UPDATE: I went back again and decided to try the Hot Chi Tenders. Everything was consistent with my last review on this place. OOOOOOMG, the tenders were HUGE, soooo good and JUICY. I also had an order of fries. The fries seemed different than last time. They seemed to be seasoned differently. Fries were deeeeelicous!! This place is now a go to staple for me! I will be back!! read more

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There are a ton of fried chicken places in town, and this is quickly becoming one of my favorites for a nice messy sandwich. The food is reasonably priced, very tasty, and the hot honey butter chicken sandwich in particular is something I crave again almost as soon as I finish it. Great place, very nice team, highly recommended. read more

"Big oof!" The location inside Sterling Hall is one of my all-time favorites. I am there so often, the staff know me by name. I thought a standalone spot could only be better, right? Wrong. My Old Faithful sometimes had the Dirty Mac special, and when it didn't, I'd order the individual components and assemble it myself. Cue some giddy excitement when the same is part of this location's permanent menu. You know I went for it, but was tremendously disappointed. To start, the tender was too small on its own, but doubly so when considering the amount of macaroni and cheese. Though, the little bits and pieces of tender I received were great. As for the M&C, this was a letdown on two fronts: first, the sauce was watery, second, it was cold! To add insult to injury, cold mac plus warm tender = cold tender. While the restaurant was not at all busy at the time, this is no excuse to serve cold food. Then came the fries: I appreciate that these were fresh, hot, and cooked well. They also had some of their own seasoning to add flavor, but didn't go far enough due to a stunning lack of salt! The location was clean and bright, with loads of happy colors on their walls. The service wasn't Michelin-star quality, but perfectly fine for a fast-casual spot. Final verdict: Do not use the Lakeview location as a barometer of Hot Chi's quality, for they can make amazing food. However, if you seek it here, you will not find. read more

Its was crowded for their promo of course but I had a bunch of time to kill before a show at the Vic... and you know when you see a line outside a store... human nature to have fomo hit. I made small talk with another person to make the wait more tolerable and he got that look like maybe she likes me" and Im like duuude no... Anywho the giant breaded chicken on a bun was okay but definitely not my thing... but free is good. It seemed like a breast but menu seems to indicate only thigh meat. Ambiance is a little kiddish for my taste. Prolly will not revisit. read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located right at the entrance of the Belmont brown and red line makes it very convenient to get to especially during this cold winter. There is plenty of seating and good for groups. The staff was friendly. You order, pay, and pick up at the front. There are 5 levels of heat. I ordered the hot honey butter chicken in 'hottt' which is the second spiciest. We were warned that the chicken was spicy, but I didn't find it that spicy. You could see where the spices were distributed on the chicken. I could still enjoy the flavor, and there was no pain. It was a large piece of chicken and wasn't dry. I would try the other sandwiches probably with the 'call yo momma' heat level. read more

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Workers were super nice and friendly right from when we walked in. Colors of the restaurant are interesting, very bright in there l, but definitely caught our eye when walking past. We ordered cheat day fries for to go but didn't eat it until we got home and hr later. We air fried them and they taste so good. Love the slight spice in the fries, wish we were able to eat them fresh. Definitely recommend these fries! read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Cheat Day Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This new chicken sandwich shop just opened up in Lake View East off the Belmont stop. The service was wonderful, the man who took our order was really helpful and polite. We ordered the hot honey butter sandwich (medium heat) and the Popeyes ain't Sh!t (mild heat) to go. Both sandwiches were made hot and fresh for order. I liked how you can choose your spice level, especially for those with a lower heat tolerance. The chicken they use seem to be tender cut, but they're huge pieces! The sandwich was really thick and I'm glad they wrapped it for easy holding without getting juices/sauce dripping down your hands. The hot honey butter sandwich with medium heat was as spicy I could go. It definitely packed some heat! The honey butter and pickles in the sandwich cut some of that, but overall I really enjoyed this. The Popeyes ain't sh!t sandwich with mild heat was also really good. The onions and pickles kept a perfect crunch and didn't get soggy, which made for good textured bite. The chicken in both sandwiches weren't overcooked or rubbery they were juicy, tender and had a good crisp to it. Definitely one of the best food chicken sandwiches I've had. I personally think this is better than Dave's Hot Chicken. The fries were also made fresh and came out crispy. The seasoning on it kinda reminded me of Arby's curly fries! Seems like they got some new menu items coming soon, so I can't wait to come back and try! If you're looking for a tasty, filling chicken sandwich without breaking the bank, I definitely would recommend Hot Chi Chicken! read more

