Today, we came across Fry the Coop. Initial entry it's a typical fast food set up. Walk up, order, call your number when food is ready. They have a few sandwiches, few chicken tenders, etc. you can choose hot hot and if you want dry rub on your chicken. With sandwiches, no fries or anything come with the sandwich. I ordered a Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich, mild rub, with seasoned fries. My better half got chicken and waffles with mild rub (it seemed a little hot for mild... more like medium)., and a kids meal (chicken tender with reg fries). My better half liked the waffles. The chicken was tender but the rub was slightly hotter than expected for mild. I thought the waffles were light and good as well... bacon was infused into the waffles! The younger one liked her plain chicken tender and fries. My sandwich was disgusting. 1 star. It does say it has butter on the fried chicken... but gawd it was like eating pure stick of melted butter and later added the chicken. In the bottom of my basket... there was a swamp of melted butter. I removed the bun and wiped the chicken off... and ate it basically like a chicken tender. It was decent then. The seasoned fries have a little kick but we're tasty... especially if you dip them in their bbq sauce. I can recommend the other 2 dishes, def not the spicy sandwich! Overall, the others would return. I may to try other items. I try not to condemn a place over one selection. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Fried Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Chicken and Waffles, Chicken Tenser Kids meal - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

Finally got around to trying this place a couple of days ago. My husband and I split the chicken and waffles with mild spice and an order of French fries. I was intrigued how the fries would taste since the menu states they are fried in beef fat (similar to McDonald's before they changed their oil and ruined their fries). The fries were ok; reminded me of what they serve at Beef Shack, but BS is better. The chicken and waffles were very good! One order was plenty filling for my husband and me to share. You get two large chicken tenders and one large Belgian waffle split into four pieces. I initially didn't think there was enough chicken, but it turns out that we needed more waffle! I felt like the chicken was made with medium spice, not mild like we requested, but it was still good. The spice didn't overwhelm the flavor of the delicious spicy honey butter and maple syrup. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - French fries - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Drove 30 minutes to finally try the place, but waited another 30 minutes (for a carryout order). I work downtown Chicago and have wanted to try fry for SO long! There's a pop up in Wells St. Market (dining hall in the loop), but it's always packed! I honestly didn't know there was a location in the burbs until I saw them on Instagram. Went on the website, ordered online BOOM, we're in the money right? I'm a tad sad to be writing this, and maybe there's a flaw in the online ordering system but I arrived-food wasn't ready. Then they finally found the order said it we'd be 10 minutes, I get out of my car and the person didn't even let my know it was done and they finally handed it to me. No apology! (Which truly goes a long way) I left 25 minutes later. My fries were cold, BUT the sandwich (Nashville hot chicken) was glorious. The 'Hot' sauce is not for the weak, took two bites and got the hiccups (yes laugh, it was funny). Cole slaw gave it a great touch, I ordered extra pickles and oh may that sealed the deal. Aside from the "curbside" issue, that is the only reason why I won't give it 5 stars. It was worth the wait, consider them for your chicken sandwich needs! read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Outside area - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Delicious food, and fantastic, polite service. And oh my god, the fries... I'm used to fresh hand-cut fries, and they've truly mastered the art of fry-making! Ask for Brandon if you want a pick-me-up in human form. The positive energy is seriously contagious-- I genuinely thought he was the manager from how proactive and kind he was! Definitely will stop by again! read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - The Seasoned Fries are seriously to die for. - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

My carryout order was ready right on time. The food was hot and delicious. We've eaten in the restaurant several times and the staff is always friendly and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the space is always clean[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

First off, I loath chicken sandwiches, grilled or fried. They are always overcooked -dry like the desert or just oily, Fry the Coop makes them incredibly well. I've had them a few times and at two different locations. The Elmhurst and Tinley Park locations. Both put out an excellent sandwich. Spicy is SPICY! Know your heat level. The coleslaw helps distribute the heat and the co-ops sauce is great. Love this sandwich- I always get the Nashville. read more

Everything on the menu is outstanding. Best Nashville chicken sandwich! Service is fast and everyone there was very friendly.

Best place to get chicken! The Tallow makes it taste so much better and is way healthier!

