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    The Chicken

    3.7 (206 reviews)
    Special Hours 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    The Chicken Photos

    Business Info

    THE CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - The Chicken

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    Reviews With Photos

    Original chicken sandwich
    Kelly K.

    Fun, casual restaurant. The relaxed vibe is great. One of the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had in my life. Would definitely go back.

    Hot sauces
    Jason K.

    The Chicken is The Bomb. Great food x Great Service x Fun Atmosphere = awesome chicken spot in Iowa. Pretty much everything here is fried, so know what you are getting into. That being said, everything we tried was awesome. Portions were also huge, so we did not even come close to eating it all. Here's how the tale goes.. Two weary travelers stop in after work based on a recommendation. We are immediately seated, greeted with a smile, and introduced to an incredible beer list. We decide to start with the broasted wing special and cheese curds because we are hungry fellas. While waiting for that, we order entrees. Well the curds and wings come and are great. About halfway through, we look at each other and realize even more food was a mistake. We mix up the beer choices, and dive into the main courses. Nothing gets finished completely, our belt buckles are introduced to new holes, and we finish up overly full. To sum it up, everything was great, but don't let your eyes lead the way. This cautionary tale was brought to you by work trips and expense reports everywhere.

    Entrance
    Monty D.

    What can I add that the name doesn't state: The Chicken. This restaurant is a fried chicken road house - in all senses. You can see in my pic the big chicken. As you can see from my other patio pics, on good weather days, there is plenty of seating. It's a medium sized restaurant, and on this afternoon there was a waiting line to sit inside. I have a pic of the bar, which emphasizes the roadhouse vibe. I should mention that all 10 TVs had sports on them. I could keep up with my favorite teams without turning my head. Being first-timers, we had to try the Hot Chicken Sundae. As you can see from my pic, this is a layering of biscuit, mashed potatoes, fried chicken breast strips, gravy and topped with onion rings. Okay, the best part was the fried chicken: plentiful, moist, crunchy coatings, seasoned well with a bit of pepper heat. The onion rings were as crunchy as they looked, but didn't have very flavor. The rest was okay. The side of sweet corn was also okay. I'd go back for the fried chicken and the vibe.

    Classic chicken sandwich, Nashville Hot on a brioche bun.
    Moo O.

    Moo The Chicken, 4221 SE Orilla Rd. A, West Des Moines, IA 50062. Classic chicken sandwich Nashville Hot on a hand breaded, and fried on a brioche bun. Chicken bacon ranch, two strips of bacon with Swiss cheese. Great service along the Great Western bike trail from Des Moines to Cumming. Moo The Chicken, 4221 SE Orilla Rd. A, West Des Moines, IA 50062 7/5/2025 https://www.thechickenorilla.com/

    Nashville Hot Dinner
    Todd B.

    4.2* (out of 5) Food: 4* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5* Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 4* (Probably) Total check/person: $24 06/12/2024 We have had discounts from kid's athletics fundraising cards to try this place for several years and finally got over to try it this summer. While the exterior on the East side didn't look like much, the front (North) side looked much more inviting and lively - with tables and a modern look. Unfortunately, we arrived from the South and didn't see the front side until leaving (see pictures of each side below). I did like the corrugated metal and rustic wood decor - giving it a bit of a old farm building feel inside. We started with a Salty Chick and an Orilla Sunset (see picture) drink - and really enjoyed both of them. For our meal we ordered a Nashville Hot Dinner (see picture) and a Chicken Strip Meal (see picture). The chicken was good and we really liked the fries - hearty, crispy on the outside & soft and hot on the inside. Best of all was the Carolina Mustard and Bang Bang sauces on the side - we loved both of them! While this is a bit out of the way for us since we live up in Urbandale and don't get this far south very often, we did enjoy our stop for dinner and would recommend it if you are in the area. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Chicken sandwich
    Ronnie T.

    Christina O was fantastic and the chicken was amazing . Waffles and grill chicken was superb , chicken sandwich was top notch . Keep up the good work

    Garth P.

    Interesting roadhouse style place. Great food, excellent service, vegetarian options. Definitely worth the drive.

    Best chicken and waffles I've ever had! Nashville hot
    Tony H.

    My wife and I have been wanting to try this place for a while and never get to that side of town. We went there on a PubPass- they had great beer selection. They also had a great food menu. I got the Nashville hot chicken and waffles- they were some of the best chicken waffles I've ever had. It's also right on a bike trail so if you're in that area riding bikes, I would recommend going. The only complaint is that is really warm in there. It would be a perfect place for a patio day as well. We will definitely be back!

    Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders
    Landen W.

    We went for Nashville hot chicken. The fries were amazing, but the chicken sandwich was really not spicy at all. If you wanted a chicken sandwich, it would probably be a good place for you. The staff was very kind. Our only complaint was just that the chicken wasn't hot and was under seasoned.

    Breakfast menu
    Janella N.

    Love this place! Laid back setting, everyone welcome, and come early because they get busy around dinner time especially on the weekends. Love the guys behind the bar who make any trip to their restaurant SO worth it! Shout out to Ross and Danny, and Jordan and Hannah too! Must try the mini beers shot! Also they offer local beers and spurs on tap and they have the best mules in town! We've tried different food dishes and everything is so good!

    Jolene M.

    Some of the best flavorful hot chicken. The Iowa hot chicken is a dry based rub and that heat level is good. Not burn your mouth heat, but a perfect blend of flavor and spice. They also serve hot chicken Nashville style using buffalo sauce. As an added bonus there is an amazing selection of local beers and speciality cocktails.

