The 10 best fried chicken spots in Chicago

Chicago fried chicken covers a lot of ground, from takeout shacks that pass a half chicken through bulletproof glass under a coat of mild sauce to Southern dining rooms that fry to order and take reservations. This list is for anyone in Chicago hunting a great bird, whether that means Korean-style wings in Lakeview, a mild-sauce wing plate on 75th Street, Nashville heat on 87th Street or a Sunday chicken dinner out on old Route 66.

The picks lean independent, with only one store from any multi-location brand, and they favor kitchens that fry to order and have held up over years of local coverage. Prices run from $9 for a quarter dark at Parson’s and $13 for two pieces with corn muffins at Honey Butter to $48 for a whole bird with six biscuits and two sides at Daisy’s.

How we chose

Rank reflects how consistently each kitchen shows up in independent local coverage, with extra weight for places named on both The Infatuation’s fried chicken guide (updated March 2026) and Time Out Chicago’s list (January 2025). Longevity broke close calls, which is how a West Side shack that dates to 1969 lands ahead of newer spots with more buzz. Every ranked business was confirmed open in September 2026 through its own website or 2025-2026 reporting, and brands with several stores appear once, at the location with the strongest record.

Hours and prices below come from each business and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Honey Butter Fried Chicken

Chefs Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp opened Honey Butter Fried Chicken at Elston Avenue and Roscoe Street in Avondale in 2013, and the counter still sets the pace for the city. The chicken is brined, fried and dusted with smoked paprika salt, then served with corn muffins and a tub of honey butter to spread over the hot crust. A two-piece order is $13, and the eight-piece meal with three sides is $54 for a group. The Infatuation puts Honey Butter first on its fried chicken guide, updated in March 2026, and years of steady frying back that up. Bring a card: the restaurant is cashless and takes no reservations.

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: 3361 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Why they made the list

• Weekend brunch runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with a honey butter biscuit waffle for $11.
• The kitchen uses antibiotic-free, cage-free chicken and recycles its fryer oil into biodiesel.
• Leashed dogs are allowed on the patio when the weather permits.
• The Blue Line’s Belmont stop and the 77 Belmont bus are the closest transit, according to Time Out Chicago.

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Big Jones

Andersonville’s Big Jones has cooked Southern food on Clark Street since 2008, and fried chicken sits at the center of the menu. Chef Paul Fehribach fries each piece in a coating of 14 spices and rice flours, which keeps the crust crisp well after the plate lands. Order the half bird ($35) to get every cut, or the leg-and-thigh plate ($19) when eating alone. Time Out Chicago ranked Big Jones first on its fried chicken list in January 2025, and table service in a proper dining room keeps Big Jones near the top here. Reservations go through OpenTable, though the restaurant says walk-ins are welcome.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 5347 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640

Why they made the list

• Fehribach is an eight-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes, according to the restaurant.
• A Nashville-style chicken and waffles plate, with a hot chili-dipped leg and thigh, two rice waffles and sweet potato puree, costs $22.
• The restaurant is hosting an Edna Lewis Harvest Dinner on October 11, 2026, with tickets sold online.
• Fehribach wrote The Big Jones Cookbook (2015) and Midwestern Food (2023), both published by the University of Chicago Press.

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Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken

Gus and Mary Rickette started frying chicken on the West Side with G & G Chicken Shack in 1963 and put the Uncle Remus name on the business in 1969, according to the company. The flagship of Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken sits at Madison Street and Central Avenue in Austin, where the double-coated chicken is sauced the way you order it: mild, hot, half and half or on the side. CEO Charmaine Rickette, the founder’s daughter, has told Block Club Chicago her father created mild sauce in the 1960s after watching customers mix ketchup and hot sauce. That claim and nearly six decades on Madison put Uncle Remus third. Ask for the chicken fried hard for extra crunch.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 5611 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60644

Why they made the list

• Founder Gus Rickette Sr. turned 100 on August 11, 2026, and Mayor Brandon Johnson proclaimed the date Gus William Rickette Sr. Day.
• The Madison Street restaurant reopened after a renovation on April 13, 2022.
• Uncle Remus also runs a Broadview restaurant, a pickup kitchen inside Picnic at 2537 S. Wabash Ave. and a food truck called Big Saucy.
• The company says their kitchens handle more than 1,000 orders a day.

