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Harold's Chicken Shack

3.4 (583 reviews)
InexpensiveChicken Wings
Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Harold's Chicken Shack Takeout or Delivery

Harold's Chicken Shack Photos

HAROLD'S CHICKEN SHACK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Harold's Chicken Shack

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8 piece bucket
Sarah P.

I came here because Chance The Rapper talks about how good the chicken is. I can confirm that the chicken is really good! Get the lemon pepper topping on it! The service was quick and organized, even when the lunch rush came in. They have clean indoor seating. Nothing too fancy, but inviting. We saw other people drinking their house lemonades, which come in cute little jugs, and had to order it!

Ayesha A.

Since I'm visiting Chicago I had to visit Harold's Chicken Shack. Service was fast and friendly. I sat down in the casual restaurant and enjoyed my food. I tried the mild and hot sauces. Mike was on the sweeter side and hot has a nice kick.

Chicken tenders Mac & Cheese taffy grapes
Annie D.

This was recommended to me by a local and luckily there was one right by hotel! It's pretty solid chicken, I got the tenders with fries and bbq sauce. Fries were okay but I really liked the bbq sauce. The Mac n cheese was a pass for me but the taffy grapes were fun and new! I would say this is a pretty good local fast food place with tons of options for everyone.

Liver and 2 Wings Combo I don't know why the photo didn't come out but you would have seen a huge amount of food that only cost $12.
Felice B.

Harold's delivers exactly what it promises - good, solid fried food and sides that can make you miss home. No, the ambiance isn't upscale. No decent soul food restaurant looks like anything but a dump. This one looks like an outdated fast food outlet. But when the very friendly women at the counter weren't busy helping customers they were cleaning tables. I ordered the fried livers and 2 wings combo with hot sauce. I received an insane amount of food - including an extra wing - so much that there was no way I could finish it all and I didn't even ask for the coleslaw. Everything was well cooked, with the wings being cooked to order. The livers were fried hard but not overcooked or dry. Fried hard is thing in soul food cooking so it shouldn't be unexpected. There was nothing special or not special about the hot sauce. It was sauce that was hot. I don't know what some of the reviewers who didn't like it were expecting. A chicken sandwich with a side of collards got mixed reviews. The sandwich was well liked but the greens were under seasoned. Honestly, the worst thing I can say is that I got so much food that I couldn't finish it all. The value is excellent and the food is good. I'm looking forward to trying the catfish and whiting. Expect a soul food restaurant and you'll be satisfied. Expect an artisanal Instagramable experience and well, you know the rest.

3 pieces of white meat plus collards. Hot sauce makes the chicken even better.
Bill Z.

If you're wondering why there are no nationally known fried chicken chains in the immediate vicinity, it's probably because Harold's is here. The fried chicken is crisp but not too greasy. The price for a combo such as a 3-piece is quite reasonable. While there are combos and daily specials, I ordered a la carte, because I wanted the collards. Those, unfortunately, were a disappointment. They were a bit overcooked and a bland. I had hoped for some flavor, whether it be vinegar/lemon, or garlic or meat. With my order, I received a very tiny ramekin of coleslaw, maybe enough for 2 bites. That had more flavor than the collards. Bottled and fountain drinks are all behind the counter. It's not a perfect arrangement, but for the chicken, I'll take it!

Miyuki Y.

Hello? Why does this place have such low ratings?!?! I love it here. Service was FAST there was a line but it moved with speed. Great prices and delish chicken. The foot came out hot and fresh and everything was delicious seriously no complaints

Chicken wings and chicken tenders
Eric M.

I knew when I spoke to locals and they hyped this place up, I was nervous but I was pleasantly surprised! Place always had people in and out. The chicken was fresh, juicy with some crisp. Fries were great, the staff member who took our order was friendly and helpful and took all her suggestions, especially with the rub and the hot sauce! The lemonades were a nice touch and really enjoyed it. Restaurant was clean, not one of those modern lifeless spots but had some character behind it!

Inside
Kendal S.

