Chi Mac

I’ve heard about this place for the longest. When you’re looking for a chicken spot, people often talk about Soho. So I decided to try this place because it was closer to my house and more affordable. The restaurant is one of many shops lined along 5^th street. Walking up, it doesn’t look that impressive. And walking in, it was really dark and the décor and setup looked «home-​made» like someone decided to make a restaurant in the basement of their home.
We walked up to the cashier and she was nice but not the most accommodating, asked what we wanted as we weren’t sure if we wanted to dine in or take out. We decided to dine in and ordered the lunch special with small order of chicken and fries. They had 5 different flavors of sauces and we got the soy and spicy chili.
The order came out fast, considering the fact that we were the only ones in the restaurant. Chicken looked great, the fries looked like they could have been cooked longer … We also ordered water but she gave us bottled water and charged us for it :(
The soy chicken was okay, not fantastic. But the spicy chili was pretty good, flavor included many Korean spicies. The chicken wasn’t really crispy but it was good enough. Overall, service was alright, I just wished the people here had more personality. It seemed like they were just there.
To sum up, I’ll probably stick with Soho for my chicken and I recommend that you do the same

I was in the mood for hot wings. I searched Unilocal for wings and this place came up. I figured I’d give it a try. The food was delicious! I got the sweet chili (I think that’s what they were called) and the Cajun wings with sweet potato fries and regular fries. The sweet potato fries were the best I’ve ever tasted. The regular fries were a bit over cooked but they were still good. They both tasted fresh as if they had been cut today. They were traditional fries not covered with any of that breading or crap. The service was great too! When I called, since I hadn’t previously ordered I asked if there were any specials and the person who took my order was polite and professional. I will be back!

Canjun. You must get the Cajun wings. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. They’re not crispy crunchy like the Korean wings you get at Soho, however their flavor is way superior. I like this place more because the service is better, and it’s less crowded. They also offer delivery! Give this place a shot next time you’re in the neighborhood, guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE. BOMB DOT COM. Their chicken is not like the usual «Korean fried chicken». It’s covered in great seasonings, such as sweet chili, hot & spicy, and Cajun to name a few. These happen to be my favorite by the way. It also comes with a side of rice or fries. Your choice!
I usually get take out and my order is always ready in 15 minutes. And I usually get a free soda with it too! They have lunch and dinner specials and oh? Did I mention they deliver too?!
The staff is always a pleasure to be around as well. They are such sweet and nice people! Great customer service is so hard to find these days.
I have totally became a regular now. I get takeout at least once a week. Ayyyyeeee. #ChiMacOnly

sweet chili and golden soy wings were
! Chi-​Mac has easily become my go to place for some «Bön chon» style wings and has replaced Soho café (probably the most infamous in Philly). The owners/​hosts are the most accommodating and kind! Everything was just right… from the wings to the waffles :)

I love this place. The service is always amazing and the staff are friendly.
I have no complaints with their food. My favorite is the Cajun wings! I prefer this place over soho any day. I’m usually not a fan of soft skin buffalo wings, but the seasoning of the Cajun wings made me not give a care in the world.
I ate here almost every day at one point.

Chimac (Chi-​for Chicken, Mac-​for Macjoo (beer)) offers chicken not like your typical KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), which was disappointing. The wings here are a little bigger, with thicker breading. You can also pick sauces for your wings.
We tried the Bool Dak (Fire) sauce and the regular Sweet and Tangy. The Fire sauce was pretty spicy, as the name suggests, so I do not recommend these for any that can’t take some heat. The Sweet and Tangy (Yang Nyum) was pretty predictable as well.
I’ve been looking for an alternative to Soho in this area for so long, but alas, this is not it. They also do not have pickled radishes, and instead give you regular pickles. Major fail. It makes me feel like their target audience is definitely not Korean. Though they give you less pieces for their price, the wings itself are larger than those at Soho. Also, they claim that they only use fresh chicken, not frozen– the chicken was indeed moist. The staff is very friendly.

