Fry the Coop (Elmhurst)

Didn’t realize it had been 6 years since I stopped in. It was Nashville Hot Chicken Day and they were offering their lil happiness sandwich for $5. Line was very long and wasn’t moving very quickly. Only had one staff member doing the job of 3 people at the register. He did mention a 25 minute wait for food after I paid. Had already been 20 minutes in line, so I was committed for another 25 minutes to get food. I didn’t notice they had burned the bun. But it definitely changed the taste and made it an overpowering flavor. I did enjoy the potato salad which was recently praised on a news segment. Just about every table was dirty. Trash can was overflowing, another sign they don’t have enough employees. With nine locations it’s likely difficult keeping staff that really care about their quality. I had to pretty up the presentation of the sandwich before a picture. Half the coleslaw wasn’t on the sandwich and the chicken patty was hanging off the sandwich.

I’ve had a lot of Nashville chicken, including in Nashville and Fry the Coop is hands down the best Nashville chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. PERIOD!!! I have been eating at the Elmhurst location for years. They used to have amazing mac and cheese before they changed the recipe, I’m hoping they bring the OG version back. If you haven’t tried it, you are genuinely missing out one the best sandwich experiences out there.

The team here was wonderful. Had to try and pull of a last minute catering order request, walked in, and the team not only helped me in a tough situation but did so in the most helpful way possible. Amazing food, better service, and just a batch of people who totally get the hospitality game. Special shout out to Paul and his team who had to handle my big order so last minute.

First timers! Helpful staff who made great suggestions. 7 of us....tasted mild up to ghost pepper. The mild was so flavorful! Ghost pepper was a little too hot for my 11 year old to finish. Great ranch. Good fries. I was concerned that the chicken was over cooked based on visuals, but the chicken was perfectly cooked- moist...tried avoiding the use of that word, but just couldn't! I'd go again and again!

Love FRY THE COOP!!! Best chicken sandwich with heat out there!! Messy fries are soooo good! Great food, awesome staff, will always stop in when I'm in the area.

Service is awesome but the tenders and sandwich were absolutely rock hard. Either someone new working the fryer but it was nothing like the tenders and sandwich I’d normally have. It visibly looked like the chicken has been very overcooked and the crust was very gray. Love the franchise but can’t waste money here if it continues this way.

Absolutely delicious sandwiches and fries! I got their classic sandwich with the country style heat. Definitely not too spicy and super yummy. Also ordered their messy fries which were super tasty as well! A lot of food for 2 people or under but well worth the leftovers. Can’t wait to visit another spot!

I was really enjoying my meal at Fry the Coop until I found a hair in the pickles I ordered absolutely disgusting. It totally ruined the experience. None of the staff were wearing hair nets, which is concerning for a place handling food. I'd suggest checking your food before digging in. Definitely disappointed.

Good chicken sandwich and you done need to drive to Chicago for one of your in the Elmhurst area.

I was recommended "Fry the Coop" by my brother, who loved the place. I was pleasantly surprised! Fry the Coop is like if Chik Fila and Portillo's had a child. The chicken sandwiches are delicious! I got the Nashville Chicken Sandwich with cheese and seasoned fries. It was great! Fry the Coop also has 5-6 spice options, so you can cater to whichever spiciness fits your style. I prefer country, which is the lowest to no level of spicy and I was fine. I also learned that there are peppers spicier than ghost. The ambiance of the restaurant reminds me of a bbq place. The walls have chalkboard material so people can draw with chalk. The lighting is dark so it's nice and chill. The staff are super nice. Edgar was my cashier and he did wonderful. He was super friendly! He's also very handsome, tall, muscular, and has this big smile. I'm like wow, did they have to pick a superhero to ask what I'm ordering? He looks like he could literally be cast for a marvel movie! Thanks Edgar for the wonderful service! Overall, I had a great experience at Fry the Coop! I will be back again!

