One of my favorite things to do during the weekends is get out of Hyde Park and try out restaurants in the Chicagoland area. Recently, I visited Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Full disclosure: Harold’s Chicken Shack has nothing on Honey Butter Chicken.
A friend recommended that we try out Honey Butter Fried Chicken, so we woke up not-so-early on a Saturday morning and took a trip to Avondale for some fried chicken.
The menu was expansive, ranging from your good ole’ classic fried chicken to fried chicken sandwiches and fried chicken mac and cheese. We decided to try a little of everything, all of which is described in mouthwatering detail below.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Our two-piece fried chicken came with cute little honeycomb-shaped pieces of corn muffins with honeybee images on top. I first tried the corn muffin with whipped butter. It was, according to my friend, “the best cornbread [she has] ever had.” And that was just the side dish.
As for the chicken, I immediately noticed how juicy the honey butter chicken was upon first bite. On top of that, the seasoning enhanced the chicken flavor, and the chicken wasn’t greasy at all. The outside was nice and crispy, not soggy like some overly greasy chicken tends to become, or too fried, where it would hurt to try to bite a piece of the chicken off.
This boneless chicken, which serves as the base for many of its dishes, is a must-try if you visit Honey Butter Fried Chicken.
Apple Cider Lemonade
An unexpected item on the menu was apple cider lemonade. I absolutely love apple cider, so my friend and I decided to share a cup. I wish someone had thought of this combination earlier, because the tangy apple cider and the tart lemonade created a new kind of harmony in my mouth. There are free refills, too, so you can drink apple cider lemonade to your heart’s content.
Buffalo Mac N' Cheese
Spiral macaroni, melted cheese, a dose of buffalo sauce, and fried chicken on top made this dish one of the more unique items we tried. The buffalo sauce was quite mild but still had the flavor of buffalo infused into the cheese sauce, which the macaroni clung onto with its deep spirals.
The crunchy fried chicken with the creamy mac and cheese worked well together. I appreciated that the mac and cheese was not too cheesy, and the mac and cheese showcased the honey butter chicken instead of overpowering it.
The OG
Finally, we tried the OG (“The Original Fried Chicken”) sandwich, which is made of their classic honey butter fried chicken, Cole slaw, and candied jalapeno mayo. Since it was brunch time, we were able to get the sandwich on a biscuit instead of their usual buns. I’ve mentioned previously that I love sandwiches, and this was no different.
The biscuit was hearty and buttery, sandwiching the crispy, juicy chicken with the coleslaw. There was a slight kick from the jalapenos, but it’s definitely a manageable spice level for people who do not usually eat spicy food. The creamy slaw had a nice crunch and was not too watery (I even ate the coleslaw that fell out of sandwich it was so tasty).
The crunch of the coleslaw and the moist, buttery biscuit played off of each other, all while highlighting the glory of the fried chicken. This was definitely my favorite dish of the ones we tried.
We finished the meal fully stuffed and fully satisfied, giving Honey Butter Fried Chicken a huge thumbs-up.