The Roost Carolina Kitchen on Irving Park

Wow! As much clucking over fried chicken as there's been around town over the past couple years, I'm surprised there's no dedicated thread for The Roost (though there have been at least a few mentions of it in other threads). I made my first trip there this past weekend and I'm really glad I did. They're putting out some excellent, made-to-order chicken there. Perhaps the appropriate comparison would be Leghorn, since they're both serving Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches (on biscuits and other breadstuffs). However, unlike Leghorn, The Roost also serves whole pieces of chicken, too, in 1/4 and 1/2-bird increments. Their full menu can be found here. In any case, for my money, I think The Roost is producing a superior, tastier product, from bird to biscuit.

6 of us ate a bunch of items and really enjoyed all of them (well, I didn't love the slaw but others in our group did). . .


Spicy, on a Biscuit with Housemade Potato Chips (with chipotle ranch and pickles)



Nashville Hot, on a Biscuit with Housemade Potato Chips



Nashville Hot 1/2 Chicken with Slaw and Mac & Cheese (covered)



A closer look at the Nashville Hot



Herb Seasoned 1/2 Chicken with Housemade Potato Chips

Given it's proximity to Wrigley Field and depending on your perspective, The Roost could be a perfect stop before or after a Cubs game or, it could be an excellent place to avoid entirely on game days. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be back but I hope it'll be soon.

=R=

The Roost Carolina Kitchen
1467 W Irving Park
Chicago, IL 60613
(312) 261-5564

I had a real enjoyable dinner there as well. I love hot chicken in Nashville so a couple months ago decided to try out The Roost's version. While the heat level was nothing like the hottest levels at Hattie B's in Nashville, there was enough to be noticeable. Great crispy exterior, moist interior and pleasant flavors from the seasoning. The biscuit was incredible; one of the best I have consumed. Nice value. Only negative was it took a long time for the food to come out - but at least you know it is being made to order. Definitely plan to return.

Gonzo70 wrote:While the heat level was nothing like the hottest levels at Hattie B's in Nashville, there was enough to be noticeable.

Yes. One of the people in our group had recently eaten at Prince's and said that the Nashville Hot at The Roost would have ranked as mild at Prince's at best. However, we all agreed that it was still quite delicious.

=R=

Is it still the wet, kinda sweet coating? I wasn't a fan because of that.

boudreaulicious wrote:Is it still the wet, kinda sweet coating? I wasn't a fan because of that.

Not wet. A bit sticky but absolutely nothing sweet about it.

=R=

I highly recommend the breakfast sandwiches, the Brittany (Spicy, Fried Egg, Cheddar on a biscuit) is my favorite with the Ali (Hot, Fried Egg, hold the pickle for me) a close second. I heard the owner tell someone that they were named after his ex's. Even the bacon, egg & cheddar beats every other breakfast sandwich I've had in the neighborhood. Not sure how late they serve them, I'm always there at 9am when they open.

The Roost's breakfast sandwiches are an incredibly well kept secret. Now that RobK has released the cat from the bag...... I'm less hesitant to state my opinion on this matter.

Love this place. $9 for a chicken biscuit with two pretty generous sides (thumbs up for the peach cobbler) is a heck of a deal for such good product. I'm glad business seems to have picked up since last summer. My favorite place to eat near the Music Box (not a strong field, admittedly).

Yeah. I've noted in non-Roost threads that this place probably wins the hipster Chicken race for me but the biscuits stand out as perhaps Chicago's best, making the breakfast sandwiches likewise tops. If you happen to be in the area in the morning (I often am) the Roost and the original Asado coffee across Irving make for one hell of a one-two punch.

As far as the 'hood goes, I'd say it's not so bad these days with the aforementioned, plus Cafe Tola over on Southport for terrific empanadas, El Mercado for, coincidentally, more empanadas, and Jolly Posh for British randomness. And board fave Toons.

Great spot for my first post. I spent some time between jobs last year, and one of my projects was trying out as many of the fried chicken sandwich joints that have popped up recently as I could. The Roost's Nashville Hot, on a bun with pickles was my clear favorite, a fantastic crispy coat and perfectly moist and flavorful interior.

While the biscuits are truly amazing, I like the soft bun that lets you hold the fairly large hunk of chicken better. The biscuit is crumbly (as it should be) which I find to be a bit tougher to manage with a sandwich of this size, particularly as you make your way through. I've tried slaw and cheese on the sandwich, but prefer the simplicity of just pickle. I always include a biscuit as a side item, and my second usually rotates - I'd rate their slaw as better than most, but the mac and cheese, chips, bread pudding and peach cobbler as good but not particularly noteworthy.

