Harold’s takes its time making favorites to order

When you place an order, it's not through bulletproof glass. That's one of the traditions missing from the Las Vegas version of Harold's Chicken & Fish, a Chicago institution since 1950.

"They were in rough neighborhoods," says owner Greg Edingburg. "We couldn't get folks to put stores into the South Side in that era."

The chain is named for Harold Pierce, the African-American entrepreneur who opened the first of what he called Harold's Chicken Shacks at 47th Street and Greenwood Avenue.

"He had a visionary dream of giving African-Americans their own businesses," says Edingburg, a Chicago resident who also owns a Harold's franchise back home. (Edingburg opened this one at 7450 W. Cheyenne Ave. last December for his daughter, Tracy, to run on the site of a former Joey's Seafood & Grill.)

"We thought that we would do very well out here," Edingburg says, "because there's a great migration of people from Chicago who know about us." (The other Harold's operating in the valley, at 4950 S. Rainbow Blvd., was opened earlier last year by a different owner.)

Location wasn't the only thing distinguishing Harold's from larger chain chicken stores. Instead of emphasizing fast food, the stores cooked everything to order. This is one tradition Edingburg proudly continues, although it may frustrate those in a hurry.

"We drop it fresh," he says, estimating his wait time as 14 minutes.

Other traditions Edingburg carried over to Las Vegas are the jazz-photo decor (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald) and heavy soul-food flourishes. Sides include gizzards, livers and fried okra, and the vegetable oil is cut with equal parts beef tallow ("to give it that distinctive Harold's taste," Edingburg says).

Some menu tweaks are planned, however. Edingburg says he's working toward zero trans fat in his grease and is currently engaged in serious mashed potato and corn negotiations with caterers.

"Because we're not in Chicago, whatever works out here," he says. "It's a learning experience."

The restaurant, which serves 40 diners at a time, is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Entrees: Fish and wing combination, $10.75; six wing dinner, $7.99; half white (two breasts and two wings), $9.99.

Sides: Corn on the cob, $1.39; okra, $2.49; mushrooms, $2.99

Desserts: Peach cobbler, $3.23; cookies, $3.23

Information: 641-1102

By COREY LEVITAN