Chicken Shop

I love the places with few items on the menu because it often means that they do it right! Well
They sure roast a mean chicken! The sides are good and the apple pie is to die for. I also recommend the margarita. One thing… Is that you’ll leave smelling like chicken! I highly recommend this place!

Really great food. Can be a long wait to get a table and not really any space to wait. It got quite awkward with 15 people or so trying to stand around a small bar table.

We went here on a Saturday eve and I could barely find it and when I did the door is so unassuming I thought it was closed and had to go in and ask Pizza East if Chicken Shop had shut its doors for a good.
I was wrong… we opened the door, walked down the stairs and found a massive and buzzing restaurant. It feels a little fabricated – almost trying too hard to be an American restaurant and kind of has that bland we look like Pizza East feel.
I must say the chicken was moist, juicy and delicious. Loved the jugs of wine. The crinkle fries were pretty good. The corn on the cob was flavorless and the lettuce and avocado salad could have used a bit more flavor. But on the whole it was really good, the restaurant had good atmosphere, and I liked sitting at the massive bar spots watching the spit roast.
Might want to get there early or get a booking at busy times as word is out to eat here.

This is best chicken I have ever had, hands down! And really reasonable prices! It’s usually really busy so expect at least a 40 minute wait at its busiest! Def worth the wait tho! There are plenty of awesome pubs a walk away to wait in. If you live close though you can always order it to take out!

Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to visit. I’ve been an off and on again visitor of Dirty Burger for years. Situated up Highgate Road, a short walk from Kentish Town station, you’d easily miss it. Head to Pizza East and then look at the door on the left, it will be slightly ajar, and might have a Chicken Shop bag holding it open, on our occasion it didn’t. Confidently walk through the door and down the stairs as the basement has a full restaurant. There’s one item on the menu, chicken, all you get to choose is how much of it you want, quarter, half or whole, along with side dishes. I can’t remember what they all are but we went for the corn and sweet potato fries.
The chicken was moist and tender, not too spicy and tasted great. Sides were similarly good, unfortunately with a lot of studying going on, we only went for half pints of local Camden Hells Lager. For dessert we opted to share a slice of apple pie and were treated to an unexpected surprise. The pies are baked in large pie dishes and served at the table, our server had gone to get the pie and found that what was left would be considered too big for one slice and too little for 2. As he knew the two of us were sharing, he declined to dish it, but instead dolloped ice cream into the dish and served it as is! Flaky pastry and wonderfully spiced apples led to a fantastic end to the meal. If you like Nando’s, this is better! Run, don’t walk here.

It’s literally located at a home in the wall. If you don’t smell the chicken as you walk by, just look for the doorway that’s right before the Pizza East outdoor seating.
The slaw was amazing, chicken tender and tasty, dessert servings were huge and the atmosphere was incredible. I love the simplicity of their menu.
Disclaimer: If you don’t feel like chicken for dinner wait for another night.

Chicken Shop is a trendy place to get your chicken fix, much more upscale than KFC, and the atmosphere is cooler than Nandos. Like many others, I have been to KFC and Nandos a million times, and a new variation on an old favourite is always welcome. The restaurant advertises itself with the delicious smell of chicken wafting out on the street, luring you down into a basement with a slightly dim, fun and warm atmosphere. Chickens adorn the walls and roast on spits and it seems like a family friendly ambiance.
So the big question is, how’s the chicken? The chicken here is definitely the juiciest and most succulent I have ever had. Each bite is a tender morsel and they really know all the secrets of keeping the moisture in. However, the flavour is just on the outside, and even with sauces, is just not that great a flavour. As much as I love the way they cook it, it is just okay in terms of spices and sauces and I wish they’d concentrate more on it because it would have everything it needs then. The chips were okay too but nothing out of the way.

If you are a fan of chicken this place is a must go to when in london. The ambience is very relaxed and the staff are always helpful.
I went for my staple of sharing a whole chicken between 2 people. To order ¾ doesn’t do your tastebuds justice as you will be craving more. Chicken was perfectly cooked and finished over charcoal gives it an amazing flavour. I ventured slightly off my usual chips this time and order coleslaw and the salad. Both were amazing. Coleslaw was nice and creamy. Not too much. And the salad had a great dressing and the avocados were perfectly ripened.
I have been here quite a few times and will always return but thought it was about time I finally reviewed this place. It’s perfect for a relaxed date or to chill with some mates. If you are a fan of nandos I do warn you you will be disappointed every time you go in there as chicken shop smashes it to smithereens. The few times I have been there since going to chicken shop all I have thought is this isn’t chicken shop. The five stars just shows my love for the place. It isn’t pretentious and I have had the same amazing food each time I have been.