Interior: Spacious each side had a television hung up high with the game on. There was a line when we got there but it went by pretty fast it lasted about 10 minutes. After you order make sure to listen because they will call your name and you have to go get your food at the front counter. Nashville fried chicken sandwich with seasoned fries and a side of cheese. The sandwich came with slaw, pickles and sauce. The breading was very crunchy but not spicy at all since we got medium. Spicy honey fried chicken sandwich This just came with the fried chicken and the bun. We got this medium and it was not spicy at all. Both sandwiches were mediocre nothing that stood out and makes us want to go back. But we do want to go back just to try the hot because maybe it was because we got medium that the sandwich wasn't as flavorful as we had anticipated. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Still the best spicy fried chicken sandwich IMO. I've been to the original location in Oak Lawn and also the spot in West Town and I'd say they are all pretty consistent. The Elmhurst location will now be my go-to spot since I moved out to the burbs. The chicken is definitely a bit smaller compared to what they used to serve, but it's just as good. Medium is my spice level which just has just a bit of heat. When I go with hot, I usually regret it and I end up panting with my tongue sticking out, lol. Their nashville fried chicken sandwich is perfection. The pickles, coleslaw and potato salad are great to cool off the heat. I think the cheese sauce and the mac and cheese have a tiny bit of heat in it. Get their chicken sandwich! read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

Aside from the solid food, Brandon the server was an amazing employee. Someone seriously give that man a raise. He walked us through the best dishes and made suggestions for different sauces and entrees. We ended up ordering the Nashville fried chicken sandwich and the tenders plate. The chicken was well-cooked, and the seasonings were good. I opted to get the ranch and the honey mustard. The Mac and cheese was really good, and the coleslaw on the Nashville chicken sandwich made the meal! I would highly recommend getting the mild seasoning before trying the medium and beyond. I did ask for the hot on the side, but apparently that's the level that has ghost peppers in it! Each of our orders came out to be around $15 each; this experience dining in was definitely better than waiting in the drive thru at chik fil a for the 20 minutes. read more

I am really satisfied with choosing Fry the Coop for lunch. I was craving a tasty chicken sandwich, unlike the chicken sandwich at the AMC theatre I had days before, Fry the Coop did not disappoint. I was in the area and looked up this place, I went straight for their signature Nashville, medium heat. It melted in my mouth, the coleslaw, pickle, special sauce, and the seasoned fries on the side. It was so good, my best friend had the platter, and it was just as good! The place is very clean and has pictures that date back to the 1920s. There are TVs and really good music playing. The staff is friendly and courteous. I will definitely come back here. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Menu - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Delicious is all I can say. Had the Nashville hot chix sandwich and did not disappoint on flavor! The guy running the counter had his job pretty dialed in, he was taking orders, calling orders and running all the Togo's. He was super fast and friendly and very knowledgeable. Great first impression of a business, so hats off to whomever put this guy in front to take care of the customers! Would definitely go back and enjoy another Nashville hot chix sandwich. They are addictive and that's a great thing for any restaurant! Keep em wanting to come back over and over! read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Nashville hot chix and seasoned fries with a tall boy of Old Style! - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

Great place to get a solid chicken sandwich and fries. I ordered online and got a message it was ready for pickup literally 5 minutes later. When I picked it up they had it in a warmer and when I got home everything was still hot and fresh. They also put the sandwich in a small plastic box which kept everything perfect. The chicken itself was big, tender and juicy and the slaw and pickles were excellent. I tried the Nashville medium heat and it was a perfect amount of heat. The fries were amazing and some of my favorite I've had in awhile. The portions of both the bird and the fries were generous. The cheese sauce that I order with the fries was ok, good enough but nothing special. Really glad I tried this place and I will definitely be back often. Definitely one of the better fried chicken sandwiches I've had in awhile and the fries were incredible too. read more

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Great service, food is great. Always hits the spot! Chicken is so tender and I like the spice

