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LTH,

Long ago on another board Zim described, in loving detail, The French Fry Stuffed Fling. The fling, as I understand it, refers to the middle section of the wing and is a (fairly) common term on Chicago's South side. Zim, in a moment of culinary clarity, or, more likely, alcohol induced inspiration, removed the two fling bones and replaced them with french fries.

Since reading about Zim's invention I have wanted to try a french fry stuffed fling, but it seemed every time I was at Harold's I simply forgot about the Fling. That is, until yesterday.

Making a Fling is dead simple. First carefully remove the Fling bones.


Then replace with french fries. Resulting in The Fling w/French Fries.
[

ReneG, when presented with the FF stuffed Fling, admitted to a Harold's invention of his own. The FFCS (french fry/cole slaw/skin) sandwich.

FFCS in the making.


The 'smoosh'


And enjoy.


There is some bad news on the Harold's front though, #2, my favorite Harold's at 64th and Cottage Grove, has closed. While #3b, where we had the FF Fling and FFCS, was well within the Harold's range, it's no replacement for #2. Any suggestions as to peoples favorite Harold's highly appreciated.



Enjoy,
Gary

Harold's Chicken 3B
8316 S Ashland
Chicago, IL
773.298.0964

_________________
Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

I know you meant closer Gary, but I no longer have to come into the city to get great Harold's chicken.

The new one in Aurora has consistently turned out chicken, chicken livers, and wings by the bucket (just switched to aluminum pans which we like better anyway) every couple weeks for over 2 years now.

If you ever find yourself at Fox Valley Mall for some reason, give it a try.

BTW, I gotta try the fling thing this Saturday. Looks good.

As for numbers, I think its Shack #83

Harolds Chicken Shack
Address: 3577 E New York St, Aurora, IL 60504
Phone: (630) 499-8393

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Bill-Aurora

Just what I needed to brighten my day....The last day or so, I've been in lots of pain, yet have gained my appetite. Mr. Delk came home and said he had a taste for ribs and we ordered from Hecky's, the one on Halsted. He also said that he'd like some wings...(Mr. Delk has a BS in applied statistics from SUNY/Buffalo).

I showed him your post as we waited for our order to arrive. Not only did he fling....he chinged (chedder fries), hinged (hush puppy) and ringed (rib meat).

Ain't we lucky we got them.....good times!

Thanks so much for this post....

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Authorized time shifting let the genie out of the bottle....

Gary,

I'm glad you got around to stuffing the fling. It is so easy to remove those two bones, that it seems something has to replace them. I'll give Rene's additions to the traditional fry sandwich a try as well.

it's been a while since I have been sampling differen't Harold's. Recently most of my Harold's business has been at the 51st and King Drive location, which is very good but I'm not sure approaches Harold's greatness.

Wow, one of these just opened in Bloomington, IL. Number 32 (in the increasingly random numbering...see this Straight Dope answer (the bottom): http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020118.html

My wife stopped in tonight to try it out (when I lived in the burbs the south side wasn't exactly my haunt).

Holy...cow...that's good.

Need more, need it now (just finished cleaning up the feast).

Gryfalia

That’s interesting. According to an older Harold’s bag I have sitting around, Chicken Shack No. 32 was at 1039 W 63rd in Chicago. There is still a Harold’s at that location but I’m unable to find out its number (anyone know?). If you look carefully at the “smoosh” picture earlier in this thread, you’ll notice that No. 32 is no longer listed. So maybe they reused No. 32 for the Bloomington location but I’m a little surprised that Harold’s is duplicating numbers.

Actually, there seems to be some precedent for number duplication in the Harold’s empire. The original (before numbers were needed) Harold’s Chicken Shack was at 1235 E 47th. My 15-year-old bag lists No. 1 at 400 E 63rd even though it was clearly not the first. That one is now history as well, recently joined by No. 2 (see G Wiv post, above). It seems only right that the numbers of these departed Chicken Shacks would be retired for all time. After all, would the Cubs hand out number 14 to some rookie? (At one time there were two Harold’s No. 14s but that’s another story.)

Anyway, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the chicken.

Peter,

1039 W. 63rd is now #56
#1 is now 7136 S. State

You in particular might be interested to know that what was once #58 at 10243 S. Michigan is now Taurus Flavors.

I have some ideas (unverified) about numbers moving to different locations. The simplest answer is that locations move for any number of reasons, but the same owners remain in control. Harold's is after all, a franchise.

Mike

Zim, if you're talking about the Harold's under the El (Howard-Englewood) stop at 51st, I have to say I had a real bad experience there once (with the chicken - I've had a couple of unpleasant run-ins in various Harold's that were not chicken-related).

I think the best, and this is with a fair amount of sampling, but no idea of the related number, is the Harold's on 71st just east of Jeffery.

And thanks for the suggestion Gary/Peter - I always stripped the white meat from the breast and made a sandwich with simply the (hopefully sauce-soaked) bread. Then eat the skin. I like the looks of the fling tho'

What's up Harold's fans. I am one of the owners of the store in Bloomington and found this playing around on the net. Our store opened in October and we have plans for an East Bloomington location and a store on Green Street in Champaign...

Green Street? Are you kidding? Where were you 10 years ago?!

Just kidding... I know Harold's used to cater some of the African-American students association parties.

*sigh* I miss Chicago.

Anybody here knows how I can franchise a Harold's chicken? I'm really interested with this venture plus I love the products.
Pls. contact me at ronald456@yahoo.com
Thanks!

HI,

This may or may not be the world headquarters though certainly worth a shot:

Harold's Chicken Shack Inc
3649 West 183rd Street Suite 102
Hazel Crest, IL 60429
708-922-2550

If this doesn't ring the bell, then why not ask at a Harold's?

