I've never been to any of the other locations of this chain, so I have no idea if this place lives up to the authenticity of the Chicago locations. Who really cares, though? The chicken is, hands down, the best fried chicken I have had in Madison. I am tempted to take my food to KFC and eat it there, just so all their patrons can see what they're missing out on.
Why only 4 stars? A number of reasons. First, the sides I have tried are subpar. The coleslaw is bland, but they literally give you a cup containing two bites of it so that's fine. The plain white bread is a pointless add-on which exists solely to remind you how inexpensive your food was. The fries are almost totally flavorless; this is the first time I can recall wishing my fries had MORE salt. There is a slight potato flavor and nothing else.
The bootleg-DVD guy referenced by other reviewers is indeed present on occasion. He's a little disconcerting, but I guess he adds character. Or something.
If by chance you stray away from the chicken-oriented sections of the menu, you probably won't be disappointed. The three-piece perch was good, but since I'm used to shoveling down the 4-piece chicken, it was on the small side. The cardinal rule for the menu appears to be: if it was fried fresh for your order, it will be delicious.
I hope these guys stay in business!