Found out about the Biscoff Donut Whipped Cinnamon Maple Sugar Butter Fried Chicken Sandwich and I had to try it! This is a collaboration between Fry the Coop & Stan's Donut. Customer Service was fast and friendly. Standard clean Fry the Coop Ambiance of this location. The sandwich was decent but the chicken didn't go that well in my opinion with the sweetness of Biscoff. It's a cool collab and is worth trying at least once.

I ordered door dash from here and had the honey butter chicken sandwich and seasoned fries with honey mustard and let me tell you. This was 10000% the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. The portion was sized well, the crust in the chicken was crunchy, it was the perfect spice for me (medium). It has some kick and some sweetness and I literally ate it ALL. The fries were well seasoned as well and they didn't skimp on that portion size either. Even with door dash it came really fast and was hot. If you're in the Chicago area you definitely should check them out! Disclaimer: used door dash so can't attest to the service at the restaurant

I didn't realize I even liked fried chicken sandwich's until I ate here! They have a variety of menu options but we always get the OG Nashville sandwich. I like the mild flavor but the group gets medium and hot. Honestly anything past hot and you're just dying- they don't kid around with the heat! Picking up an order is always quick and easy. Restaurant is clean and safe friendly!

This was my first time at Fry the Coop! It's been recommended to me a number of times, but this is the first chance I had to visit and it definitely lived up to the hype. The spice levels here are no joke! My chicken sandwich was flavorful with the right amount of kick for me! I took my food to go, and the staff made sure everything was packed right. The space was clean, well lit, and incredibly spacious. I can't wait to dine in one day soon!

Food was so good omg. Chicken and waffles were so good. Service was fine nothing crazy, good ambiance.

Again, this is my favorite location, the sandwich always gets better, the service here in my opinion is awesome and the atmosphere here is hoid, can't complain

I used to be a guy who ate spicy with a smile. I think as I continue to age, my constitution just can't take it anymore. So when I came here after a local gave me a reco, I just ordered the sandwich "normal" and it did not disappoint. It was hot enough for my taste, but if you're a spicy fan, I'd recommend going up a few notches. The level of crunch was decent, if not subtle. The flavor was on point with just the right balance of tangy heat. Paired with the house fries, the Nashville sandwich is perfect. From the pictures below, you see we didn't eat inside, so I can't speak to the ambiance that much. It was definitely busy in there, so there is obviously a loyal following. The only ding is that the price is just a few dollars high. I understand inflation, but having to pay over almost $50 for a dinner for 2 is wacky for a chicken shop. I'd love a break on a meal or a smaller potion, so that I could eat here more frequently. Either way, I'll be back, because it's good enough to save up for!

Best place to get chicken! The Tallow makes it taste so much better and is way healthier!

A place that is appropriately named. Don't come here on a diet. Perfectly fried chicken at any spice level you can handle. I love that they let you sample the heat before you commit. I picked the medium which was plenty spicy to feel the next day.... And although the seasoned fries looked delicious I opted for the regular to not have a sodium overdose. They were great! The folks working there are super nice and helpful. Pro tip- order extra pickles. You need that acid to cut all that richness

Fry the coop is always a top notch and gets the food out regardless of how busy they are. Have never had a meal that wasn't made fresh and it is always delicious. They have never once forgotten anything on a pickup order and I can't say enough good things about them. This is my favorite chicken restaurant. They're fast efficient and friendly. The food is always good too. They have lots of levels of heat to choose from on the level of spice to go on for your food. We have had several items on their menu. From fries to chicken strips to sandwiches, everything is delicious. Their milkshakes are also pretty fire. Would definitely be back again soon! Can't wait to bring my family and friends at this awesome place. Thank you!

The chicken is so tender & the strips are BIG. Love the sweet & spicy pickles. Cute inside, no frills. Fast service & staff is always friendly!

