Chick’n Bubbly
117 Oakland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213
Chick’n Bubbly Menu
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Address :
117 Oakland Ave
Pittsburgh, PA, 15213 - Phone (412) 863-7741
- Website https://chicknbubbly.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
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Melanie Z.
Tasty food in Oakland! Now if it were only closer to the CMU end... The husband and I were wandering around Oakland looking for dinner, and I remembered hearing good things about this place. The interior is super tiny but at 7pm on a Thursday night there were several seating options available (wall "bar," traditional tables). The bubble tea choices are almost endless, whereas the chicken options are quite simple--wing "style" and 2 sauce options. We wanted to try both, so we placed our order as 10 pc of each, and we were pleasantly surprised to be given the 20-piece "discount"--a lot of places won't let you mix flavors, so that was nice. The bubble tea was good, and it was fun to have some flavor choices for the boba. We downed it while we waited for the chicken--about 15 minutes. We had asked for it "spicy" but instead of changing the sauce they put on it, they give you spicy sauce on the side. This would be fine except that the flavor profile of this was very similar to the sweet & spicy and thus clashed with the soy garlic. It would be nice if there would be a way to actually incorporate the spicy into the wings ahead of time. I would be remiss if I didn't comment on what we affectionately termed "finger condoms" (I'm sure we're not the first). They had little sanitary dispensers of plastic gloves that were like thimbles for the inner three fingers of your hands, thus protecting you from making a mess. They don't save your face, though, and the large and saucy wings made me wishing for the more American wet naps. Still, if you didn't have time to wash your hands before eating, it presumably offers you some protection. I'd love to see them offer more sauce flavors, but even with the limited choice I'm still likely to return...wet naps in hand!
(4)Alice Y.
Fiancé and i happened upon this place after finally finding parking. How did we get so lucky?? The restaurant is small with mostly bar seats and 2 tables. The fragrance of garlic-ky fried chicken countered the freezing rain that was beating down in front of their open-garage styled door. The cashier lady and the cooks in back greeted us with a smile and helped us tourists order a 20 piece meal and bubble tea! Everything was delicious. Picked radishes complimented the greasy goodness of chicken. The only thing was that they gave us the radishes in these tiny plastic cups made for condiments. They had no problem with giving us as much as we asked for though! Happy.
(5)Bo Ae L.
I really like this place! The wings are huge and actually worth the price which they charge. I wasn't expecting good Korean fried chicken in Pittsburgh so I was pleasantly surprised. I wish they weren't so sweet though! And the bubble tea is pretty good (the best I found in Pittsburgh so far). My roommate claims this is her favorite even compared to the ones I had her try in New York. The quality is certainly there (though I prefer my New York haunts personally). The menu is above average in what I expect to pay but my roommate and I usually split an order of wings and also eat a meal at oiishi next door to get the receipt discount and visit chicken bubbly for dessert/wings. The finger guards are a godsend. I'd be a complete mess without. (Eating wings is a messy ordeal) My only other complaint is the wait is quite long but the wings are super fresh and piping hot when you get them!
(4)Katie D.
The only reason why this is getting four stars is because they have a limited menu. But if you are looking for some out of this world fried chicken you should go! Make sure you get a side of pickled radishes and Takoyaki!
(4)Denise C.
Finding good bubble tea in Pittsburgh is not easy, but this place does well with theirs. I like that they have the option of green tea jelly, it different. I just wish they had coffee jelly. They also sell Korean chicken, which I haven't tried. They just need more workers or blenders. One worker on the register and one making drinks to speed things along. Next time you're in Oakland try it out!
(4)Lauren D.
Finally! Real bubble tea! I was skeptical when I first saw chicknbubbly - all thanks to my terrible experience with "bubble tea" in schenley park 2 years ago. After that fateful mouthful of crunchy tapioca balls and fake fruit syrup, I lacked the courage to try my luck in Pittsburgh again. I come from Seattle which is pretty much the land of bubble tea (outside of Asia anyways) and so I've developed a preference for perfectly cooked tapioca and real fruit if ordering a smoothie. With this criteria in mind, Chicknbubbly passes. Furthermore, the level of sweetening can be adjusted to your liking. Score. Note: I don't think their taro was real, but most use powder for taro anyways. I'd still get it again.
(4)Lana L.