Was skeptical about trying this Harold because everyone said to go to the ones further on the south side or at least the one right by Wintrust. Went to this location because I saw there was a lot of people trying to get it in late night in there before it closed. I think that is always a good sign that people want it, that matters. It did not look like that much of a tourist spot so i went for it. When I got this food, I was pleasantly surprised, this was the best Harold ms I have had to date, everything was made perfect. The fries are great Fries. And the chicken was seasoned to perfection. My favorite way to do Harold is mixed the male sauce and the hot sauce on top. Great fried chicken option in a city that has unlimited fried chicken options.

LaTosha S.

Their food was recommended while visiting Chicago. We went in the evening. It took about 19 minutes for us to place our to go orders. The customer service was friendly & helpful to us with suggestions for placing our first time orders with them. We waited in the restaurant for about 30-40 minutes for our food. The location was fairly crowded but not super loud or anything. The food was fresh and really good. I enjoyed the fish, chicken, and recommended caramel cake. I would visit the location again.

Fried Okra
Kayla P.

I ordered from here through DoorDash and it was so hot so fresh, I was actually surprised even the fries were hot. I end up ordering again a second time on the same day. We had the 10 piece wing & fries, a side of catfish, fried okra, and a slice of cake and blue lemonade. I also got the mild and the hot sauce on the side and lemon pepper Sprinkle. It was so good and very filling. seriously two people ate off of all of that food and it was still some left for the next day.

Tank G.

This seems to be a popular spot in Downtown Chicago that specializes in fried chicken and chicken tenders. They also have desserts, fish, gizzards, nuggets, shrimp and sandwiches. There is metered street parking available in front of the store and in a reasonable walking distance. There is also commercial lots and garages nearby to park as well. The restaurant has an adequate sized dining area with booths and bar seating that overlooks the sidewalk. The decor is very basic. They do have a few televisions playing in the dining area. One of the televisions had sports playing and the other had Fox News on. The restaurant was clean for the most part, but could probably use a bit of updating. The woman working the counter was very friendly and helpful. She was awesome. I ordered the 5 wing lunch special which came with fries. You can get your sauce on the side or on top when you order wings. I got the hot sauce on top, which it was not only put on the wings, but also over the fries. I saw that they had these little lemonades in a jug and decided to get one of those to go with my meal. It took about 10 minutes for them to prepare my meal. It was fresh and hot. It was delicious and crispy. Very flavorful. It lived up to its hype. The lemonade was refreshing too. I really liked my meal here. It was very tasty and filling. I highly recommend checking this spot out

6 piece wings
Jhene G.

First time coming here and I will def be back! The costumer service was great and the food was hot, fresh and delicious! It's small inside but I didn't have a problem finding a seat.

$12 for 2 drum sticks and 2 thighs. mild and hot sauce

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10 months ago

I drive from the Southside just to come to this Harold's. Chicken is always fresh, crispy and cooked just how I like it.

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Jerk Yard

Jerk Yard

5.0(1 review)
1.9 miNear Southside

If flavor had a headquarters, Jerk Yard would be running the show…read more I've been a fan of Caribbean food for years, and let me tell you--Jerk Yard gets it right. Their new spot inside Picnic, the digital food court in South Loop, is a total game-changer. From the moment I placed my order to the very last bite, it was nothing short of . What's even better? This is Jerk Yard's second location, following the success of their beloved original in Hyde Park--and yes, it brings the same delicious taste and chill island vibes that made the first one such a favorite. Consistency is everything, and they've nailed it again. Let's talk food: the jerk chicken is juicy, smoky, and seasoned to perfection with just the right amount of heat. You know how some places say "jerk" but really mean "barely spiced"? Not here. This is the real deal. I paired it with their coconut rice and sweet plantains--absolutely chef's kiss. The plantains were golden, soft, and caramelized just right. Portions are generous, the packaging is on point (perfect for takeout), and the flavors? Unmatched. The team clearly puts love into every plate. And while the new location is in a digital food hall, it still feels like Jerk Yard--welcoming, flavorful, and full of good energy. Whether you've been rocking with them since Hyde Park or you're new to the brand, this South Loop spot is a must-visit. Pro tip: if the oxtail is on the menu, do yourself a favor and get it. Thank me later.