Me and my boyfriend find this spot by just driving pass and decided to stop… it was cold when we sat down but the food was great we got the special 2 with garlic and sweet and sour chicken. we really enjoyed it and the two gentlemen there where also very nice and sweet… I’d go back anytime

Easily some of the best chicken I’ve had in Philadelphia. The spicy soy flavor is my favorite, but I also tried the garlic and it was quite good. This is great late night or lunch spot to devour some wings. To those that get bogged down over the price, please remember that quality ingredients aren’t cheap. I am amazed at the quality of ingredients provided by Chi Mac. Of course, I must give credit where it is due to the chefs as they cook the product to perfection, but the quality of the ingredients (and therefore the price) should be recognized and praised.

Came here with a few friends on a Wednesday night. We got seated right away. The food was great and the service is excellent! They didn’t serve tap water like every other place, we actually got free water bottles! WHAT FRESH WATER! That was already a plus even before we got our food. The server was very attentive and extremely nice. I really enjoyed the soy flavored chicken and the mussel stew was veryyyy good. Full of mussels! I recommend this place to anyone!

I wanted to love this place, I really did, especially after all the good things I’ve heard about them; but, unfortunately this is not the case. First off let me just say that their service is fantastic! Our server was very courteous and friendly and gave helpful suggestions on the menu.
The place is small and really dark and the smell of frying grease kind of just takes over in the small space. Their menu is also very small and limited — mostly just fried chicken wings and fries. So let’s talk about this fried chicken… it’s not SOHO. Their batter is similar to that of traditional southern fried chicken – think KFC (no pun intended) – so it wasn’t the light, airy, and super crispy crust I was expecting. Instead it was very moist and «soft» fried chicken.
Next, the flavors – I tried their regular Chimac chicken, the spicy chicken and the garlic chicken. The garlic flavored one was by far the best; it was sweet and garlicy and very flavorful. The spicy chicken was spicy but it was also flavorless… it could have used a little salt or something. The plain Chimac chicken was good if I was looking for American styled fried chicken, but again, it was a little bland. The Chimac chicken was best paired with their waffle, which you could get for a $ 1 up charge. The waffle looked beautiful but again, a little lacking in the flavor, even with syrup poured on top. We also ordered the sweet potato fries and they were soft and just OK. After eating a few bites of everything, everything started to taste the same. I was very disappointed to say the least.
Overall, the service was good and the prices were OK, but the food just didn’t hit the mark for me.

This place is amazing. I went here a few days ago and I still can’t get the chicken off my mind. Such great selections to choose from as the sauce. The chicken isn’t overly coated with flour with barely any meat on its bones.
I highly recommend the garlic chicken and the soup. While washing it down with a nice cold bottle of soju. There’s many to choose so it’s all in your own opinion for chicken.
It’s a nice cozy spot that makes you feel welcomed. There’s no huge tv to distract you from having quality time with friends or family. And if that doesn’t float your boat… just imagine running into another group that’ll also mingle with your table and enjoy one another’s company. The owners are brothers and they will make sure everything is to your liking.
But if you’re seeking another «soho» don’t bother… I’m tired of all the complaints of it not being the same. This place was opened to break the mold of conformity and be something new and bold. Not something bland and overplayed.
So all I have left to say is… give it try more than once and if you still don’t like it, go back to your boring life of eating your sad boring chicken.

Ventured out to this somewhat neighborhood business. From the outside appearance, you can’t really tell they are open or not until you see the blinking «OPEN» sign. The restaurant itself is very small and dark. The day we went (Saturday night around 9PM) it was completely empty so I was a bit skeptical. There were only two workers when we arrived. I am going to assume the two guys were the owner, one hosted and the other cooked. They were very friendly and attentive.
The menu was very limited and I have to say over priced. We ordered a large order of wings, half Extra Spicy and half Garlic (14 for $ 20). Small order of Soy (7 for $ 10) which came with a free waffle (current special). Then we ordered the Fish Cake Soup ($ 20). The wings were pretty good but a bit on the soggy side (I love CRISPY wings). Although the wings are good in size I feel as though they could’ve gave more pieces for the price. All the flavors were pretty good, my favorite was the Garlic (really good)! The Extra Spicy and Soy were pretty good too but the Extra Spicy was not spicy at all. Although the wings were pretty good, I feel as though it could’ve been a lot crispier and they could’ve provided more pieces.
Lastly, the Fish Cake Soup was good but it was definitely not worth $ 20. I think it was way overpriced for a simple soup such as Fish Cake Soup. I’d have to say $ 12-​$ 13 was more reasonable.
I understand that this is probably a new business and they want to profit but setting their prices really high will not attract customers as there are many other competitive (cheaper) business around.
But do not get me wrong, the wings (needs to be crispier) and fish cake soup were good, I just wasn’t satisfied with the portion to price ratio.