Not too pleased with my most recent visit here. Yesterday, I got the $8.99 lunch special that comes with your choice of bubble tea, chicken tenders or wings, and fries. I got the matcha green tea as recommended by a friend. It's a new flavor and it's pretty good. I chose seasoned fries and enjoyed them. The chicken tenders were the problem. There were two problems actually. The sign on the wall advertising the lunch special said you choose between 5 chicken tenders or 4 wings. I chose the former but saw that my receipt said 4 chicken tenders. I thought it was just a mistake so decided to wait until I got my food. Sure enough I only got 4 chicken tenders. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was better that I didn't get all five because--see photos--they were way undercooked and unevenly cooked. Not golden brown like they're supposed to be but more like a light yellow mostly. In the past, I've tried the wings and didn't really see why people liked them so much. I've also tried their Thai milk tea a few times and it's always too sweet. Service is good though; the ladies who work there always serve with a smile. Taste | 3 Atmosphere | 3 Presentation | 2 Service | 3.5 OVERALL | 3
(3)Derry R.
I have a love-hate relationship with Chick'n Bubbly. First let me say, do not order from Chick'n Bubbly if you are in any type of rush. A typical order takes anywhere from 15-20 minutes to cook. I have learned the hard way. I often get very antsy when waiting for my food, listening to Korean pop music. In terms of drinks, I have only ever tried the lychee smoothie with popping boba. Having sat there waiting for my food on numerous occasions, the staff consistently and royally screw up drink orders. The sweet and spicy wings are for sure my favorite as opposed to the soy garlic. Some people do not like how much sauce they coat the wings with but personally I love it. There is something so addicting about the flavor. Be sure to grab a set of the finger caps that are used in Korea as a means of keeping your hands clean while enjoying your wings. At times, I do not feel as if the chicken is cooked completely. On one occasion, I got mild food poisoning from the chicken. I order on a weekly basis and knew the chicken wings didn't taste right, but I was so hungry that I just continued to eat. I ended up becoming quite sick immediately after eating, not being able to actually finish eating. I did not alert the restaurant because I do truly love this place deep down. I return on a weekly basis but I'm much more cautious. On my most recent visit, I was delighted to see tteokbokki was added to the menu. However, I was disappointed with it. I probably will not order it again. Having tried tteokbokki at my restaurants, the fish smell was far too potent and the flavor was far too fishy. Maybe some like it as so, but I sure don't. Like I said, this place does some things great but highly lacks in others. An honest 3 stars, but 5 stars in my heart/stomach.
(3)Tian Y.
Korean fried chicken coming to Oakland... times really are a'changin' in Pittsburgh! I wish I could say it remotely measures up to anything bigger cities have to offer but... no :( Underwhelmed. It's a shame, because the shop is very cute. Easy ordering instructions and options for drinks and chicken on 2 menus. A garage door in the summer, though the seating inside is pretty limited. And honestly, the chicken is not a bad deal. Either a combination of decently sized wings (drums and flats) or actual drumsticks - or a mix of both - for decent prices. But the sauces aren't great. The sweet/spicy is just sweet + sliiight afterburn. Not much of anything else besides sticky sweet - pass. The soy option is better, but strong on garlic, and there was something off about the overwhelming garlic that I didn't enjoy. The better of the two though. Overall, they lacked the aromatics and balance that makes korean fried chicken so addicting. And the batter... too much cornstarch? Because it's like unpleasantly crunchy instead of crispy. I probably wouldn't eat here again, unless they changed things up a bit. Tried a couple of bubble teas and they were pretty good, so it's definitely an option to keep in mind for a quick grab and go tea/smoothie place in Oakland. Nothing I would go out of the way for. If only the chicken were better...
(3)Lambert P.
I'm going to start off by saying the best Korean fried chicken that I've ever had was not too long ago so it's still very fresh in my memory. It was at Turntable on 5th Ave in NYC and since eating there every KFC place I've been to in Toronto I've had to measure up against Turntable and while I've found some places that make it decently, I've yet to find a place that comes even close. Chick'n Bubbly being the only place I was able to find in all of greater Pittsburgh to claim that they make a Korean fried chicken almost obliged me to have to go and try it for myself. On this short little strip of Oakland Ave between Fifth and Forbes has a bunch of places to eat including another Asian place on the same side of the road as well as two sushi places right next to each other across the street. Chick'n Bubbly is a small little storefront, so small you could probably miss it. The counter is small, the menus are on backlit flat panels and there are only 2 tiny 2 seat tables near the front entrance. All the other seats are stools along the side wall, facing the wall. We were 3 so I went with 30 wings half spicy sauce and half garlic and soy along with a tea drink each. All the food and drinks came up to 46 bucks. It seemed kind of pricey being that the large teas were 4.25 each and 30 wings was the largest order we could get. They boxed each flavor of wings 15 to a box in two separate boxes. We were eating but they don't have plates but rather tiny trays which is what we used to for the bones. The spicy sauce again, this is the Nth time a hot spicy/sauce place has used TOO much sauce. When we got to the bottom of the box the ones at the bottom were swimming in sauce. Again, the garlic soy were better than the saucier ones. The garlic soy although having sauce were much lighter and stayed crispier and overall were better tasting being more savory than sweet. The chicken itself, the wings were large. I would have preferred to have them be much more crispy/crunchy as I have had at other places that serve KFC. It seems to me their batter seemed much more thicker than I was expecting as opposed to the paper thin batter I've come to expect when having KFC. Overall the food was OK but it certainly wasn't great and it was a 5 compared to Turntable if that is to be a 10... basically half as good if that. Price wise it's not really as good of a value either. For the same money in NYC at a real sit down place we only had 20 wings but they were exponentially so much better and I had beer and soju as well as fries etc. The bottom line is while Chick'n Bubbly is OK, it's not as good as other KFC I've had in NYC or at home in Toronto. They use way too much sauce and the batter is much too thick when compared to other KFC places. It would also be nice if they had proper tables to eat. As far as their drinks go that they do properly. There are a gazillion places to get bubble tea in Toronto and they make it good here.
