This Harold's location was once one of the best, but now it's middle of the pack. Ignore the reviewers that complain about the thimble of cole slaw, white bread, that order chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, those ordering legs with ketchup AND ESPECIALLY folks that order chicken sans mild sauce. They don't get it. Harold's is about WINGS. MILD SAUCE. WHITE BREAD. That's the history. That's it. (Side note: the whole lemon pepper thing is relatively new. Sharks and J&J Fish ushered in that movement, ultimately spreading into Harold's). Harold's is a true Chicago hood classic along with places like Taurus Steak, Lem's BBQ, Italian Fiesta, Uncle Remus and Home Of The Hoagy. .. The Chicago Chicken King doesn't aim to dethrone your favorite fried chicken spot with palate titillating organic spices and herbs. To be perfectly honest, the chicken isn't intended to stand alone. It's more about how the mild sauce pairs with the chicken. Keep in mind no two Harold's taste the same. Many add their own spin to the seasoned dredge and even "doctor up" the mild sauce. Service is generally slow, not particularly friendly and calling ahead to place your order is typically ignored. ..but hey, no one complains about Weiners Circle. Lol Not many things in life are absolute. There are definitely locations that bend or break the aforementioned norms. This Hyde Park location is relatively friendly and will occasionally have your call in order ready upon arrival, but don't bank on it. They have a tendency to fry their chicken "hard" and the wings will always be on the smaller side. No steroid infused chickens here! UofChi students and faculty discovered Harold's a long time ago. These are often the patrons ordering chicken nuggets, tenders or legs with ketchup and BBQ sauce. To each his own, but keep in mind this isn't the authentic experience. I'm from Englewood and Southsiders had a not-so-friendly rivalry with Westsiders and their affinity for Uncle Remus. That is until just recently when the first Southside Uncle Remus opened on 47th. Unlike Uncle Remus, Harold's has expanded into diverse neighborhoods, suburbs & even WI & ATL. Try them both & let me know what you think. This is a crazy long review for a fast food chicken shack, but I want to temper your expectations with authentic hood history and set the record straight :-D read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chicken is great and service is good and I would recommend. Only recommendations order ahead if you are in a hurry.

First time purchasing from this restaurant. When I arrived there were 2 people ahead of me and about 10 people behind me in line. I placed my order at 12:14pm. I ordered a 1/2 dark meal which I was told comes with bread, fries, and Cole slaw. My total was $9.58. During the ordering process I was only asked if i wanted hot or mild sauce, I requested mild. While I waited, every person before me and after me got their order and left. I was the only one still waiting after 40 minutes. I finally went up to the counter and asked how much longer it was going to take to give me my order. They asked to see my receipt and then after a couple of minutes asked if I wanted utensils and a bag. I said yes. When I got back to my office I opened my bag and found my chicken, bread, and fries drenched in sauce. This was surprising because there was nothing in the restaurant indicating they covered the chicken with sauce. I was a bit annoyed but since I was hungry decided to just try to enjoy it anyway. There were a couple of small dry spots of the chicken that were delicious. However, the rest of it that was covered in sauce was not so good. The mild sauce is a very weird vinegary sweet sauce. I wouldn't consider it a hot sauce but I don't know what to compare it to. I can certainly say I would rather never have it again. Needless to say, I couldn't eat the bread and fries since it was all covered in that awful sauce. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Empty pack of utensils that was placed in my bag. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The chicken & fish I ordered was freshly made and tasted GREAT! The only reason I didn't give them 5 start is because the lil' fella who took my order was a bit "spicy" & rude because I used the foreign term: "cutlery" when I asked for eating utensils. Like bruh, improve your vocabulary instead of being snippy with the customers. Next time, I'll bring him a dictionary. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - 4 wings & mild sauce and 4 perch with hot sauce. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What's not good to say about Harold's Chicken? So good! We ordered the wings with the mild sauce and fries. It comes with a teeny weeny cole slaw. It was slightly bigger than a thimble. You order then wait. Not stellar on the decor. This location had a few tables, but it didn't have the feel of wanting you to stay there and eat your food. We ate ours in the car. It was so good! There are multiple locations all over the city you can visit. This one is in a strip mall. read more

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The food was good. But I was too excited about customer service. All in all I have it 3 stars simply for the sauce

Been going here for years. Back in the day, there used to be two Harold's on 53rd. The one further east had the better cook but when it closed.....the cook must have switched locations. Overall, food is always fresh. Fries are hit or miss and I swear the best chicken I i had was at 11:30am. It felt like cook was refreshed, & chicken was cooked to perfection. I usually order a wing dinner with lemon pepper and barbecue sauce. I get the sauce on the side. You call call ahead, order online or walk up to the window. As a Real Estate Broker, finding good eats is important. I can enjoy or let my clients know where to go! read more

My favorite Harold's Chicken location! You can buy a lottery ticket while you're waiting for your food.