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Jerk Yard
Jerk Yard

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Mr G's South Loop Eats

Mr G's South Loop Eats

4.0(4 reviews)
1.9 miNear Southside

Mr G is part of the Picnic Digital food Court, a ghost chicken, located in South Loop…read more They have a pretty extensive menu, offering hand-breaded chicken and seafood, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, Mexican street food, and more! We ordered online for lunch, and the online system was super easy: +Jumbo Tenders - hand-breaded tenders, served with a side of fries and slaw; you could have the tenders plain, or season it up with lemon pepper; I love that they had options in how you want your tenders cooked (soft, medium, medium well, hard, or extra hard - amazing!!!); don't forget the Chicago Hot Sauce! +The Chitown Cheese Steak - steaked with grilled onions, sweet peppers, cheese, and mayo on a toasted French roll +The Classic Gyro - with tazatziki sauce, but we also added raw onions and tomatoes +The Single - a burger with 1/3 lb beef patty on a tosted brioche bun; we added lettuce, tomatoes, yao, pickles, and raw onions +the Jumbo Wild Caught Catfish Filet - comes with a side of fries and slaw +and, Cheesy Fries - the hot cheddar cheese sauce was generous! Picking up was easy, and the food was received hot and fresh! Note that they deliver to an extensive list of neighborhoods, including South Loop, Near South Side, Bronzeville, Chinatown, Douglas, Fuller Park, McKinley Park, and more! Would like to try their Jumbo Hand-Constructed Pizza Puffs and their other sandwiches on the next pickup order. Plenty of street parking available in the area. +digital kitchen +seamless online ordering +generous portions +hot & fresh food items +ample street parking

Sooo I was anxious to try this place so I did on 3 different occasions so that I can compare and…read morewrite this review. All 3 were delivery orders. The food for the most part was good however they could use alot of improvements. I will just take a pause from ordering from here until they can get it right. Here is my reviews. 1. Ordered jumbo chicken tenders which were actually normal size. They do give you the option to choose how you would like it cooked. I was unsure between Medium well and hard. I chose hard but explained in the notes section I was unsure but just wanted them to be crispy not soggy. Well it was very hard and dry. But I will take the "L" for that because I was unsure but i thought my notes were clear enough. On this one day the fries were awesome even though i only received 9 of them. They were the Best part of the meal. No utensils or napkins 2. This day I ordered the Catfish Po Boy, order of fries and 1 tender medium well. The catfish po boy was awesome. The tender was awesome this time at medium well but small. The fries were stone cold and Definitely not like the first day. I also asked for mild sauce on the side I even stated "Upcharge ok" I did not receive either nor utensils. Maybe I didnt receive it because they would not have been. Able to upcharge me. 3. This day today right now as I am speaking I received my order. I ordered the Krispy Chicken, fries and a Taco. The Krispy chicken sandwich is one tender as indicated but it was not butterflied. It only took up half a bun so I had a tender on one side the other side had only had lettuce, tomato, onion and Mayo. The price was low but I rather they just charge more and give you another piece of chicken for the other side of the bun or butterfly it like listed in description. The fries were not cold they were warm but there was no coating. Still not the same fries from the first time. Also be aware you only get a half bag of fries. Its only $2.95 but they probably should let you know its a child portion as well as get a smaller bag to put them in and it may not seem so bad. Lastly the taco. It was not ground beef at least the ground beef I am use to. It was more like steak. It was good for the most part. It just had a large piece that was inedible and tough. I asked for Ketchup this time since that is normally free but again I did not receive it. I even put the same disclaimer as mild sauce that upcharge is ok but still nothing. No utensils or napkins as well. Overall I really want to like this place but service sucks. They do not honor order notes won't give you Ketchup napkins utensils anything. For the most part they need to work on adhering to order notes. Not being misleading in regards to getting regular size tenders when advertised as jumbo. Also dont give nobody meat on one side of a bun please butterfly like it states. Also please At least give Ketchup for fried or at least honor it ifsomeone request it and is willing to pay the upcharge. Also even if you do not want to give utensils at least give napkins. More than likely I will pause on ordering from here for a while until they can rectify isssues

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Mr G's South Loop Eats
Mr G's South Loop Eats
Mr G's South Loop Eats

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Flo & Santos - beef dip tavern pizza

