'A big hit': The Budlong Southern Chicken, new poke restaurant open in Oakbrook Center
Hand-breaded fried chicken thigh served on a golden slice of Texas toast and skewered with two pickles.
That's The Budlong version of Nashville hot chicken, the latest red-hot food trend to hit suburban shopping malls.
Look no further than Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook. After spreading its wings in Chicago, The Budlong Southern Chicken joint recently opened inside the District, the mall's equivalent of a food court.
Craveworthy Brands, a company founded last year by former Jimmy John's CEO Gregg Majewski, acquired the city-born restaurant chain and has since retooled the menu, logo and color scheme with an eye toward expansion.
“We've been eager to share our brand's new look with suburban Chicagoland residents, who have long-awaited for us to arrive outside the city,” Majewski said in a statement Monday. “The District showcases our concept in a new light, demonstrating the flexibility of our model to flourish in any type of setting. Malls as well as nontraditional settings like arenas, college campuses and airports provide fantastic opportunities for us to extend the brand outside of our traditional-style restaurants.”
Craveworthy also announced the launch of Lucky Cat Poke Co., a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant that just opened its first brick-and-mortar space in Oakbrook Center. The Budlong and Lucky Cat Poke are located adjacent to Le Macaron in the District Food Hall, on the mall's upper level near the AMC movie theater.
“Oakbrook Center is celebrated for having the brands that everyone wants. The dining is no different,” said Ashley Viscardi, leasing rep for Oakbrook Center at Brookfield Properties. “We are excited to finally welcome Budlong Hot Chicken and Lucky Cat Poke to Oakbrook Center. We know these concepts will be a big hit with the community.”
Here's a look at those concepts:
The Budlong Southern Chicken
The chain borrows its name from Chicago's old Budlong Pickle factory, a family business established in the 1850s.
The Budlong also has restaurants in Chicago's Loop, Lincoln Park and Lincoln Square. Lollapalooza fans flocked to The Budlong booth this weekend for TikTok-friendly festival food: the chicken n' waffles cone.
Drizzled in honey, dusted in powdered sugar and, as its name implies, served in a waffle cone, the popcorn chicken item is now featured on the Oakbrook Center menu.
Chicken sandwiches are available in three levels of heat — “Southern Heat!”, “Nashville Hot!!” and the eye-watering “Berzerk Sauce!!!”
Mall shoppers also will find Southern comfort staples: creamy mac and cheese, “farm slaw,” biscuits with strawberry balsamic jam, and banana pudding.
The Budlong will host an opening celebration Thursday. The first 50 customers in line will get one free sandwich per week for one year.
Lucky Cat Poke Co.
The fast-casual restaurant gives its take on poke, a fresh fish Hawaiian classic making waves on the mainland. Lucky Cat is neighbors with The Budlong in the 14,000-square-foot District.
“We couldn't imagine a better home for the brand's beginnings,” Majewski said in his statement. “Amid a bustling mall and surrounding area, Lucky Cat Poke plays to the flexibility consumers want when ordering freshly prepared meals in terms of menu options and dining experiences, in-store, on-the-go at home or work.”
The Oakbrook Center poke shop will award free poke bowls for a year to the first 50 customers in line when doors open at 10 a.m. Thursday for a grand opening event (one poke bowl per week for a year). The restaurant is also giving mall shoppers bounce-back coupons, which provide $2 off their next poke bowl with a return visit.