Chicken connection used to be my favorite restaurant and it had consistently gone downhill for years now. Inconsistent food and consistently long waits. Just waited 20 minutes for 4 piece chicken tender and small Mac n cheese with not a single other person in the restaurant. Truly disappointing I and strongly recommend going to even KFC over this place now. read more

Came here for lunch and got a fried chicken sandwich with added fries. Sandwich was a good portion with mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle however a bit messy. Well seasoned. $9.08 with tax. Yelp check in offers a coupon for a free fountain drink, however they do not have fountain drinks, probably due to COVID. Shucks. read more

I've been here many many many many times... The quality of the food is just going downhill. Specifically, the fried chicken, Market Basket is way better and Publix in Florida is REALLY good. Chicken Connection is supposed to specialize in chicken... for crying out loud! read more

Little sorta comfort food lunch cafe spot if I was gonna label it as a style. Obviously a Fired Chicken joint so had to try it. As a BBQ reviewer I happened upon this little place because they have Ribs on the menu, so expectations weren't even set at medium for what they could offer as a "Good BBQ meal". They had a Chicken and Rib meal deal with 2 sides. 2 Ribs and 2 pieces of Chicken. Got one fried chicken breast and 1 friend chicken leg. Meal was for 2 Ribs but they through in 3 cause ... I don't know, I'm probably one of the only guys who got their Ribs in the last few days. Had to try their Mac and Cheese and I asked what they might recommend for a second side, thinking they would tell me which side people seem to enjoy the most. She said "Idk, maybe a vegetable" ... and the place went from a potential C- to an F. Grabbed the coleslaw just because it was the closest BBQ themed side dish. "Spare" Ribs were cold, tough, not much meat, meat was heavy, Loaded with Sauce like it was cooked in sauce for a whole day, not quite at the point where the meat was like rubber. I think these guys call them "Spare" ribs for a different reason. The fried chick was the same quality you'd find a grocery store hot bar. It was bad, it just wasn't good enough to name an entire operation out of it. But it was juicy enough, crispy enough, good enough fried batter but not much more than that Coleslaw was called "Zesty" but I don't know why. Not the worst coleslaw I've ever had but in the top 3 easily. Cabbage was barely shredded, there were big giant pieces of it hanging out of the little Styrofoam cup. And it was almost straight up mayo, no vinegar taste at all. And it was really cold. Mac and cheese was just cheese sauce, typical grocery store hot bar style, nothing added. Had to eat it just to get the temperature back into my mouth cause of how cold the slaw was. Came with a little bun that again is obviously bought from some other mass producer. Got a cornbread that I was confident enough they made. Good enough, just tasted like someone else's mix and not a homemade one. They had a little display of wrapped up baked goods, not unlike a little counter top display at a convenient store with Brownies and Whoopie Pies and stuff like that from a local baker. But it was labeled as their own stuff so I grabbed a "Deluxe Brownie". Still trying to figure out what the "Deluxe" part is but in any case it was actually pretty darn good. Still moist and cool, not dry, kind of that halfway point between a cool soft fudge and a fluffy cakey texture. read more

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Slow service Sides sat under the warmer for 10+ minutes while they had to make more chicken Disappointing yet this was my first visit so I will give it another try. Food was okay. read more

The food is delicious and delightfully. Doesn't matter what season it is. I can always love a good home cooked meal!!

Found a fly in the Mac and cheese, didn't enjoy the food. Service wasn't bad but not coordinated.

As soon as I entered the establishment I felt a bad energy . As if the fabrication itself was somehow tainted. Once I made it to the counter it was clear things weren't in order. the menu wasn't loading and had no inclinations of what was included in certain meal options. there was no one over 20 on site which is odd as there should be a manager managering yah know. anyways the rice was overcooked and ruined we weren't asked if we were dining in and it affected the dining experience negatively . chicken was fire though go to plaistow instead . read more

The Chicken Connection - a bowl of rice in a styrofoam container - Barbeque Near Me - Haverhill, Massachusetts

We ordered online, for a pickup. When we brought the order home, one dinner a Chicken Rib combo had no ribs. I would say, okay a mistake, but this IS not the first time. For the cost of dinner to feed four adults, I would expect better then a disappointing fast food mentality. Better endeavors are strongly recommended. We will not be returning, there are more professional restaurants available in Haverhill. read more