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Good call Cathy2, that is indeed the HQ, or is referenced in a few articles. Here's one I'm gonna hunt down over Presidents Day when we spend the weekend at the Hilton for the indoor water park: (article date 2003)

Harold's Chicken opens on Capitol

A Harold's Chicken Shack restaurant opened the week of June 2 at 7324 W. Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. The restaurant is a franchise of Harold's Chicken Shack Inc., based in Hazel Crest, Ill., and one of more than 50 locations.

Harold's, which was founded on Chicago's south side in 1950, features southern fried chicken dinners with French fries, bread and coleslaw. Prices range from under $4 to a little more than $6 for a dinner. The chain was founded by Harold Pierce, who died in 1988. He was called "the Fried Chicken King," according to a Chicago Tribune obituary.

The Milwaukee restaurant is operated by Duone M. Jackson Investments Inc.

-- Kathy Bergstrom

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Bill-Aurora

HI,

You know what delighted me when I did that little search? I discovered there is a Harold's in Waukegan! It is the closest Harold's to me and an easy drive.

Harold's Chicken Shacks
2941 Sunset Avenue
Waukegan, IL 60087
847-596-4374

I cannot wait to get up there to order, "Chicken fresh from the grease!"

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Hey, a harolds opened up last year at 122nd and pulaski and recently I returned and the sign was but it appeared as if everything was still in the place. This was the best harold's I have ever been too. Did this close already, it was only there a year? I will have to go back to the Markham location that is of questionable quality.

I have been eating this stuff since I lived in Hyde Park and would go to the one at 53rd and Kenwood. I too would not mind opening a location outside Chicago.

Don't know if it's been mentioned or not but am wondering about the Harold's in the South Loop on Wabash, between Harrison and Balbo. I work on the same block as this Harold's (not sure of the #) but am just wondering what people's experiences have been like at this branch. Being new to Harold's in general, I want to try one that will do it's name justice.

I had their basic fried chicken about a year ago, and it compared favorably in freshness and overall quality with the Hyde Park branch (which is often considered to be near the top of the line).

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"The fork with two prongs is in use in northern Europe. In England, they’re armed with a steel trident, a fork with three prongs. In France we have a fork with four prongs; it’s the height of civilization." Eugene Briffault (1846)

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


I went to that Harold’s once last year and was finally able to dig up a picture. The chicken itself, fried to order, was quite good, better than at many Harold’s. There was a problem with the mild sauce though. Instead of the thin reddish stuff that’s standard at almost every Harold’s, they used a thicker brownish barbecue sauce (I hope the color and texture are conveyed by the picture). If that’s not bad enough, I think the sauce contained a trace of liquid smoke. That might seem like a small thing to some but, at least for me, it turned the chicken into something other than Harold’s. If you go to this Harold’s, I’d suggest hot only.

Half, Hot and Mild from Harold’s (636 S Wabash)

#2 is under different ownership. These are the same folks who own #53, 2517 W. 79th, and #65, 11857 S. Western.

Last month I found the chicken comparatively inferior to the original; puny and sightly dry. What interested me is they have a rather large menu of other items not normally seen at most shacks: greens, mac and cheese, hush puppies, okra, cornbread, etc. Didn't try any of those though.

Last night I was zipping down the alley of death known the Milwaukee Avenue "bicycle lane," when I came across an indication that would soon be needing much more exercise in order to maintain my boyish figure. Indeed, Harold's Chicken Shack is opening in Wicker Park, around Milwaukee/Wood. They are advertising for help, and there is already a picture of an angry-ass rooster on the windows (behind the locked iton gate, at least when I saw it). While I foresee myself most frequently merely bringing a coupla orders of okra w/salt and pepper and mild on top to the Beechwood Inn, I am quite pleased to know that real fried chicken will soon within biking distance.

"[A] picture of an angry-ass rooster[...]"



E.M.

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"Don't even touch my gold, I'm good."

Looking at the picture Erik linked to, I’m not so sure Harold’s Chicken is related to Harold’s Chicken Shack. Different name, different logo. Kind of like Rosscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles?

According to HQ this is indeed a new, fully sanctioned Harold's Chicken Shack, set to be opened by a new franchisee in a couple of weeks.

You know they've occasionally used wheat bread at the Evanston Chicken Shack (I think when they've run out of white) and its amazing how much worse it is with fried chicken and especially hot sauce (in the fry sandwich)

Somehow it doesn't seem like Harold's if you don't get your chicken through a little revolving door cut into bulletproof-glass

Really?

Being a suburbanite my entire life my first experience with Harold's was in DeKalb during school. No bullet proof carousel there. I was actually surprised the first time I experienced ordering my food through a pane of glass.

Flip

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"Beer is proof God loves us, and wants us to be Happy"
-Ben Franklin-

You know, growing up my Mom always told me that wheat bread was better for me than white and she encouraged me to make healthy choices. But the very idea of a cheap basic piece of wheat bread with Harold's (or Chicago BBQ) gives me shudders.

Mama tried ...

-ramon

Remember Harold's Caddy with the chicken head and tail? Everybody knew when Mr. Harold was in the 'hood. Does anyone have a photo of that thing? It was definitely the original art car.

oh my goodness! I'm picturing the caddy with the chicken on the hood right now!! I just might be able to find a picture if I call up my old boss who used to supply Harold's with their chicken (amongst other things).

funny how my first car was an '88 seville, maybe I was inspired by Harold

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"eat, drink and be merry"

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.

As an aside, I can't believe the one on Lake Street in Aurora closed, but I'm thankful this one is still open. My 2-piece white meat dinner was $6.04.

Damn good chicken.