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Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern

Chef Erick Williams opened Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern at Harper Court in Hyde Park in August 2022 and named the place for his late Aunt Daisy, whose husband had Louisiana roots. The room is a casual counter-service po’boy shop with TVs for the game, but the fried chicken draws as much attention as the sandwiches. A half chicken with two house-made biscuits is $23.99, and the whole bird comes with six biscuits and two sides for $48. The Infatuation ranks Daisy’s second in the city for fried chicken; a shorter track record than the three spots above puts the restaurant fourth here. Stop in during happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, for $6 hot honey chicken sliders.

Hours: Tue-Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Mon.

Address: 5215 S Harper Ave, Chicago, IL 60615

Why they made the list

• Williams became the first Black chef to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2022, Eater Chicago reported.
• Block Club Chicago included Daisy’s in its June 2026 guide to eating near the Obama Presidential Center.
• The kitchen also fries catfish, oysters and alligator, each sold as a $24.99 plate.
• Catering orders of mixed fried chicken start at $138 for 12 servings.

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Harold’s Chicken #24

Harold Pierce opened the first Harold’s Chicken Shack on 47th Street in Kenwood in 1950, and the franchise now counts dozens of stores whose quality swings from one block to the next. Harold’s Chicken #24 on 75th Street in Chatham is the one Time Out Chicago calls the best. The order: a four- or six-wing plate, fried hard, with lemon pepper, and mild and hot sauce on the side so the fries stay crisp. Expect a wait while the bird fries and a takeout-first counter. This Harold’s ranks fifth because the kitchen gets the Chicago shack formula right and stays open until 1 a.m. or later every night.

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Address: 407 E 75th St, Chicago, IL 60619

Why they made the list

• Chicago magazine’s 2019 ranking of 20 Harold’s stores called No. 24 “pure, grungy, old-school Harold’s.”
• Harold’s Chicken Corp. lists No. 24 among their authorized franchise locations as of September 2026.
• The Red Line’s 79th Street stop and the 75th Street bus are the closest transit, according to Time Out Chicago.
• Chicago magazine reported in 2019 that Harold’s fries their chicken in a mix of vegetable oil and beef tallow.

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Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods

New Orleans native Brian Jupiter opened Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods in 2018 at the corner of Beach Avenue and Wood Street in Wicker Park and named the tavern after his great-grandmother. The four-piece mixed plate ($26) comes with a choice of hot honey, Nashville or Voo-Doo sauce on the side, and the eight-piece ($48) adds larger sides for sharing. The Infatuation praised the cornmeal batter for staying crunchy while the meat stays juicy. Po’boys, gumbo, a full bar and a relaxed, family-friendly room make Ina Mae a strong group dinner, and the chicken holds its own against the older names ranked above. Book on OpenTable for weekend nights.

Hours: Tue-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to midnight; Sun 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Mon.

Address: 1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL 60622

Why they made the list

• The restaurant says Jupiter won Food Network’s Chopped in 2022 and has two James Beard Best Chef nominations.
• Ina Mae appeared in the Michelin Guide Chicago in 2019, 2020 and 2022, according to the restaurant.
• On the daytime menu, a small buttermilk-fried Voo-Doo chicken po’boy costs $11.
• Happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

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Crisp

For Korean-style fried chicken, head to Crisp, a small counter on Broadway in Lakeview where chef-owner Jae Lee pairs the American fried chicken he grew up eating with Korean flavors and sauces. Order the Seoul Sassy, a sweet soy glaze with ginger and garlic, on jumbo whole wings. Five of them cost $14.99, and since each wing keeps the drum and flat attached, the order eats like ten. A whole chicken cut into 12 pieces is $20.99. Time Out Chicago ranked Crisp second citywide in January 2025. The shop sits seventh here because the tiny room is often packed and works better for takeout than a night out.

Hours: Tue-Sun 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Mon.

Address: 2940 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Why they made the list

• The sauce lineup also includes Crisp BBQ, Bud’s Buffalo Mild and a creamy, spicy option called Allison’s Atomic.
• Buddha bowls run $12.99 to $16.99 for anyone not in the mood for wings.
• A 2013 RedEye review reported that Lee and a partner built the Seoul Sassy sauce from their mothers’ Korean recipes.
• The Brown Line’s Wellington stop is the closest L station, according to Time Out Chicago.