Ordered from here on Doordash because #convenience. When my food arrived, I opened the to-go box and almost dropped it. WHO DOESN'T PUT SAUCE ON CHICKEN PARMESAN?!!?! Also, no gravy with mashed potatoes??? What kind of people are putting these orders together? Chicken Parmesan is not Chicken Parmesan without sauce. I called and asked if this is their standard, and the girl working said "you can choose to add it". No, actually, you can't - not on Doordash at least. So now I'm eating fried chicken with a piece of provolone cheese melted on top. Tasty (not). At least put the sauce on the side!! I won't bother returning. read more

The Chicken Connection - the meal in a styrofoam container - Barbeque Near Me - Haverhill, Massachusetts

Had heard of this place through a local Facebook group. In the area for errands so a friend and I decided to stop by with the intention of getting some chicken soup. Upon walking in we were mesmerized by the fried chicken that you could see behind the counter. It was after lunch on a Sunday afternoon and there was a steady flow of people dining in and taking out. We decided to share the two piece fried chicken plate which included two sides and we chose the vegetable medley and butternut squash, instead of the rolled it comes with the plate we asked for cornbread ($1.69 extra) and a medium chili. We took a seat and within 5 to 10 minutes we had our lunch. The young lady said the chicken breast seemed small so she gave us an extra piece to which we thought we already had a lot of food for the small amount ($15) that we paid. The fried chicken was excellent, I haven't had this kind of fried chicken since I moved from the south. Tender, crisp but not greasy. Vegetables were very fresh, not canned, and the butternut squash was just the right amount of savory versus sweetness. Both luke-warm but not hot. Chili was very hot and contained a good amount of meat but was a bit more tangy than we both preferred. Very friendly, efficient service, clean restaurant and low prices for the quantity and quality. We'll be back! read more

Used to be much better, got take out and everything was cold, ordered at 5pm, pretty sure chicken was sitting since lunch!

We've tried chicken pies scroll 8-10 locations, and The Chicken Connection tops the list - no doubt about it! Their three chicken pie sizes are very generous, too; we had four meals out of what was advertised for just one! Just be aware that, if you order a hot chicken pie to go, you'll be told that the wait will be 35-60-90 minutes until it's ready. But it's well worth it! I'm read more

Awesome place. Going there for lunch now ! It's real food at a good price served by great people.

We have been wanting to try his spot for a while now and we're in the area. I am so glad we did! The ribs are smoked. We were not expecting that and we're extremely happy. The ribs had a nice smoke flavor and super tender. The Mac and cheese was perfect. Pasta was not soggy at all. The stuffing, butternut squash and coleslaw were great as well. The fried chicken was also amazing! The portions are huge and the price is on point. Grabbed some Jakes ice cream for dessert which was a perfect way to end a 5 star meal. The service and staff were all very pleasant and professional. We will go out of our way to come back! read more

The food is the best part about it. The service is the worst I've experienced in a long while. Ordering online with pickup at 6:25. Waited patiently after telling them I was there - proceeded to wait for 30 minutes and 5 other walk up customers get served and their foo. finally had to say something and then 2 others got served after ordering in person. Don't order on line and don't expect service resembling even close to good. shame that it seems they just don't care. read more

Great chicken, friendly staff. Chicken a tad dry, and potatoes were over cooked as well.... but overall decent place!

Use to be so good. What has happened? Went there Oct 11,2022. Ordered two meals to go chicken was all dried out sides were cold a huge waste of $30. read more

Overcooked, dried out chicken, all the sides were cold. I cannot find one redeeming quality about this place. Had to give it one star because I didn't want to give it any read more

Have driven by many times and finally the opportunity to stop. Home style meals. AMAZING FRIED CHICKEN!! Fresh sides, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots. Think KFC but so much better!!! read more

I saw this place on phantom gourmet so I thought I would give it a shot. The staff was very nice but the food was average. The portions are huge and the price is right. I ordered 3 piece all white meat, probably a mistake, and it comes with two sides, a roll and butter. Not sure how the roll is because I didn't get one, but I didn't need it so I didn't go ask for it. For sides I got Mac and cheese and carrots. The star of the show was the Mac and cheese. Really good. Carrots were tasteless. The chicken is not cooked to order. It is KFC style with a bunch of cooked chicken in a glass enclosure. The chicken was dry the coating was nice and crisp but not enough flavor. The chicken would probably be better if I went when they were busy, but I didn't. read more

Dry over cooked chicken, batter and crispy skin were non-existent. I know the pandemic has been tough but hire some people that care. The smell from the dumpster wafted around to the customer seating. I'm not the type to make a scene and complain in front of everyone, so we trashed both entrees after eating about 25% each. I'm the easy to please guy too. - Not Karen read more

