Thursday, September 27, 2018

Crave - Mad for Chicken Plans to Open in Allston

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a Chinatown restaurant that features Korean fried chicken may be expanding to another part of Boston.

According to a licensing board hearing page, Crave - Mad for Chicken on Kneeland Street is apparently planning to open in Allston, with the proposed Brighton Avenue eatery looking to get its liquor license from the now-closed Market Lounge in downtown Boston. While the hearing notice only mentions the word "Crave," the manager listed is Susan Cheng, and an online search does show that Cheng is indeed behind the Chinatown location of Crave - Mad for Chicken. It appears that the new spot would have a dining area and a bar, with the space being a total of 5,300 square feet.

Crave - Mad for Chicken first opened in Chinatown in the summer of 2014, offering such items as fried chicken, sushi, salads, dumplings, and more.

The address for this proposed dining spot in Allston is: Crave - Mad for Chicken, 128 Brighton Avenue Allston, MA, 02134. The website for the Chinatown location can be found at http://cravemadforchicken.com/

[September 28 update: Eater Boston confirms that Susan Cheng is opening a second location of Crave - Mad for Chicken in Allston, with the menu being much the same as that of the Chinatown location except for a few minor changes. No opening date has been given as of yet, but it appears that the new spot could be opening by next spring if all goes well (they are currently renovating the space).]

[February 11, 2020 update: Crave - Mad for Chicken has not yet opened in Allston, but a source (Geoff Wong) hints that it appears to be getting closer to opening, and this location will apparently be a restaurant and lounge with a full bar. (This has been confirmed on the website for the upcoming location, saying that it will also have a completely new menu.)]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]