Brown's Chicken & Pasta

Regional Fast Food
-Chicagoland's Fried Chicken franchise

Brown's Chicken and Pasta was recently sold off at auction to a former exec. The fried chicken franchise known by most people in Chicagoland (and many throughout the country, though for different reasons) has had a storied past to say the least. It was sold for just over half a million and the company has 38 locations two of which are owned by them and the rest franchised. I decided to get at this post today since I saw a free coupon for an order of their famous fried mushrooms on the cover of this past Sunday's Chicago Tribune and also since they are starting over yet again. Of course it will always be hard to escape that cold winter day back in 1993 in Palatine, IL when the Brown's Chicken Massacre took place. It was a horrific story and one that captured national media attention from the day it happened in '93, up until the killer was finally found in '02 and then sentenced to life in prison in 2007. Whenever I hear the name Brown's Chicken I cant help but think of the murders and the same goes for Palatine. But I am posting because I like Brown's Chicken and am always tempted to stop for some of it if not most definitely the mushrooms.


Location in Skokie, IL

Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Type: Franchised
Founded in: 1964
How Many Today: About 40
Locations in: IL, IN
Menu item that made them: Fried Chicken

The companies history as told by me

Originally founded by John Brown and Frank Portillo in Chicago they had expanded to many locations by the 70's. After nice start up success they added pasta to the menu in the 80's and also added it to the name. The 90's were tough with the massacre and then they tried to rebuild their image after that and added a "Chicago way" part to the menu that included Chicago fast food favorites like Italian beef and hot dogs. Frank Portillo is a brother of Dick Portillo who is the founder of the famous Chicagoland Portillo's restaurants. At some point there was a battle between its owners and it went bankrupt and and were sold earlier this month. The new owner was quoted on his purchase saying “Brown’s is an iconic, Chicago-based brand that we feel can be brought back and be everything it was and more, if done right, We’re focused on doing the right steps to stabilize and maintain the company.” I think he's right and if handled properly this is a nice purchase for what they got it at. Just don't change a damn thing with the fried mushrooms. Got it? Good.


Brown's famous fried mushrooms...my favorite app. in fast food

I have always been a fan of Brown's and used to get it as a kid when there was one in my vicinity that I could get too on my bike. But then after the murders they kind of disappeared for a while and then made a comeback when they added the beef, hot dogs and stuff and more of them started popping up again. But just like any franchised place it all depends on how each location is run. It was probably close to a decade in between visits for me but I like Brown's alot when the location is ran right. When the chicken is hot out the fryer it's some of the best in fast food chicken right there with Popeye's for me and way way better than KFC. Their slogan is "It tastes better" and it really does. But it's those magical mushrooms that keep me coming back since my first visit in forever a year or two back. They take fresh never frozen 'shrooms which are batter dipped and fried to a perfect golden brown. I pop them like popcorn, cant get enough. I'll even get some of the mostaccioli with a meatball or two when I'm hungry. Different locations can have slightly varying menus with stuff like livers and gizzards available at some stops. Don't let what that nut job did stop you from getting some fried chicken that just tastes better. Simple as that.


Brown's fried chicken

Click HERE for the company website.

Uncle John's Barbecue

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals eat.

Mark today's stop as one of my favorite spots in the city. When it comes to BBQ, Uncle John's over on Calumet and 69th and its pitmaster Mack are the holy grail of smoked meats in the Windy City. Its a spot I was first put onto by my man G Wiv thru one of his posts about it over at LTHforum. In case you didn't know G Wiv is also the godfather of Chicago 'que and has written a book on making real deal BBQ the real deal way, low and slow. If there was one book you needed to own in your BBQ collection, this would be it. Uncle John's is where the boss of BBQ in this city eats his smoked meats and it's damn easy to see why. It is one of the best barbecue joints in not just the city but the country. It's been around for about four years now since Mack opened it up after working at another famous Chicago 'que joint. It has been getting lots of press of late since it is G Wiv's spot for good Chicago BBQ. Recently its been in the Tribune, on WGN news and discussed on all sorts of food forums and boards and featured in other articles. Just a couple weeks ago Gary aka G Wiv took Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods there for the Chicago taping. So its already getting loads of people from all over with plenty more coming after the episode airs and I'm about to send more.


