YoYo Chicken opens in Deer Park and Huntington Station

With shops across New York and New Jersey, YoYo Chicken is positioning itself to be the next big franchise in takeaway chicken. In addition to its first Long Island restaurant, in Baldwin, which opened in 2004, the two latest locations — in Deer Park and Huntington Station — are officially open.

The menu is dedicated to the chicken lovers out there, with chicken sandwiches ($7.99) served Nashville-style, seasoned to taste, with slaw, pickles and pink YoYo sauce. There are chicken plates ($15.99) with two sandwiches plus seasoned waffle fries, wings ($8.99 for five) in sauces from Buffalo to sweet and spicy. Chicken can also be had as tenders ($9.99 for three), in mac-and-cheese bowls ($14.99), with rice bowls ($9.99) are atop loaded waffle fries ($14.99).

For the non-chicken fans, smashburgers pack just the same punch and come in double and triple options. Ground beef patties with American cheese, caramelized onions and "secret" YoYo sauce come on a potato roll. Juicy and flavorful, the burgers are on the smaller side, so consider getting the double smashburger ($8.99) if you’re hungry. Add waffle fries with dipping sauces from BBQ to lemon pepper to hot honey. Salma Elgammal, the owner's wife, also prepares a sweet rice pudding that is sold with ice cream for dessert ($5.49).

Originally from Egypt, owner Omar Elgammal was inspired by his dad's halal food truck in Manhattan when the empty storefront in Baldwin came across his radar. YoYo, which is named for Elgammal’s son, Younis, sources his meat from a halal butcher in small amounts every other day so he can keep the product fresh and not frozen.

The Deer Park store opened in June in the location that housed two other chicken concept spots: Paper Plate, which closed in April, and the short-lived Ruby’s Coop, which closed in 2024.

YoYo Chicken, 528 Commack Rd., Deer Park, 631-392-1667; 1805 New York Ave., Huntington Station, 631-533-7043; yoyochicken.com. Open 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.

By Marie Elena Martinez

marieelena.martinez@newsday.com@mariesworlds

A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.