tcdup wrote:I got some chicken tonight at the Harold's in Aurora on New York Street (#86 I think). They make damn good chicken. It was hot, nicely seasoned, and not greasy. The 2 slices of white bread weren't even soaked with grease! The french fries are ok, but the chicken was excellent.

TC, we get it here on a near weekly basis.

I am glad you hit it this week, because for some reason, these past 3 weeks we have been in Harold's Heaven

It has been perfect every time.

Before, it was hit or miss, but lately,,, it is spot on perfect!

Another tray of dead on perfect chicken from the Auroa New York street Harold's location last night (they stopped using them Harolds cardboard buckets years ago) and I was reminded of this thread.

My kid is old enough now to enjoy the merits of Zim's French Fry Fling.

So just as Gary's pics in the first post, we assembled 4 Flings, 2 each of Mild and Hickory sauced.

She enjoyed both kinds, so it was onto ReneG's French Fries Cole Slaw Skin sandwich. Unfortunately, we had to do a variation because the coleslaw was already gone by this time, so we ended up with FFS sammies.

She enjoyed these too, but preferred the "fling" (probably based just on the name alone)

New York Street location has been extremely consistent in recent years, especially when you hit them right at the dinner hour and the oil is nice and hot.

We have had it just past the lunch hour, when for this location, cooler oil leads to a soggier (sp) finished product.

And the fries have not been crinkle cuts in some time. Nice and browned and crisp, they made the flings and the FFS sammies a better sum than the individual parts.

Just like Mike Mills brought Bill Clinton ribs on Air Force One, I think we will be hearing about Harold Pierce's son delivering President Obama with some wings.

From abcnews via an interview on 60 minutes: Obama and the future first lady Michelle Obama talked about their looming life in the bubble of the White House with CBS' "60 Minutes" over the weekend. They looked back at where they came from, including such highlights as Obama's old Chicago bachelor pad near Harold's Chicken Shack.

"That was a dump," Michelle Obama recalled.

"Oh come on, it wasnt that bad, I lived right next door to Harolds" Barack Obama

I have a buddy who is a Harold's freak, no one has eaten more Harold's chicken from as many places as he has and he will tell you that the Harold's on 53rd in Obama's backyard is the best representation of a Harold's chicken shack.

Willkat98 wrote:Another tray of dead on perfect chicken from the Auroa New York street Harold's location last night (they stopped using them Harolds cardboard buckets years ago) and I was reminded of this thread.

My kid is old enough now to enjoy the merits of Zim's French Fry Fling.

So just as Gary's pics in the first post, we assembled 4 Flings, 2 each of Mild and Hickory sauced.

She enjoyed both kinds, so it was onto ReneG's French Fries Cole Slaw Skin sandwich. Unfortunately, we had to do a variation because the coleslaw was already gone by this time, so we ended up with FFS sammies.

She enjoyed these too, but preferred the "fling" (probably based just on the name alone)

New York Street location has been extremely consistent in recent years, especially when you hit them right at the dinner hour and the oil is nice and hot.

We have had it just past the lunch hour, when for this location, cooler oil leads to a soggier (sp) finished product.

And the fries have not been crinkle cuts in some time. Nice and browned and crisp, they made the flings and the FFS sammies a better sum than the individual parts.

I can't believe I moved to within a few miles of a Harold's and have had no idea for the bast 7 months. I'm heading out there ASAP.

Da Beef wrote:
"Oh come on, it wasnt that bad, I lived right next door to Harolds" Barack Obama

There's a man after our own (overworked and hardworking) hearts!

Da Beef wrote:no one has eaten more Harold's chicken from as many places as he has

I'm willing to bet that Mike Sula has.

stevez wrote:

Da Beef wrote:no one has eaten more Harold's chicken from as many places as he has

I'm willing to bet that Mike Sula has.

To bad Sula didnt have bloodwork done by his Dr before and after his taste test. I wonder how much his cholesterol changed in a year after eating aproximately 3.5% of his meals at Harolds

stevez wrote:

Da Beef wrote:no one has eaten more Harold's chicken from as many places as he has

I'm willing to bet that Mike Sula has.

Thats a great story and quite impressive. I will have to inform my friend he may have to recant his claim.

I have been to maybe 8-10 different locations across the city and I do agree that the 53rd spot tucked away in the Hyde Park strip mall is always on with their chicken. I always go with the wings. Its also got seating and lotto scratch tickets and bottles of Tahitian Treat Fruit Punch. One of my favorite meals in all of Chicago when you combine the wings from that location, pop and lotto tickets together.