Andrew Zimmern with G Wiv outside Uncle John's (pic by PhilW)

Let me start off by letting everyone know that if you have any hesitation about going to the neighborhood because you've never been south of 18th street to have that fear no more. It was a safe place when the spot was relatively unknown by northsiders and now that there's people coming from all over its still just as safe. The people that work with Mack, family and friends, are as nice and helpful as you can get. What's funny is, its the places like Uncle John's where I experience the best and most warm receptions from its employees. Its when I go to some trendy ass bar or hipster restaurant where I get snobby ass looks and actions from employees that are mad that I'm ordering alot of food and drinks and asking questions. Mack would love to share his knowledge of BBQ with you and is happy to answer questions about his specialty and what they do with it. As G Wiv put it "It's great to have Mack back and cooking BBQ, there are only a few real Pitmasters left in Chicago."


To the right as you walk in


The aquarium style smoker used at Uncle John's to smoke the meats

As you can see from the picture above, the meats are smoked at UJ's using an aquarium style smoker which is a custom piece of equipment very popular to the Chicagoland area. If you go over HERE you check out a thread from LTH about the history of the aquarium style smoker. Once again I will quote the Godfather of Chicago Barbecue on them in which he said "The Aquarium cooker seems to be Chicago specific, and they can be found all over Chicago, unfortunately few places still use them for anything but show or holding meat. Turning out good BBQ on an Aquarium style smoker is a dying art." Which is why UJ's is such a treasure to have and it's all about the 'que. As you do or don't know, I always order my BBQ with the sauce on the side. Its a way of being able to taste the smokiness and not drown the meat in sauce and changing the texture. The sauce is however phenomenal. It comes in a hot or mild variety and the hot is HOT. I always go with that.


Mack's HOT sauce

So what about the BBQ? what is it at Uncle John's that makes them one of the best yet? Well its all about the tips and links and everyone will tell you this. Don't discount the full slabs of ribs either because those too are great but in Chicago we love our rib tips. We also LOVE Mack's housemade hot links which are some of the best links you will ever come across. When you the pair the two of those together in a combo, you got a little taste of heaven.


XL Tips and Links Combo

Rib tips are Chicago's BBQ specialty. Memphis has the ribs, KC the sauce, Texas the brisket, Carolina's got pulled pork and Chicago's got its rib tips. I've basically grown up on the meaty end part of a spare rib slab that is cut off and smoked and then chopped, bones and all before serving. Tips when done right are full of flavor and provide a perfect balance of succulent smokey meat and crisp charred edges or bark as the pitmasters call it. While we still have 100's of places in Chicago that do up rib tips there arent as many that do a perfect job with them each and every time, which is the case over at Uncle John's. I just cant get enough rib tips from Mack and his staff. They got the perfect amount of smoke, fat and gristle in each and every bite and manage to make the outside nice and chewy in a good way while the meat inside is tender and melts on your tongue.


Nice piece of bark from a batch of Rib Tips

But you cant go there and just get the tips, you need to get the combo. The housemade hot links are simply outstanding. Quite easily some of the best sausage anywhere on the earth and as addictive as crack and facebook. Mack takes a very well coarse link that's perfect in texture and is seasoned with fresh spices and peppers and then smokes it to precision and once you dip it in some hot BBQ sauce it's called sheer perfection. In fact if you call ahead, which I always suggest you do, to make sure they're open, you can order Mack's hot links by the case and half case. Give them a day or two's notice but these are a must have for any tailgate or backyard BBQ party your planning on having this summer. It's hard to come up with anything better, all you need is the links, some wood and a little bit of time along with an ice cold beer.


Mack's housemade hot links on the Godfathers smoker

So if you were planning on taking a trip to Chicago this summer or taking a trip somewhere in your city for some good bbq, you now have your spot. The 'que even travels real well (make sure you get sauce on the side) so you can can make a call ahead order and take it over to Calumet Park and eat it along the lake or back home or at US Cell field for some tailgating eating or whatever the hell you want to do. Its all up to you, just know that all of us who have been, have done so a countless amount of times. Its one of those places that will be in your regular rotation, the rest of your life. Please note to call before your visit if you plan on making a trek to UJ's (which is well worth it) the hours can sometimes change and they, like the rest of us, like a vacation now and then too. Although every time I go by there, I feel like I'm on vacation eating the best bbq in the Midwest. If your planning on taking a food journey this summer, Uncle John's is your spot.


Inside of a hot link, a beautiful piece of art it is...

Uncle Johns
337 East 69th Street
Chicago, IL 60637-4638
(773) 892-1233

Hog Wild

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Where the locals eat.

I am a modern day explorer of all things food related. I've been in and around so many corners and crevices of the Chicagoland landscape to explore and see whats out there. I stumbled upon today's stop when cruising way south down on Pulaski. It looked very worthy of a stop by its appearance, there were a few BBQ pit trailers in back and lots of Pig related decor with the name of the establishment being Hog Wild and all. I made a quick mental note since I wasn't going to be able to stop then and there and made a return visit to Midlothian, where it is, to try the place out a few weeks later.