This place used to be so good. Fair portions delicious food and fair prices. Now it's terrible food couldn't even test my meal because it was so gross. I had 6 chicken fingers in honey mustard sauce now I'm sick to my stomach. The potato and corn I got for sides were awful. I would not recommend EVER eating here the place it used to be is DEAD food is not even worth 1$ anymore. read more

It's unfortunate the customer service is so awful because the food is actually delicious! We've ordered from here twice and both times they forget something. We always have to wait an additional hour past the estimated time and it's run by a lot of young teens that are extremely condescending and rude. Both times they forgot something (which is no biggy, it happens especially when busy) but when I called both times I didn't make it a big deal or even ask for the manager just kindly let them know what was left out the order and they were unapologetic and rude. It's a bummer because the comfort food is honestly great. Just wish they trained staff better and hired atleast a manager of age with the maturity to handle conversations without becoming defensive even when approached nicely. read more

It's like a very high-quality KFC. Everything is very good. Friendly staff. Chicken fingers of the best I've ever had.

Taaste:5 food is great tasting that's what they're known for right? Sides are just ok good to have them with the meal. Better than not. Service:5 they always take care of you and are fast and get u In and out. Presentation4: only eve taken food out never dined I'm so the food has always been packed nice and neat never had any spills or complications Value:2 its a bit pricey I mean seeing that u can get dollar chicken at a lot of places ... Overall: 5 Haverhill gem here for decades. read more

The Chicken Connection is a very popular place to go for homestyle chicken meals and BBQ. Featured on the Phantom Gourmet, The Chicken Connection offers plenty of chicken choices including fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, chicken fingers, chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, chicken rice soup, chicken salad, and chicken pot pies. Besides chicken, BBQ fare, turkey pies, salad bar, and a variety of homestyle sides are also served here. After recent discussion on Yelp Talk regarding places to get chicken pot pies in the Boston area (Harrows, KFC, and the now closed David's Famous Chicken Pies were mentioned), I decided to stop for lunch at The Chicken Connection in Haverhill just to try out a Chicken Pot Pie. I've had the Fried Chicken here, which is very good. I arrived here around 2PM on a Saturday and the place was steady busy. For takeout, I ordered a Chicken Pie Meal ($7.99) served with two sides (I chose stuffing and mac & cheese) & soft dinner roll. The service was superfast and my number was called out in one minute after ordering. The amount of food (heavy) given was generous. The fresh baked rectangle shaped chicken pie was filled with tender pieces of white meat chicken, peas & carrots in a creamy chicken gravy and topped with a very firm baked crust, slightly flaky. The baked chicken pot pie I had was very good, though the former David's Famous Chicken Pies would still be my favorite in the area, IMHO. The side of corn bread stuffing was pretty standard and I used the chicken gravy from the chicken pie to mix with the stuffing. The mac & cheese looked simple, but it was prepared perfectly with firm elbow macaroni in a very smooth and rich cheese sauce. On my next visit, I'll have to try the BBQ pulled pork and get the mac & cheese again! read more

We stopped yesterday evening at the Chicken Connection in Haverhill Ma. Long wait time after order was taken, 40 minutes to receive our food. When the food arrived everything was cold, just like it was taken out of the fridge, all 5 meals. The only thing that was hot were some fresh cooked chicken fingers. If the kids weren't so hungry, we would have returned the food....afraid of how much longer it would take to get the food back again........worst waste of my money! Did report it to a counter person, who said you should have brought the food back, but again what would the wait time have been. Don't know how they were recommended by Phantom Gourmet. read more

If the food was warm, I could see it being good but don't expect that to be the case. The service is horrendous. I should have expected it after the first experience picking up a catered order and having to wait an hour at that time. Now a second attempt having called in an order for a family of 3 was no better. It took multiple attempts to call after being placed on hold and then hung up on a few times. I should have known at that point this was going to be a bad idea. Gave them the benefit of the doubt; maybe they are just very busy. When we did finally place the order, we were told 15-20 minutes. Ok maybe they aren't so busy then, so I arrived within that window. I told the high school aged children at the counter I was there for my pickup order, proceeded to pay and waited patienty for my order. Meanwhile much of the staff is standing around. There weren't many patrons in the restaurant so they certainty didn't seem very busy. Another half hour passes as I stand nearby. Now this just seems ridiculous. At this point I tell the staff at the counter how long I've been waiting and having placed my order over an hour ago. Low and behold the food has been sitting in the warmer the entire time! BTW the warmer doesn't keep the food warm. I get home to find out some of the order is incorrect and a few items missing. We call and speak with a "manager" but likely just one of the high school aged individuals. They supposedly are refunding the missing items, but no consideration for their poor service resulting in cold food. Needless to say, take your hard earned money elsewhere. I'm truly shocked how long this place has remained in business! read more