Excellent! The BEST chicken I’ve ever had. Waiter was very friendly. Apple Pie was quite good too. Well worth a trip. I’ll be back before I leave for the US.

The chicken here is really SO DELICIOUS. Whatever that seasoning is they are putting on it, it works. Sides are less interesting, crinkle cut fries look like underdone McCains, for example. I was pretty full by dessert time but I remember other people being excited by the various options.
Service was friendly and generally efficient. I’m not a massive fan of the basement atmosphere, but it’s a fun place to come with friends and I would definitely come back for MORE DELICIOUS CHICKEN.

Really great chicken, even better than Nandos.
I think it is the quality of the chicken, the firm sinews of the meat can really we be felt, it is even tastier and without a fatty feel. The marinade is also superb and the tomato ketchup seems freshl made.
The service is superb with a really friendly feel. The décor is the modern über trendy rustic feel, with authentic antiquated old fashioned wooden furniture and décor with some brilliant and interesting pieces.
The trendy rustic feel is big with twenty somethings, so this is the main age.
A great place, not overly priced and a good recommendation.

I’m dying for this place to open in NY. Which probably won’t happen. :(
I came here twice on my last trip to London and have been dreaming of it since. The chicken is so well seasoned and juicy… the hot sauces compliment everything so well.
JUICY. CHICKEN.

I’m so glad this is somewhat my local, which gives me plenty of excuse to pop by often. I don’t eat a lot of chicken but I love the chicken at Chicken Shop. If you time your arrival correctly, you should be able to avoid the queues or better yet, you can put your name down and head upstairs to Pizza East for a drink while you wait.
I recommend you eat in as I’ve taken chicken home before and it never tastes the same (always drier). The chicken seasoning is fantastic and make sure you use their BBQ and hot sauces. Between two hungry people, you should share ¾ to a whole chicken. We usually get a whole and take a few bits home. Corn on the cob comes with the option of melted butter on top (yes!) and the chips are good. The coleslaw is pretty darn good and the avocado salad is good for breaking up the heaviness of the meal. As you can tell, I’ve had everything here at least once!
Whatever you do, don’t miss the apple pie. If you luck out, your server will portion out a massive piece to you. I can’t get enough of the crust! The custard comes in a big jug so you can pour as much as you like, but a bit of traditional vanilla ice cream is also great.
You can be in and out pretty quick here, which can be good or bad. There’s always a queue of hungry people too so it’s best to finish up and grab your drinks elsewhere. It’s a big cruel forcing others to wait when it’s this good!
The prices have slowly started to creep up over the last year but hopefully this won’t continue :)

Seems like half of Unilocal have already eaten here… where have I been? Oh right, yeah, I remember.
It’s no secret that I love chicken, it is a bit bizarre since I never used to touch it but now eat it about twice a day. The Chicken Shop had been on my radar for a while, I’d heard it was underground and hidden. I expected some kind of chicken shack, but no, it’s actually very lovely and hipstery. A hessian bag marks the entrance. Hidden, you see.
We easily got a table, my pro-​tip on these ‘popular’ places, go on a Tuesday, no-​one eats out on a Tuesday. Right at the bar, we could watch the chicken chopping action. The menu is simple. I ordered a half chicken, fries and avocado salad. I basically had no idea how big half a chicken was.
My highlights were the amazing dressing on the avocado salad, the super-​crispy fries and homemade mayo. With the chicken, it was tasty but overall I was not a big fan. Why? Because I found it way too pink, with actual spots of blood in places. I just can’t deal with this, too much of a paranoid chicken eater. I would’ve loved it had it been thoroughly cooked. The skin is crispy and delicious and the house sauces are fantastic.

«And the reviews for this place are really good,» said the young lady in the queue for tables. Deservedly so, because Chicken Shop is an all-​round top-​notch experience.
Funnily enough, it’s not the chicken that secures it 5 star status from me, even if it is the daddy of chicken places: juicy, well-​cooked meat that comes in quarters, halves or whole chickens. As I made my way through my dinner of half a chicken, colesaw (home-​made, no mayo — yum), corn on the cob (doused in garlic butter — tasty) and half a tub of chips, I thought that my 5 star recollections of a trip here 12 months previous may have been off the mark. Surely 4 stars was more apt.
But then we opted for pudding: the ‘deep-​filled appled pie’. And 5 star glory was re-​attained. Quite simply it’s the best apple pie I’ve had in a long time, possibly ever. Sweeter than usual, and rounded off with a scoop of ice cream. I also love the no-​nonsense way it was served too — no carefully presented slice, rather a messy quarter of a pie in its pie dish, pushed rather hastily on to our table. Just fantastic.
The service was quick, friendly and helpful, regularly topping up our glasses with water. They don’t formally take bookings, but were happy to put us on a ‘waiting list’ when we inquired three hours in advance. It’s still good value (£4 per quarter of chicken, about the same for sides, £5 for desserts and a very reasonable £2.30 for half a pint of Camden lager and £4.50 for a pint) and the interior has a pleasingly retro if still rather polished air.