I gotta stop and try anyplace that's the home of anything

I stopped in here about 3 months ago on a weekend night and the place was popping. Lots of people taking orders to go and plenty of people that called ahead along with families, friends and couple out for dinner. The ordering procedure is painless and really gets you your food at a much faster wait then having waitress' and going through all that. You step in and place your order at the register upon your arrival. You are then seated in the dining room and someone brings your food to your table. Its a large spot so even though there were many people the night I went it was in and out and not a problem. Each table has quite a few bottles of different BBQ sauces for whatever part of the pig you order and the dining space has a nice Northwoods cabin feel to it. Yes they do have other things on the menu but I was there for a pork chop sandwich and that's what I got. My buddy who rolled with me went with a tenderloin sandwich.


Pork Tenderloin sandwich from Hog Wild

It didn't take too long for the chop and tenderloin to be grilled up because within the time it would take they had arrived. Both came with fries and were in the $5-$7 range as I recall. The fries were the average frozen crinkle cut variety but came in handy to taste the sauces with. Even though they call these sandwiches there just pieces of meat served between a couple slices of cheap white bread. In the case of the pork chop, its got a bone so you eat it with a knife and fork. My buddy really liked his tenderloin and I loved my pork chop. If you want the best chop outside downtown then this is where you'll find it. It was grilled to perfection and the medallion filet part melted on my tongue. I couldn't believe how good it was for the price and cant wait to get back. This my friends is one of the finest chops in a city that loves them some pork chops. If you do too then seek this one out.


Hog Wild's Pork Chop Sandwich

Hog Wild
14933 Pulaski Road
Midlothian, IL 60445-3436
(708) 371-9005

Best Bar-B-Que

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals eat.

It was last fall when I was doing a cruise to the southside along I57 that took me off at my normal exit that leads to 115th street in Morgan Park. As you drive along you will notice a smokehouse with a large chimney coming out the roof that goes by Best Bar-B-Que. Its a place I had driven by many times but was always closed or I was en route elsewhere. However that all changed when me and a buddy drove by one early afternoon and the smoke was flowing out of the chimney so we had to pull in and grab some BBQ.


Smoke coming out on top

Decided to go with my standard first time order when I go to a real BBQ spot in the Chicagoland area which is a rib tip and hot links combo with the sauce on the side. It took about five minutes as I recall and we took our combos out to dine al trunko and see if this was some legit BBQ or if we were getting smoke blowed up our ass. The BBQ sauce was pretty legit and was the first thing I got a little taste of like I always do at a BBQ joint by sticking my finger in to see whats up.


BBQ sauce

Soon after I ripped into my tips/links combo and was pretty damn satisfied. Since we had driven by when there was a ton of smoke coming out the chimney, both the tips and links seemed to be fresh out of the aquarium style smoker that all the places in Chicagoland use. The tips were done to near perfection with perfect amount of smoke flavor and they had plenty of charred bark like I like mine to have. The links were also very good and had a good amount of heat to them, also the way I like mine. Overall it was a great quick snack to grab and a bargain at about $5 for it. Its not the best 'que I've ever come across but it was more than acceptable and would be a regular stop for me on days when smoke is rising from there if I had lived a little closer.



Insides of the smoked hot links


Rib Tip looking like money


Rib Tips/Hot Link Lunch Combo

Best Bar-B-Que
1648 West 115th Street
Chicago, IL 60643-4370
(773) 239-1522‎

More Fresh Fries

-Fried out on 420

Do you have that holiday feeling? You getting hungry because of it? 420 is here and so is the now annual "Fresh Fries" post that comes with it. Last year I showed you around town and where to go to get the best sets of fries in the city and beyond and this year is no different. So I hope you got your munchies going and are enjoying yourself on 4/20/10. Check out last years featured fries right HERE.


an old neighborhood standby in Pilsen (Fran's Beef)


Fran's Fry sandwich: fries and hot peppers loaded inside a gravy bread


Something I do up at Pop's now and then with their fries and gravy bread


an old neighborhood standby in Evanston


Little Islands cheese fries have been eaten by generations of locals


Toons Bar & Grill: best stoners creation with the use of fries
(nachos ordered with fresh cut fries instead of chips and topped with chopped brisket)


fRedhots: best unique set of fries in the cityscape


Tore's Beef: best fries at any of the blue collar favorites


W&SC: best fries and dipping sauces for them


Illinois Bar & Grill: largest and best batch of fries in the city


Top Notch Beefburgers: best old school style fries in the city


Miner Dunn: best fries with a burger in NW Indiana


Kopp's: best fries with a burger and custard in Milwaukee


Mr. D's: best sandwich and fries combo in the city


Redhot Ranch: best set of fries loaded up on top a hot dog

You know your hungry.

