Laker Legend Shaquille O’Neal Asks Glendale How His Chicken Tastes

Legendary NBA player Shaquille O’Neal’s fast casual fried chicken restaurant Big Chicken is now open in Glendale. The restaurant lands just across the street from the Rick Caruso-owned Americana development, and doors down from Shake Shack and Eggslut in the former Greenleaf space.

The new Los Angeles-area Big Chicken was first announced nearly one year ago, fresh off the heels of O’Neal’s 2018 reality series on Facebook Watch that detailed the process of opening the first-ever location in Las Vegas, Nevada. Glendale is now the second Big Chicken in existence, though others are planned, including at least one on a cruise line. O’Neal also operates the sit-down Southern restaurant Shaquille’s at LA Live in Downtown, not far from the bronze statue of him dunking during his championship Laker reign.

As for Big Chicken, expect a fast casual space with counter ordering and bright orange detail work. There’s an open kitchen to the back, and a menu board hangs above the counter. There are fried chicken sandwiches offered a variety of ways (including Nashville hot) plus tenders and regular and sweet potato fries. Big Chicken hours run daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Farley Elliott