Byrd’s Hot Chicken:

Byrd’s Hot Chicken opened its doors for its soft opening on Oct. 29, 2025, on Milwaukee Ave. It advertises comfort food with a California twist, bringing the heat with their chicken menu items, including sandwiches, chicken tenders and a mac and cheese chicken bowl. With a focus on quality chicken, customizable spice levels and halal ingredients, the Libertyville location offers something to please both people seeking spice and casual comfort food. 

The restaurant began in Anaheim, CA, with a mission to bring flavor to neighborhoods across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Florida and more. Orders are cooked using halal practices, such as sourcing from halal-certified suppliers, being conscious of oil and prep areas and staff are trained in handling procedures. 

“I ordered the chicken sandwich combo, which was very good,” one first-time customer said. “I ordered mild spice. You can [choose between] four or five different levels of spice, depending on how hot you want it.”

In terms of the spice levels for the sandwiches, customers can choose from five options, from plain to superhot. For the wings, the variety is even greater with the color-coded chart, including sweet BBQ, garlic parmesan, buffalo and Caribbean jerk, all the way to signature extreme hot. 

While Byrd’s is known for their sandwiches and tenders, the menu goes beyond its chicken. The Libertyville location offers pizza, burgers, quesadillas, mac and cheese, loaded fries and rice bowls, giving customers plenty of options if they aren’t craving chicken.

“The menu seems pretty widespread,” the customer said. “There’s a lot of different things for people to try, and I would recommend it.”

Inside the restaurant, Byrd’s is casual, designed for quick dining or takeout. 

“They have comfortable chairs and the space is open,” the customer said. “And then it looks like they do have an outdoor area when the weather’s better.”

With its halal commitment, large menu selection and customizable spice labels, Byrd’s Hot Chicken brings a new flavor experience to the Libertyville community. Whether customers are craving a spicy chicken sandwich, a slice of pizza or a mild comfort food, they are likely to find something that fits their taste.

Kyuramen:

In late Nov. 2025, Kyuramen opened its location in Vernon Hills on Lakeview Parkway, one of over 126 locations worldwide, joining the rapidly growing chain that originally began in New York. The original brand started from boba, called the TBaar, with options like the Brown Sugar Bubble Matcha from their fresh milk tea section to Aloe Grapefruit Tea in their fresh fruit and tea section. They also offer Tbaar Smoothies, including the Matcha Smoothie and the Taro Smoothie. 

The owner then expanded into the ramen industry, taking inspiration from Japan to taste different ramen noodles, with hopes of making Japanese ramen a more affordable daily cuisine for the working class and student population by opening his own place. 

“The brand itself, Kyuramen, started during Covid, and then they were still taking takeout orders,” Vernon Hills location General Manager James said. “So at the time, there wasn’t a lot of competition, so they were [paying] a lot of attention to detail for their customers, including the packaging.”

James’ boss introduced him to Kyruramen, where he started training in the New York headquarters, and before the Vernon Hills restaurant location opened, he started training in April for two weeks up front, in the back and at the TBaar. 

In terms of the ramen itself, the brand aims to introduce customers to Japan’s three major styles of ramen, including South Japan’s Kyushu Shio Style, which combines pork-rich roots with salt seasoning with a rich, milky texture. The Central Japan’s Tokyo Shouyu Style is a soy sauce-based ramen, and the Hokkaido Miso Style is a hearty umami flavor made from miso. Many of their ramen dishes include Chashu pork, which undergoes a specific process at the restaurant, including a special Kyuramen marinade. 

One of the most visually striking and popular menu items is the Honeycomb Platter, which has five different appetizers from the menu on one plate served in a honeycomb-shaped platter. The Honeycomb Platter B, available at the Vernon Hills location, includes chili garlic edamame, popcorn chicken, shrimp tempura, takoyaki and agedashi tofu. 

“And then [there is] also the pork Tonkatsu Omurice, or the classic Omurice,” James said. “There isn’t a lot of this kind of dish around here. There’s this famous TikTok video of this [guy] in Japan. He has his own restaurant, and he’s known for making omurice. So that’s very unique. And we bought it here.”

Omurice consists of a fluffy omelet egg on top of chicken fried rice with a choice of either the Curry Sauce or the Demi Glace, with the Tonkatsu Omurice adding the Pork Tonkatsu on top. 

For the customers, the uniqueness of Kyuramen’s design – as well as the food – was what drew them in. The stacked honeycomb booth seating, with stairs leading up to higher seating, and private dining rooms with curtains, brought a fun atmosphere, no matter the occasion.

“I liked that I felt like I was not in Illinois,” a customer, who dined with her daughter, said. “I felt like I was swept away to another country for the dining experience… You felt energized by being there.” 

The mother-daughter duo also appreciated the inclusivity of the menu, appreciating the vegan and vegetarian options. 

“I ordered the vegetable ramen…[and] I liked that there were vegetable noodles and the vegetable dumplings,” the daughter of the mother-daughter customer duo said. “Even the seaweed, because I like seaweed, and the tofu was pretty good.”

Customers were also given the option to add spices to their ramen to customize their flavoring, which was available on the table. In terms of other vegetarian options, there’s also Vegetable Pan-Fried Dumplings, Spicy Chili Smashed Cucumber, Chili Garlic Edamame, Agedashi Tofu and Fried Tofu served on a skewer. The restaurant also offers a variety of noodles, including gluten-free, wavy, straight and vegetable, depending on the ramen. 

With the restaurant’s creative seating, stylized plating and diverse menu, Kyuramen aims to blend authenticity with traditional values. Whether customers come in to try traditional ramen, a viral dish or to check out the fun seating, there’s something to excite everyone. 

“It makes for a fun dating experience, going with friends or even your family,” the mother of the mother-daughter duo said. “[It is definitely an experience to remember, and good carry-out options because they have the counter up front.”