I think everyone walks in here thinking it’s the next soho. It’s really not. There is no point in comparing a noodle dish to a rice dish. You have to go in with a clear mind. The chicken has more flavor than crisp just so everyone gets a head up on. What the chicken is like.
Now I have to say I was very impressed. It’s great for groups! Not into the clubbing scene? Defiantly a GREAT place to hangout and drink with friends. It is BYOB. This place has a great drinking environment. Food is great too! I’ve been there multiple times so I’ve tried almost everything. I haven’t found a thing I don’t like.
I like how the menu has pictures to go with the name. It’s in a cute picture book! I thought that was a cute idea.
Very casual. I can wear sweats and a t-​shirt go in and have a good time. It’s like hanging out at your friend’s house without the couches. I will definitely be returning very soon!

Tried the wings out for the first time. It was ok. I guess my bf and I were expecting another Soho. As other reviewers said, small place, limited items on menu, and friendly staff. Everything was pretty much $ 10 or $ 20 dishes. Wings were 14 for $ 20 and 7 for $ 10. We ordered spicy, Cajun, soy, and garlic. So far the garlic flavoring would be the only thing that I would return for. I love the sweet crunch of Korean fried wings… and they just didn’t have that. Wings were somewhat more soggy than crispy. They are definitely larger sized wings than Soho but I think it would be best to get Korean wings at Soho if the sweet crunch is what you are craving.
Staff is very attentive to the customers as well as asking opinions. So if they are open to suggestions… I would think they will improve by the end of the year.

I absolutely love Chimac. Amazing friendly service & the food is excellent. Definitely recommend the Extra Spicy chicken & their Garlic chicken.

Small selection of food but they have the absolute best Garlic Fried Chicken! I fell in love with this place so much that I wrote half my review on the tips section! So to point out the main points,
1) Amazing customer service!
2) Delicious Garlic Fried Chicken
3) A must-​try & a must-​come-​back place!

Luv it. Great service and luv the chicken. The spicy chicken was spicier than Soho!!! Try their fried tofu. Very delicious!!!

I found this place on Unilocal and thought I’ll try it out. The first time I had Korean fried chicken was at Café Soho and honestly that didn’t wow me so I never got into the whole KFC thing. I tried it again tonight at Chimac and I was pleasantly surprised because it was pretty addicting.
Food:
My boyfriend and I got half orders of Garlic Fried Chicken, Cajun Fried Chicken, and Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken. The staff recommended the Garlic + Cajun style KFC and told us that it’s a special recipe they created. The Cajun was spicy but it wasn’t a hot mess like my previous KFC experience. It was a nice kind of spicy kick to the cajun spices. The Garlic ones were really good too but they were sweeter than I thought they would be. My favorite is the sweet and spicy ones because its not too spicy and not too sweet.
Service:
The staff there are super friendly. Their attitudes are really welcoming and it makes me want to go back because they seem genuinely concerned about your experience at Chimac.
I would take off a star because I feel like there is a lack of variety in there menu. I understand its suppose to be a late night chill spot but all there serve is chicken, fries, and a couple of other dishes. I didn’t because it is a relatively new restaurant so I think they will expand their menu like new restaurants as they grow.

Fantastic ambiance. I was surprised considering the area, but the staff here is incredibly friendly. I was impressed with the food alone and that was enough to want to give it another visit.
Give this spot a shot. It has a great deal of potential and it is a place I would love to see thrive and succeed.