Chicago Fried Chicken Sandwich Hunt - Part 1
Our Chicken Adventure
As a joke one morning during my coffee walk, I mentioned I wanted to find the BEST fried chicken sandwich in Chicago. The IG fam did not think this was a joke and provided me with many an option and many opinions. With the city opening up a bit more - I figured, why not, let’s compile these and have ourselves an adventure. Many spots were within the Lakeview/Lincoln Park area, which is where I live. But there were quite a few in other places which would make for a great Sunday afternoon bike ride.
As I write this, I have gone to 12/36 spots, and while I have the saga documented on IG, I thought the blog would be a great place as well. I will be reporting these in the order in which I tried them.
The Grading System:
5 - OMG you must come here from far and wide to try it
4 - Would definitely be on my active list of places to recommend
3 - If you’re in the area, it’s a good sandwich, but don’t travel to get it
2 - It’s eh, you can tell the restaurant is good, but don’t order this
1 - Offensive
My Personal Preferences:
-I like pickles
-I like there to be a slaw, preferably more mayo forward than vinegar, but depends on the flavor profile
-I really prefer a bun/sandwich to stay together
-I recognize that in some instances, takeout may affect the quality of the sandwich
Fry The Coop
1529 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
4/5
-Pickles were on both sides of the sandwich
-There was a good crunch to the sandwich
-Chicken was perfectly made
-The slaw was an even balance of mayo and vinegar
-Chicken heat comes in various degrees, I just got mild.
Bluebird Chicago
2863 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
4/5
-Slaw was on the sweeter side
-Good amount of pickles
-The chicken had a salt and pepper flavor to it
-It felt like it was missing something in the form of sauce or flavoring but still overall so so good
-Quintessential fried chicken sandwich experience
-Very oily
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
3361 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
2/5
-I was disappointed….
-Obviously, it is a well-respected institution so wouldn’t go and get a sandwich there
-It was very middle of the road, just like well-cooked chicken on a bun with some sauce
-The slaw was actually just cabbage with some mayo on it
-Not much of a crunch texture wise
-No flavoring to the Chicken other than the sauce on it
The Budlong
1008 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
5/5
-There are a few locations but each of them has *chefs kiss food, I visited the Armitage location
-These are HOT chicken sandwiches and I don’t like spicy and I KEPT EATING IT
-There was just a lot on the sandwich but the bun held up so well!
-The slaw had a great cooling effect with the heat of the standard heat sandwich
-The pickles were sweet and so it kept the heat at bay and a nice tangy effect
-Current winner and #1 recommendation
DryHop
3155 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
2/5
-Don’t come here for the fried chicken, there are so many other items, eat those.
-The bun fell apart immediately
-There was cheese on it?
-LOTS of pickles which is a plus in my book!
-The chicken was pretty bland and truly would have rather had a burger