It's just ok.
My friend really wanted to try this place based on reviews. Plus she had an inkling for chicken without the guilt.
Personally, I believe the chicken was sort of bland and dry. As for the sides.... the macaroni and cheese was generic and the green beans failed to entice me. She really enjoyed it, however.
I personally would not order it for myself again.
We walked into this place because it was too hot to cook and we wanted to try something we hadn't before. Everyone was sticky and crabby so if the place was a bust it was going to be a bad day.  The baseball game was on, perfect for a sunny day and the folks behind the line greeted us warmly. As we sat down my husband ordered whole chickens (that's the thing at this place) and a few sides. The food was delivered promptly, and the chicken was really juicy and flavorful. We had tortillas, corn, beans and mashed potatoes and while nothing was a revelation, everything was hot, reasonably tasty and a good value. We fed a family of five for about $25 and had much more substantial food than we might at a typical fast food joint. The bathrooms were comfortably clean, the decor is a little awful - bright yellow from floor to ceiling and  a ton of classic Americana artifacts splashed all over the place - but it's got some kind of personality, and the staff was very pleasant. Overall, a pretty good experience for a shot in the dark.
Review Source:The first time I ordered from Nick's Pit Stop in Albany Park was through delivery and  the chicken was great. The first time I stepped into the restaurant, I was impressed. The  person who took my order provided great service, great recommendations, and were fast. However, I ordered by delivery again yesterday and sad to say, I was very disappointed. First of all, the delivery guy could've been a little more friendly. He  demanded that I give him a tip not knowing that I already included it with the bill and his body language was just unfriendly, and the woman who took my order through the phone did not tell me how much I had to pay after I asked her 3 times, the chicken was burnt and dry as if I got the worst of the bunch (usually their chicken is moist,  tender, and flavorful, but this was just terrible), and the only thing from me not tearing this place apart is because of past service. I know for sure that I will not order delivery from them again if it's going to be that ass who will be bringing me the food!
On the plus side, if you decide to order their sides, their refried black beans and mashed potatoes are good.
Hope I didn't sound too mean...
I finally stopped on the way in from the highway and was surprised to enjoy very nice chicken and sides (black beans and green beans). I would say I prefer their chicken to Chicken Planet downtown. Everything tasted homemade. Service was good - there seemed to be a husband/wife team running the joint.
Review Source:We stopped here for lunch because I saw a woman making tortillas in the window and that seemed like a good sign. The name sounds like barbeque to me but it's all chicken on the menu. The very friendly servers speak both Spanish and English but this isn't exactly a taco place. Or a barbeque place. Â It's mostly chicken with sides . I ordered a Regular Half which comes with two sides - I chose macaroni and cheese which was good and mashed potato and gravy which was okay. It came with four pieces of chicken so I took a lot of it home. And it came with tortillas! Which were not as good as I thought they would be but that's me - I've only ever eaten factory made tortillas.My husband got a Chicken Pita sandwich with beans and rice. He said they were good not great. Â Horchata was good, a little sweet but I told myself the cinnamon cancelled out the sugar.
The nice man behind the counter said that he had taken some things off the menu to simplify it. Â That and the fact that I am first to review makes me think they are new here. Â The decor is a little dingy but that lovely mango color that you see everywhere in places like this is nice here. I won't make a special trip back but I'd definitely go back if I was in the area again.
This location is so much better than the Bucktown one.
The staff is incredibly friendly, and even recognizes me though I only head out there once every couple of months.
The chicken and sides are all exactly as they should be - fresh, flavorful and warm.
On Saturdays and Sundays, they have a lady making tortillas in the front of the restaurant. They are without a doubt the best tortillas I've had in my entire life. It's worth it for those alone.
I'll admit it. Â I don't get it. Â Why do I get pita bread and salsa with my BBQ chicken?
A friend who's a regular brought this over one night and it was...alright. Â The chicken and the sides were fine...but it wasn't anything to write home about. Certainly not with Brasa Roja so close to me (and half the price!)! Â
And then...I found myself staring...what do I use this pita bread for? To eat my green beans? Or my mashed potatoes? Do I put the salsa on it? What am I MISSING?!
A review of this place is long overdue, as I'm there almost every week. Â The staff is super sweet, and has your order ready in seconds. Â Their delivery is also really fast.
There's really not much to say. Â It's perfectly done grilled chicken. Â Moist and flavorful and soooooo satisfying. Â They leave the skin on, and it's crispy and a delicious and just the right texture. Â But it's great without the skin too.
I barely even need to bother buying and making chicken myself - I can go to Nick's and get one that's perfectly prepared for the same price of uncooked chicken in a grocery store.
I'd give it five stars - I mean hell, I seriously haven't found better grilled skin-on chicken, but I'm afraid Nick's isn't a full meal.  It's the star of a meal I'm making myself at home.  They serve a bunch of unspecial sides ie corn that tastes like it's from a can, beans, etc.  You can either get  tortillas or pitas with your chicken (and the tortillas are lovingly handmade by a lady in the window each week), but they don't really have the fixings to either go middle eastern or mexican - no tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, cilantro - in fact, nothing fresh.  I head to Nick's on the way home from the grocery store.
So really, they only do one thing, and they do it perfectly.  Flavorful, delicious  chicken.
I've eaten at the Bucktown location on more than a handful of occasions and never been disappointed. I was thrilled when I passed this location on Lawrence and realized that I didn't have to drive all the way from Albany Park to Bucktown to get my Nick's fix.
The whole chicken combo is a phenomenal deal and feeds at least three people - all for around $15. You honestly can't beat that value. The chicken is always juicy, tender, and flavorful and the huge portions of comfort food style sides are great too.
As the previous reviewer mentioned, the homemade tortillas are great! They're a bit thicker and hold up much better than store-bought corn.
Give this place a shot - you'll love it!
I have gotten delivery to work from here a few times and they have been all excellent experiences. Â Tons of food, moist and tender chicken, all at a great price. Â The chicken is really, really, good. You taste the natural taste of the chicken with the great char taste supplied by the pit. Â
The combo is the way to go. Comes with a side (which are all fan-freakin-tastic, pita/tortillas, and choice of BBQ sauce (spicy and tangy) or salsa (rich and spicy). Â And all huge portions. Â
This is a great little hole-in-the-wall on Lawrence. Â Worth a look if you are a big fan of char-grilled Chicken like this reviewer is!
This outpost of Nick's Pit Stop is the 2nd in Chicago. The original is in Bucktown on Damen just north of Armitage. The owner is same, and the food is just as good! If you know the original Nick's, then you will be a fan of this location. My wife and I have been eating at the original Nick's for years, and when we discovered this location near our new home, we were overjoyed! The chicken is slow grilled, and what many people may not know about the sides is that they are all made from scratch daily! We love the mac and cheese (amazing by the way!) Â and the mash potatoes, and the green beans, which are the same good quality as the other location.
One little secret about this location only is that on the weekends, Fri, Sat, Sun, they offer fresh made tortillas made from scratch. Instead of getting the usual pita bread, try these as they are the best I have every had, and it takes the Nick's experience to a new level!
For good quality food at a very reasonable price, you cannot beat this deal, and they deliver to a pretty wide area in the Old Irving Park/Mayfair/Albany park neighborhoods.
Enjoy!
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