Terrific fried chicken in the community. I usually stick to wings. A pleasant comfort food.

Today is Monday December 19th. Google states Harold's is open and has hours that ARENT CORRECT. I walk in & the say they aren't open until WEDNESDAY! Lmfao WEDNESDAY?! Terrible . read more

My first time here and my fiancé talks about Harold's all the time. We order myself the 5 wings with mild sauce which where we live is considered bbq sauce. I enjoyed the chicken it was tasty and the shot of coleslaw was delicious!!! We will be stopping by before we leave Chicago! read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The chicken was fried way to hard. I barely could get any meat off of the bone. The fries were tasty and they put a nice amount of mild sauce. It is kind of pricey but it's to be expected with inflation read more

The chicken is great. Not sure if the greatness makes up for the ambience, or lack of it. It is very popular, very "eccentric", and I would gladly get chicken elsewhere. read more

Supremely trash service. I went there and asked for 3 gallons of mild sauce. Paid $13 per gallon that's nearly $40 for 3 gallons. Instead of mild sauce I was given 3 bottles of BBQ sauce . I brought the bottles back within 15 minutes and was told they couldn't take it back. They said that before 2 weeks ago they (only this location) called BBQ sauce mild sauce that's what they thought I wanted. Strange but Understandable mistake let's just fix it right? No. They wanted me to keep the sauce I never asked for and also wanted me to pay for the original mild sauce I wanted again. Wtf?!? They have signage in the store that differentiates between BBQ & Mild Sauce. I never asked for BBQ sauce paid for it and basically told to go fuck myself when I asked for exchange despite their own employees telling their peers that THEY messed up?!?.... wtf kind of service is that. This is the worst service I've received in any restaurant. Disgusting. read more

customer service was horrible. ordered chicken and sauce was drenching the chicken. asked for it on the side and lady was mumbling under her breath and making things difficult for no reason. a real cee you en tee. read more

There is definitely better chicken out there. That being said, I really wanted to like Harold's. I've heard nothing but good things about it from pretty much everyone I know. I got the quarter dark meat, there wasn't much going on there; very basic. I also got the shrimp, I liked that way more. Don't know if I'll be getting Harold's again any time soon. One thing I should add, the customer service at this location was very good. The woman at the counter was very accommodating when it came to guiding me in my order since it was my first time there. She explained how the menu worked and what came with what. The service here is friendly and amicable. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - 1/4 dark and shrimp with hot sauce - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Reminds me of Georgia. Best chicken in hyde park. Place doesnt look super clean but who's eating it there anyway. Jus eat it at home.

I would like to be the first to say, me and my family will never return to any of the Harold's franchise. My family and I have both received food poisoning not once but twice from this facility. we ordered an 8 wing dinner and there was hardly any mild sauce on it and not enough fries for the price we paid. Also, the coleslaw was very soupy. we will never I repeat will never shop here again, my husband suffered from fever, diarrhea and cold sweats after eating your food. we have got to do better as a community #55th Hyde park. read more

The food is decent but their customer service is disgusting here. I asked for a pizza puff and small fries and the attendant charged me for small fries when the pizza puff comes with fries. I also asked for mild sauce on my chicken and when she was informed that her colleague made a mistake she then told me that once the ticket is out that she can't add any sauce on my chicken. And threw my ticket back at me. I feel that for the inconvenience, the least you can do is fix your mistake. But I was just out of luck with them since the lady at the window did not add mild sauce to my ticket even though I asked her 3 times for mild sauce ON MY CHICKEN. I'd give them zero stars if I could. read more

The food is delicious when it's fresh and hot. Most of the time there are long lines for waiting to pick-up your lunch/dinner meal. I noticed that the tables and chairs are not very clean or at least cleaned with a hot soapy rag enough to kill germs and no napkins available for the customers that would like to sit down and eat their meal and no restroom for anyone to use if they have to use the bathroom. The staff are not speaking loud enough to actually let the customers numbers being called. It would be helpful if they could put something out there so that you can actually see/hear the number being called out. I have been a patron for many years and a hearing-impaired person I think this place need to at least Upgrade their customer service line So that people who are elderly or are disabled can have the right kind of service. read more

