This chill eatery serves up massive fried chicken delights and Southern staples, perfect for laid-back vibes and hearty bites with friends.
"Available in Roscoe Village and River West, Roost’s chicken has juicy meat blanketed in crispy, peppery skin. It’s even better with housemade sauces like habanero bbq and chipotle ranch. The complimentary thick piece of white bread soaks up all of the juices, so at that point, the bread is chicken, too." - john ringor, adrian kane
"This colorful spot has fried chicken, boozy peach cobbler milkshakes, and a play area if you show up with kids and need to distract them while you enjoy the first two things. Sides like mac and cheese and coleslaw are good, but the individual chicken pieces and buttery biscuit sandwiches are excellent, with perfectly juicy meat underneath crispy, peppery skin. Roost is never too busy, so it's reliable for a quick lunch or dinner—maybe a giant Connect Four showdown while you wait for your food." - john ringor
"Roost is a small counter-service operation with multiple locations around the city. We generally visit the one in Lakeview, but they all have the same fantastic fried chicken sandwiches. There are four varieties, including the house style (with pickles, coleslaw, and chipotle ranch) and the sunrise (with egg, bacon, and cheddar). You’ll get a choice of brioche or biscuit, and you should go with a biscuit - unless you get one of each." - adrian kane
"What started out as a food truck has now blossomed into multiple brick-and-mortar locations around town. Chef and owner Joe Scroggs, who’s originally from the South, serves two types of poultry. The first is a mild herb-seasoned chicken. But for folks who love heat, the Nashville-style hot chicken is the one to try. It’s coated with cayenne paste and has a hint of sweetness and loads of spice. Both options can also be enjoyed as sandwiches on buttermilk biscuits or Hawaiian rolls. There’s another outpost in River West and one more coming soon to Roscoe Village. Online ordering is available here." - Eater Staff
"Roost Carolina Kitchen brings a bit of casual Southern cooking to Irving Park. It originally started as a food truck but has since invested in some permanent space. And we’re glad, because they are cranking out fried chicken exceptionally well. After sitting in a buttermilk based brine overnight, the fried chicken is made fresh on the spot, which is why Roost is up front about the fact it will take 15 to 20 minutes for your food. All good though, so sit patiently and let them do what they do - fry chicken. It’s a small place meant for an easy bite any day of the week, just make sure you’re ready to get after it with fried chicken in one hand and a bear shaped bottle of honey in the other. Just like Michael’s Secret Stuff turned Bugs Bunny into a Space Jam all-star, honey will take your fried chicken to next level good. If you’re set on figuring out who has the best fried chicken in town, we suggest not making that decision until you hit up Roost. Food Rundown Cucumber Coleslaw Light, good crunch, and balanced on the creamy to oil and vinegar spectrum. Homemade Potato Chips They are chips. They are homemade. They are salty. What’s not to like? Bone-In Fried Chicken Three options - herb seasoned, spicy, or nashville hot. It’s a tad greasy, but in the oh man, this is going to be awesome kind of way. Each has a distinct taste and a lot of flavor, so your decision should be solely based on how much spice you want. Quarter or half bird options are available. Honey is on the table. Apply liberally. Bone-Out In the mood for a sandwich? Then bone-out fried chicken is the way to go. Spicy or Nashville hot, biscuit or kaiser roll. We prefer the biscuits even though there’s a 100% chance the sandwich will eventually fall apart. Not a bad thing, just a fact. Add on coleslaw, pickles, cheese, and chipotle ranch as you please. The Brittany Don’t sleep on the breakfast sandwiches, which are simply fried chicken sandwiches with options of meat, cheese, and egg. Our favorite is this version with a little sharp cheddar and a fried egg. Creamy Mac & Cheese They aren’t lying, it is in fact creamy. If you get a meal that comes with two sides, mac & cheese should probably be one of them. Bread Pudding Thick, dense, raisin filled, and topped with some icing. We’d like an extra cup of icing to pour over the top, but that might be getting a little carried away." - Sam Faye
