Kman wrote:FYI, the delicious expanded menu of sides available at the other two Budlong's is now also available at the Revival location. Only downside is that the beans that used to be sold at Revival are gone (and I thought they were darned good). Still, I'll gladly trade the beans for those terrific collards.
rubbbqco wrote:Kman wrote:FYI, the delicious expanded menu of sides available at the other two Budlong's is now also available at the Revival location. Only downside is that the beans that used to be sold at Revival are gone (and I thought they were darned good). Still, I'll gladly trade the beans for those terrific collards.
Those beans are available for consumption at BBQ Supply Co. ... including at today's LTH lunch (sold out) ...
ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm not sure which Budlong location prepares Caviar.com deliveries to Logan Square but a recent order was quite possibly the best food delivery I've ever had. And considering some of my previous experiences with Caviar, I certainly wasn't expecting it. Unlike so many other orders placed through Caviar, not only was this order not delivered late, it was actually 10 minutes early. I was shocked . . . SHOCKED!
As for The Budlong's part, it could not have gone better. Everything we ordered was actually delivered. The packaging they use, mostly paperboard clam shells, is perfect for the application. Our food arrived in stellar condition . . . hot, still crispy and, as an extra bonus, looking beautiful. Even the pickle slices were still sitting nicely atop the glistening leg quarters. I really was pleased to see it. Everything we ordered was excellent. The chicken (the aforementioned pieces and a well-made sandwich), the biscuits, the greens, the slaw . . . just excellent across the board.
I'd just about sworn off Caviar but I had so many credits from all the gaffes they'd made in the past, I decided to place one last order just to use up the credits. The Budlong performed so well, they pulled Caviar right out the fire. But still, next time I'm going to eat there. I'm actually excited to experience it in person.
=R=
Chitown B wrote:ronnie_suburban wrote:I'm not sure which Budlong location prepares Caviar.com deliveries to Logan Square but a recent order was quite possibly the best food delivery I've ever had. And considering some of my previous experiences with Caviar, I certainly wasn't expecting it. Unlike so many other orders placed through Caviar, not only was this order not delivered late, it was actually 10 minutes early. I was shocked . . . SHOCKED!
As for The Budlong's part, it could not have gone better. Everything we ordered was actually delivered. The packaging they use, mostly paperboard clam shells, is perfect for the application. Our food arrived in stellar condition . . . hot, still crispy and, as an extra bonus, looking beautiful. Even the pickle slices were still sitting nicely atop the glistening leg quarters. I really was pleased to see it. Everything we ordered was excellent. The chicken (the aforementioned pieces and a well-made sandwich), the biscuits, the greens, the slaw . . . just excellent across the board.
I'd just about sworn off Caviar but I had so many credits from all the gaffes they'd made in the past, I decided to place one last order just to use up the credits. The Budlong performed so well, they pulled Caviar right out the fire. But still, next time I'm going to eat there. I'm actually excited to experience it in person.
=R=
Well you sold me!
I recently tried the Lincoln Square Budlong. Living two blocks away, I have been eagerly awaiting its opening. Unfortunately, my first visit was likely my last.
Love the space, had excellent service and the food was fine. Curmudgeon alert: this place is way too expensive. I feel that it is somewhat frowned upon on this site to factor price into our commentary, but for some of us, it is a factor. Nine bucks for a quarter chicken “plate”* ?!?! With no sides.
I understand the economics; rent is high, so is other overhead, along with the cost of Portlandia chickens and expectations of investors. However, economics also need to take into account what the market will bear, volume, location, competition and other factors. I could see these prices being acceptable and sustainable downtown amidst office buildings and heavier foot traffic, but good luck in this spot.
Jared,
I truly appreciate your quick, thoughtful and candid response. Your transparency is commendable, and you did a great job explaining your pricing in a concise manner. I did not find it defensive at all, as I hope you did not take my post as being offensive.
bweiny wrote:Fried chicken generally has a fairly high elasticity of demand, which makes RubBBQco's pitch toward a corporate ethos prudent and necessary to offset the effect of his pricing.