    Southwestern Salad - Onion Rings - Flight of drinks!

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Said brunch was till 11am on marketing but they stop serving at 10:45. Poor communication. Brunch should go til 2pm.

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food!! Cool atmosphere and the prices are great. Oh, and the staff is very friendly

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    3 years ago

    Good service, average food. The driveway into the place feels like you are driving through the Grand Canyon of potholes.

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    3 years ago

    Ok Pizza. Need to order extra crispy. Service and staff suck when you order via phone. Complain about taking order. Decent pizza

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Fun atmosphere. Kid friendly. Good food and drinks. Place was busy but that added to the great experience.

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Very good food great chicken and onion rings. Good service. A little pricey but still worth it

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great location, perfect stop to bike to. Food is average at best. Beer selection is decent.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Breasted chicken is always amazing! Love their fried pickles and cheese curds. Great location on the bike trail.

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    Page 3 of 6

    Ask the Community - The Chicken

    Does anyone know if the outdoor seating is dog-friendly?

    Only service dogs are allowed on the patio.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Chicken Heat - "Hot" chicken sandwich with slaw.

    Chicken Heat

    4.1(22 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    A comedy of errors led me to lunch on the South side today. It's a long story…read more.. I've wanted to try Chicken Heat for some time. I love fried chicken and I'm a glutton for punishment... Although I errored on the side of caution and steered clear of the ghost and Carolina reaper levels. I walked in at about 1130 AM today and was greeted straight away! The gentleman at the counter asked if I needed a menu. But like any decent foodie I'd already done my due diligence online. I ordered a hot chicken sandwich with pickles and slaw, an order of the Nashville shrimp, and a grape Sunkist soda. I want to say the total was $18 and change before tip. He let me know it would be about a 10 min wait. Mannnn... Talk about hot and fresh. I unpacked it in my car. And hot in more ways than one... I loved that the styrofoam container for the shrimp was vented so the breading didn't get soggy. The spice level on the shrimp was excellent. A little burn, but not enough to completely overpower the delicate taste of the shrimp itself. I'd read a couple of reviews that said the spice levels on the chicken sandwiches were to the milder side so I was confident ordering hot. Those reviews were wrong. Lol My tolerance might be down a little but this was way way past the "Iowa hot" we usually get in the metro. Thank God for the slaw and the soda. There were no tears but I could sure feel it. It was so very good! Portion-wise the sandwich was massive. There were enough shrimp it was worth the money. I can usually put down two Popeye's and here...one was sure enough. I finished my lunch as one happy camper. Good show guys! I didn't feel like the extra carbs today but next time I'll definitely sample the collard greens, the mac n cheese, the onion rings, and anything else that catches my eye. I hear they do catfish on Fridays... And I love me some catfish! While my order was take out there is an indoor dining area available. To order enter through the front and head to the Right. The dining area is kind of a seperate area with it's own set of doors. After ordering head back towards the front and it's kind of to the Left. Make sure you check their sites (below) for their hours... https://chickenheat.com/ https://www.facebook.com/flameonheat?mibextid=LQQJ4d

    Finally stopped by Chicken Heat for the first time at their new location. I'd tried their sandwich…read morea while back when they were still selling out of the truck. Honestly kinda mad I waited so long! It's even better than I remember. I had their "hot" sandwich the first time, and I wished it hurt a little more, so I tried the "xl" spicy this time. It was pleasantly spicy, but still not as punishing as I wanted, so I'm definitely going to try the next level up next time. The sandwich itself was HUGE, the chicken was juicy, the breading was crisp, bun was fresh, and the pickle+slaw was a nice accompaniment. All in all, a solid and satisfying sandwich (even if it didn't leave me in tears). Partner and I also got a side of fried okra, and that was a good treat! Only slight disappointment was that they didn't seem to be set up for dine-in, so had to wait a car ride home before inhaling this delicious dinner.

    Photos
    Chicken Heat - Front counter area.

    Front counter area.

    Chicken Heat - "Hot" chicken sandwich with slaw.

    "Hot" chicken sandwich with slaw.

    Chicken Heat - Just inside the front door.

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    Just inside the front door.

    Westown Tap

    Westown Tap

    3.4(5 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 5*…read more Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $16 04/28/2026 Quick stop for a late and lite dinner after a church event tonight and was first impressed with the complete remodel since my last visit. The main bar and game rooms basically switched sides of the building, with the bar now on your left when you enter the building...and greatly improved lighting! Tonight we went with the Jalapeno Smash Burger (see picture) and were quite impressed - both with the burger and the fries. It was $10 Smashburger & Fries night, so the Value shot to a 5* rating as this was a great deal for some great food! We will definitely be watching the nightly specials as both Steak Night and Gyros Night look like excellent opportunities for the future!

    I finally tried some food here and it was decent. The Flatbread had a lot of extra butter on it…read more(not sure if it was butter or oil) but it had a butter taste. It didn't need any of that. But it was decent. My friend had a smashburger & fries and loved it. It looked really good & not greasy at all. The place is a lot better since it changed ownership. The icky carpet is gone. The bathrooms are cleaner and the ladies room has feminine hygiene stuff which I think more bathrooms need to have. They have new chairs & tables. The chairs are actually comfortable. There is more staff working and so far they've all seemed very friendly & attentive. There are new cooks as well. New menu. Decent happy hour specials. Definitely recommend.

    Photos
    Westown Tap
    Westown Tap
    Westown Tap

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    The Chicken - chickenshop - Updated July 2026

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