Brown’s Chicken is a Chicago fried chicken chain restaurant. Starting up in 1949 out of a trailer, Brown’s Chicken quickly became a staple fried chicken restaurant in Chicago. Brown’s now has 21 different locations. It’s known for its crisp chicken, pasta, and some other southern foods. That brought me to the Brown’s on Oakton in Evanston.
I walked in Brown’s and noticed it had a classic feel to it. It was a small building that was a little tattered, but that gave the place its charm. It was like a classic chicken shack. It isn’t necessarily a place you go to sit down and eat with your family, but it is a place that you can pick up some chicken and go home with. Or if you had a long day working you could go with a couple of your friends and eat some chicken. The restaurant almost has a nostalgic feel about it. It reminds me of somewhere I would stop after a tee ball game or something. The place was fairly clean and service was good. I got the food quickly and didn’t have to wait in much of a line.
I ordered the crispy chicken, eager to give it a try. The crispy chicken consists of white meat and dark meat, chicken thighs, breasts, wings, and drumsticks. It came in a colorful box that had grease stains on the side of it from the chicken. The crispy chicken had lived up to its name and was truly crisp. It added a much desired crunch that is essential to a good fried chicken. The chicken was warm and cooked nicely. It had great texture – crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.
The flavor was extremely simple but that was as advertised. They had a spicy option, but I had stuck to the traditional. However, there seemed to be absolutely zero seasoning on the chicken. I think it would have been better if some spices were added to chicken before it was fried or maybe a marinade on the chicken. Just a little something because it was pretty bland. But again, I did order the traditional chicken when I had other options.
Sean, another customer, said “It’’s a decent spot that has good food. I’ve been here a couple times and it is pretty consistent and convenient. It’s chicken is good, but that mac and cheese and what to get.”
“It’s a warm gooey mac, what can go wrong? I get it every time and it never fails to disappoint me.”
Overall, Brown’s Chicken is definitely a place to check out. It might not be the greatest chicken you have had in your life, but it’s a convenient place that is decently priced and has some tasty chicken.