Fry the Coop? More like Buy the Coop! I was blown away to say the least and I have found my new favorite chicken sandwich. Everything was perfect. We ordered the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich ($8.99). Where do I start? The chicken was perfectly crispy and yet still moist. The coleslaw was absolutely amazing and this is coming from someone who hates coleslaw. I was considering asking for it to be removed but then I figured I could always remove it later on. I was so glad I chose to keep it! It really pulled the whole sandwich together. Even their pickles were good! My sister who hates pickles didn't pick them out for once. Also, their Coop Sauce is addicting! I highly recommend ordering extra sauce for 25 cents to drown your sandwich in. Match the sandwich with seasoned fries and you'll experience a level of joy that only good food can bring. We were eating our meal in the car and we were half-way through our sandwiches when we were already saying that we wanted to go back and get more! It's that good. Sincerely, the best chicken sandwich I ever had. We've ordered so many more sandwiches since then. We always order online and we've never had any issues. The only thing I did notice is that if you order around rush hours, quality does tend to go down. The chicken may be less juicy and there might be scarce amounts of coleslaw. Therefore, I highly recommend ordering before the rush hits. Portions were always fair. $9 is pretty expensive for just a single chicken sandwich without a side but it's totally worth it for the quality. As much as I love Fry the Coop, all I can say is that I'm glad that it's far from home otherwise I'd gain so much weight from eating it daily. With that being said, please do your taste buds and your stomach a favor and treat yourself to the best chicken sandwich. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich ($8.99) - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

I like the ambiance, food is fresh and quantity is good for the price. I would certainly try it again. The medium spicy level is good but at least for me the combination of spicy and sweet on the Nashville Chicken sandwich is a little off centered to the sweet side giving two distinct flavors of hot and sweet and my palate can't comprehend why the chicken so sweet especially when its not with waffles. I would certainly recommend to try it out as the food is good, but for my liking a little on the sweeter side. read more

Food is great! It actually tastes like chicken lol Cashier attending us was attentive. Seemed a little short staff because both bathrooms were not clean. read more

Donut chicken sandwich. No sauce no pickles. Add side of syrup. 10/10 like dessert with protein

I finally got a chance to try out Fry the Coop, and boy oh boy have I've been missing out. We got takeout, and ordered their Nashville Fried Chicken sandwich. They have a small and simple menu consisting of only fried chicken items. I ordered my chicken sandwich with their crazy heat level because, well...I'm crazy. And no, 911 did not have to be called, but HOT DAMN! It was spicy. Spicy indeed. I will admit, I looked at the sandwich and wasn't really intimidated by it. It just didn't look like it was going to have heat but I was definitely wrong. The cool thing about the sandwich, was that the spiciness didn't take away from the flavor of the chicken, or the rest of the sandwich. The chicken was perfectly fried. It was juicy and tender and a decent size. The cole slaw was tasty and helped with the heat. It is a little pricey at 8.5 a sandwich but I think it's definitely worth it. You don't have that many authentic Nashville Hot Chicken places around here, and this place nailed it. Their seasoned fries were all very tasty. Although they also have a spicy butter chicken sandwich and a donut fried chicken sandwich, I'll still probably stick to the regular Nashville sandwich for now. I would still want to try those other sandwiches along with their chicken & waffles. Just not sure when. Damn. I'm going be back very very soon! read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - Nicely bagged Nashville chicken sandwiches w/ seasoned fries. - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Thursday night after my sons practice I decided to give this place a chance after so much hype and bragging from friends. You have to order before you sit and clean up your table before you go. The girl at the register was nice and polite but since it was my first time here I had a couple questions like what is the most popular item and what she recommended. So she recommended the Nashville Sandwich and for the rub since it not sauce like I expected it to be, i went with hot. I like spicy food and she like it has habanero and Carolina repper so in my head it's going to have some heat. I got my sandwich and the coleslaw in the sandwich was warm and I knew at that moment not to eat it but the chicken sandwich was good the rub was not spicy which was disappointing. I expected a nice hot kick but nothing. Only bad thing warm coleslaw. Half an hour later my stomach was torn up from eating warm coleslaw. My boy got the chicken sandwich on a glazed doughnut and he went with medium spice and his was sauce spicy and he didn't like the taste. He also got Mac and cheese and he loved it. The fries are garbage don't waste your money on fry's. Overall it a nice shack it wasn't busy and has a lot of parking behind building. I was there at 8:30pm and they might close at 9 pm since they decided to turn the lights out while I was eating. The chicken I got in my sandwich was good just the coleslaw has to be served cold and not left out if not more people can get sick. read more

Good chicken sandwich and you done need to drive to Chicago for one of your in the Elmhurst area.