Morrie O'Malley's

-In Chicago: Every Dog Has it's Day

Where the White Sox fans get their grub on.

Its Opening Day 2010 and we continue on with our baseball and hot dog features that come with it. We went to Cub fans favorite Murphy's last week and today batting second in the order is a longtime favorite of White Sox fans-Morrie O'Malley's. Located at 35th st. and Union in Bridgeport and just like Murphy's, O'Malley's has been doing Chicago style hot dogs justice and opened just a year after them in 1988. Its a seasonal stand and an institution in one of my favorite 'hoods. Morrie O'Malley's is BIG with Sox fans headed to and from The Cell.


Front


and back

Its no coincidence that both Murphy's & Morrie O'Malley's opened up within a year of each other and have so much in common including being the dog stand of choice for Cubs and Sox fans. What started off as a little trailer within a backyard at the corner of 35th and Union has turned into a cornerstand and a Vienna Beef Hall of Famer. Its going on 22 years now and they have been serving the residents and workers of Bridgeport along with White Sox fans from all over from every 1st Monday of March until its time to close down when the winter weather comes around.


O'Malley's is a proud member of the Hall

Only in Chicago will you find so many world class fast food joints and Morrie O'Malley's is a great example of one. Its the type of place where the saying goes "this is where customers have a name, not a number" and as soon as they open their doors for the spring, hungry southsiders come flooding in like they've been hibernating all winter and how could you blame them? O'Malley's does up Chicago style dogs that include everything (no ketchup) on them as seen in the pic below. The standard dog comes steamed but they also do everything charred up on their grill and you really cant go wrong either way. I like to get mine their way (steamed w/ everything) and love the fries here too. They remind me of a spots fries that I loved growing up (fazzios). The menu is great tasting from up to down and they have ice cream sundaes, shakes, floats etc. too.


What you get...


Top Notch Fries

The places that thrive and become legendary and part of their neighborhoods do what Morrie O'Malley's does and that's give its customers a great tasting meal for a great price. They take great pride in their food over there and its made to order but there's no worries because you can take a spot at one of the tables outside with the recognizable Vienna Beef umbrellas.


Hot Dog with Everything

I love the hot dogs and always get a gravy bread which is a must have menu item for any respectable southside beef or hot dog joint. The one other thing that I would consider their specialty is the strip steak sandwich. I love a good steak sandwich but sometimes dislike them when you have to wrestle the meat apart and its hard to eat. But at O'Malley's they know how to do a steak sandwich proper. You might get a little resistance here or there but nothing too bad, the steak is full of flavor and tender. It comes made to your preference and on a garlic toasted french bun...Yum! I would recommend getting it with just grilled onions. It's easily one of the best steak sandwiches in town and aside from the regulars not too many people know this.


Gravy bread is a childhood favorite of mine

Morrie O'Malley's is a straight shot from Comiskey and has parking for fans attending the game during all homestands. You really cant beat parking there and ending your night with a snack from there too, it'll be great win or lose. When O'Malley's first got started with their hot dog trailer the White Sox had a 3rd year SS named Ozzie Guillen and a 2nd year OF named Kenny Williams. Old teammates now working with each other and fighting over Twitter. The 1988 team also had a future Cy Young winner in Jack McDowell and the men with the statues in and outside the ballpark-Harold Baines and HOF'er Carlton Fisk.

I will also admit that I also don't know what to expect from this years White Sox team. They are in a tough div where they, the Tigers or the Twins could win and the Wild Card wont be coming out of the AL Central. They have good pitching and not so good hitting. The season is already off to a shaky start with Ozzie being denied a Twitter account and then his son being fired for being dumb. I have a feeling that just like the Cubs will, the White Sox will have a new manger in the dugout in 2011. I think Ozzie Guillen will be in Atlanta. I'm setting the 2010 White Sox wins at 85 wins. Either way the dogs and steak sandwich at O'Malley's will win 162 games a year, they're never losers.