Price $1250 with tax for chicken sandwich alone. Sandwich was good not worth the twelve but very different wish it came with small fries. Be back maybe every six months due to the price. If fries were free I might come back every other month! Service was good. Ambiance clean inside. Very nice that they did come around and ask how my food was. Remember four and five stars are usually friends and family trying to bring star system up does anybody really deserve a five-star today

I've been trying to limit seed oils on suggestion of a friend who saw amazing results in his health and weight. I saw that Fry the Coop fries their chicken and fries in beef fat and stop by the fill my craving for fast food. I ordered the chicken and waffles, the donut chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets. The waffles were delicious and perfectly sweet and soft. The butter was fantastic and kind of spicy. The donut sandwich was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The nuggets were salty and I would pass on them. The fries were good also but probably even better warm. I would definitely recommend this place for a fast food place that doesn't cook with conventional oils. I would also recommend calling ahead (there was a bit of a wait). The staff was really friendly and everyone worked well together.

My son's favorite place for chicken sandwiches my son loves the Nashville chicken , great atmosphere customer service

This was a busy place that needs to be approached with finesse. The lines get long and the wait depends on how you like your sandwich. The ambiance is older diner vibe but with only chicken. There was a bit of a wait for 3 sandwiches , and yet I was still looking for the differences other than the heat index. If you're looking for some hot and spicy then hit the coop.

THE best chicken sandwich anywhere!! The fries are pretty top notch as well. Friendly helpful staff.

This place is fire. So good. Best chicken sandwich in the suburbs. Mac N Cheese is out of this world as well.

Wife was out of town for the week and I got tired of eating cereal. I've been here before, but probably not for a few years. Staff was very friendly. I got the 3 tender dinner. It was hot and fresh. Only minor complaint, and I'm not even knocking a star off for it, was the music was a bit loud in my opinion. But I'm closing in on 50 so I must be reaching that point in my life where music is always loud.

Must try food it's amazing potato salad was ok not bad and the French fries amazing!!!

Best hot chicken sammich ever! Never disappoints and the new additions to their menu? OMG THE LOADED FRIES

We stopped by to grab dinner after attending an event nearby. We arrived shortly after 8:30pm and they close at 9:00pm and it was pretty busy, after we ordered there was a line out the door. This location doesn't have a drive through like their Prospect Height's location does. After we ordered, we were given our cups to get our drinks, and our food came out shortly after. I got the Nashville Chicken Sandwich in Mild which had a kick to it but it wasn't too crazy. It is topped with coleslaw and pickles. The chicken itself was extremely juicy and flavorful, and the slaw helped cut the heat a bit. As my side, I decided to get the mac and cheese. The mac and cheese had a cajun kick to it so heads up for those who are sensitive to heat! All in all it was a great experience, the staff was extremely kind and our food came out quickly. Can't wait to Fry the Coop again. :)

Have visited a few of their locations, even went to the grand opening of their last store in Bolingbrook. Food is consistently good. Highly recommended!

Donut chicken sandwich. No sauce no pickles. Add side of syrup. 10/10 like dessert with protein

This was just really disappointing. It started with the very cold and ("annoyed to be at work") cashier. But that wasn't the worst part, that was unfortunately the food. I had the Nashville sandwich and it was simply dry and underwhelming. But the biggest disappointment was when I looked at my 7 year old fried chicken loving son, who took two bites of his tenders and told me that he tried to drink while eating to make it less dry, but even that doesn't help. Definitely wouldn't recommend.

We stopped by Fly the Coop on the recommendation of a friend. The service was good and the staff were helpful. There was ample seating and during late lunch on the weekend, there was not a crowd. I ordered the mild Nashville chicken sandwich and house fries with the seasoning on the side. Both were hot temperature wise and looked good. The mild seasoning on the chicken did not provide much flavor may have been improved by more co-op sauce. The fries were standard and tasty. I'm glad I tried the chicken and, if I return, would definitely try the moderate spice level.

Unique, delicious sandwiches. The Donut Fried Chicken and the Spicy Butter chicken sandwiches were so good!! Will definitely be back. The staff wasn't very friendly or helpful. Maybe it was an off night.