Chicken Shop has been one of those rare experiences where my low expectations were disconfirmed. I have to say that I’m always wary of popular hangouts, such as Bone Daddies, Tasty Burger and Tram Shed. The latter, for example, did in my opinion not live up to the hype that they’d generated. (Good PR, but no substance really.)
Chicken Shop was another place where I’d heard so much about and so I finally had to give it a try. It was a Thursday evening and we were quite early and so ended up getting a seat right away. (20 minutes later, there had already formed a substantial queue.) It was just the two of us and we chose to be seated at the bar. In fact, this is what I’d recommend to everyone, as you can watch how the chicken get grilled, chopped up and sent off to their respective «owners».
What really convinced me of this place is the chicken, which was perfectly marinated, juicy, charred to perfection… and the sides and condiments that came along with it, were complementing it nicely. I have to say, it’s not cheap, as you order the chicken and the sides separately, but then again the taste is worth it.
I also really liked the décor and I felt super comfortable. Somebody had really thought about how to turn a dark basement into a livable and exciting space. (It’s definitely part of the hipster family, but that’s alright ;-)
On top of that, I thought our waitress was just too sweet and so my overall experience was very positive. I can, however, see that this might not be the perfect place to hang out with a large group. It gets really crowded and so the staff might be quite keen to get you in and out of the establishment as soon as possible. My recommendation: go to the Southampton Arms about 300 yards away. It’s a very cozy pub.
Tip: If you live nearby, order the chicken to take-​away and enjoy it from the comfort of your sofa! Beware to not drip the juices on the fabric though ;-)

I fully enjoy the Chicken Shop. Is it the absolute, hands down, best chicken I’ve ever tasted? No… as another reviewer said, Pio Pio in NY might top the charts there. But the chicken is consistently good, and you always know what you’re getting.
The avocado salad isn’t really worth the 4GBP, because it’s just chunks of avocado with lettuce and a vinaigrette, but I seem to keep getting it. It’s good vinaigrette, okay? And the avocado provides a cooling counterbalance to the hot sauce, both regular and smoky.
The chips are decent. Not really worth it unless you’re craving the carbs — I really doubt they’re homemade and aren’t much better than frozen.
Service is impeccable, though — they manage to keep an eye on you without being over-​the-​top intrusive or making you feel rushed. And the apple pie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream is a treat in itself.
Pricewise, it’s more than fair. A friend and I went tonight and got a half chicken, two sides, a pint, and apple pie for 26 GBP.
Definitely worth a visit if you have an excuse to be in the area (especially combined with a visit to the Southampton Arms pub up the street), but probably not worth a trek from the other side of London, to be honest.