A good fast food chicken place. Very decently priced and give a good amount of food. Definitely satisfies the fried chicken craving! read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered my food on my way to work, the lady on the phone told me 20min. I stay in the south suburbs so it takes me 30min to get there and my food was not ready. The rude cashier told me 10 more min because it's fresh chicken. Mind you the whole purpose of calling in my order was so it could be ready for pick up. Here's where it gets worse: When I started eating my food my chicken was not fresh at all. Either they re-fried some old chicken or they fried it in old grease. My French fries look old and as I was eating, it was black inside the fries ( meaning the fries were old and needed to b tossed out). This was my first time and will b my last time at this Harold's chicken. I will make sure everyone I kno, family, employees from my job not to do business with this particular Harold's. Fire jerk chicken right next door to them has much better food and customer service. read more

I came back here last night, after being "clean" from this particular Harold's for over three months, and saw this: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cexclggtFDUfHzg2y9b8RQ?select=xd7Kxp8F3625_tebGTYCXw What the hell are you going to return for a refund at a Harold's Fried Chicken within a week?!? Oh- and how does one pay for a bag with 0.05 CENTS? I am pretty sure they mean $0.05 or just plain old 5 cents. It is my pleasure to clear that one up! Chicken was piping hot and delicious once again- by far the most important thing to me. Unfortunately the place was filthy as ever, and the moron calling out tickets still can't keep orders straight. But refunds on fried chicken within a week? I might just try this out. I plan on ordering a wing or two, letting it fester in the warmth of let's say a tied tight plastic grocery bag sitting out in the sun for a few days and then bringing it back for my full refund. You know- just to see what they have to say about this well thought out policy of theirs. If it is anything like their normal "service" then I am sure comedy will ensue. I think I will stick to my Cottage Grove Harold's. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Refunds within a week?!? What could you possibly refund within a week?!? - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - It wouldn't be the full Harold's experience if you didn't place your order through bulletproof glass. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came back here last night after a serious craving of the sauce! I was in the area and after getting a haircut (not @ Obama's barber) I got a hunger rumble. I started thinking, "What would be the perfect food right now" (In a Harold & Kumar moment). The name Harold's started ringing! Looked in and the line was ridiculous, so I started thinking what the fuck! I walked next door to Kimbark Liquors in hope of finding a 12 pack of Stella Artois to cheer me up. Found the Stella and as I looked back in Harold's the line had become rather short. Ran to the car and dropped my Stella off and ran back in. Ordered a 5 piece with mild sauce and was outta there in 7 mins! I made it home 20 mins later and enjoyed my chicken and fries with THE SAUCE, along with a nice cold Stella. I was a happy man Harold's, I promise to sway fellow yelpers that has never had you to come on over during our Office Hours visit next month! read more

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. read more

Food is the same as any other Harold's but the wait time is ridiculous. I always place orders over the phone if possible to avoid a wait time. Never fails....I come to pick up an order..I'm waiting..someone comes in..orders what I order..and they get their food first. Like really bro? I don't even go there anymore. read more

Just to level set, i waited an hour and a half for fried chicken at Willie Mae's in New Orleans. Which is to say, i am on a mission to find the best fried chicken. Which is why you should be impressed when i say the fried chicken at this Harold's is LIFE CHANGING. SOOOOOO good. Can't wait to come back every time i come to chicago. THANK YOU!!!!! read more

The chicken is great! But if you can deal with being treating sub human, by a staff that's totally archaic in the way it does things, and walking into q restaurant in general disarray, then Harolds of Hyde Park is your place. This place sucks. I've gone here 3 times and called in my order each time, but they didn't start making the food until after I paid. #fuckingridiculous I mean the line is always long and customers always complain and absolutely no fucks are given. This is one of those establishments that's historical black owned but run in a way that completely disregards the history behind the institution that Harolds Chicken of Chicago is built on. Seriously, best you want Harolds, just get some Popeyes and put some hot sauce and BBQ sauce on it instead of going here. OR, go to the Harolds on the West Loop. They treat people like people there. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - General dining area - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I probably shouldn't confess that I spent four years in college in Hyde Park without ever once coming to Harold's. I decided that it was high time to see what the fuss was about. I have no objection to the bulletproof glass or the general setup and service; they were friendly and efficient. But you know what? The chicken just wasn't that great. My white meat, anyway, was overcooked, and my crunchy coating was bland. Maybe it's better with dark. I also didn't have much use for the mayonnaise-y cole slaw, the limp french fries, or the wonderbread. The hot sauce was okay and the fried okra was nice, which makes me think there might be a creative way to eat well here. I'd hope so, given the hype. I guess not all chicken can be as good as Chicken Hut. read more

