Chez Poulet Chicago: Golden Rotisserie Chicken, Mindy’s Bread and French Wine on Western Avenue
A tall rotisserie glows in the front window at 2234 N. Western Ave., about 50 chickens turning slowly behind the glass. That is Chez Poulet Chicago, the French rotisserie and wine shop from brothers Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey of Le Bouchon, and right now it is the most talked-about chicken dinner in the city.
The order is simple and very good: a whole bird for $29 or a half for $16, each with a cup of chicken skin jus, plus a demi baguette or chicken bread from Mindy’s Bakery and a bottle of French red from the shelf in back. Chicago magazine put Chez Poulet at No. 1 on its 10 Hottest Restaurants list for November 2026, ahead of newcomers like Taan in Humboldt Park, calling the combination a dream French meal.
The shop opened on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in the white clapboard building that was home to the original Taqueria Chingón, on the stretch of Western where Logan Square meets Bucktown. It opened with 112 chickens to sell on day one, and every service still ends whenever the last bird is gone.
Why Chez Poulet Chicago is the chicken dinner everyone wants this fall
Because the chicken is that good, and because the whole meal feels like a summer evening in France. The Poileveys grew up on roadside rotisserie stands after beach days on French vacations: a glistening bird, potatoes soaked in the drippings, a baguette tucked under one arm. Chez Poulet recreates that scene on Western Avenue, down to blue-and-white striped tote bags with separate pockets for a bottle and a baguette.
The room is small and built for carryout, with chicken-themed vintage ceramics and posters Oliver has been collecting from antique stores. The beret-wearing mascot on the window holds a wine glass in one wing and a rotisserie skewer in the other, which tells you exactly what kind of night this is.
The bird: brined, air-dried and turning by the window
Every chicken is an Ivory Amish bird, a heritage Plymouth Rock breed raised on pasture at a small independent farm in Stevens, Pennsylvania, and supplied through Regalis Foods. The birds weigh about 3.5 pounds and carry a generous share of dark meat, which suits Oliver, a self-described dark meat guy.
Each one takes three days. It spends a day in brine, then air-dries in the cooler so the skin crisps, then gets chef de cuisine Keagan Beresford’s rub of onion, garlic, paprika, a little Thai pepper, celery, salt and a touch of MSG. The tall Old Hickory rotisserie that does the cooking arrived with the name “Eduardo” written on it in Sharpie, and the name stuck.
The result is burnished, salty skin over meat that stays juicy right to the bone. Beresford, who also leads the kitchen at Le Bouchon, carries the title Chicken King, and one bite tells you why.
Sides, sauces and Mindy’s bread for the whole table
Build the rest of the meal around the bird. Macaroni Gratin “Papa Louis” ($12) is the side to fight over, a crisp-edged square that borrows from French macaroni au gratin, Detroit-style pizza, Barbados macaroni pie and baked ziti. It is named for the brothers’ grandfather Louis, who made Comté, the main cheese here, in France for 50 years.
Rotisserie potatoes, Moroccan curried corn and Oliver’s collards are $9 each. The collards are sweet, sour and smoky with maple syrup, sherry vinegar, fish sauce, bacon and sambal. Salads include a wedge, celery root rémoulade and a farm sweet potato salad at $7, plus a bánh mì chicken salad at $14.
Mindy Segal bakes the bread. Her demi baguettes and her soft chicken bread, a cross between naan and flatbread made for tearing and wrapping around a drumstick, are $4 each. Sauces are $4: espelette chicken skin jus, a French chimichurri with cornichons and a pungent garlic toum. The Chingón salsa macha ($6, contains nuts) comes straight from the taqueria that used to live here.
On weekends, add a sandwich. The rotisserie French dip and the chicken bánh mì (it contains pork) are $18 each, and they go fast. A charcuterie board ($27) brings cheeses, pâté or chicken liver mousse, jam, nuts, mustard, cornichons and a Mindy’s demi baguette. Finish with chocolate mousse or riz au lait, both $9.