(3)Angie K.
KFC! Korean Fried Chicken hits Pittsburgh! For some of you, these are going to be some of the best wings you have had...ever. This is KFC, double fried for crispyness and smothered in a glorious sauce, either sweet and spicy or soy garlic. These are not your typical bar hot wings: these are almost double the size, bursting with flavor. Cut the spiciness with some pickled radishes, and then go for some more. chick'n and bubbly is currently in its soft opening, offering bubble tea and wings. Grand opening with be 8/25/14, where they will offer their full menu, including various katsus. The space is small, only a few seats and tables, so for now, take out is your best bet. I tried their black milk bubble tea- very, very good(if you see my previous reviews I love bubble tea). The tapioca pearls are sweet and chewy. Is this like Bonchon or Kyochon, the famous KFC chains from Korea? Not exactly, but it is equally as good, and the wings are a bit bigger. If you've never tried KFC, this is the place to do it!
(4)Kim A.
Perfect! The most delicious bubble tea I have ever drunk. It's even better than original bubble tea from Gong cha, the most popular bubble tea brand in Taiwan. Fantastic!!!!!!
(5)Mara K.
This was the first time I ever tried a Korean style chicken and I have to say I liked it! The menu here is simple: chicken either spicy or sweet and bubbly tea. And there are a ton of bubble tea flavors to choose from. It's a filling meal and I didn't finish my order. Here's what I struggled with - this is a messy meal. You have to wear 'finger gloves' to eat it and you need to be real cognizant of your surroundings or you're going to be covered in sauce. You can eat in but it is bar stool seating and not a lot of space. They do have iPads you can play with while you're there - which can prove to be difficult while wearing your finger gloves. But I suppose if you're just there to enjoy the bubbly tea it would work to your advantage. Neat addition to the Oakland scene.
(3)Alana E.
I always love coming here! The staff is so nice, and the drinks are always tasty! My favorite is the honeydew smoothie with strawberry bursting balls.
(5)Katherine C.
Yesss, so happy Korean fried chicken made its way to Pittsburgh when I did! I'm used to frequent artery-clogging Bonchon outings at home, and Chick'n Bubbly definitely lives up to my standard for KFC. By the way, if you've never had Korean fried chicken... brace yourselves. It's a life-changing experience. + Relatively short wait for chicken (especially compared to Bonchon) + Delicious, crispy soy garlic wings (didn't try the other flavor) + The five wings snack portion filled me right up + The wings themselves are pretty sizeable +/- Very sweet bubble teas from syrup. They're tasty, but I would love to have some fresh fruit smoothie options - Pretty much takeout only, since the seating space is very limited. On the bright side though, the wait times are fast enough to grab and go! When that post-studying fatigue strikes, I definitely anticipate more cravings for KFC, and I'd happily come back here.
(4)Lindsay S.
Meh. Honestly, I wasn't super-impressed. The chicken was good, but not all that special. Also, the cashier didn't seem to think there was any difference between chicken wings and chicken legs (for real).
(3)Janel A.
I'm addicted to their bubble tea, and their wings are so delicious and extremely filling. A snack size usually fills me up. A little pricey but worth it.
(4)Stephanie Y.
I miss bon chon and was so excited to check out this place. The wings are pretty meaty and enough sauce for me. I got the wings, 10 soy sauce garlic and 10 sweet & spicy. More sweet than spicy. They're just super cornstarchy or something that makes you feel full after 3 wings and the drumstick of the wings were dry. I always prefer the wing parts though. I did not like the radish. It was very watery making the radish mushy.