Those of you eagle eyed readers of my reviews will note that my Unilocal secret is that I like KFC. I’ve even made a special trip to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc restaurant in Napa Valley specially for fried chicken night in my quest to find the best chicken ever
Hence, my excitement at the recent plethora of chicken places opening up in London to offer choice amongst Nando’s and cheap KFC wannabe fried chicken shops
At Unilocal Ramen Club 6.0, Andrew M, Rob H and I concocted an excuse to visit Chicken Shop in Kentish Town — the fact that we like eating chicken! Andrew M kindly set up the UYE and yesterday, a group of 12 hungry Unilocalers and friends descended (literally) on the Chicken Shop for lunch
As noted in previous reviews, it’s the most obvious signposted restaurant, an irritating trend I’ve noticed with new London restaurants. Anyway, there’s a discreet sign on a flowerpot and yesterday, they had a Chicken Shop bag tied to the door handle. In case, you’re still struggling, they’re located under Pizza East or you can just follow the smell of roasting chicken like Andrew did yesterday!
You then descend into the basement where you’ll find a roomful of patrons tucking into spit roasted chicken. The simple menu is available on the menus on the walls to peruse and salivate over if you’re waiting for a table
The open plan kitchen allows you to see the whole chickens being spit roasted though the smell wasn’t as strong as I expected in the restaurant — perhaps they’re pumping it outside to attract more customers! Seating is available at the kitchen counter or tables
Ordering is easy — you decide whether you want a quarter, a half or a whole chicken. 4 sides are available — chips, corn on the cob, coleslaw and salad of buttered lettuce and avocado. Hot sauce and smokey sauce are available on the table
Eating in a group enabled us to order everything — yay! The chicken arrived commendably quickly but when you serve 400 covers in not the largest space, turnover is important. The spit roasted chicken comes in a tin plate with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over it. So, where does it fit in the pantheon of great chicken? The chicken is definitely juicy but the marinade flavour doesn’t really penetrate that far from the skin into the meat
My favourite side was the corn on the cob. My least favourite were the chips which weren’t that interesting. The coleslaw wasn’t drowned in maynnaise which was good
My favourite part of the meal was in fact dessert. Once again, we were able to share the 3 desserts on offer. There was a very deep filled apple pie, which was served out of the pie dish at the table with the waitress. The lemon cheesecake was lovely and light but zingy. The chocolate brownie was velvety and chocolatey. They all came with ice cream and cream — when you’re offered ice cream, cream or both as an accompaniment, there can only be one answer!
This was a great way to spend a Sunday lunchtime — with Unilocal friends sharing good food. However, as this place is called the Chicken Shop and I can only give the chicken 4 stars out of 5, it has to be an overall 4 star rating

Posh Nandos?!
Posh Nandos with happy, friendly staff that let you wander off to the pub and call you when your table is ready? Fantastic!
Things I loved here:
* The smell of the spit-​roasting chickens that you greet you as you come down the stairs. If you weren’t already hungry, this smell will make you crave chicken!
* We sat on the huge table watching the chefs — I loved watching the chickens go round and around as they roasted.
* The simple menu — just choose a chicken size (whole, half or a quarter) and a couple of side dishes.
* The way they pour wine into mini carafes or jugs before bringing it to your table.
* The cooorn! Oh my goodness the sweet corn is so good! If you order one portion, they give you three pieces, then pour buttery sauce all over them. When I go back I would consider munching my way through all three myself as it was hard to stop after one and a half!
Be careful:
* There were two choices of sauces, hot/​spicy or smoky BUT they were actually both pretty spicy. If you can’t handle spicy sauces I would avoid both! If you do like yummy hot sauces, I think the smoky version was the best. Omnomnom.
@Steve There is a sign! (Well… sort of!) The sign is painted onto a plant pot next to the door, so it’s low down and easy to miss.

Downstairs from the new branch of Pizza East on Highgate Road, a slightly unexpected location. There’s no sign or name, just look for the stairs down on the left. Inside it’s quite dark and an agreeable charcoal /​barbecuey aroma in the low ceiling room which has been carefully crafted. A combination of a down home pit stop in some mythical place in good olé’ USA that’s been untouched for 50 years, part cosy den.
We arrived at 7 but there was already a 20 minute wait but the host proposed that she would give us a call when the table was ready so we headed across the road for a quick half.
15 minutes later we were at our table. Chicken is whole, half or quarter. I opted for a quarter (£4) and had two sides (£3 each). It came quickly in a metal enamel bowl. Simply served and in several large pieces (was that really a ¼ chicken?) with big wedge of lemon to squeeze over. A good bowlful of crisp crinkle chips and similar generous portion of simple, good coleslaw on the side. The chicken was excellent as were the sides. Tender and crispy skin. Even better with some of the smokey table sauce poured over. The chicken nudges ahead of the one I tried at Tramshed recently (another new chicken /​simple menu place).
Determined to hold out for desert, I opted for the deep dish apple pie served with cream or ice cream, £4, (ice cream please). Another white enamel bowl appeared with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. A few minutes later the waiter appeared with a huge, whole apple pie and then served up a massive wedge of it into my bowl, asking if it was enough. ‘That’s plenty. thanks!’ The apple pie was great, not too sweet but a bit heavy on lemon zest flavour. Soft cakey texture pastry which was good. I didn’t detect any cinnamon flavour at all that the previous reviewer noted. Maybe the recipe varies depending on who makes it?
Very positive experience and can’t fault it. Clearly the place is already very popular and deservedly so. The concept is good and it’s very well executed. Simple and just great AND generous portions AND great value for money plus great and prompt service without being pushy. Too often Americana concept restaurants have a good idea but fall down on execution of food, mean servings and high prices. Chicken shop suffers thankfully delivers and gets it right on all counts.