Chicken News

Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant plucks hot Fort Worth-area location

This chicken is hot.

Photo courtesy of Hot Chicks

UPDATE 7-14-2021: Hot Chicks Nashville Hot Chicken will open the Willow Park location on Monday, July 19.

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One of the most popular of the new Nashville hot chicken places in town is about to hit Fort Worth: Hot Chicks Nashville Hot Chicken will open a location in the Shops at Willow Park, a new-ish center west of Fort Worth at I-20 and Shops Boulevard, with an opening date set for April.

Hot Chicks is the fast-casual restaurant from One Entertainment (Landmark Bar & Kitchen, Texas Republic, The Yard, Playground in Fort Worth; Theory Nightclub, Cutie Pies Pizza, Playground Bar in Uptown Dallas) that does scratch-made, Halal, dairy-free, peanut-free hot chicken, with heat levels varying from "none" to "Hot AF."

The concept began as a pop-up in Fort Worth, before finding their first permanent location in Plano, at 1885 Dallas Pkwy., which they opened in late 2020.

Sam Sameni, Principal of One Entertainment, says the Fort Worth location checked off a lot of boxes for what they wanted, including convenient access right off I-20, and lots of parking.

They make nearly everything inhouse, not only coleslaw and sauces but also their own crinkle cut fries, hand cut daily, which is unusual.

"It's more time-consuming and more expensive, but we feel like it's definitely worth it," he says.

Bread is baked and delivered daily from a local artisan bakery. The chicken is Halal, dairy and peanut free in hopes of being more inclusive. The menu also boasts a grilled hot chicken option for the health-conscious and gluten-free consumer.

Their menu includes tacos, mac & cheese, plus loaded and seasoned fries. For the eat-healthy-in-January crowd, they have a Fit Chick plate with grilled chicken, jasmine rice, and vinegar coleslaw for $10.

They're also doing another trendy item: "boozy slushies," including frozen and spiked versions of sweet tea, lemonade, Big Red, and a Super Claw.

Other locations coming soon include one in Dallas, near Southern Methodist University, which they'll open in March.

In addition to dine-in service, Hot Chicks offers curbside pickup and delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber EATS. Guests can also order ahead by calling the restaurant, and they're also now offering online ordering.

"That has been a big surprise, even with the pandemic, what a large percentage of our orders are to go," Sameni says.

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Chicken Sandwich News

Fort Worth-area McDonald's to get the ultra-buzzy chicken Big Mac

McDonald's

McDonald's Big Mac on the left, Chicken Big Mac on the right.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s, best known for its burgers, is doing the unthinkable: serving a chicken sandwich.

According to a release, the burger chain is "dropping" a new Chicken Big Mac at participating restaurants in North Texas for a limited time beginning October 10.

The Chicken Big Mac features the same toppings found on a Big Mac, but with two tempura battered fried chicken patties in place of beef burgers. Let us list the toppings here: special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and pickles on a sesame seed bun.

The sandwich was first introduced in 2022 for a limited run in the United Kingdom and enjoyed a test run in Miami the same year. Now it's hitting the U.S., and more specifically, Dallas-Fort Worth.

“With the introduction of the Chicken Big Mac, we’re excited to pay homage to one of our most iconic menu items, the Big Mac, and introduce it to a whole new generation of fans,” says Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald’s USA.

The release relays a story about a promotional event that took place last weekend in Los Angeles with a one-day pop-up dining experience by Chain, an online entity known for its "chef-driven takes on chain restaurant classics," wherein they served an item called "The Chicken Sandwich."

Many a fan was hoodwinked by the premise that the sandwich was a fake — but ba-zing, McDonald’s was behind it all. How is that for some next-level viral buzz-generating hype. (Chain is so proud of the promotion that they have it pinned on their Instagram account, and rightfully so! They really perpetrated quite the charade.)

The chain has also enlisted "internet star" Kai Cenat who will try the Chicken Big Mac on his livestream to determine whether a Big Mac with a chicken is, in fact, a Big Mac. Does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff or does McDonald's know how to work this social media stuff?