3 Little Pigs Chi (3LP) — Restaurant in Chicago

Overall it was a good experience but given the price and hype, including many YouTube videos on the store and high ratings, I think I was going with more of a higher expectation than what was met. The first thing I tried was the sandwich which tasted quite good but somehow could have used more sauce since it was quite dry and I could not taste the sauce very much. Fries were crispy as well seasoned, but anyone can make fries.

I saved half the sandwich for later then tried some rice and combo pork/chicken and found the char sui pork to be underwhelming. It tasted like char sui sauce mixed with American Heinz BBQ sauce. The meat was tender though. I have had better in Chinatown itself, and should not have gotten too excited (I thought it would be the best char sui I ever had :( ). Chicken was crispy and tender dark meat. Moreover the broccoli they serve with the combo is regular steamed broccoli and NOT STIR FRIED which I find also quite hugely disappointing because it’s supposed to be Chinese food and they should use a little more effort in flavoring the veggies. Thankfully the broccoli were a healthy green and edible to balance the meat and rice.

I also saved some of this and then tried the crispy chicken fried rice. I was really excited but after a couple bites, I started to realize how similar it is to most other Chinese restaurants. Tasted OK but there wasn’t really anything special about it!!

Overall, I don’t think this is food I will constantly crave. I’d rather make my own fried rice and it will come out tasting somewhat similar or even slightly better although much more time consuming. I wish I could love the food at 3 Little Pigs Chi more. The bag and logo is very cute. However just like the bag itself has changed and is no longer personalized (they used to literally draw 3 little pig heads on the bag, and write out each item ordered as well as the person’s name), it is likely the food has also changed.

To be fair though, my initial perception on taste may be affected my the smell of desserts in Molly’s Cupcakes. I do love the smell of cupcakes by itself and have sat there before thoroughly enjoying the bakery fragrances. However I think it does affect the flavor of savory and meaty foods. I tasted a little more at home and stick to my review, but maybe the initial perception might have been slightly better if I smelled mostly what was being prepared by the restaurant. I smell something really tasty every time I walk outside of Molly’s and Five Guys. Today, I thought it came from this place and it’s Chinese food. I’m still not sure.

Edit: Went again the next day to try the 3LP fried rice and it’s certainly VERY unique and delish 😋😋😋 bold savory Chinese flavors go well together with 3 types of pork coooked to perfection!!! Perfect garlic, sweetness, meaty richness! Went during lunch time today....

The ORANGE CHICKEN is also SO GOOD! PERFECTION literally. Fried rice good flavor but...

Ordering Experience: I ordered on a Saturday evening. Google Maps showed them as open, so I tried to order delivery from both UberEats and DoorDash. Both of these delivery services showed the restaurant as closed. I called the restaurant, who answered promptly and said they would have it fixed within 10 minutes.

It never ended up getting fixed on UberEats or DoorDash. But props to the restaurant for trying to call me back (although I was unable to hear them because something went wrong with their phones).

By this point, I was REALLY craving this place, and I had been wanting to try it for awhile. Eventually I discovered you could message the restaurant through Google Maps, which I did. They answered promptly and said I could order delivery directly from their website through Toast.

Delivery: The experience wasn't ideal. The food was a bit late, and I could not see tracking updates. Not sure if this is the restaurants fault though - probably a Toast problem. So I am not dinging any points for this.

The Food: We ordered Veggie Spring Rolls, BBQ Pork Char Siu, Salt & Pepper Chicken, Veggie Fried Rice, and Shrimp Fried Rice.

Veggie Spring Rolls: They were good. Nice and crispy, light and crunchy, a great start to the meal. Only complaint is that they were small and we were only given three. I could have eaten a few more of them (and wish I had given the rest of the food).

BBQ Pork Char Siu: It was not good. Like, at all. It was bad. I had high expectations given the pictures and the way it was described on the website as "available all day now, famously sold out, etc". It was EXTREMELY fatty and chewy, and the sauce tasted very generic (think sweet baby rays).

Salt & Pepper Chicken: Not sure if I liked this or the pork less. It was way over seasoned. Too much salt and pepper. Still, I was hungry and I hate wasting, so I ended up peeling the outer fried layer off and eating the chicken plain.

Veggie Fried Rice: I don't think it's honest to call this veggie fried rice. There were, maybe, like two vegetables in the entire thing. It was more like, plain fried rice. And even the rice itself was mid at best.

Shrimp Fried Rice: Same complaint as above - no veggies. Pretty much just a bunch of fried rice with a few pieces of shrimp. And they were big shrimp - I have to say I am partial to the mini shrimp in fried rice as it makes sharing easier (I know this is subjective - so I won't ding points on the size of the shrimp).

Overall: Overall, I was EXTREMELY disappointed. The high rating on Google Maps certainly had me expecting more. Maybe they just had an off night? Not sure, but I probably won't be back again...

Updated on 3/28/2024 Their new item Chicago Beef sandwich with Chili Oil Giardinara and 'hot pot dip' is the perfect melding of east-meets-midwest fusion food that pairs amazingly together! I actually think I Like it better than a classic Chicago-style Italian Beef dip sandwich! Worth the trip! The spicy chicken sandwich continues to be great, if not better this time (the photo posted shows the chicken sandwich covered in the yummy spicy sauce!)

My only ding this time was the saltiness of the lemon pepper chicken and the smaller portion for the combo platter even though I paid extra for more chicken (see photo)...compared to our photos of similar dishes from their old ghost kitchen location, the fried rice and chicken isn't as generous of a portion, especially when I paid for extra chicken.

Updated on 12/2023 We decided to go back now that they moved to their new shared kitchen off of wabash in a shared space with Molly's cupcakes.

Loved the food! Just as good as when we visited at their ghost kitchen space! The chicken sandwiches were amazing ad always! And this time we decided to try their version orange chicken. The crunchy fried chicken bites that are his signature goes so well with his sweet orange sauce! My only wish was that there was more sauce! But I appreciate it being on the side to keep the chicken crunchy! The combo fried rice was amazing as always!

We were also bummed there wasn't Crab/cream cheese rangoons. Please bring that dish back!

3 Little Pigs Chi is a delightful Chinese-American style cuisine! I love their chicken sandwiches, in particular their salt and pepper chicken sandwiches. This time we decided to go with their entrée dishes and they did not disappoint! If you're looking for soy sauce fried rice and fried food dishes, this is one place that'll hit rhe spot! The portions are very generous and the even my appetite is satiated!

I also really enjoy the bbq pork (char siew)...while not traditional, it has a nice char and is covered in the Chinese bbq sauce that is makes the caramelised burnt bits and the sweet sauce go so well with some fried rice....I am a huge fan of their shrimp fried rice and their egg fried rice is also yummy!

You'll have to get the food to go as there is no seating. Some be prepared to get it home asap so you can enjoy the crispness...