Da Beef wrote:

stevez wrote:

Da Beef wrote:no one has eaten more Harold's chicken from as many places as he has

I'm willing to bet that Mike Sula has.

Thats a great story and quite impressive. I will have to inform my friend he may have to recant his claim.

I have been to maybe 8-10 different locations across the city and I do agree that the 53rd spot tucked away in the Hyde Park strip mall is always on with their chicken. I always go with the wings. Its also got seating and lotto scratch tickets and bottles of Tahitian Treat Fruit Punch. One of my favorite meals in all of Chicago when you combine the wings from that location, pop and lotto tickets together.

There used to be a much more ramshackle, more loved, and more better Harold's just east of the strip mall anchor on 53rd.

JeffB wrote:There used to be a much more ramshackle, more loved, and more better Harold's just east of the strip mall anchor on 53rd.

I have to agree with JeffB. The 53rd street Harold's is fine, but was twice as good when located in the tiny space at 53rd & Dorchester. I used to eat there 2-3x week during my college days.

Man, #36 on Milwaukee never hits it for me. I hook it up for wings (unashamedly) at Super Sub on Ashland, where the vagrants are sleepy and the sub-combo placards are fading fast. One night at "The Sub" I heard them blasting Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, so I started chatting up the staff- Pakistani guys- and we got rappin about things from Sufi devotional music to Devon Ave. They love Khan BBQ and so do I. Nowadays they always hook up perfectly fried wings, probably an extra or two. So good. Harold's #36 doesn't have the same charm.

Super Sub
1048 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 489-6666

Lancelac wrote:

JeffB wrote:There used to be a much more ramshackle, more loved, and more better Harold's just east of the strip mall anchor on 53rd.

I have to agree with JeffB. The 53rd street Harold's is fine, but was twice as good when located in the tiny space at 53rd & Dorchester. I used to eat there 2-3x week during my college days.

Ah, old number 14A, now that was a Chicken Shack! I get a little misty just thinking about it. For many years it was simply number 14 but for a short time some twenty years ago Hyde Park was blessed with two Harold's. The original at 53rd & Kenwood (not Dorchester, that's Ribs 'n' Bibs) became 14A while the one in the Kimbark Shopping Center was christened 14B. The original was better of course. The new Harold's diluted their efforts by making pizza, Polishes etc.

I was curious as to peoples' preferences at Harolds - do you usually just order the wings, or do you order the various bird parts?

Ghazi wrote:I was curious as to peoples' preferences at Harolds - do you usually just order the wings, or do you order the various bird parts?

Its hard for me not to go with wings but a few of my freinds always go half white. I tried the half dark one day and t5hought it was still amazing but don't see myself skipping on the wings again. I would say that a good 85% of the orders for the 53rd are wings when I'm in there.

Ghazi wrote:I was curious as to peoples' preferences at Harolds - do you usually just order the wings, or do you order the various bird parts?

Half mixed, sauce on the side. Harold's is probably the only restaurant where I will order chicken breast in any form. Superb.

Clark and Morse Harold's on the Northside is excellent BTW.

Half mixed hot sauce on.
Fries double hot sauce on, both from the South Wabash location.

I am searching out the oldest remaining Harold's to visit. Anyone have any information?

msmre wrote:I am searching out the oldest remaining Harold's to visit. Anyone have any information?

You might think Harold's #1 (7136 S State) would be the oldest but you'd be wrong.

In another thread Rene G wrote:As briefly noted in Guide to East 47th Street, the original Harold's Chicken Shack was at 1235 E 47th, between Woodlawn and Kimbark (though Kimbark doesn't quite extend to 47th). This was almost directly across from Gill's Liquors, a perfect location because a jug of Won't-Go-Flat was the ideal accompaniment to a batch of Harold's. Back then you could even purchase your beer from a drive-up window.

It was about a decade later in 1962 that, due to urban renewal, Chicken Shack #1 moved a short distance to 1106 E 47th, almost at the corner of Greenwood [that building has been torn down too]. Meanwhile Harold's second shop had opened at 6419 S Cottage Grove Av where it still stands.

One last piece of Harold's history: if you look at the pictures at the end of the East 47th Street post linked to above, you'll see a shot of the abandoned Lee's Chicken Shack at 536 E 47th. Before Lee took over it was Harold's #4, opened in 1965.