(3)Joseph F.
Chick'n Bubbly is the greatest gift to Oakland since P-Caf closed and was replaced with Winghart's. Chick'n Bubbly is Oakland's crowning achievement after the revitalization of Schenley Plaza (getting rid of unsuccessful food stands in favor of Waffalonia and Conflict Kitchen); it is the crème de la crème of Oakland Avenue's Asian Row; I can even forgive Oakland for letting Veracruz go under and Fez Grille close after accepting Chick'n Bubbly into my life. Large pieces of twice-fried chicken, wings or drumsticks (or both), covered in your choice of sauce (you can get more spicy sauce on the side). A small is more than enough for lunch; I probably would have been better off with a "snack" size. They also have a huge list of bubble teas and a few sides. I tried the pickled radishes, which were awesome. I want to go back and try the takoyaki (UPDATE: I went back to try the takoyaki, and it wasn't my thing. It might be your thing, because it wasn't bad; it just wasn't my thing). The space is a bit small, so it might be worth grabbing your meal (and a few of the plastic finger-covers so you don't get too messy) and taking it all to go. I'm a fan!
(4)Rachael N.
Eh, I've had better, but it's decent. Visiting Pittsburgh and a friend, we decided to stop by this Korean fried chicken place. We were intrigued as we absolutely LOVE Korean fried chicken. First, they have a wealth of bubble tea flavors. We got the thai iced bubble tea- it was alright. The boba was good, however, I'm pretty sure they use mix for their flavors. However, the tea itself was pretty good. Next we ordered a medium of a mix of the sweet n spicy and the soy garlic sauce. They ran out of drumsticks that night (what), so all we got were wings. We had three people- and could barely finish a medium, so mind you, the portions are LARGE. The sweet n spicy wasn't really spicy. And I felt like the wings weren't fried to what you would normally expect in Korean fried chicken- it wasn't crispy enough, almost more soggy like. Eh. Plus, you had to pay for the radishes too! What! That's a side dish! I thought it was neat though that they had these finger coverings so that your fingers didn't get dirty. Heh. Kind of awkward to use though. Nice concept, but eh, I've had better Kfc. If you're ever in Ann Arbor, try Seoul Street- this place could definitely do a lot better.
(3)Darian B.
Really enjoyed this place along with Korean Garden. I didn't enjoy my bubble tea because I decided to be weird and mix two things that should not be mixed together. However, the person who took our order was super nice and got a little surprised with me saying thank you in Korean when she offered me haha. Another place in Pittsburgh I'd recommend and go back to again!
(5)Jenny Z.
First of all, I love both bubble tea and fried chicken. A place with both should be heaven. That said, I think Chick n' Bubbly only got one of those right. Their bubble tea is awesome! Tons of flavors, and they've all been delicious so far. But I think they really dropped the ball on the fried chicken. I didn't think it was possible to do fried chicken anything less than great. I got the sweet and spicy sauce, which was okay in taste. The wings were still kinda crunchy even after some waiting time because work got in the way of lunch, so that was a plus. But the wings were REALLY greasy. I like greasy food, and I expect fried chicken to be greasy. But there was just something about these wings that made me feel disgusting after eating just 1. I didn't get sick; it was that feeling of disgust after you've binged on greasy fast food. Overall, the fried chicken just tasted mediocre. Not good, but not so bad that it's inedible. All in all, I'd go back for their bubble tea. Never ordering chicken again.
(3)Laura M.
I came here yesterday for lunch. Having never tried Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) before, I was eager to try some KFC wings and drumsticks, esp. since I'm a fried chicken aficionado. However, when I ordered (at 12:30pm), they told me they were out of drumsticks, so I was only able to order wings, which was disappointing. I ordered the snack size, which comes with 6 wings, with soy garlic sauce, and I was told it'd be 15 min. I don't often buy lunch in Oakland, but this seems like a long wait, esp. compared to other lunch places nearby, and I ended up waiting about that long. Re: the wings, I found them quite crispy and delicious, and definitely worth trying. I wasn't a huge fan of the soy garlic sauce, since it was pretty sweet (akin to sauces served at Americanized Chinese restaurants); next time, I think I'll get it on the side, if possible. (Obviously, I can't comment on authenticity or compare, since this was my first time trying KFC.) I also tried a sample of the taro bubble tea during the grand opening, and found it kind of bland, hence why I didn't order any. I also found the prices a bit high--6 wings set me back $6.19 (w/ tax)--esp. given the inexpensiveness of other lunch options in the neighborhood. Overall, I enjoyed the wings, and would recommend them to people who haven't tried KFC or are craving it (there aren't any alternative options in PGH). However, this restaurant has some kinks to work out re: service and pricing that detracted from my experience. I'd stop back in again, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to do so.
