Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on May 16, 2023.
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Chick'n Bubbly is a Korean fried chicken and bubble tea joint located in the heart of Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.
While chicken and bubble tea are the two stars of the menu, this fast service restaurant also has a number of Japanese sides including menchi katsu and takoyaki to name a few.
I visited this one after hearing rave reviews from friends and was not disappointed.
Affordable Korean Fried Chicken in Oakland
Chick'n Bubbly is one of those places where you do not want to order based on price, otherwise you'll make the very fortunate mistake of winding up with a substantial amount of food. If this sounds like a common occurrence for us, you're right- and you can imagine Iended up with a feast.
Typically Chick'n Bubbly's menu includes wings and drumsticks as options, with a combo package being available as well; however, during my visit only wings were available. I rounded out the meal with the kushi age (breaded chicken on a stick) and takoyaki (fried octopus balls) and had more than enough for a lunch.
I started with a “small” order of wings which included five decently sized wings for just over $1 each. Those eating with a big group should consider the small (10 wings), medium (20), or large (30) orders for a nominal price break as well (but really more wings is never a bad thing).
The wings themselves have a nice crispness to them and the sweet and spicy sauce (a bit more sweet than spicy) coated them well almost like a glaze than a typical sauce you'd expect at a wing joint.
The kushi age has more or less the same fry texture as the wings but is a large, boneless cut served on a stick. For this one I opted for the soy garlic sauce and made it spicy which had the kick I was looking for (but was not unreasonably hot). In fact, I'd probably opt to make the sweet and spicy sauce from the wings spicy on my next visit as well, but it really depends which flavor you want to be more pronounced.
I rounded out the meal with an order of takoyaki- a favorite from Japan that are fried balls of dough with octopus inside and mayo and a tangy barbecue-esque sauce on top. Chick'n Bubbly's takoyaki are a bit smaller than most and served up eight to an order and are a most respectable side although for my preference needed just a bit more barbecue sauce to balance with the flavor of the dough.
My only regret from the meal is that they forgot the takoyaki order and I had to wait an extra 15 minutes to eat. Since I was eating in-house anyway (most order to go) this was not an issue but I'd be remiss not to mention it all the same.
A Visit for Bubble Tea is a Must
As much as the food at Chick'n Bubbly is delicious and worth a visit on its own, many of the patrons who came in after were getting to-go orders of bubble tea. With about 40 different milk tea, green tee, smoothie, and slushy options to choose from, it doesn't take much to see why.
I opted for a passion fruit milk tea with popping strawberry pearls- a strong combination that was quite tangy and very filling. In fact, it was so good that I downed it prior to my meal coming out, which in all honesty was likely a good thing as passion fruit, strawberry, and fried chicken is an odd combo to have together.
Overall, Chick'n Bubbly is a great spot in Oakland for those wanting a fast, cheap meal with Korean fried chicken and popular Japanese fare. The menu may be limited, but the flavors most certainly are not!
Chick'n Bubbly is located at 117 Oakland Avenue in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.
Looking for more restaurants in Oakland? Check out Primanti Brothers, Pamela's Diner, The Porch, or Butterjoint!