I brought my cousin from San Diego, California here who wanted to try Harold's for the first time. She had the three wing dinner which she liked the mild sauce better than the chicken. I had the three piece catfish which was not catfish at all, I don't know what it was frankenfish, gmo farm raised glorified sanctified tilapia is what is was. It was orderless. Catfish has a distinct odor. Stop playing Harold's and use real fish! read more

The worst Harold's in the damn city! My husband ordered a wing pan from them (after I told his ass not to cause they are the worst) and of course it was a mess!! The chicken was old af! I don't even know why they are still open! The freshest thing about the order was the cheap white bread... read more

The chicken isn't horrible, however it's hit or miss . The chicken would be so much better if the grease was fresh . Please add seasoning to the chicken, seasoning salt black pepper please. And please fry your chicken fresh not too hard unless that's requested. At the food would be a hit. read more

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. read more

Harold's Chicken in Hyde Park is a terrible location. It use to be better, but not anymore. The customer service is horrible, and you will stand in the restaurant for about 40 minutes just to purchase a 6 piece wings. If you need to order large quantities, don't waste time trying to call them because they never answer the phone. So no phone orders! The chicken and fries are always lacking sauce so make sure you buy some extra. Just tell them to put it in a cup, or they will be skimpy! The side of coleslaw that comes with the chicken and fry meal is a joke. It's the tiniest little cup ever! The customers are always ghetto fabulous and loud. So I wouldn't recommend sitting down as a family and eating here. The cashiers are behind a bullet proof glass. In conclusion, you will have a long wait in this location. So take yourself to a real restaurant, sit down, and order yourself some chicken there... Harold's is not fast food. Why go here and torture yourselves?! I wouldn't. read more

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I'm back!! And my cholesterol is still the same thanks for worrying! I'm updating to say that this place is still very good despite the price changes... Again the 1/2 dark special is very very good. Same stuff but now you're going to pay 5.01, unless you have the UofC or senior discount then it's 4.51. Do the Combo wombo on that and you'll be great! read more

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Ate here Friday night. We had the perch dinner. All in all it was ok. Nothing special. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice dinner and all, but I would probably try something different next time. Probably try their chicken next. I was also a little disappointed since I wanted to try their peach cobbler and they didn't have any! Oh well, it was probably for the best ;-) The prices for their items were not to bad and parking isn't too hard as they are in a plaza with parking. Further more there are a couple other convenience stores around the area where you can do other shopping if your heart desires. read more

I was very disappointed in this location!!! The rudeness passive aggressiveness and the dismissal really floored me ....i tried to call my order in for a 6 piece because i didn't want to be waiting for it nor did i want to have to be around people during this pandemic... when i called the order in the young Afro American male that answered the phone had no proper customer service skills and proceed to talk to me as if i was one of his "home boys" after i told him my order he told me i had to pay for the order first and after i paid for it it would take 7 mins for my order to be completed.... why he didn't just say they don't take phone orders still eats at me .i came in to place the order and waited 35 mins for a 6 piece wing and the same gentleman was ruder in person ‼i will never ever give this hole in the wall chicken shack my money again ‼‼ read more

Delicious fried chicken! Boyfriend went to school right around the corner and is obsessive about this place. I knew we had to stop by to not only relive his memories but also to see whether or not his professions about the chicken were true. They were. He warned me that it wasn't the most glamorous of places. Hood but whatever, I'm not a princess as long as the food is good. Got the half chicken with the mild and bbq sauces. The fried chicken was crispy, flavorful, well seasoned, with the right amount of grease and the meat inside was surprisingly very juicy. I probably should have requested the mild sauce on the side, made the parts it covered soggy. Not sure why there were fries and slices of white bread. The fries were mediocre, some soggy and the white bread was your standard Wonderbread variety. Definitely did not have enough napkins so we were resourceful and used the bread to help wipe our hands clean (ghetto is as ghetto does). Fried chicken? Phenomenal. Wouldn't recommend it as a date spot unless you're trying to get rid of a chick but definitely if you're looking for your greasy fix. read more

Harold's Chicken #14 - Fried chicken hiding in their somewhere. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I mean if you want some damn good fried chicken near U Chicago this is the spot. You're not coming here for ambiance. You are coming here for oily crispy crunchy juicy saucy tasty fried chicken. And you gon' get it. You gon' get it with a weird piece of white toast and some fries. Oh, be patient with the wait. It's worth it! You should probably be drunk or hungover while eating this anyway so, what's the rush? read more