10000000000/10 They were short staffed when I arrived there, very friendly and very good food! This has to be the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. Juicy, tender, and perfectly spicy. I drove half an hour to get there and I am definitely coming back, it was 1000% worth it. If you're ever in the area, you NEED to go here! I should have come here sooner!

This place is amazing from the moment I walked in the door Mariana greeted me with warmed and kindness. I told I was going to get a pedicure first and because some guys from the Tesla shop raved about this place it made me really want to try it out!! And guest what it didn't disappoint not one iota‼‼‼ The house fries are so delicious that I didn't even use the barbecue sauce that I asked Joe for who asked me to try the fries without it first‼‼‼ Mariana introduced me to the owner Joe fontana who was so down to earth and highly recommended my meal which was the Nashville sandwich & I chose Mango Habanero so very good!!! I highly recommend this location here in Elmhurst! Come for the food and stay for the hospitality‼‼‼

My carryout order was ready right on time. The food was hot and delicious. We've eaten in the restaurant several times and the staff is always friendly and the space is always clean

Ok ummmm $20 tho? That's what I keep saying to myself. With that said, the chicken sandwich is awesome. Great brioche bun, sauce is very good, spicy and sweet...place was packed....$20? Overall, I enjoyed the lunch...

Our family absolutely loves Fry the Coop! The food is always fresh and full of great flavor. Service is good. It's a cute place too! The couple times we've had minor issues with our online order, they have been more than happy to fix it and/or credit the error to our account. They've got customers for life with us!

Stopped in last night. Did not enjoy the food. The chicken was over fried. Sauces were nothing special. The Cole slaw did not taste fresh at all. The dining area was busy and seemed first like it needed a good pick up and wipe down. I would not suggest this place to anyone. Our visit was not great and honestly the food didn't sit well with me afterward I suspect the Cole slaw.

Beware a place where a sandwich is $11.98 on the evening Wednesday 11/14/23 and on the evening of the VERY next day Thursday 11/15/23, the same sandwich is $12.20. I don't like feeling cheated for one dime of my hard earned money, let alone 2 dimes. I will not be back. Nothing is worth that especially not a Hot Habenero Chicken Sandwich. How many customers do you cheat a day to make dimes add up to hundreds of dollars?

First off, I loath chicken sandwiches, grilled or fried. They are always overcooked -dry like the desert or just oily, Fry the Coop makes them incredibly well. I've had them a few times and at two different locations. The Elmhurst and Tinley Park locations. Both put out an excellent sandwich. Spicy is SPICY! Know your heat level. The coleslaw helps distribute the heat and the co-ops sauce is great. Love this sandwich- I always get the Nashville.

Great service, food is great. Always hits the spot! Chicken is so tender and I like the spice

The food was amazing, we ordered the doughnut chicken sandwich! 10/10. Service was fast and friendly when we asked for recommendations. This place has gender neutral bathrooms and nice decor.

Everything on the menu is outstanding. Best Nashville chicken sandwich! Service is fast and everyone there was very friendly.

The food was fine but not at that price jeez. The service was ok and the ambience isn't welcoming. And how come the fries come in this big bag but it was only filled up less than halfway? If I'm drunk on a Friday I just got paid I might come here if y'all fill the fries up.

Food is great! It actually tastes like chicken lol Cashier attending us was attentive. Seemed a little short staff because both bathrooms were not clean.

The food and service here are amazing. Paul, the cashier, is so friendly and helpful. When I wasn't sure what to order, he was able to point me in the right direction and wasn't frustrated when I had hundreds of questions about the menu. He had amazing customer service and made my visit pleasant. There was also an issue with my order and the food associate, Rocco, was able to prepare the order correctly not only efficiently but it was super delicious. The sandwich had just the right amount of spice and the fries were out of this world. Keep up the amazing customer service!!!

these guys got my sandwich completely wrong i asked them for a donut sandwich and they gave me the Nashville chicken sandwich. what the hell man.

