Twist Hot Chicken — Restaurant in Peoria

I really wanted to LOVE Twist Hot Chicken as this was my first time trying it. It got stellar google reviews! Everyone said the chicken & fries were super flavorful & some of the best they’d ever had. My experience was different, but that’s okay because we don’t all like the exact same things. If we did, this world would be pretty boring. 😂 I want to start out by saying that ordering online via TOAST was very easy. My food was ready & hot when I picked it up. The workers were very friendly & helpful! The place looked clean. I didn’t say long; just long enough to say hi, grab my food, & go. When I got home and opened my box of food, there was a very generous amount of fries, four good sized tenders (I got the mild), the correct sauces I requested (golden bbq & ranch), a slice of Texas toast, a side of coleslaw, & two round pickle slices. I tried the first tender without sauce just to gauge the flavor on its own & the spice level. It wasn’t spicy at all to me. I did get the mild though because I never know who’s spicy will be too spicy. 🤭 The tender didn’t have much flavor to me, & it was dry & tough to chew. The other tenders still didn’t have a lot of flavor to me, but they were juicy & the texture was MUCH better! The seasoning/breading on the tenders had a very powdery texture/feel in my mouth. I wasn’t a fan of this, but going by the reviews a lot of people are & that’s cool. I was expecting a saucy tender, but that’s okay. The fries were VERY crispy! Good job! 👏🏻 I don’t like soggy/soft fries, but that’s personal preference. Again, I was expecting a bit more flavor per the reviews, but the flavor they had was pleasant. The Texas toast was as expected, can’t really go wrong with that. The coleslaw was on the dryer side and again, not much flavor at all. Maybe my taster is off? 🤣 The pickles were good. Again, can’t really go wrong there. The absolute ⭐️ STAR ⭐️ of the show for me was the Golden BBQ sauce!!!! I think I could have drank it even though it was a thick texture! 🤭 WELL DONE! 👍🏻 👌🏻👏🏻 I would purchase bottles of that if you sold them! All in all, the food really wasn’t for me, but I’m happy that I finally tried it. And I’m so happy that there are a lot of people who love this place!! I would go back just for that delightful sauce! Oh! And I would try the artisan sodas as well. Thank you, Twist Hot Chicken for your service! I wish y’all the absolute BEST in...

First of all, can you find Twist? It's a bit of a challenge since although they have a graphically captivating logo, it's hard to spot unless you get close and can see it's a chicken head and not just an abstraction or flame. They need better signage from the street, and it's also a shame they don't have a drive-thru as this is the sort of food that cries out for one. I had the Tender Box of 2 Nashville style strips (the real deal, nothing remotely resembling a nugget here) which comes with fries, slaw, HI roll, and choice of 2 sauces. One tender was nice sized, but the other was scrawny, and the mild flavor was just the perfect spiciness for me, and the crunch was superb. However, the side of slaw was the same size as the sauces: condiment size so should not be considered a side by any means, but just as well since it wasn't that tasty--just vinegary. The roll was stale, and the fries were somewhat limp, but should heat up well in my air fryer as they had a little coating on them. For the 2 sauces I picked Twist Sauce and Creamy Nashville and they were very flavorful, but the lids didn't say which was which, so I'm afraid I remain ignorant as to the name of the one that had a slight flavor edge on the other. My friend had the Twist Sandwich which had no side, and which had the slaw on the roll, which he said was just ordinary tasting, but I sure think I got the better deal $ wise since they were both the same price of $12. Considered a beer, but a $7 can? No thank you. Glad to see the boxes weren't styrofoam, but if I'm getting the box to take home, I don't need the plastic cutlery packet with napkin, salt and pepper, knife, fork, spoon, so just ask and save the earth from more needless waste.Also, so nice that they provide complimentary refreshing cucumber water, but wish cups weren't styrofoam. This place has a forward-looking vibe, including offering non-meat options so it should take the next step and move towards all earth-friendly packaging. They'd also do well to have a loyalty program and offer some specials and coupons to encourage regulars. I know that without them, I just can't afford a $12 sandwich delicious though it is. Peoria just ain't Scottsdale where I'd at least have some atmosphere and not just gaze out at a parking lot or...

I just returned from Nashville and I was already missing the hot chicken. I was really excited that they have vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. (Note - they have real chicken and non-vegan items on the menu too.) My husband ordered the vegan Nashville hot chicken with fries, so I decided to try the vegan Moroccan hot chicken with Mac n cheese (not vegan) and a fountain drink.

I was pretty thirsty and they had a fountain drink machine with all kinds of drinks I've never heard of before. I drank two full cups before my food arrived. The drinks were really high in sugar and all the carbonation gave me a stomach ache. That's my own fault. I should know better! I wish I grabbed a photo of the options.

I was pretty surprised when the food came out. The sandwiches were much bigger than I expected. The Mac n cheese had some unique seasoning and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Different is good; I like a new twist to an old dish. But I think I like regular mac better. The sandwich was good. Vegan chicken sure has come a long way! As far as flavor combinations on the sandwich, it was average. I've never had Moroccan chicken before, so I have no point of comparison. I tried a few of my husband's fries and I have to say they are some of the better fries I've had. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. I don't know if they are vegan or not. I didn't try his sandwich, but he didn't like it. He said it was so saltly that it was hardly edible. After coming from Nashville, he said the spices were "all wrong". I might try what he had next time, just to see... We have different opinions of what is good.

Overall, if you're trying to compare this to Nashville, you might come away disappointed. But if you're vegan, and you compare this to the sad chicken you've probably had in the past, you might come away happy. For me, I thought it was okay and I want to come back and try more! I probably won't have my mind made up until I try some more things...