Nick's Pit Stop

A busy interior was all it took to lure me into Nick's Pit Stop. I was walking north on Damen from Armitage toward Luscious Layers when I realized I should probably eat something more substantial than just cupcakes for lunch.


The back wall contained the menu, which seemed simple and clearly organized. I went with the chicken pita sandwich for $5 and a regular side of corn for $1.83, though in retrospect, I should've chosen something else. In my defense, corn was among the more healthy side options.


I watched the food line behind the counter as I waited for my order to come up and it was pretty impressive that there was only one guy prepping and assembling the food. When the sandwich and side were ready, I asked about my sauce options. There was BBQ sauce, red hot sauce, and green hot sauce. I opted for the BBQ sauce, which proved an excellent choice.


Food came on a flimsy combination plate with a mediocre side of corn. It did kind of taste like corn, which is a plus, but it was so plain and boring and bland. I would not recommend ordering it as a side. The chicken pita, on the other hand, was very tasty.


The BBQ sauce, Open Pit, which is the exact same one my pops uses at home, added a nice sweet and tangy flavor to the sandwich. It wasn't needed, but it greatly benefitted the chicken pita quasi-wrap. The diced white chicken was legit, the tomatoes were juicy and fresh, and the mayo played the perfect supporting role. There wasn't too much of it and due to its presence, the sandwich was never too dry. It did get sloppy at times, but that was only because Nick's was generous with its ingredients, leading to an overloaded pita sandwich.

I find it easy to recommend Nick's Pit Stop simply because it's a solid deal and a great place for grilled chicken in Bucktown. You would be a fool not to choose a sauce to accompany your chicken though - in whatever form it comes in - and you would also be a fool to choose the corn side. It was terrible (my hand-written notes include an expletive related to its blandness).

Back or Forth? I will be going back.

Nick's Pit Stop - Bucktown - (773) 342-9736 - 2011 N. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 - Public transportation: bus 73 or the Western stop of the Blue Line.

Chicken pita sandwich - $4.94
Regular side (of corn) - $1.83