings with fries is a great deal, easily made 2 meals out of it. Also picked up a couple biscuits and red beans and rice. Great lunch deals if you get in by 3 pm. read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - French Fry Sandwich with some hot sauce, juicy white meat! - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I finally made my first visit to Chicken Shack after 5 years of working in Evanston. Honestly, I don't understand the hype. I got the lunch box: two breasts, a leg, mashed potatoes + gravy and a biscuit. It was all really average. If I had a blind taste test comparison with Popeyes I'm not sure I could tell the difference. In fact, I think Popeyes is probably better. Also, a lot of reviews said your food is cooked to order. My food was ready in 90 seconds... No thanks. read more

This is an old school joint. I got a half-chicken meal, which means a box with wing, drumstick, thigh, and breast, covered (or perhaps smothered) in fries. The bird was juicy, the skin was crisp with the batter having a subtle flavor. It's pretty basic, but in the best possible way. The fries were quite good too. And the price was very reasonable. I'll be coming back. read more

Good service and food and also affordable prices, with quick and efficient customer service

If you like fried chicken this is the place! I was on my own for dinner one night while in the Chicago area in March and found this place was close to where I was staying through Yelp. No frills, just good chicken. Most people get their food to go, but I sat at one of their couple tables so I could enjoy my chicken while it was fresh and hot. Have you ever been craving fried chicken something bad and then regret it after eating it? That will not be the case with the Chicken Shack. Reminds me of broasted--light and crispy, not a bunch of thick greasy breading. I didn't order a biscuit because it comes with bread, but next time I'll skip the bread and ask for a biscuit. I was probably at the Chicken Shack for at least 30 minutes, and there were people coming in to pick up orders the entire time. read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Let me begin by saying that I'm a fan of supporting local business. This place has been apart of the community for ages but it seems as though something has changed. Placed an order for chicken wings and a quarter dark meal. Upon biting into my first chicken wing stomach churning ensued. Ate a few more bites and then switched to the fries, that weren't much better. Ended the night with TERRIBLE stomach pain. I get it- grease is expensive, I get it- reused chicken grease adds flavor. But if your grease is so old its giving your customers sickness. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Customer service was terrible. The lady answering the phones and taking orders was curt and rude. People are being very choosy about where there money goes during this time. Rude customer service is unacceptable. We will not be ordering from them EVER AGAIN. read more

Tasty, freshly prepared meals. First time trying the chicken shack after I had a huge craving for crunchy fried chicken and it won't be the last . It was well seasoned and service was speedy(just call ahead) Definitely will be back for more! read more

I just placed an order and they could not bother to bring the food outside. I explained I was exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case, exhibited symptoms, and that I was trying to bring food to an older person who really wanted dinner from here who's out of their delivery zone. They wouldn't accommodate any solution and preferred to expose their employees. I just went home empty handed and will pick up from a place that has drive through. This place is wreckless. read more

I just moved into Evanston about a week ago, and already I've come to Chicken Shack twice! Coming from California, I'm used to having a wide variety of fried chicken locales right next to me (KFC, Popeyes, Church's, and Roscoe's), it was nice finding out that Chicken Shack was only a few blocks away from my apartment. I realize this definitely isn't something I should (or even 'can') eat everyday, but knowing this is so close by is awesome. The lunch special with two chicken strips, rib tips, and bread for around $6-7 is amazing. So much food. The strips are nice and crispy while still being moist, tender, and particularly massive with white meat. The rib tips are plentiful and extremely rich (I like fat on my rib meat, so this is to say you may or may not like it). The bread helps contain a lot of the tanginess you get from the hot sauce. All in all, this'll be a fairly frequented restaurant (especially afterhours when the rest of Evanston seems dead) for the next five years, give or take. read more

Evanston Chicken Shack - American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois