Rooster's Nashville Hot Chicken — Restaurant in Montclair

I’m writing this review to report a serious health and safety concern regarding the spice level at Rooster’s Nashville Hot Chicken in Montclair. As someone who regularly eats and enjoys spicy food, I was shocked by how dangerously intense the “medium” spice level was, specifically on the fried pickles.

Shortly after eating, I experienced severe dehydration symptoms that required a visit to the doctor. Even more alarming, two other members of my household, also used to spicy foods, had similar adverse reactions after trying just a few bites. This is not a matter of spice preference or tolerance; this is a serious issue with how the dry rub is formulated or applied.

I strongly urge others to avoid ordering anything above “naked” or “mild” until this issue is investigated and addressed. The current spice blend is not safe for consumption as advertised, and it absolutely needs to be reevaluated for safety. I hope the owners take this seriously before someone suffers even worse consequences.

Confirming receipt of response by Rooster on 5/12 and as of 5/30 Roosters has not contacted me to discuss though they made a public response below, nothing...

i recently got into eating nashville hot chicken. after trying out some big name places, i realized that the chicken were soggy and the mac and cheese was bland. however, this place stood out to me the most. the chicken tenders were huge, the fries were crispy, and the mac and cheese had flavor. all combined was delicious! i even had enough for leftovers for the next day. the service was amazing and the girl with short curly hair was so vibrant and welcoming. overall the food was a 10/10. however, i wanted to give a shoutout to the workers there. i could tell that they get along really well after hearing them laugh together while eating. a good restaurant isn’t just based on whether they serve great food or service, but it’s the people who run the entire operation behind. a happy crew = a good restaurant. they reminded me so much of how i am with my coworkers and i know they keep me grounded. i can tell they are good workers! will be coming back to try the sliders ☆:.｡....

Lots of Hot Nashville chicken to choose from. There’s plenty of options from Nashville chicken sliders with coleslaw , pickles and “Rooster Sauce” to chicken waffles , traditional wings and loaded mac and cheese with chopped up crispy chicken tenders over fries and mac and cheese. They also have fried pickles , cauliflower , sides of coleslaw and mac. Chicken was crispy and tender any way I got it and seasoned well. They have 5 levels of heat from naked and mild to “on fire” and I tried the hottest one and it lives up to its name as the dry rub they use is made from ghost peppers. The seasoning gets to be a little much on everything like the fried pickles. The wings were big and juicy. The fries are crispy and everything is fresh made to order. I’d like a full size chicken sandwich option. Can get ranch , honey mustard , blue cheese on side to dip in. About 5-6 tables and some window seating , drink options are soda and water. Fast...