Been a long time frequenter of this location but unfortunately been noticing a decline in quality control. My to-go order was definitely not worth it. Chicken was very dry like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for longer than it should, as well as the stale fries. Sad to say it definitely wasn't worth the price for the poor quality, especially since I didn't order during peak hours. read more

SOME LIKE IT HOT Brace your tastebuds for a potentially life-changing spicy chicken sandwich. I happened to be in the Elmhurst area earlier this week, when I saw that Al's Italian Beef had closed their location on the northeast corner of North Ave & Route 83. In its place was this, the 2nd installment of a fried chicken restaurant (the 1st residing in Oak Lawn). Fry the Coop has a very simple premise: boneless breaded chix sandwiches in varying levels of heat, plus fries, tenders, and chicken + waffles. They don't really need to clutter their board with other items, because the few things they make, they make REALLY well. It should come as no surprise that the menu MVP is their Nashville hot sandwich ($8.50). A succulent fried chicken breast is topped with creamy coleslaw, bread & butter pickles and special sauce on a brioche bun, ordered with your choice of heat level. The honey butter sandwich ($8) is no slouch, either. A delicious sugary sauce coats the chicken and needs no other toppings, it's that good. Kudos to them for offering authentic sweet tea to wash it down with, definitely helps to put out the flames. Macaroni salad was tasty. A word on FTC's spicy scale -- there are 6 options of increasing danger. While 'country' and 'mild' (levels 1 and 2) are fine for beginners, 'medium' kicks it up a considerable notch. The 'hot' (level 4) is made with habanero and ghost peppers, not recommended for most, though it's perfect for me. Here's where things get interesting. The 5th level of 'crazy' is just like their hot (considerably spicy), but with the addition of the Carolina Reaper pepper. As for level 6? That's called "lil bit of insanity" and allegedly borders on inedible, thanks to the inclusion of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, a legendary hot pepper that measures at 1,200,000 units on the Scoville Heat Index! I won't even attempt to eat that. Bread = 5 Circuses = 4 I'm usually a stickler for fries, but Fry the Coop passes that litmus test with flying colors. Make sure you ask for their house fries with seasoning -- they are coated with a sweet 'n' smoky dry rub that's just fantastic. And here I thought Five Guys' cajun fries were the bombdiggity. You can scribble on their walls with chalk -- just try and refrain from drawing anything *too* phallic -- and the restrooms have amusing signs on them. Staff has been pretty chill across several visits, despite their unusually pushy tipping policy (below). * TL;DR * To borrow a phrase from 80's supergroup The Power Station, "some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on." At this straightforward chicken sandwich biz, you can truly satisfy your spicy food cravings. Avoid the 'crazy' or 'lil insanity' unless you want your butthole whistlin' dixie the next day. Pretty much the only thing I dislike about Fry the Coop is the payment process for those using a swipe card. You're asked to add gratuity to the total, which more or less begins at 25%. LOLWUT. I don't even tip that much when I have impeccable service at a Michelin star restaurant downtown where they formally address you by name, so why on earth would I tip that much for a counter service place?? They don't bring the food out to you, they don't clear your dirty tray, they don't give out lapdances......yeah on future visits I'll probably just choose "other = 0%" because there's honestly no need for it. Tipping weirdness aside, this place serves up one of the best hot chicken sammies I've had outside of Nashville (for those wondering, Subculture in central Tennessee is the #1 gold standard). I'll be happy to return many times in the future and will highly recommend to friends & coworkers. read more

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The quality of the chicken is good and it's always a huge piece. However, unless you get a sauce there isn't much extra flavor. The fries are also tasty. read more

Beware a place where a sandwich is $11.98 on the evening Wednesday 11/14/23 and on the evening of the VERY next day Thursday 11/15/23, the same sandwich is $12.20. I don't like feeling cheated for one dime of my hard earned money, let alone 2 dimes. I will not be back. Nothing is worth that especially not a Hot Habenero Chicken Sandwich. How many customers do you cheat a day to make dimes add up to hundreds of dollars? read more

