Harolds Chicken Schaumburg, Schaumburg

When Harold Pierce opened the first Harold’s Chicken Shack on Chicago’s South Side in 1950, his chefs fried chicken as it was ordered, filling customers' empty hands with baskets of piping-hot chicken in 12–15 minutes. Today, the chain of more than 60 restaurants peppered across the Midwest and Southwest continues the tradition of rewarding patience with astonishingly delicious chicken.

The shop specializes in a simple order—breaded chicken fried in a rich mix of vegetable oil and beef tallow for home-cooked flavor. Chefs prep the chicken Chicago-style by pouring a dash of sauce over the basket, which soaks into the white bread and crinkle fries that come along.

The restaurant has also saturated the public consciousness, earning a mention in Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell and an appearance in Kanye West’s music video for "Through the Wire." Serious Eats sums up the sentiment for the chain: "When the words 'fried chicken' are uttered in Chicago, it’s a fair bet that the name Harold’s Chicken Shack will usually follow."