(3)Anne C.
Oh my god yes. Best chicken I've ever had, but every time I go they always run out of wings! The prices aren't bad but they aren't cheap. The plus side is that you get a lot for what you pay. My favorite so far is their soy garlic, their sweet and spicy chicken has way too much sauce and drowns out the flavor of the chicken. Their bubble tea is amazing with a variety of different options to add to your tea from jelly to flavored bubbles.
(5)Adell K.
Love the tea but the chicken was everything. We stopped in for teas then went back for chicken about a week later. The selection of tea flavors and "bubbles" is large enough to get a different combination every time, all delicious. You can even ask for "less sweet". The chicken was expensive but well worth the cost. Coated in A sticky slightly spicy sauce that you will want to bathe in. This chicken is good! Its good warm and cold. Its expensive about $1 per wing section but you will not be sorry. Also worth trying are the fries but the must try item is the Takoyaki. It is batter dipped octopus bites of wonderful. They also look really cool when you get them they appear to be moving. These are not to take home. They are not good cold and dont reheat well.
(4)Muyuan L.
I never had Korean fried chicken before. Don't get me wrong, I've always been a huge fan of Korean food. But it was not until recently did I hear the phrase Korean Friend Chicken. Tried it with a friend who has been here before and loves the food. Ordering was easy, they don't have much but fried chicken, bubble tea of different flavors and some appetizers. We got takoyaki and a large portion of sweet and spicy fried chicken. Takoyaki was good. If you haven't had it please google gif. files of how the thin fish flakes wave as heat convection occurs at surface of the "octopus-meatball". Looks nice and tastes even better. But the chicken was so special that it completely dominated over the appetizer. Perfect crispiness, good sauce and satisfying portion. We ordered a large portion - 15 wings and 9 drumsticks. The drumsticks were HUGE. But we almost finished it. Just give you a brief idea how good the chicken was. Not a large restaurant, takes a while to get the fried chicken, and things can get messy when eating the chicken wings. They have the smart application of this three-finger-plastic "glove" you can put on, and it is effective in terms of not getting sauce all over your hand. Also rumors say that they have the best bubble tea in town. Hope you will enjoy it as I did!
(5)Jenn C.
Soy garlic chicken with a less sweet lychee bubble tea. It was quite tasty. Can't wait to return.
(4)Mackenzie B.
I'm pretty obsessed with mango smoothies, so this place rocks. The smoothies are fluffy and wonderful with just the right amount of tartness to sweetness. I'm a vegetarian and Chick'n Bubbly is not vegetarian-friendly (nor would I expect it to be, but I thought I would note this anyways). Both sauces smell delicious, and the restaurant itself is extremely quaint, but seems to be popular with students regardless of its higher-than-average prices. There seems to be an abundance of bubble tea, smoothie, and even slushy flavors, and I plan on stopping in to try some more!
(4)Luz M.
My husband and I love Korean food so we were super excited to try this place, especially after all the great reviews. Perhaps our wings were made wrong but these were not good. We each took one bite, he spit it out on a napkin and I made a face of disgust as I swallowed it. We ended up throwing them away, I don't believe we have ever done that before. They were soggy, overly sweet and tasted like paper, I really I don't know how else to describe it. The only reason why I'm giving this place two stars is because my strawberry milk tea was good.
(2)Elisabeth B.
I've had life changing chicken before (see my review of Bolton's Hot Chicken in Nashville), but this is the GOOD kind of momentous chicken. Chick'n Bubbly's Korean Fried Chicken is THE BEST. SO FREAKING GOOD. It's the perfect level of crisp fried-ness. It's like crispy fluffy heavenly clouds of coating around the chicken with the most delicious soy garlic sauce perfectly glazed like a silver lining around the aforementioned delicious coating. Yep, I've come up with the perfect metaphor now, it's like throwing heaven in a deep fryer and coating it with savory asian sauce. Dear lord, you need to eat here (yes God, you need to eat here too). A couple of side notes, the soy garlic sauce is the best, you can get extra spicy sauce on the side to douse them with too (I do that, it is so yummy), and the daikon is the fresh kind, not like at sushi places. My favorite thing to do for lunch when here? Place my order for a small size of wings, go next door to Oishii and get Kimchi and Wakame Salad for my sides :) Please note, never get the french fries here. Literally the worst of my life, but the chicken is so good I can't bear to give them less than 5 stars.
(5)S L.
Chicken is good, but the pickled radish has really gone down the tubes. It used to be white and fresh and now its grey and bitter.
