BY TAYLOR MOORE

Graffiti adorns Bridgeport’s newest (and only) fried chicken restaurant, but don’t worry—it’s open. Situated just south of Archer and Halsted, the colorful storefront of Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken is hard to miss. The interior follows a similar design, with spray-paint motifs and illustrations of cartoon chickens and ambiguous creatures (are they rabbits or dogs?) dressed like chickens.

Chef Jassy Lee says that the design is meant to make the restaurant friendly and accessible. “When people are [feeling] down, they don’t want to go to high-class restaurants.” She points to the restaurant’s name as proof of their values: “Just be yourself. Be your own boss.”

The restaurant started taking online orders a few months ago, and the Big Boss storefront officially opened in March. Lee says that Bridgeport’s proximity to downtown, UIC, and the University of Chicago was a major factor in choosing the neighborhood. “I think this is the center of Chicago,” she said.

Lee said that there’s a dearth of truly spicy fried chicken in the city. “We ordered spicy fried chicken from Popeyes, and, to us, it was very mild.”

All of the restaurant’s chicken, which comes in the traditional bone-in, tender, and wing forms, is flavored with seven types of peppers, with the combination of ingredients changing based on the heat level (“the higher you go, the more ghost pepper”). Lee always recommends “Crispy Fried,” which is mild and uses no sauce, for those starting out. She says that she gets customers all the time who order “X Hot” or “Big Boss Hot”—the two hottest levels on the five-tier spice level—only to struggle through the meal or leave food on the plate. For those patrons, she offers to exchange their dish for a less intense alternative.

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