Earlier in this thread G Wiv wrote:There is some bad news on the Harold's front though, #2, my favorite Harold's at 64th and Cottage Grove, has closed.

Rene G wrote:The Shack is back! This is probably old news to many but Harold’s #2 has reopened.

m'th'su wrote:#2 is under different ownership.

So if original location but new owners is okay, then it's 64th & Cottage for the oldest Chicken Shack. In case you haven't seen it already, be sure to read Mike Sula's article about Harold's, the definitive work on the subject.

536 E 47th St, Formerly Harold's #4

FYI, Harold's #84 is open in Bolingbrook near the corner of Rte 53 & Boughton Rd (next to Portillo's).

It's been open for a while but I didn't see it mentioned.

Aha. But had anyone of you been to the Harold's Chicken Shack in Minneapolis?

Er, before it was closed last year for being a money laundering and drug front?

I was impressed; it compared favorably with the Kimbark Plaza location while active.

Ghazi wrote:I was curious as to peoples' preferences at Harolds - do you usually just order the wings, or do you order the various bird parts?

I usually get half dark, hot, salt & pepper.

half mixed, hot sauce on, extra hot sauce on the side.

Santander wrote:Aha. But had anyone of you been to the Harold's Chicken Shack in Minneapolis?

Er, before it was closed last year for being a money laundering and drug front?

I was impressed; it compared favorably with the Kimbark Plaza location while active.

Compared favorably with Kimbark Plaza? I'd say this is one of those rare instances where the ends justify the means. Give them their business(es) back.

I may be mistaken, but in my last attempt to get chicken from #1, it appeared to have...well...disappeared.

Like many things in my that life that I lose, it is because I am not looking with my eyes open, but I was pretty sure that it was gone. Any recent confirmations of Harold's #1?

If not, #2 is great. Thanks for the information.

iiifrank wrote:

Santander wrote:Aha. But had anyone of you been to the Harold's Chicken Shack in Minneapolis?

Er, before it was closed last year for being a money laundering and drug front?

I was impressed; it compared favorably with the Kimbark Plaza location while active.

Compared favorably with Kimbark Plaza? I'd say this is one of those rare instances where the ends justify the means. Give them their business(es) back.

It really did, and the Twin Cities desperately need such a venture (just not the "side business," which in itself is part of the Chicago authenticity, from one point of view). People here are divided on the Kimbark location, but it's always served me reasonably well.

Ghazi wrote:I was curious as to peoples' preferences at Harolds - do you usually just order the wings, or do you order the various bird parts?

Quarter (or sometimes half) dark, hot sauce on the side. I, too, am a fan of the Kimbark Harold's. Always fresh and tasty, some of the best fried chicken I've ever had is from there.

msmre wrote:I may be mistaken, but in my last attempt to get chicken from #1, it appeared to have...well...disappeared.

Like many things in my that life that I lose, it is because I am not looking with my eyes open, but I was pretty sure that it was gone. Any recent confirmations of Harold's #1?

If not, #2 is great. Thanks for the information.

You're right about #1. I guess I should have kept my eyes open and actually looked at Sula's article that I referred you to. He mentions that #1 (7176 S State) closed the week before (written in 2006). But if you're looking for the oldest Harold's, that's irrelevant. Number 1 hadn't been the oldest for a long time (see the old posts that I quoted above). I haven't been since the new owners took over but hopefully #2 is back to making great chicken. It used to be one of the elite Shacks.

Can anyone recommend a decent Harold's outlet on the west side or near west burbs?

Cogito - if it's still there (haven't looked for it since the Spring), there is on in Broadview near 17th and Roosevelt. Google suggests it's number 76, but I haven't seen signage to that effect there. Atmosphere was a little sterile, but in their over-sugaring of the finished product, I did enjoy a slightly different wing experience than my standard on 53rd street, and certainly one better than several of the South Loop locations I don't trust anymore.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/harolds-chicken ... -broadview

2139 S 17th Ave
Broadview, IL

Santander wrote:Cogito - if it's still there (haven't looked for it since the Spring), there is on in Broadview near 17th and Roosevelt. Google suggests it's number 76, but I haven't seen signage to that effect there. Atmosphere was a little sterile, but in their over-sugaring of the finished product, I did enjoy a slightly different wing experience than my standard on 53rd street, and certainly one better than several of the South Loop locations I don't trust anymore.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/harolds-chicken ... -broadview

2139 S 17th Ave
Broadview, IL

still there, ate there a couple weeks ago. twas not bad, not great