(3)Mahsa B.
Although the chicken is a little pricy, these are the best wings I've ever had in pittsburgh--not only are the drumsticks enormous (is that even from a chicken???), the skin is perfectly crispy and the sweet and spicy sauce was delicious! I got the "small" size of both drumsticks and wings and it was 7 pieces, which was pretty filling. I also got the takoyaki which was 9 pieces for $5, which is a steal considering that the only other place to get takoyaki sells 5 pieces for $8 or something. The mayo, scallions, and bonito flakes were all mind-meltingly delicious toppings, not to mention the sensuous way that the takoyaki itself melted in my mouth. It still tasted great after I reheated it later in the night. Yes, the food was delicious, but what will bring me back to Chick'n Bubbly? Three words--Taro. Milkshake. Smoothie. First of all, this is my favorite beverage in the universe. The one they make here is the perfect balance between sugar and taro flavor. I'm crying just thinking about it; I should have gotten one to-go as well after I killed the large one that I bought with my dinner. Thank you, Chick'n Bubbly. You have brought immense happiness to my innards.
(4)Stephen D.
First trip and not bad after taking a stressful test. Not bad milk tea but haven't eaten the chicken yet
(3)Amy R.
The bubble tea is more like thai iced tea. Not bad, just not what I expected or what I wanted.
(3)Chris D.
Have visited twice. Both times the fried chicken was prepared to order. One of the top places to get fried chicken in the city. If you like spice ask them to make the sauce spicier for you and they will accommodate. Both the cucumber and radish pickles served with the chicken were excellent. Will return whenever I am in oakland. Have not had the bubble tea.
(5)Rich C.
I have heard many things about Korean Fried Chicken... "life changing", "orgasmic", "so good it will make you drop kick your mother, twice"...and "jolly good!" That being said, I was not the least bit recalcitrant to visit this new entrant into the Pittsburgh food scene, when it was brought to my attention by Maren V. Venturing back into the proverbial "old stomping grounds" of the University of Pittsburgh, and navigating the myriad of Sperry wearing, sweatpants clad undergrads, we entered the small and crowded establishment. Following a not so brief wait, we placed an order for soy garlic wings. We were informed, there were no drumsticks available. Tears. The order was delivered in a respectably prompt fashion. As a bonus, they had finger condoms ( is there a better name for these things?) if you are a Monk-esque having two hands dirty at the same time-a phobe, like myself. Lets get to the wings, shall we? The first bites for a KFC virgin such as myself were confusing to say the least. I had heard these were to be double fried, and crispy, yet tender. I detected no difference to regular chicken wings to be honest. The sauce was almost sickeningly sweet, yet lacking in any subtle distinction of flavor. Some were crispy, some were almost soggy. In all honesty, I threw about 8 away. I never throw food away. I generally eat everyone elses leftovers because I am fat as f***. I might chalk it up to being extremely busy, but I really dont have desires to give a second chance. I must find KFC elsewhere.
(2)Vivian C.
So I really like the wings at this place. Esp the combination (wings and drumstricks) in the garlic soy sauce. The seasoned french fries and pickled radishes are pretty good too. I don't really like the sweet and spicy sauce it's a little too sweet for me. For their bubble tea they don't really add ice so it's lukewarm which makes it not so refreshing. I went their twice before writing this review. The first time I went there I waited over 20 minutes for my order. They also seemed to not have nailed their operations quite yet since they didn't know how long the fried chicken had to cook in the frying machine. They constantly stuck a thermometer in each batch of fried kitchen to check if it was cooked or not. The second time I went they stopped with the thermometer thing but I still waited over 20 minutes to get my order. Keep in mind it's a really small place so sometimes you have to wait outside for your order when all the seats are taken. As for the ambiance it's pretty cute but again, extremely small. Service is pretty good too. I would go back again just for their garlic soy wings but only if I have the patience to wait for 20 minutes to get it.
(3)Junil K.
They need to speed up their food prep time or something needs to change. Waiting more than 30 Mins every time I get here...it's not THAT worth of quality.
(2)Danielle S.
When it comes to Korean fried chicken in general, I must admit that I can get a bit religious- it's THAT good. With that said, the fried chicken here was pretty excellent, although not quite as good as the food-of-the-gods from Bon Chon to deserve a 5 star rating. For anyone who has never had Korean fried chicken, TRY IT. It can be life changing. (It would also be a good idea to get it with picked radish on the side, which works as a nice palette cleanser). Overall, very good.
(4)Ben V.