Flo & Santos

3.9(1.2k reviews)
0.6 miNear Southside
$$

We love Flo & Santos' deep-dish pizza takeout. This time (Feb 2026), we got friends together for…read moretavern-style pizza ... shaped like a heart for Valentines Day! Silly, fun, and soooo tasty! We started with their Saturday special: a $20 bucket of 5 Polish beers. (Or you could get American beers.) To let everyone taste them all, we asked for glasses, which they brought frosty-chilled. The Tyskie Gronie is a golden color lager with a light hoppy flavor. The Warka Classic is more coppery in color, a little bready or malty, with some light herbal lemony flavors, with a drier finish. Okocim "O.K. Beer" is a pilsner, a bit floral and sweet, crisp, and lightly but sharply hoppy. These were great frefreshing pizza beers. They also had a wide range of beers from crafts to midwest standards. We also showed them the recipe for Orange Crush, invented in Ocean City, and Maryland's Official State Drink since Jun 2025. Hey, they've got a shandy on their menu, so we can order our fsvorite summer drink if we want during Chicago "false spring" heat wave this week :-) We shared appetizers of calamari and pierogis. The $17.50 calamari was tender and hot, lightly coated with crisp flakey salt and pepper crust, with spicy marinara for dipping and lemon to brighten the flavors. We cut the tender seared $13 pierogis to share the thinly wrapped potatoes & cheese, meat, and sauerkraut & mushroom, with sides and servings of homemade bacon-specked sauerkraut, sour cream, and applesauce. We would have ordered more of the peirogis, to have more than a few halves per person, but there was pizza work to do! Flo & Santos is (are?) serious with their tavern-style pizza! The crust is terrifically thin, like Italian piada bread, cooked crispy crunchy like a cracker, and cut into squares for sharing :-) Of course covered with all kinds of creative toppings, and red marinara sauce, or garlic cream white sauce, or no-sauce! We got the heart-shaped Valentines Feb 13-15 special with thin-cut pepperoni, lightly spicy and cutely relaxed about the exact shape :-). We added Nama's Veggie pizza, generously covered in tender sweet spinach, fresh tomato, bitey diced onion, chunks of sweet juicy green pepper, and a scattering of black olives and mushrooms for umami flavoring. Quite a marvelous collection of flavors. And we went a little wild with Marco's Italian Beef pizza! Don't shy away. They didn't imitate that classic Chicago sandwich. Instead, they lay that savory thin-sliced beef over tomato marinara pizza-sauce, then add a flsvorful zingy hot giardiniera, and make it even richer with fire-roasted tomatoes and caramelized onion. I think we got the $29 14-inch size of each pizza, plenty of deliciously-topped crunchy pizza for our group of six adults and three children, with some wonderful leftovers to take home :-) For a special dessert, they offered a super-cute whipped-cream-decorated heart-shaped strawberry $6.50 gelato with a chocolate-covered strawberry. When we saw the one, we shared several more around the table. A lovely refreshing finish. loved the food and drink, and the friendly attentive staff. We showed up without a reservation at 4:20pm on a Saturday, and with little waiting, they assembled a table for our group of nine. As we left two hours later, they were setting up a table for 20! We found street-parking pretty easily nearby for one car, and most of us arrived about two blocks away at the Roosevelt stop on the Orange, Green, and Red "L" lines. Come get your excellent Tavern-style thin-crust pizza!

We went to Flo and Santos because many we know kept raving about their pizza and the Polish…read moreoptions. To start, the space appears to be a traditional Chicago tavern with loud-ish music and a combination of booths and tables. It was a Sunday night and not too busy but the server was a little slow getting to us but was pleasant and reasonably knowledgable about the menu. The beer and drink selections were solid. We started with the pierogi platter and the cheddar waffle fries. The Pierogi were pretty standard, pan crisped, and served on top of sauerkraut with two sauces. They were somewhat flavorless and we we couldn't really tell the mushroom and sauerkraut from the meat at first glance after cutting into them. The cheddar waffle fries were smothered in what appeared to be a béchamel based cheddar sauce which was grainy and not well seasoned. The fries themselves weren't salted at all. Given that nearly all the topping was within the middle 1/2 of the plate, this left many fries being somewhat flavorless. The topping of bacon and green onions helped give it a much needed boost of flavor but we couldn't quite overcome the bland sauce (instead of shredded cheddar) over the fries. We then had the Marco's thin crust tavern style pizza. The cheese was mostly in the middle of the pizza and laid on thick while the edge pieces lacked topping and cheese. The topping were decent but unremarkable. The crust unfortunately fell completely flat. It was thin, which was nice, but it tasted like a Saltine cracker more than pizza crust. I know many people love Flo and Santos for their pizza but we were unimpressed by this outing. The pizza didn't really improve being reheated or even cold the next day per my family. Overall, we were very disappointed by our trip there and given the cost of going out these days I doubt we'll be back.