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First time stopping by Hot Chi and I will tell you this is amazing. The food is cooked well with the right amount of spice. Fries are amazing. Had the Spicy Honey Butter Chicken sandwich and it was really good. Place is right off the CTA Belmont Station for convenience. Dave's Hot Chicken has a strong competition. Overall good food for the price paid for. 10/10 read more

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Hey! This used to be Blaze Pizza! Remember that. This is their fifth location and this is the same size as the original location on 87th St. which we been too. I had their Grilled Corn Elote. The staff and service are hot chi chickenriffic. PS. Soft opening phase until the grand opening which might be on 11/22 or 12/6. read more

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I went there after my workout, I got their chicken salad with mild spicy flavor. I really liked it and would love to go back to try their chicken sandwich! read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The way I couldn't get to this review fast enough. Hands down the best chicken sandwich I've ever had and that's saying a lot. Mostly what I order are chicken sandwiches. The size was incredible! I will be back often. read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love this place so much. Chicken sandwich is amazing and fries are fabulous and crunchy in a way I'm addicted to.

9:40 on a Monday night I get out of yoga and my usual place is closed. Rayvon takes my order and Brisa prepares the food. Both of them are SO nice to me, like what a nice conversation. Being new in Chicago I don't expect everyone to be down to clown , like let people work right? But without sacrificing any efficiency or quality at all, these two lovely humans made me smile in a way that lasted all the way home on the Brown Line. Then I get home and get to the food. I got the green chick salad (mild)-- SO tasty. SO good. Anyway I'll totally be back. Thanks Rayvon, Thanks Brisa!!! read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Green Chick Salad - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fried chicken is a go-to after a night out and has never disappointed besides at this place. Medium tenders were clearly microwaved and tasted so rancid I had to go puke in the restroom. Also, a very poorly run establishment as the staff clearly wanted to leave and had the worst attitude. DO NOT RECOMMEND read more

ATTENTION VEGANS! FRIES ARE NOT VEGAN! (cooked in beef tallow) I don't want to give this place a bad rep out of the gate, because I know they're fairly new, and the staff seem super personable and welcoming to the neighborhood, so hopefully one day I'll be able to order something there that I can eat! read more

Went in and the staff was nice. The food was delicious, and the owner was soooo nice. I had the "Popeyes ain't shit" chicken sandwich with a medium spice. My friend got the same thing but with a "call yo momma" spice which is hotter. We both agreed that the medium spice tasted better. Anyway come check this place out. read more

The customer service was outstanding. They fry up your chicken when you place your order. I ordered six wings hot. That's the second to the hottest level. I love spicy. These were so good. Seasoned perfectly and super juicy. It came with pickles, Alabama sauce, and a garlic brioche toast. My mouth was on fire but in an amazing way. Will definitely be back. read more

Hot Chi Chicken - 6 piece hot chicken wings - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely yummy! And fast service! I was impressed with my dining experience, especially for a new restaurant. Will be coming back soon! read more

Hot Chi Chicken - Hot Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got the Popeye's Ain't Shit Chicken Sandwich! I was impressed with the overall product. The seasoning, breading and chicken was perfectly cooked. If you want a juicy chicken sandwich I'd recommend this location read more

This is the real deal, seen this place when I walk down Belmont decided to stop in. Got a chicken sandwich to go, ate it as I walk home it was so good. This is the real deal, seemed to take pride in their food and service. My only thing is the music is a little loud, but that's just my opinion. They can turn it up as long as that sandwich is still that good read more

