Restaurant Review – Parson’s Chicken and Fish

I’m a fried chicken junkie- so when I heard that Parson’s Chicken and Fish opened a new Lincoln Park location, I had to go! Located at 2435 N Halsted St., the new spot is adorable. It has a huge outdoor patio, which is sure to be very popular come summertime. The tables feel like a dressed up picnic spot, with white shiplap benches and maple tabletops. A quirky marquis sign bears the name of the restaurant and beautiful green plants add a bright pop of color to the space. We came in on a Thursday evening around 6 and were seated right away. We were pleasantly surprised to find we caught the tail end of Happy Hour! They have great food and drink specials like $1 PBR’s, $4 draft beers, $5 Negroni slushies, $4 hush puppies and pimento toast, $2 oysters (broiled or raw), and $4 popcorn chicken. My mom is from Louisiana, so we love hush puppies and knew we had to try some! They’re made with Slagel Family Farm ham hock, cream cheese, and scallions, breaded with Three Sisters Garden Cornmeal and served with a harissa aioli. Unfortunately, these were nothing to write home about. I did like the cream cheese on the inside, it added great creaminess to the tiny fried balls. The harissa aioli was tasty, but not nearly spicy enough for my taste. I’m never mad about eating hush puppies, but I probably wouldn’t order these again. For my main meal, I knew I had to try the Hot Chicken Sandwich: chicken thigh tossed in Parson’s Hot Blend, topped with American cheese, slaw, hot sauce, aioli, and North Star pickles. This was FANTASTIC. I love that the sandwich is made with a chicken thigh- it was so rich and juicy! The slaw was delicious, it added the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch. The spice level on this was just right for me! I like spicy food, but I still want to be able to taste the flavor of the food itself, which I absolutely could. I would order this sandwich again in a heartbeat! It came with housemade potato chips, which were also very tasty. My dad and boyfriend ordered the same sandwich- but Demon Style! Demon Style is not for the faint of heart. It is super spicy! We also split an order of Mac and Cheese: rotini, aged gruyere, cheddar, and cheez-it bacon breadcrumbs. This was very good! The breadcrumbs were unique and gave the creamy pasta a nice texture. We also shared the Ponderosa Salad: Werp Farms Little Gem lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, bacon lardons, red onion, aged cheddar, and creamy poppyseed dressing. This was my second favorite dish! All the ingredients were so fresh and the poppyseed dressing was marvelous. I can’t wait to come back to Parson’s! That chicken sandwich is calling to me already.

Parson’s has another location in Logan Square, located at 2952 W. Armitage Ave. Hours for both locations are Mondays through Fridays from 11 am to midnight, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to midnight, and brunch until 2 pm daily. Find more info here.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO