The Red Bird Hot Chicken & Fries — Restaurant in Lake Forest

UPDATED REVIEW-2nd time returning: 10/1/2025 at 1PM

I ordered the same thing again but got instead of medium. I felt it was hotter. My body felt it. I warmed up…heated from eating. My nose started water. My tongue tingled. This is what I’m looking for. Next time I’ll go for Extra Hot. I want to see if I’ll sweat and get hiccups. I also got the black seed cola and it was great!

Original Review: My first time here; I decided to give them a try instead of the neighboring Starbucks. Had no idea what to expect other than spicy chicken. Here’s what I discovered: They have 6 spice levels starting with not spicy at all: original. They have a variety of options including mac & cheese for picky eaters. I ordered the chicken rice bowl and at a medium level. I was ready for sweat, hiccups, my nose watering, possibly tears but Mustafa advised me to start at medium. I felt a kick and that it was spicy but not enough for any of these effects. Next time I’ll go to the fourth option: hot. The rice is gorgeous basmati rice fragranced with exotic aroma like red-gold: saffron. The drinks are a refreshing change from what we typically see and I chose the Sultan Ice Tea with Black Seed. Mellow and delicious. Total for lunch for a smaller person who resists bread and fries (a few of the menu options include those) was $11.29. Food was served relatively quickly and I enjoyed every bite and look forward to coming in again and again until we find the right spice level for me....

Right from walking in the door, I was met with such a friendly staff. He offered to explain the menu to me. I told him I've been looking at it online and felt like I knew what I wanted.

I got a rice bowl with a medium chicken and I added one extra tender. He did a great job and telling me that if I got two extra tenders, the meat would likely not fit so I went with only the one extra tender and he was right it was more than enough. I will say I'm glad I went with the medium spice, it's definitely hitting. Got my nasal passage a little stuffy, it's that good type of burn though lol

I also got 10 chicken nuggets so I could try them and also split them with my dogs. He basically explained they are pure chicken and he was not lying, 100% chicken no filler they are crispy and so tasty. I had two on the way home with no sauce couldn't stop myself.

Places super clean on the inside, lots of nice new bright Graphics. Really good design and simple menu to order from which I love!

100% can't wait to come back to this place, the pricing is so good, especially for the amazing quality of food that is being given. I'm currently still eating my bowl as I type this review, if you're in the area, you at least have to...

This location opened yesterday, so congratulations! The good points are the food. I very much enjoyed the chicken and cheese fries, and the sandwiches had good flavor.

Unfortunately, we waited 30 minutes for our meal. Again, recognizing that they are still trying to find their groove, they should definitely have addition help on hand to get through rushes.

Also, some small adjustments, there is no menu board yet. I watched two families walk in and walk out because they couldn't find the menu.

A few missed orders which should improve over time.

Fix the wait times and order accuracy, and they should have some good success in this location.

Kudos to the cashier, who did his best to ensure everyone was getting accurate orders.

If the wait time was lower this would have definitely been close to a 5...