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Our History

Mr. Brown in his original trailer in Orland Park

For over 75 years Brown’s Chicken has tempted the taste buds of generations of Chicagoans. From humble beginnings in 1949 when John and Belva Brown opened their first location in a trailer at 80th and Harlem in Bridgeview, the company’s pursuit of chicken that truly tastes better continues in a new era.

With over 21 stores in the Chicagoland market, Brown’s Chicken boasts a style of chicken all our own. The recipe cooked up by John and Belva uses buttermilk batter with cottonseed oil, delivering a delicious golden crunch on the outside with a moist and flavorful inside. We’ve added and subtracted many products over the years, but our chicken recipe remains the same and our customers wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course, we’d never mess with the mushrooms either.

Our wildly popular catering operation is the area’s largest, serving businesses and home events alike. From 20 to 2,000, Brown’s Catering turns every occasion into a special event.

With a jingle almost as famous as our chicken, visit a Brown’s near you to find out why “It Tastes Better.