Regarding spice level, I've had mine vary from mild to a solid medium level of hot, I can usually tell what to expect by the amount of glorious cayenne-infused ooze that is coating the inside of the bun.

I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming Budlong Pickle and Chicken Diner, I know they've been doing their R&D on the Nashville Hot as well.

I am a huge fan of The Roost and their delicious chicken sandwiches. The made-to-order Nashville Hot I ordered during my previous visit was by far the best chicken sandwich I've enjoyed in Chicago (over Leghorn, Parsons, Honey Butter and even Analogue).

My only complaint (other than the location is inconvenient to where I live) is about their mobile truck. Even though their food truck often parks by my office, the quality of the sandwich from the truck has been subpar. From the truck it has been lukewarm, bland and dry on multiple occasions. This is a shame because the truck even offers delivery to offices downtown if you don't want to walk over to where the truck is parked.

Has anyone had similar experiences with the Roost Truck? I will continue to visit the brick and mortar location when I'm in the neighborhood but I can't see myself eating the from the truck anytime soon.

Lerdawg wrote:I am a huge fan of The Roost and their delicious chicken sandwiches. The made-to-order Nashville Hot I ordered during my previous visit was by far the best chicken sandwich I've enjoyed in Chicago (over Leghorn, Parsons, Honey Butter and even Analogue).

My only complaint (other than the location is inconvenient to where I live) is about their mobile truck. Even though their food truck often parks by my office, the quality of the sandwich from the truck has been subpar. From the truck it has been lukewarm, bland and dry on multiple occasions. This is a shame because the truck even offers delivery to offices downtown if you don't want to walk over to where the truck is parked.

Has anyone had similar experiences with the Roost Truck? I will continue to visit the brick and mortar location when I'm in the neighborhood but I can't see myself eating the from the truck anytime soon.

I remember getting food from their truck back in the dark times when everything had to be prepackaged and the quality was much worse. They have definitely improved from those days, but I don't think they have the infrastructure to fry chicken to order on the truck. They were just parked outside of my office yesterday, and the chicken was reasonably warm and succulent, although not piping hot. But I'll take that over the overcooked, dry food from the dark times any day.

As a very well seasoned Nashville Hot connoisseur, having just come back from a trip made to Nashville specifically to eat Nashville hot for a week, I'll chime in.

The Roost serves up great herb bird, and pretty darn good Nashville Hot. One thing I realized on my recent journey to Nashville for R&D - the old fashioned places in Nashville (Princes, Boltons, etc.) serve a very different style of hot chicken than the new spots. Without assuming I'm being insulting, I'd like to call it "Ghetto Bird". Cheap fried chicken covered in spices, served in a cash-only dive on the outskirts of town. The newer spots have recognized the importance of starting with a quality bird, which makes a huge difference. I'd say Hattie B's is the best example of "new" Nashville hot chicken. There are also a bunch of restaurants in Nashville that have Nashville Hot on their menus, but they aren't fried chicken exclusive joints. Princes has been serving their version (they invented Hot Chicken) for 70 years, and not much has changed. Hattie B's upped the Nashville Hot Chicken game big time when they entered (not to mention, it's a much "nicer" experience if you're into that sort of thing)..

The Roost is my Chicago favorite, with a newly adorned 2nd place going to Parson's (newly awarded by me, as I didn't enjoy my first 2 experience there 2 years ago when they opened). Leghorn's version of Nashville hot is an abomination to Nashville Hot. It's served with habanero sauce on top - not anything like the original (Cayenne pepper based hot sauce is traditional - which gives the bird that lovely red glow). Problem with habanero - it lingers, doesn't make you want more. The burn from Cayenne is short and intense, and addictive. You need more right away.

I love the roost, and am too surprised this thread is new... Love live the Roosters !!

PS - my favorite bird here is herb-brined, not Nashville hot, but not because their version isn't good, simply because the herb bird is so darn awesome!

I didn't like the bun, it was served cold and dwarfed the chicken. I'd ordered hot and even that got lost. This is somewhat an inverse to my experiences with Leghorn, where I very much like the bread, though chicken is just okay. Then again, the bun at Roost was so big and disappointing, I don't feel like I got a sense of the quality of the chicken.

My wife loved the biscuit as do a lot of you, I guess that's the way to go.

I didn't like the bun, it was served cold and dwarfed the chicken. I'd ordered hot and even that got lost. This is somewhat an inverse to my experiences with Leghorn, where I very much like the bread, though chicken is just okay. Then again, the bun at Roost was so big and disappointing, I don't feel like I got a sense of the quality of the chicken.

My wife loved the biscuit as do a lot of you, I guess that's the way to go.