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Flo & Santos - Front dining area

Front dining area

Flo & Santos - Kielbasa pizza

Kielbasa pizza

Flo & Santos - Miller High Life and a Melort

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Miller High Life and a Melort

Ricobene's - Slice of sausage pizza

Ricobene's

3.9(1.4k reviews)
2.0 mi
$$

My mother ordered food today (Mother's Day 5/10/26/) and we're not pleased with the service we…read morereceived today. My mom orders from here often for family events and work events, however, today they lost our order ticket so our 2pm order wasn't made until we went to pick it up, and we didn't get it until 3pm. We handled that with grace and didn't complain. When they finally got the food to us and put it in the trunk, they spilled the juice from the Italian beef tray in the trunk. Which again, we were very calm and didn't complain about it. When the food got to the house and we started to unpack, we realized that we didn't get the steak sandwich tray we ordered, but a tray of mixed sandwiches. My mother called the restaurant to see how we can fix this, since we didn't need a tray of mixed sandwiches when we ordered the Italian beef and chicken Vesuvio separately as it was. The manager, Ali, basically called my mom a liar, said they checked the trays and we got the correct one. This is clearly not the case. She had horrible customer service skills and even refused to refund the difference for the price for the mixed sandwich trays and steak sandwich trays. As long-time customers we expected better. I've attached screenshots of the receipt and the food we receive. Edit: we spoke to the manager Kara today She was apologetic and made everything right for us.

I flew into Chicago, and knew this was going to be my first stop. Open late, I got here around…read moreMidnight and the place was packed. I got the breaded steak sandwich and a large coke. Order came out pretty quick. How was it? BOMB! This sandwich is amazing! It is messy as hell, but that's half the fun eating it. The steak is tender, the sauce is delicious, and the bread is soft and holds up the whole way through the sandwich. I will crave this sandwich until the next time I am in Chicago. It's perfect!

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Ricobene's
Ricobene's - Large steak sandwich

Large steak sandwich

Ricobene's - Meatball Sub

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Meatball Sub

Doughboy’s Chicago

Doughboy’s Chicago

4.3(24 reviews)
1.9 miNear Southside

Upon entering, there was a football game on the tv. But the inside is so chill. It has a variety…read moreof artists, actors, activists etc on the wall. I loved loved loved everything about it! I heard about this place originally through tik tok and it was about the Sunday plates. So of course I had to try it! It was sooooooo good I don't know where the candied yams went! It well all well seasoned and plenty I may have to go back to get a plate home to go! I was in Chicago for the weekend and I had to find soul food!! Not only was the food amazing. I had the pleasure with speaking to Nicole (the owner). It's rare that you get to sit and actually speak with the owner. The topic ranged from football to the local area. If you want to feel at home and also very full (like me) this is the place to go! Will be back on my Next visit!

I am always looking for a new place to try for lunch and I have seen IG Stories about this location…read moreand knew I had to try it. I ordered through Uber Eats. Food came pretty fast. I ordered Catfish Filet, Shrimp, Wings, Spaghedough, and Judy Juice. All Flavor wise was there. My came a little limp (Not Crunchy) But it may have been the travel from the restaurant to my job. The Spaghedough was just okay. The Judy Juice was a little too sweet for me. I would like to give this restaurant another try by either not having it delivered or ordering it fried hard. Price Range was average.

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Doughboy’s Chicago - Inside

Inside

Doughboy’s Chicago
Doughboy’s Chicago

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Harold's Chicken Shack - chicken_wings - Updated June 2026

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