LINCOLN PARK — Just weeks after opening its first location in Lakeview, the team behind Budlong Hot Chicken is already at work planning a second location.
Budlong will take over the former Ja' Grill space at 1008 W. Armitage Ave., which has sat vacant since the Jamaican restaurant moved to Hyde Park in 2014.
Chef/owner Jared Leonard, who also runs West Ridge's Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse, said he's aiming for an opening date sometime in September.
Ja' Grill, 1008 W. Armitage Ave., closed in 2014.
The menu will be similar to the Lakeview location's, which means Nashville hot — fried chicken with an added layer of blistering spice blend — will be the standout. Plus, Southern sides like collard greens and potato salad and desserts like Spudnuts.
We tried the extra hot chicken — and it's addicting.
Leonard's partner Phil Tadros, founder of Bow Truss Coffee Roasters, said to expect sandwiches, including soft-shell crab, on the menu.
"We're looking to keep it pretty simple and keep it high quality," Tadros said. "I'm sure they're going to play around with fun stuff because of the caliber of talent in the kitchen."
Initially, the space was set to become a Bow Truss coffee shop, but Tadros and Leonard decided a restaurant was the best fit.
A former Lincoln Park resident himself, Tadros is currently looking at other locations on Armitage Avenue for a new Bow Truss location.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