I'm not sure where the fried chicken sandwich trend came from - you really don't see that a lot in the south; some menus have fried chicken sandwiches - but the more traditional way fried chicken is served in the south is straight up on a plate with biscuits on the side. I haven't been impressed with any of the sandwich iterations I've tried around town (except the breakfast sandwiches at Roost - which are a phenomenal breakfast option).

1/2 bird - biscuit on the side for me - keep the two separate.

I've only been to Roost once, and while I thought the chicken was delicious, it was also served in a pool of grease, far more than any I've experienced anywhere. I agree on the biscuit - fantastic. I need to return.

rubbbqco wrote:

I didn't like the bun, it was served cold and dwarfed the chicken. I'd ordered hot and even that got lost. This is somewhat an inverse to my experiences with Leghorn, where I very much like the bread, though chicken is just okay. Then again, the bun at Roost was so big and disappointing, I don't feel like I got a sense of the quality of the chicken.

My wife loved the biscuit as do a lot of you, I guess that's the way to go.

I'm not sure where the fried chicken sandwich trend came from - you really don't see that a lot in the south; some menus have fried chicken sandwiches - but the more traditional way fried chicken is served in the south is straight up on a plate with biscuits on the side. I haven't been impressed with any of the sandwich iterations I've tried around town (except the breakfast sandwiches at Roost - which are a phenomenal breakfast option).

1/2 bird - biscuit on the side for me - keep the two separate.

I occasionally like a chicken sandwich (though generally prefer it on the bone), but the chicken needs to be really assertive (moreso than if served on its own) when served on a bun or bread. I thought Analogue's otherwise outstanding chicken got lost in between the two slices of toast. When I've made fried chicken sandwiches at home, I've gone heavier on the seasoning and often used a healthy dose of a pickle brine. I can see where a hot chicken would work too.

rubbbqco wrote:I'm not sure where the fried chicken sandwich trend came from - you really don't see that a lot in the south; some menus have fried chicken sandwiches - but the more traditional way fried chicken is served in the south is straight up on a plate with biscuits on the side. I haven't been impressed with any of the sandwich iterations I've tried around town (except the breakfast sandwiches at Roost - which are a phenomenal breakfast option).

1/2 bird - biscuit on the side for me - keep the two separate.

Chick-Fil-A is all over the south as are handfuls of spawns.

Chick-Fil-A is all over the south as are handfuls of spawns.

True and I'm sure it's the inspiration for the style - but I don't think (personal opinion) the best fried chicken is served boneless on a bun....

rubbbqco wrote:I'm not sure where the fried chicken sandwich trend came from - you really don't see that a lot in the south

I've got to disagree.

Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen - Chapel Hill, NC




Places like this are all over the south. They are as traditional as a Chicago hot dog.

I've got to disagree.

Agreed - biscuit houses & diners serve boneless chicken, fish, pork, etc. on biscuits.

you really don't see that a lot in the south

I haven't seen any other fried chicken trends that focus on serving fried chicken boneless on a bun. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's just an observation.

Let me clarify my statement: Restaurants that specialize in fried chicken serve it on the bone, not on a sandwich (and before anyone points out the obvious, yes, some of them do both).

never heard of this place. How does it compare to Honey Butter?

rubbbqco wrote:Let me clarify my statement: Restaurants that specialize in fried chicken serve it on the bone, not on a sandwich (and before anyone points out the obvious, yes, some of them do both).

To me, the difference is that chicken biscuits are considered a breakfast food, while fried chicken on the bone is more of a lunch or dinner item.

rubbbqco wrote:I'd say Hattie B's is the best example of "new" Nashville hot chicken.

That could very well be true in Nashville, but I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville, NC as the best "New" Nashville Hot Chicken I've ever tasted. I can't wait to compare it to Hattie B's the next time I'm in Nashville.

Rocky's Medium Nashville Hot Chicken

As someone who grew up in Chapel Hill, NC and now live not too far away from the Roost, I am quite pleased to give them my business every couple of weeks or so. The chicken biscuit is a slightly different style than Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen (in my opinion the national standard and only a 10 min walk from my folks' place), but still my favorite in Chicago. The photos of SBK and Allen and Son on the wall, as well as Cheerwine in the cooler are the cherries on top.

On a separate note, chicken biscuit and chicken sandwich are two different things.

"The South" is a bunch of different places. NC and West Virginia, for example, have lots of biscuit sammy specialists, often with fried chicken as a main or only option.

Chick-Fil-A of my youth didn't sport chicken biscuits, as best I can recall. Insipid chicken on a bun, and waffle fries.

But good biscuits and chicken on them makes good sense for a place run by a dude from the Triangle, as is the case with Roost.

My recent experience at Leghorn in the Ohio House left me depressed. Bad chicken on a bad biscuit, for good money.

