Manish C.
Yelp
Located in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh just off the campus of University of Pittsburgh, CHiKN is a great fast casual option for cooked to order food. They advertise that they specialize in Nashville style hot chicken, but they have 5 spice levels ranging from Southern (no heat) to damn hot (described as "insane"), so it can be customized if you don't like things too spicy. I think 5 levels is just the right amount as some places go overboard with their range of sauces/rubs to vary tastes, so it keeps things simpler. What sets CHiKN apart is that they prepare your chicken item according to your requested spice level after you order, as they have a personal touch in preparation of the coating rather than just tossing sauce or rubs on it after the cooking process. Their menu consists of sandwiches, tenders, nuggets, chicken & waffles, sliders, salads, and a variety of sides & desserts.
We went with the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and chicken & waffles, both with the medium heat level. I would give both a 4.5/5, as the recipes were high quality, with tender high quality chicken spiced just right. The waffles were not a consistency or texture I usually enjoy, but the unique recipe worked in tandem with the spiced chicken tenders to make for a delicious meal. Prices are a bit on the higher side, especially for a college area eatery, but quality is great and portion size more than ample to fill you up. Overall, I don't mind rounding up to 5 stars as CHiKN is probably one of the best fast casual restaurants I've been to in a while, and definitely one I'd frequent if they had a location near where I live.