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Parson’s Chicken & Fish

The chicken at Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Logan Square is brined, seasoned and dredged in buttermilk, then fried to order. A half bird is $18 and a whole one is $32, while the Parson’s Hot Dark, a thigh and leg served with white bread and pickles for $11, is the order for anyone chasing heat. The big patio on Armitage Avenue and the Negroni slushy make summer waits long, so arrive early on warm days. Parson’s lands eighth: the bird is reliable rather than revelatory, and much of the draw is the setting. A second location operates at 2435 N. Halsted St. in Lincoln Park.

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Address: 2952 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Why they made the list

• Resy reservations are accepted for parties of up to eight.
• Dogs are welcome on the patios.
• The Andersonville location closed on October 19, 2025, when its lease ran out, Block Club Chicago reported, while Logan Square and Lincoln Park stayed open.
• Parson’s fries in soybean-based oil, according to the restaurant.

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Hot Chi Chicken & Cones

Nashville-style hot chicken picks up Middle Eastern spices at Hot Chi Chicken & Cones, which opened their first shop in Chatham in 2020 inside the former Harold’s #55 on 87th Street. The batter carries garlic, onion, sumac and paprika, and the heat runs from mild to wild. Start with the Hot Chi Tenders, two jumbo tenders with pickles on buttered toast, or the harissa-glazed thigh sandwich with whipped garlic sauce. Time Out Chicago recommended the Chatham shop in November 2025. Hot Chi ranks ninth as the list’s dedicated hot chicken pick, with a menu narrower than the spots above. Save room for a strawberry shortcake shake.

Hours: Sun-Thu 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10:45 a.m. to midnight.

Address: 100 W 87th St, Chicago, IL 60620

Why they made the list

• At the Chatham shop, wings come dipped in hot honey butter sauce and topped with Alabama white sauce, cotija and pickles, Time Out Chicago reported.
• Hot Chi has grown to four locations, including 953 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview and two downtown counters.
• The drink menu includes Watermelon Sugar, fresh-squeezed watermelon juice mixed with lemonade.
• Hot Chi takes same-day catering orders for offices on the South Side, in Lakeview and downtown.

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White Fence Farm

The one suburban pick sits on Joliet Road, the old Route 66, in Romeoville. White Fence Farm traces their chicken dinners to the early 1920s, and the Hastert family has owned the restaurant since 1954; Laura Hastert, the third generation, runs the place now. The chicken is pressure-cooked, then flash-fried for three minutes, and dinners come with corn fritters and a relish spread of pickled beets, kidney bean salad, coleslaw and cottage cheese. Eleven dining rooms seat about 1,000 people. The drive and the evening-only weekday hours keep White Fence Farm at tenth, but for a family chicken dinner with every trimming, the trip pays off.

Hours: Tue-Sat 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun noon to 8 p.m.; closed Mon and for the month of January.

Address: 1376 Joliet Rd, Romeoville, IL 60446

Why they made the list

• Reservations are taken only for parties of eight or more.
• After the annual January break, the restaurant plans to reopen on February 6, 2027.
• The restaurant says Herald-News readers voted their chicken the best in Will County in 2025.
• Carryout counters also operate in Joliet, Downers Grove and Riverside.

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Also worth knowing

Wing fans should know Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, a Creole-leaning Southern kitchen named for the chef-owner’s late grandmother. The Infatuation’s pick at the Bronzeville original is the “sauced six,” a six-wing dinner with three sauces, two sides and a corn muffin. That flagship has 12 seats and opens only Friday through Sunday, so the Lakeview location at 2826 N. Lincoln Ave., with 50 seats and a patio, is the easier sit-down.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best fried chicken in Chicago?

Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Avondale tops this list, followed by Big Jones in Andersonville and Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken in Austin. For Korean-style wings, try Crisp in Lakeview, and for Nashville-style heat, Hot Chi Chicken & Cones in Chatham is the pick.

What is mild sauce, and where can I get it?

Mild sauce is the house sauce Chicago chicken shacks such as Harold’s and Uncle Remus put on fried chicken and fries. Uncle Remus CEO Charmaine Rickette has said her father created the sauce in the 1960s after watching customers mix ketchup and hot sauce. Both Uncle Remus and Harold’s Chicken #24 will put it on the side if you ask, which keeps the fries crisp.

Which Chicago fried chicken restaurants take reservations?

Big Jones and Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods take reservations through OpenTable, and Parson’s Chicken & Fish books tables for up to eight on Resy. White Fence Farm reserves only for groups of eight or more, and Honey Butter Fried Chicken is counter service with no reservations.

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