No biscuit, but the Eastman at Eastman Egg's brick and mortar location remains solidly in second place among breakfast sandwiches here. (Sorry to repeat myself.) Some other stuff on the menu is so comically bad that it's hard to fathom it comes from the same kitchen. Egg salad on toast, looking at you.

I went last night with my sister and her gf. We all got the spicy chicken on biscuits and loved it. I HATED the coleslaw - too much of what I think was celery seed. It was overwhelming. My sister didn't like it but the gf did. They also got mac and cheese which they said was good and cheesy. I got the peach cobbler and was underwhelmed. Rather than a traditional biscuit on top which is the definition of cobbler, there was a piece of bread with a lot of cinnamon on it. The bread may have been "french toasted" or maybe just toasted and tossed on top of the peaches. I thought it would be a safe choice of a side since the talk on here has been highly in favor of the biscuits, we all loved the biscuits. Again, the gf liked it, but her mother is apparently a bad cook, so what does she know?!

My sister decided she had to try the Nashville hot so she and the gf split one. I had a bite. I thought it was REALLY hot, none of us have a lot of tolerance for extreme heat, but my sister would definitely order it again. I might if I got it with cheese on to mellow out the heat level. They said the pickles helped moderate the heat. They got potato chips with that sandwich and those were terrific.

They said they'd been on a chicken sandwich the last few weekends and that these sandwiches were by far the best.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a huge fried chicken fan (my gf likes it), but we had lunch here (habanero chicken sandwich for me and Nashville Hot for her), and I really liked it. I thought the biscuit was particularly great. She prefers Parsons, but also liked it. I was sad that we just missed the breakfast option.

Cabbagehead and I tried Roost Carolina Kitchen out a few nights ago. We liked the biscuits and the chicken, both the Nashville Hot and the herbed chicken, but I have to say I wasn't blown away by anything. We tried the chicken on the bone. To me, the chicken was very good, but not great. Nashville Hot didn't seem very spicy to me; I preferred the herb chicken, but it didn't seem outstanding. Maybe it's a question of the pan-fried style. The same is true of the biscuits--very good, but not amazing. Slaw and m&c were okay.

Hey Rub Man, I've been to these "ghetto" places you speak of and they put out a better bird. Same goes with BBQ in Chicago. There isn't a single place on the North Side that comes close to the quality and care of what you'll find down south. Sorry to burst your bubble; but trend chasing "chefs" are just ripping off the cuisine and doing it poorly IMHO.

Hey Rub Man, I've been to these "ghetto" places you speak of and they put out a better bird

My reference was to two different styles of "Nashville Hot" in Nashville. The classic spots - Princes and Bolton's - serve a different style of hot chicken than the newer places. One is a cheap bird fried in cheap oil, covered in spices - the other is a better quality bird prepared (or at least designed) by Chefs, and covered in a blend of spice that is a little more thoughtful. One is not "better" than the other, they are just different and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Same goes with BBQ in Chicago. There isn't a single place on the North Side that comes close to the quality and care of what you'll find down south.

As to Chicago, you're again comparing Apples to Oranges (in your latter statement regarding BBQ). South Side BBQ is very different from the new trend of BBQ on the Northside. South Side BBQ is rib tips & hot links. On the Northside - you are seeing joints serving more of a Texas/Memphis/Carolina style. Whether or not they do it well - some do, some don't. But comparing Texas Brisket to hot links is totally subjective...

PS - Habibi - I'd love to try some of your favorites on the S. Side (fried chicken). What are your favorite spots for yardbird?

You raise good points. I suppose the true apples to oranges comparison, in my opinion, is the South Side Chicago 'que v. North Side 'que. There, clearly, we have two completely different styles. The South Side 'que is a native innovation with roots in Southern tradition. North Side 'que is emulating/recreating the traditions of Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, etc.

I suppose what I took issue with is this notion that because a place is upscale, or uses chickens that eat lotuses and fart perfume, that they "care" more. I don't think that is true. A lot of care goes into the chicken prepared at places like Prince's in Nashville, and in my opinion, the result is more satisfying than the product put out by upscale imitators. Plus, calling something "ghetto" (unless you're from the "ghetto") just smacks of elitism to me. I know you didn't mean anything by it, tho.

Anyway, for my money, the fried chicken at Harold's (yes, Harold's) is still my favorite in Chicago. Followed closely by the chicharron de pollo that you can get at some Puerto Rican / Latin Caribbean places. Some South Side and West Side soul food sit-down places also do great fried chicken. I've always loved the chicken at MacAruthur's (the sides are great too) for example. Honey butter on my chicken? No thanks. But I do want to try some of the new places like Analogue and Small's. Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion re: Roost ....