Preordered and prepaid days in advance for a party we were having. My husband showed up to pick up the order at the designated time. They said they had nothing for us, that there wasn't an order in our name. I sent proof that my credit card was charged by them and all of a sudden your order was found in their system. Then my husband was told that it would be a long time to fill the order as their kitchen was backed up. (That is why I ordered and prepaid in advance to avoid the wait!) My husband left empty handed and I had s house full of people without any food. Nothing was done to make things right. I'll never go there again. It's a shame as I had been a long time customer. read more

My husband and I went in last night 2/9/23 at 7:30 and their food was already cleared out of the warming tables. They were reluctant to take our order, but did so anyways. After we ordered and paid, we were told they were out of coleslaw , because they put it away and out of potato wedges. Not a problem, things happened, we ordered mashed potatoes and stuffing instead. I asked if she would give us some gravy for the potatoes, I could tell by her body language she was not please by my extra request. Our food was packaged and ready by 7:55. Upon leaving, we asked if they threw in any rolls, the Girl politely told me the rolls were put away for the night. I realize it was close to closing time, but felt we could have been accommodated a little bit better. Food was good when we got it home ,however, not what we originally ordered. read more

One of the best chickens I have ever eaten! The side red skin potatoes with lemon and pepper are out of this world! read more

The Chicken Connection - Barbeque Near Me - Haverhill, Massachusetts

Today will be my last time, they forgot our sauce and rolls again. After driving 20 minutes there and 20 minutes home, I call and I'm told to come pick it up and they wouldn't remake it, by the time I drive there and back again my food would be 80 minutes cold. No thanks. read more

Service sucks. Nobody seems to know what they are doing. Waiting for my food. We received food with missing items. Food generally was good. But service was less than desirable. read more

I placed my order on the phone arrived to pick up the order and they said I never order it. So I hit redial on my phone and they answered the phone lie number 1. So now I questioned how long to get my order I was told 10. Ok I can wait 10 minutes and my grandson can still be to work on time after waiting 25 minutes they say in order to cancel payment he has to wait in line behind 6 people lie number 2. So they hung him up for another 10 minutes then give him half of the order. I drive like heck because now my grandson is late for work. I drop him off and noticed all the desserts they charged me for were not in the bags. Back to the store and I go in and they say oh we refunded the desserts to your credit card. I take the slip get home go over the receipt and they kept the tax they charged for the dessert. Open the 12 piece box of chicken that only had 11 pieces of chicken in it. So now my 3 trip back I get refunded for their screw up and they don't even compensate me for all my wasted time and gas money for 3 trips. This used to be a good place but not anymore. It is now the most dysfunctional place and no sense of professionalism at all! read more

Chicken is barely eatable. Make sure you order slaw to soften up the chicken. Their prices are way over their quality. Save some money go to Popeyes. read more

I hate it when I order gravy on the side and when I get home no gravy. Also the girl at the register was quick to request her tip but neglected to give my husband his military discount. Don't know what is happening with this place not as I remembered. read more

Down-home country style fried chicken. No fancy panko dredge or international spices. Just simple ingredients that let the juicy chicken flavor come through. That's how I like it. Take-out during COVID so things were quiet. Ate it in the car. Chicken and sides packaged separately which was good. We trekked up to Haverhill from the South Shore after hearing about this joint and we weren't disappointed. read more

Finally set up a Yelp account last month!! Anyhow, had them cater an event in 2019 for a backyard party. Food was delicious!! This also happened to be the near 100 degree day. Staff was great even in the brutal heat. Ordered today for a small gathering, less than 10 people due to Covid and outdoors. Fried Chicken, chicken fingers, and ribs. Excellent, and since i over ordered i have leftovers for a couple days. Guess i am a genius. read more

I waited an hour for my food when I ordered online. I checked in with them after the "scheduled time" my order should've been done. They told me that the chicken isn't done yet, even though I could see large trays of chicken, which ended up being the chicken I got. So I ended up just lukewarm chicken and I never even got the vegetables or gravy I also ordered. They gave me 4 small deserts for compensation even though they were going to refund my 50 dollar order. Pathetic establishment. read more