French bottles priced for a weeknight
Nicolas Poilevey runs the wine, and his list is all French, rotating and poured by the half, glass or bottle. The bottles lean light, food-friendly and easy on the wallet, the kind you would happily open with roast chicken any night of the week. In September, a bottle of Lapierre Morgon was on the shelf for $45, with a Beaujolais-Villages at $33.
Cider, beer and sodas round out the cooler. Grab a bottle on the way out for a picnic, or open it on the patio with the bird still warm.
The Poilevey family behind the counter
Chez Poulet comes from one of Chicago’s great restaurant families. Jean-Claude and Susanne Poilevey opened Le Bouchon, their Lyonnaise bistro in Bucktown, in 1993, and Oliver started cooking at 13 under his father before working in France and kitchens across the country. Le Bouchon won the 2025 Jean Banchet Award for Best Neighborhood Restaurant.
The brothers opened Obélix in River North in 2022, and it was a 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant. Obélix is now one of the Banchet Awards 2027 finalists for Best Hospitality. Oliver also co-owns Taqueria Chingón, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025, and Mariscos San Pedro in Pilsen. Logan Square and Bucktown are on a French chicken streak right now, from Chez Poulet to the poulet rôti at Hooligan on California Avenue.
How to get your chicken at Chez Poulet Chicago
Walk up to the counter and order; there are no reservations. You can also order ahead online through Toast, which is the smart move on a Saturday. Every service ends at sell out, so arrive early in the evening or right at noon on weekends for the full menu.
A covered patio on the side of the building seats about 40 when the weather cooperates, with red tables and a French flag flying overhead. The current hours hold for patio season.
Know before you go
- Address: 2234 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60647 (Logan Square and Bucktown border)
- Hours: Wednesday to Friday 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday; every day until sell out (as of October 2026)
- How to order: Walk-up counter or online ordering through Toast; no reservations
- Seating: Covered side patio for about 40, weather permitting
- Prices: Whole chicken $29, half chicken $16; sides $9 to $12; salads $7 to $14; weekend sandwiches $18; charcuterie board $27; desserts $9
- Drinks: Rotating French wines by the half, glass or bottle, plus cider, beer and sodas
Chez Poulet Chicago FAQ
Do I need a reservation at Chez Poulet Chicago?
No. Chez Poulet Chicago is a walk-up counter at 2234 N. Western Ave. that takes no reservations. Order in person or ahead online through Toast, then eat on the covered side patio, which seats about 40 in good weather, or carry your chicken home. Arrive early, because the kitchen closes once the birds sell out.
How much is a rotisserie chicken at Chez Poulet Chicago?
A whole rotisserie chicken at Chez Poulet Chicago is $29 and a half chicken is $16, each served with chicken skin jus. Sides cost $9 to $12, Mindy’s Bakery demi baguettes and chicken bread are $4, and extra sauces are $4, with the Chingón salsa macha at $6.
What are the hours at Chez Poulet Chicago?
As of October 2026, Chez Poulet Chicago opens Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Every service ends early if the chickens sell out, so plan to arrive near opening time.
Who owns Chez Poulet Chicago?
Brothers Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey own Chez Poulet Chicago. Their parents opened Le Bouchon in Bucktown in 1993, and the brothers also own Obélix in River North. Oliver is the chef, Nicolas directs the all-French wine list, and chef de cuisine Keagan Beresford leads the rotisserie kitchen.
What should I order at Chez Poulet Chicago?
Start with a whole chicken at Chez Poulet Chicago, then add Macaroni Gratin Papa Louis, rotisserie potatoes, Mindy’s chicken bread and the Chingón salsa macha. Pick a French bottle from the shelf. On Saturday and Sunday, the $18 rotisserie French dip and chicken bánh mì are worth adding.
Further reading
- Chez Poulet: official site
- Chez Poulet: menu
- Chez Poulet: order online on Toast
- Chez Poulet on Instagram (@chezpouletchicago)
- Chicago magazine: The 10 Hottest Restaurants in Chicago, November 2026
- Eater Chicago: The Le Bouchon Team Spins Up a Rotisserie Chicken Spot in Bucktown
- Block Club Chicago: Rotisserie Chicken Spot Chez Poulet Now Open In Bucktown
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