Mayo and noodles not actually Mac and cheese !!! Sandwich was really good though great flavors

Extremely slow service - not worth the wait. Would not recommend this place! So many better places in the area

food came out 30 minutes later than expected, but was somehow cold, kitchen does not seem prepared at all. If the sandwich was fresh it might be good. Inside the store looks like squid games. 2.7/10 read more

Fantastic chicken sandwich, would recommend! The workers are extremely nice and personable. You can tell they care about the product and customers. read more

Extremely underwhelming! I don't even know where to begin... I really wanted to be a fan and regular at this place, but I'm DEFINITELY done and no longer going back. And when I say I've "tried"... I mean that I've gone, I've tried something, didn't really like it, I'll try something else next time. But it's as if each time would get worse and worse. I started by trying the basic chicken sandwich, VERY underwhelmed.. again, I just chucked it up to "just not for me"... I went back and tried the salad. It wasn't as bad. Then next time I went back I asked for just a little extra lettuce... one of the male managers... was bagging my food and the top clearly wasn't closed when he was putting it in the bag. He must not have noticed me watching him put it in the bag all messy, but then wanted to over act like he cared, when I mentioned it. Which also reminds me to tell you guys, whenever I did consider stopping in and getting something, if I saw that manager there it made it an EXTRA "ABSOLUTELY NOT", that guy definitely gives "c0ked up" vibes... so no thanks, I'm good! Then I went on another day and ordered a salad with dressing ON THE SIDE... I get home only to find a ton of dressing at the bottom of the salad. I ordered some tenders elsewhere and went in to buy the Alabama sauce, and it was a DOLLAR for each one, I wouldn't complain if they were a nice size, but to charge a DOLLAR for so little sauce? I've gotten more ketchup in a packet of ketchup! giving another try for the most SIMPLE two tenders "southern style", that was the only thing that actually tasted good, but I also ordered the elote corn, which tasted like it's been sitting in celery juice its whole life! YEEEEE-UCK!!! Then on my VERY LAST attempt I order the salad dressing on the side and when I get home.. yes, the dressing was on the side... but $12 for a bowl of a TON of parmesan with some lettuce and barely ANYTHING else... just Parmesan cheese, a little lettuce, a lot of tortilla strips and 3 gross looking cherry tomatoes, and there was more tomatoes than corn. So I really was trying my BEST to like this place, but for them to overprice stuff and it not at all be worth it... and the food not being worth the "hype"... and a seemingly high af manager... it'll be a no for me going forward. I'll go a few doors down to devil dog's instead. I hope y'all's experience(s) are/will be better than mine read more

THE BEST chicken sandwich in Chicago. Highly recommend you try it! The people were kind, the space was clean. The HOTT was DEF hot, like a 7/10 for me and I eat spicy food. read more

The food was so yummy! Definitely check this place out. The presentation was also amazing!!!

Excellent place; chicken sandwich (I got the hot honey butter) was perfectly spicy to my tastes at the maximum spice level. Chicken was perfectly cooked, amazingly crispy, and incredibly flavorful. Price was reasonable for the product in my opinion. Staff were friendly, and the store itself is well-decorated with amply available free water (a must). Will be going again, probably regularly. read more

Very mid. "Beef tallow" fries who cares I still just ingested 5000 mgs of sodium. Everything felt really heavy. If you're looking for for a good sandwich go to redlight instead read more

The workers were super nice and welcoming and the chicken was delicious! We each got 2 tenders (mild and hot) and really enjoyed each flavor. The garlic toast is super good and the fries came out super hot and fresh and we loved the Alabama sauce that came with our tenders. Will definitely be back! read more

So good! Will be coming back all the time. Fries are phenomenal and the honey butter sandwich 1000% YES

Amazing food, service, and the pickles are really good!! Such a fun vibe in here and the wait staff is very attentive