I went during their soft opening, so the menu was still limited. I'm hoping to try some of their other menu options after their grand opening at the end of august. The chicken is double fried and is delicious. You can choose from wings, drumsticks, or a combination of both and choose from a sweet and sour or a soy garlic sauce. The wings and drumsticks were a good size and I had the sweet and spicy sauce, which was very tasty, but made a bit of a sticky mess (be sure to ask for a few extra napkins). They will spice up the sweet and sour sauce, so be sure to ask for that if you like it hot. It sits a bit heavy, so I found that the snack size was perfect for one person. It does take a few minutes for them to prepare the chicken. So be prepared to wait a few, but it's worth the wait. The bubble milk tea was some of the tastiest I've had. The tapioca bubbles are prepared fresh every couple of hours and the tea was very flavorful. They made the tea quickly, so I was able hang out and sip it while they finished up my chicken. The bubble tea cups even have a sealed top in case you're trying to carry a bunch of them at once, no leaking possible. This is important, because this is mostly a take out joint. There are only a couple tables inside, but when the weather is nice, there are lots of good places to sit outside and eat within a block of the restaurant.
(4)Liz K.
I love the concept. I love the freshness. I like the little finder covers too. It's tender but fried to perfect. I like both of the sauces, but prefer the sweet and spicy.. which isn't too spicy. The yam fries are good also. Great addition to the Oakland food scene.
(5)C C.
The chicken was great. Super crispy skin and a nice amount of sauce. I got the Soy Garlic Sauce and my boyfriend got the Sweet and Spicy; both were good. Originally, though, I'd wanted the Chicken Salad on the menu, but they said they didn't sell that. My boyfriend also ordered radish pickles and was told those were included with the chicken. They gave us a little plastic dressing-cupful of the pickles, which were decent. Listening to other people order, it sounded like other sides might have been included as well, and I wish they'd explained our options when we ordered. We ate in the shop, and they have little gloves for your thumb, pointer, and middle fingers, which were very handy. The chicken was great, but this place is on the more expensive side. Also, two of the three times we wanted to eat there, it was closed, so be sure to check the hours before going.
(3)Sunjoo C.
On my quest to try out more places, I came across Chick'n Bubbly after going to Oishii Bento, where they offered 50 cents off a bubble tea at Chick'n Bubbly with my receipt. Like the name, I got chicken and a bubble tea. The chicken was pretty good. Although the chicken was a little on the pricey side and a little too crispy for my taste, I liked that there wasn't a ton of breading and it wasn't soggy at all, like the chicken at most places. I can't remember the exact name of the sauce but it was some kind of sweeter sauce and I asked for some spicy sauce as well. I'm a huge fan of sweet and spicy and I liked it! The best part about this place, in my opinion, was the radishes included with the chicken. They go perfectly together and I would probably choose this place over any other place because of those radishes. Unfortunately, the bubble tea wasn't that great. I had been craving bubble tea for a while so I was super excited but it kinda fell flat. It was a little watery and a little bland. The tapioca balls were okay but I was left a little unsatisfied by the bubble tea overall. I got my order to go so I didn't really have much experience with the service. The person that took my order was polite. I got my order pretty fast but there weren't that many people. For those that are thinking about eating in, there really aren't many seats. Chicken: 4 stars - pretty good but not exactly to my taste Radishes: 5 stars - seriously, every chicken place in the world should have them Bubble tea: 3 stars - okay but not great Service: 5 stars - no complaints Overall: 4 stars
(4)Peter E.
I was pretty excited about this place but very disappointed. I paid $20 for a wings and sweet potato fries. Both items tasted like they were straight out of the freezer. The food is much more photogenic then tasty.
(2)Jaesok Y.
Definitely recommended. It's the first debut of Korean-style chicken in the Pittsburgh eat scene. Crispy chicken among various korean-fried chicken style is the strongest feature of this place. You can order chicken with hot, soy source or half and half. (Actually, I prefer plain fried style with dipping source, but.. it's ok.) Hot source is not too much spicy, so it's easy to eat, you are not familiar with spicy flavor, though. Combination with beer is absolutely fantastic! you can go to the Peter's pub in front of the place bringing take-out chicken. Only thing is a little bit slow to serve the food, but, it's ok. worth to wait. I have visited 4 times, and will visit again. Great place.
(5)Teresa T.
I went this past Thursday during their soft launch. The chicken was super delicious though I hope Chick'n Bubbly improves their wait time for chicken (I would have downgraded the stars but the food just delivered). I happened to go during Pitt's move-in period and around noon. The space is small. I ordered the snack size with both (4 wings and 1 drumstick) in the soy garlic glaze for a lunch size meal. It also comes with a side of radish pickles. I'm not sure what happened but I waited about 20 minutes for what I thought would be a quick pop-in. That aside the chicken exceeded expectations in terms of crunchiness yet being so moist and fresh. You can see the cooks battering, frying, double frying and checking the temperature in their kitchen. I devoured the pieces within minutes and wanted even more though I was full so I'll be back to get some more and some other things.