Been here many plenty of times never disappoint!! Friendly staff and place always clean. Kids wanted to show how much they loved every bite and yes it's true FRY THE COOP DA BOMB!! Keep it up

I've had food from both the elmhurst and oak lawn and food from oak lawn is a tad better, chicken was more moist however since this review is for elmhurst ..... food was still as good We were there about 2pm, long wait times and a very busy restaurant. Good vibe in the restaurant and staff was great. Overall, highly recommend this spot

best chicken sandwich around , full on flavor and tender meat . Love the choices of the different heat levels . The Nashville sandwich is hands down the Pick of the day. The fries also are full of flavor from being fried in tallow instead of vegetable oils

I probably should have eaten here two years ago, when it first opened. The wear/and-tear is obvious, from the interior to the food quality. But alas, I thought I'd give it a try on a snowy Saturday afternoon. Employee at register was polite and we did not have to wait in line. There was plenty of parking in back lot, too. Hot spicy tenders were INDEED SPICY-SPICY as advertised. We actually bought an extra side of CRAZY flavor. There was a selection of 20oz craft beer, too. The chicken sandwich certainly looked pretty, and it was not bad, but the cold bun and dry chicken chunk were meh. The loaded fries were gross, frankly, as there were few fries, but loads of coleslaw, white sauce, and soggy sweet pickles. (We went back and ordered plain fries to try, which were decent, but not great.) No salt or pepper, just cheap plastic utensils wrapped in a napkin with packets. Table was scratched up, and the floor and surrounding tables were not cleaned. Order and pick up at counter, bus your own table when done. All the craft beers were IPAs, so I chose a classy bev, Old Style. Chicken sandwich, three tenders, a tea, a beer, loaded fries, plain fries, and a side of dry rub=$63.00. Guh. No need to return.

Fry the coop has the best Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich in the area. The combination of the Cole slaw, mild seasoning, and spicy pickles are truly a delight. I would go here, over any fancy restaurant for the chicken sandwich. They can be busy, at usually times, but my order is almost done correctly. Try it!!

This place is very close to home but I never knew it existed until recently. Tonight, I decided to go for it. I was at the vet down the road and placed my order online as we were leaving. It said 15-20 minutes, but I got a message in like 10 minutes saying my order was ready! Navigating the location was a little difficult. There's (at least) two ways to get to the place. Turning in on North Ave or Elmhurst. The parking lots are all connected in the back. I am recovering from my booster shot so I didn't wanna kill myself with something too hot. I went with the Nashville chicken sandwich at medium hot with season fries and drink meal. The spicy butter chicken sandwich caught my eye as well but I figured I should start with the basic. I was thoroughly impressed with this sandwich as a whole. My only complaint would be the bun was a smidge dry. The flavor and portion was good. I will definitely try hot next time. I was amazed with the packaging as well. The sandwich came half wrapped, like an In and Out burger, and in a plastic container. I was able to eat the sandwich out of this wrapper without it falling apart and making a mess. I'm not sure what kind of sorcery this was but I loved it. You can even put the sandwich down and pick it back up in one piece. Hey, sometimes it's the little things. My fries were a a bit of let down actually, but I didn't go there for the fries. I was debating between normal fries and the seasoned ones. I ended up with seasoned. I'm not sure what kind of seasoning it is. It's not really salty. Probably more sweet. They were thoroughly covered. I had trouble finding fries that I could share with my dog. It wasn't the flavor that bothered me though. It was more so the texture of the fries. Since this was my first visit, I don't know if this was normal or I got a bad/old batch. The texture was... oddly airy, like they were hollow. I ate like 75% of the bag, trying to see if I could find a good fry that tasted more potatoey but no luck. Overall value is average. $9.99 for a chicken sandwich is on the high end but it is definitely higher quality than a fast food joint. Maybe no fries next time, but I will be back to try other sandwiches! Oh, also the guy at the register was very quick with service and polite. I hope tips goes to these front facing workers.