Remember when there was a Burger King on the East Side? You know, at 2045 E. North Ave., on the corner of North and Prospect? Remember when it was really bad, even though Burger King is really good? Remember when it was a Bruegger’s Bagels before that, which was also really bad? Well, here’s hoping local-ish fast-food joint Mad Chicken can finally make something work at the high-traffic location, because they’re movin’ in.
This chicken has been out of the bag for a while. Back in July, Urban Milwaukee reported that three Mad Chicken co-owners had applied for a license for the space. (Pro tip for budding Milwaukee journalists: the City of Milwaukee License Application Search is your friend.) The application said the “quick-bites” restaurant would be open by September 1 or earlier; that obviously hasn’t happened, though new signs in the windows point to an opening looming on the horizon.
The East Side location will be the franchise’s first stand-alone restaurant. Per Urban Milwaukee, “Mad Chicken currently operates four other restaurants at Mayfair Mall, Southridge Mall, Fox River Mall in Appleton, and Main Place Mall in Santa Ana, California.” As for food…
The menu includes different options for chicken tenders, fried chicken baskets and wings. Mad Chicken’s website lists six different sandwich recipes, including Chicken Madness (six chicken strips, lettuce, tomatoes, coleslaw, pickles, cheddar, mad sauce, sesame bun), Mad CK Hoagie (four chicken strips, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, provolone, mad sauce, french sub roll) and Mad Fish (fried tilapia, cheddar cheese, tartar sauce, sesame bun). Other menu items include seafood options such as a shrimp basket, calamari basket and Fish N Chips. Mad Chicken also serves wraps, salads and sides such as waffle fries, mozz sticks and “mac n cheese,” among others.
We’ll update this story with an actual opening date when it becomes available. Until then, don’t forget that Snack Boys is coming to the former Hotel Foster across the street, and that Ian’s Pizza next door is the best.