Morrie O'Malley's Strip Steak Sandwich

Morrie O'Malley's Hot Dogs
3501 South Union Avenue
Chicago, IL 60609-1629
(773) 247-2700

Five More Sandwiches

-The Sammy's of Chi

The next saga in the series of posts is a combo between the "Take 2: a second look" and "The Sammy's of Chi" chapters because what I have for you are five chow worthy sandwiches from places seen on chibbqking. All five of these spots are in my regular rotation and I get to them a good amount of times a year. Even though the main reason I go to the five spots featured here is for the items already showcased in their original stories, it turns out they got more good eats than just that. So here are five more sandwiches from places already featured here on S'C&C wit Da King.


We revisit these five spots already seen on here for more good eat Sammy's
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Al & Joe's

When your the "home of the submarine" and have been so since 1960, well you gotta be doing up some good sandwiches then, right? Yes sir, and on top of one of Chicagolands best Italian subs you can find one of the areas best pepper and egg sandwiches, a special on Friday's. With it being lent season and all right now I figured it was a good time to share where to get a great P&E sandwich which are big in Chicago. Its on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during lent that Italian Americans enjoy these sammy's made with sauteed green peppers, scrambled eggs and served on French bread and available with hot peppers. I'm pretty sure Al & Joe's serves their P&E every Friday of the year but call to make sure. Its still one of my favorite spots in the city and I get in there pretty often, its the best place to stop for a quick eat after landing at O'Hare. Click HERE for more on Al & Joe's.


Pepper & Egg Sandwich from A&J's (available Friday's)
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Bird's Nest

Whats not to love about the Lincoln Park neighborhood corner bar? Already featured for their first team all Chicago wings and it's a great daytime drinking spot and home of the massive and mouthwatering Drunken Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I have a hard time passing on the wings when I go to this bar just down the block from me, but every now and then I just get a craving for this monster of a sandwich. Its a beer battered big ass chicken breast that's deep fried and then covered in their "Bird's Nest Hot Sauce" aka Buffalo sauce and topped with blue cheese dressing and crumbles, celery seed, lettuce and tomato. Its one of the best chicken sammy's anywhere. Click HERE for more on Bird's Nest.


Drunken Buffalo Chicken Sandwich from Bird's Nest
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Philly's Best

I don't think I've ever ordered anything other than a cheesesteak from Philly's Best with the exception of the time me and a friend split one of their other sandwiches an oven baked grinder. We went with the most popular one which is the "combination" and includes Salami, bologna, ham, onions, green peppers, tomato and cheese all oven baked on French bread with the veggies and other toppings of your choice and also available on garlic bread. I liked this sandwich though not nearly as much as the cheesesteak so I'll just stick with them. Click HERE for more on Philly's Best.


The Combination Oven Baked Grinder from Philly's Best
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Pop's Beef & Sausage

I don't get to go to pop's damn near every Sunday like I did when I was a kid but I still get there pretty often. It's one of those spots where they do almost everything well and some things really, really well. The Italian Beef is still my favorite on the southside and on my1st Team starting five on the All-Chicago Beef squad. I also love their gravy bread and liked the chili cheese dog. One day I was really hungry and got a beef, gravy bread and decided to also try their corned beef sandwich. It's available with Swiss and mustard and served hot or cold and you can also double the meat for a little more. It was a fine corned beef for the price and I quite enjoyed it along with my beef and gravy bread. I might have to do that triple combo again in the bear future. Click HERE for more on Pop's.


Pop's Corned Beef with Swiss Sandwich
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Top Notch

Another one of my favorites and it too is located on the southside. Over at Top Notch they've been doing who they are for 68 years and that's top notch beefburgers. Whenever someone asks whats the best burger in Chicago its Top Notch that's jumps to my mind first and they certainly are one of if not the best burgers anywhere. Nothing has changed over there except prices and on a recent visit I ventured out and away from my regular order of a regular sized cheeseburger and get me a patty melt. I hadn't had a patty melt in years up until I got one here a couple months back and I cant wait to go back for another. Just like they got their burgers perfected, same can be said for the patty melts. Its made with the same hanging beef that is ground fresh daily in their walk in cooler. They put a bunch of those greasy good onions on it along with your cheese of choice of cheese and melt it all between toasted rye bread. It was at Top Notch where I fell in love with patty melts. Click HERE for more on Top Notch Beefburgers.


Patty Melt from Top Notch with their World War II fries


You know its good...
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AL & Joe's Delicatessen
(847) 678-6788
10348 Addison Ave
Franklin Park, IL 60131
(847) 678-6788
Website

Bird's Nest
2500 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 472-1502
Website

Philly's Best (four locations)
907 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 525-7900
Website

Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage
10337 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Website

Top Notch Beefburger
2116 W 95th St
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 445-7218
Website