Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar to open in University this weekend
It’s finally here. Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar, a Chicago-based restaurant, is set to open this Friday, Feb. 3.
A ribbon cutting will be held to welcome its first wave of customers, and according to an Instagram post from the restaurant said they will serve guests until 2 a.m.
Eliot Mosby, owner of the Charlotte location, said the Queen City is now home to the newest and largest Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar.
Mosby said Charlotte is an “up and coming market.” He’d visited Charlotte previously and said he “fell in love” with the city. Mosby added that putting the restaurant in University was intentional due to its large Black population.
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“Harold’s chicken — if you look at the history — was created for Black people,” Mosby said. The founder of Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar, Harold Pierce, created the restaurant at a time when large restaurant chains avoided Black neighborhoods in Chicago.
Mosby added that he wants the restaurant to be a place for people to have a “safe and fun,” experience.
A cut above the rest
Mosby said what make’s Harold’s stand out is the full-sized wings as opposed to the “winglets” served at many other restaurants. A 24-hour marination process coupled with Harold’s famous mild sauce makes the chicken more flavorful, according to Mosby.
In addition to its chicken recipe, Mosby also said the restaurant’s cocktails are made from freshly squeezed juice on a daily basis.
“Our bartenders come in about an hour to hour and a half early and they’re squeezing all of their lemons and limes. So you’re getting fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice in your drinks,” Mosby said. Mosby added that customers also get fresh strawberries and mint in their drinks, with no syrup used.
“That’s what makes our drinks better.”
As the biggest of the four locations, the Charlotte location is also the only one to have a VIP section. “With us branching to North Carolina, we wanted to kind of set the tone,” said Mosby.
The VIP experience
In addition to being a VIP section, the extra space can be used for events. Both sides of the venue allow customers to order from the Harolds menu, but the VIP area offers more comfortable seating like couches and has a lounge-like design.
Mosby said the space could be used for events like receptions and bachelor parties.
Pricing for the booths in the VIP section will be based on party size, as well as the number of beverages required. It can booked by contacting the restaurant or booking ahead of time on Eventbrite.
Seating at the bar and other areas of the VP section are first come, first serve.
It’s all in the sauce
Many visitors will be getting the Harold’s Chicken and Ice Bar experience for the first time. Mosby said the sauce is a tried and true option.
For those that aren’t sure where to start, Mosby gave QCity Metro his go to order:
“Being from Chicago, I would say ‘do a six piece.’ When I say six piece [I mean] with salt and pepper, and the signature mild sauce on top of the chicken and fries. As far as a drink, I would start with the strawberry henny margarita.”