This mom-and-pop Colombian restaurant gets the charcoal fire going in the early morning and doesn’t stop until everyone’s satisfied. Diners can watch the action up front, where the chickens are seasoned in a secret recipe and roasted for two hours over an open flame. It’s also quite affordable — a whole chicken will only set you back $14.95.

On the border of Irving Park and Albany Park, D’Candela serves up spicy, garlicky Peruvian pollo a la brasa, or rotisserie chicken, available by the quarter, half, or whole bird, for dining in or to-go, with a choice of sides.

The tandoor is one of the oldest methods for roasting a chicken and still one of the best. And that’s how you get a half chicken at this family-owned Indian restaurant in North Center. The preparation here is chicken tikka, which means it’s cooked on its own, without a sauce.

A half roasted chicken at the Bristol comes beautifully browned on a bed of gnocchi and greens, nicely solving the dilemma of whether to order the pasta or the protein.

Lee Wolen rose to prominence at The Lobby with his roasted chicken so it's no surprise the dish has become a mainstay on the Boka menu. The preparation has continuously changed over the years but it remains consistently excellent. In its current iteration, the flavorful bird gets elevated with smoked kabocha, chanterelle, and sage.

Peruvians take their chicken seriously and the pollo a la brasa at Tanta does the national dish proud. The signature entrée is brined for 24 hours in a mix of Coke, garlic, cumin, soy sauce, and other ingredients before being roasted in the oven. The crispy final product arrives at the table alongside cannellini beans, potatoes, arroz con choclo, criolla salad, and a trio of aji sauces.

Come for the picturesque views, stay for the roasts. There are several types offered, from beef and pork to fish, but it would be foolish to pass up the whole chicken. It’s wood-smoked, comes accompanied by crispy potatoes, and is carved tableside. Best of all, there will be enough leftovers for days.

It’s not just pork and seafood at one of Chicago’s most essential spots. The celebrated farm-to-table restaurant from One Off Hospitality Group serves a succulent plate of chicken using birds from Slagel Family Farm. It’s served with summer sausage and fries for a simple down-home meal.

Chicken vesuvio, bone-in chicken sautéed in garlic, oregano, olive oil, and wine then oven-roasted and served with potato wedges and sometimes peas, is a Chicago classic. Many places claim to have invented it (though the now-defunct Vesuvio Restaurant took the credit, hence its name), and now it’s a standard at Italian restaurants around the city. Bruna’s, open since 1933 in Heart of Chicago, serves a particularly fine specimen

At Virtue in Hyde Park, chef Erick Williams serves lemon chicken, which arrives at the table dripping with its own pan jus with green beans and roasted fennel.

The sauce is boss at this Gage Park restaurant with locations in suburban Alsip and Cicero. The birds comes seasoned the Greek way with hints of lemon, oregano, and garlic. A great choice if you're not in the mood for a Big Baby burger.