(5)Lauren B.
Although I work in Oakland I hadn't stopped here yet since there's plenty of options open during the day, but one evening I got stuck here when my battery needed a jump and my car was stranded on Forbes. I had a half hour to wait for the AAA truck so I stopped here thinking it would be a quick snack while I wait for the truck, since it seemed like a fast food sort of thing. Pretty much all they have is chicken and bubble tea, with a handful of side items, so I expected it to be a pretty efficient operation. However, I ended up waiting a half hour for a small chicken order (they did apologize for the wait, but still, there was only one other person in there waiting and multiple staff). The worst part was while I was waiting by the open garage door style window and enjoying the nice breeze and keeping an eye out for the AAA truck, they randomly come up to me and decide to close it up for no reason whatsoever, even though I had been waiting awhile already and I thought it was clear I was enjoying sitting there by the open window (and it's not that they were closing up, because people were still entering the door from outside after that). After that the place was quite stuffy and warm and seemed a lot smaller and cramped. Eventually I got my chicken and it was fine, but nothing amazing, and a little on the sweet side for my taste. They only had 2 sauce options and I chose the garlic soy. I did really like that you could choose drumsticks or wings though (or a combo) since I prefer the drumsticks. Also, although I ordered the small I was surprised it only came with 3 chicken drumsticks (there is also one size smaller than that). I kind of thought it would be at least 6, like a half order of wings at a restaurant (thought admittedly they were a bit larger than normal wings/mini drumsticks). So it was a little pricier for the amount you get than I initially thought. But a decent later night option for the Oakland area. I did end up making it back in time to meet AAA but only by like 2 minutes so it was a close call.
(3)Scott S.
Outstanding chicken! Pittsburgh has been sorely lacking a Korean fried chicken place for a long time. They're currently in a soft opening with the grand opening in late August so there are limited menu options. I got the sweet and spicy wings and a strawberry milk tea with bubbles. Amazing. There's limited seating and the food does not typically come out quickly (I think I waited 10 minutes for my chicken) so plan accordingly.
(5)Vora D.
Bubble tea, bubble tea, bubble tea. Gotta love this place. Small little place but nice and clean. I had passion fruit smoothy with boba and jelly. Boba and jelly had nice flavor and good texture. I ordered my smoothy a little less sweet in anticipation of some sweet that comes from boba and jelly. The combination comes out very very nice....not too sweet but enough of flavor that all blended well together. Price for bubble tea here is cheap. Maybe because it is near college. The small smoothy with boba and jelly was about $3.50. The big one is about $4.50. Every drink is pretty much less than $5. Love!
(4)S J.
I LOVE Korean fried chicken and was initially psyched about this place and its concept, but I'm getting more and more disappointed with each visit. It seems to me like they are copying BonChon (I've been to the Boston locations), but with poorer execution. Few complaints - The chicken is way too sweet, for both soy garlic and the sweet&spicy - The spicy isn't actually spicy - The bubble tea has way too much cream and not enough tea flavor - The wait time for the fried chicken is too long for the concept of order & pick-up. It would be okay for dine-in with appetizers, but there isn't enough seating for that. Tips - I'd definitely call 15-20 minutes ahead of time to order. They'll make your bubble tea "fresh" in front of you when you come to pick up your chicken. - Of the bubble teas I've tried (taro, black, almond, jasmine), I like the jasmine the best. I also tried their lychee slushie - it was OK.
(3)Sean K.
Very good food. Crispy outside of the wing and tasty sauces. Would come back again. You can get regular buffalo sized wings or you can get the big chicken legs. A milk tea with bubbles is a nice choice as well. Great staff and customer service.
(5)Kelly P.
This Korean chicken store is awesome!! I am Korean, and I think their chicken is the best one I have ever had! The chicken is very crispy and tender. I heard that they use vegetable oil not shortening, and also the chicken is made with fresh chicken. I am so impressed with their food.:)
(5)Jennifer M.
Too long of a wait for your food. I was on my lunch hour and waited 25 minutes for food. They need to speed up their food service for a to go restaurant.
(1)Raquel C.
I'm a huge boba or tapioca Pearl fan. Since moving to Pittsburgh I haven't found a decent place. ... Until now. The taro milk tea with tapioca pearls was awesome. And almond smoothie was great. I would recommend this place. The gentleman at the counter was very patient with me (I'm picky). The place is small but cute and clean.
(4)