Delicious food, even though it is $20 for a sandwich, fries, and drink. It is a treat to go, and I hope they have great business. The one in Darien never has a lot of people dining in at meal times. read more

Great food, excellent ambience and excellent service!!! Probably the best local chicken here in Chicagoland. read more

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We got the Nashville chicken sandwich (Medium & Hot) with the Mac & cheese and messy fries. IT WAS SO FLAVORFUL! I took a bite of the Mac & cheese and knew I was in for a great time. I was not disappointed. The coleslaw complemented the chicken well. I definitely recommend read more

The food is delicious and a different taste from your typical chicken joints. I usually order online for pickup.

Fry the coop is the best chicken sandwich that you will get in this area. The chicken is delicious. The sauces are great and the flavors are all different with the amount of heat. The fries are fresh cut and salty. This is a great meal and again, the best chicken sandwich in the area hands down! Their COVID protocols are great with takeout as well using one window for ordering and one window for takeout. Wish I could post my picture! read more

Let me start by saying the place is delicious. The chicken is plump, the spicy friend goodness around it is on point, and the buttery bun is pretty much what you are looking for in a fried chicken sandwich. And this is coming from a guy who has curated the Definitive Top Five List of Chicken Sandwiches (see my collections if you are interested in enlightenment) and is globally known as the foremost expert on fried chicken sandwiches. More specifically, Spicy Butter Fried Chicken Sandwich is the delicacy I'm referring to. We also had the chicken and waffles, also very tasty. It is this dish though that knocks a star off in my book as the $14 price is too much to justify indulging more than once in my opinion. While Fry the Coop has done a nice job of fixing up the location, it still has a fast food vibe and $14 for two pieces of chicken and a Belgium waffle would even be expensive for a trendy food hall like Revival downtown in the loop. I sincerely hope this place can thrive. Unfortunately the price point on the whole puts it in a category that might be hard to maintain. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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Delicious food. I love the levels of the heat. I decided to try medium and it has quite a tang and heat. I got the Nashville chicken sandwich. It came with pickles and coleslaw on it with their secret sauce. Dude got the tenders with coleslaw and fries. He got the no heat version. We both loved the meal. Cool thing is that the bathrooms are gender non-specific. The signs are awesome and say that they don't care the gender to just use the facilities. Yay for them. read more

Fry the Coop - Elmhurst - A corner of the restaurant. This is in Elmhurst. The other Fry the Coop we visited was on oak lawn. - American Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

I was very surprised on how good these sandwiches are. The inside of the place was nothing to brag about. It was ok. The service was fine but could be better. The only thing was there is only 1 size of fries and it's really small !! And prices are too high. We may come back to try the other sandwiches. read more

Super yummy fried chicken sandwiches....but BEWARE anything higher than "hot" on the heat scale is really freakin spicy.

If you like hot !!! Put your tongue to the taste! I'm sure you will find a temp that will satisfy your taste... read more

What a sandwich! So much flavor! I stick with the traditional Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich. I go with the medium and it is hot without being a jerk about it. The cole slaw and sweet pickles cut the heat just enough. Be careful what level you order. I ventured tried the hot level once and WHOA! The step up in heat was significant. Flavor was still excellent, but the heat too overwhelming to do again. My kids love their chicken fingers. If you are into sides theirs are pretty standard. Fresh cut fries or potato salad are good. read more

That chicken is damn too hot indeed. Never even finished it coz its just damn too hot. I should have ordered the lesser hotness coz at least i can enjoy it. I would come back again to try it one more time with lesser spiceness. read more

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There are so many things I want to say about this place. The food was horrid and was very greasy and the chicken was very dry!! The service. Oh my lord where do I begin. A young lady was giving us attitude and talking about us when we were eating. When we left she continued to say bye and thank you. After she was being a bitch about everything and talking about OUR family. Not professional. First of all she had no right to give us attitude like we didn't something. second of all this is why you need to check the reviews because everything you see isn't true. Whether it's about the food or the service. read more

Love their sandwiches, I bought lunch for two other coworkers that loved it too! One person saw us eating and he is going to try it next. So had so had it today because last time I went with my son, I didn't really like it and I have been meaning to give it another chance and I'm glad I did! read more