The crude, since-deleted, rambling did try to counter the sentimental appeal by pointing at expansion and scale as being in contrast to the quality-control and human capital investments. But he drowned any persuasive value out with babble by a factor of 100.
scottsol wrote:I don't see the point of commenting on a deleted post that must have come and gone very quickly.
rubbbqco wrote:"Overall", it was a good decision to remove the post (see what I did there )
admich wrote:I'll skip the debate on authenticity (and overalls). Let's discuss price. I think it's fair to bring up because my wife and I had the same discussion the last time we grabbed Budlong, so alessio's not the only one thinking this...
I'd say Budlong's real contemporaries are the two other 'fancy' quick service chicken spots - Roost and Honey Butter. HBFC's 2 piece is $8.50 and their 4 piece is $16. Roost's 1/4 is $6.50 and their 1/2 is $10.50. The Budlong's 1/4 is $9 and their 1/2 is $16 (add a buck more for white).
So Roost is clearly less expensive than the other two, and Budlong and HBFC are basically even in price on paper. However, from my experiences, there is a clear difference in the size of the chickens being used at Budlong compared to the others. Simply put, Budlong serves monster pieces of chicken. A 1/4 at Budlong leaves me stuffed, and a 1/2 chicken is enough for two people. If I add a biscuit, I'm pretty much immobile. HFBC, with their 'creative boning' thing, makes their 2 piece more of a snack.
If Budlong was a buck or two cheaper I'd probably be ordering it an inappropriate amount. BUT, it seems like that extra buck or two is going into making it what it is - the best fried chicken in Chicago right now, so I'm happy with the give/take and making it more of an occasional visit. No disrespect to getting a bucket from Harold's or Popeyes, which I'll gladly eat, but comparing those price points is a fallacy because they're doing something different. I know Taco Bell is cheaper than L'Patron too.
Lenny007 wrote:What is the weight of that monster chicken quarter? The one that sells for $9 with bread and pickles.
Lenny007 wrote:What is the weight of that monster chicken quarter? The one that sells for $9 with bread and pickles.
admich wrote:Lenny007 wrote:What is the weight of that monster chicken quarter? The one that sells for $9 with bread and pickles.
Oddly enough I left my scale at home the last time I went out to eat fried chicken.
But I get it. You don't think the value's there. I think you can argue it's equal to (or greater than) some of their contemporaries. Some people are never going to be ok with a $10 salad or sandwich, either. Different strokes...
admich wrote:Lenny007 wrote:What is the weight of that monster chicken quarter? The one that sells for $9 with bread and pickles.
Oddly enough I left my scale at home the last time I went out to eat fried chicken.
But I get it. You don't think the value's there. Personally, I think you can argue it's equal to (or greater than) some of their contemporaries. In fact I just did that a few posts above. Some people are never going to be ok with a $10 salad or sandwich, either. Different strokes...
thetrob wrote:admich wrote:Lenny007 wrote:
Yup. It's a matter of "perceived value"......actually "perceived" everything. Some have no problem paying whatever price to get what they consider to be a better quality and/or tasty sandwich. Others will say why pay $9 at budlong when I can get chicken for a fraction of the price at Popeyes. To some there is a huge difference in quality/taste/etc. to others Chicken is chicken.
It's funny where we place that fence. I have argued on here in the past about the cost and value of Shake Shack burgers in relation to the competition, but have no problem with paying for Gus' or Budlong chicken vs. others.
Lenny007 wrote:What is the weight of that monster chicken quarter? The one that sells for $9 with bread and pickles.
HT70 wrote:That is, I'd take Budlong over Bolton's in Nashville any day of the week.
HT70 wrote:I've asked an employee about this before (spiciness not being really spicy) and they said they had to adjust their levels for their audience here.