Houston TX Hot Chicken — Restaurant in Spokane

I love a good fried chicken sandwich and chicken and waffles, and even moreso if its Hot Chicken, so when Houston TX Hot Chicken opener up at the old Sweeto Burrito on Division, I had to check it out.

I ordered the original sandwich with a strip, which comes with fries and your choice of sauce on the sandwich and strip (can be 2 different if you like). The sandwich has pickles and Cole slaw on it, and I got it at the "Spicy" level of heat which is the 3rd highest, and I got the strip at "Lift Off", the 2nd highest. I also got a side waffle and a milkshake just to be sure I tried everything.

Everything about this place is "extra". Honestly it felt like going into a nightclub with all the flashing lights and music blaring. The TVs next to the counter were showing what I assume is the Houston, TX location of Houston TX Hot Chicken with all the car rallies and gross concoctions influencers make (3x waffles and strips smothered in sauce just looked gross and wasteful). Overall though, this seems to be what they're going for so good job on that front? If you'd been in when it was Sweeto Burriro, it was somewhat the same brand model but cranked up to 11.

But I care about food, not ambience in a chicken joint. The sandwich itself was the weakest link of my order. The restaurant was cranking out sandwiches and was extremely busy so I'll give it a pass, but it was pretty tough and maybe double fried like they did a large batch earlier and then quick fried to order before being sauced? Skip the coleslaw on the sandwich, it just detracts from the heat and doesn't add anything but bulk, and get extra pickles. As for heat, again I got the "Spicy" level, which is what I'd expect from a restaurant. I'm a hot sauce guy though so this was too mild for me. Think Popeyes/Wendy's level of chicken sandwich spice. The sandwich combo was about 15.99. Pricey, but decent considering the strip.

The Strip was my favorite part, and I got the Lift Off level. This actually made me cough a bit, definitely took me by surprise! Perfect spice level to be real hot, which is what Hot Chicken is supposed to be. It came skewered with a pickle and I thought that was a nice touch. A La Cart strips would be expensive, I think they were 4.99?

I said I was a chicken and waffle guy too, and so I folded the waffle and threw the strip on to make a little taco. The waffle was very sweet, definitely some cinnamon sugar in the batter. Some folks might not like that but it counterbalanced the heat a good bit so that was nice. It came with a syrup packet! Pricey though, I think I paid 3.99 for a single waffle?

Fries were excellent as well. Thick, crispy, crinkle cut, and they have a house seasoning they are coated in. It was a little barbeque-y with some seasoning salt. My wife doesn't like seasoned fries so if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, get them naked.

Last the Strawberry Shake at $4.99. As Vincent Vega would say: "Thats a pretty damn good five dollar shake." They had a good shake selection, all made with real ice cream, the most expensive of which was the waffle shake at $7.99 I think. The shake needed a solid 20 minutes to melt to make a real smooth shake but they served it with a spoon so it was fine. The strawberry goop was very tasty!

So, overall, I said earlier that this place is extra. Everything about it is extra. The ambience is a little overbearing and gimmicky and the prices are a couple dollars too high across the whole menu. The original sandwich with the coleslaw was just too much, but would be fine as an actual original, chicken and pickles only. The food was good and I will be coming back, but honestly if we had a half decent Popeyes in Spokane I would never consider this place again. Good, not great, and not super worth the price, but fun if you like the gimmick they are...

Hearken, good gentles, unto mine humble account of a most wondrous servant in trade, one Joelle by name, who doth labor with diligence and grace at the house of victuals known far and wide for its fiery fowle, Houston Hot Chicken. Verily, in an age where many do take their tasks lightly and show but scant regard for the fellowship of customers, Joelle shineth as a rare jewel, a bright candle set upon a candlestick that giveth light unto all who enter therein.

From the very moment a weary traveler doth cross the threshold, Joelle receiveth them with a smile most warm and words most kindly, as though each guest were kin long unseen. She hath a manner that soothes the anxious spirit, turning even the most fretful countenance into one of mirth. Many clerks in shops will greet a man as though by rote, but Joelle’s greeting cometh forth from the heart, sincere as the morning dew upon the meadow.

Her knowledge of the menu is most profound, as though she hath studied the fiery arts of fowl-craft in some ancient academy of spice. When a guest, uncertain and trembling at the thought of peppers hot as dragon’s breath, seeketh counsel, Joelle guideth them wisely, advising whether the tender tongue should endure the mild ember or dare the raging inferno. Yea, she maketh not haste in her counsel, but heareth each soul’s desires with patience, and thus doth each patron depart with dish most fitting to his liking.

Nor doth her excellence end at speech alone. Forsooth, Joelle moveth with swiftness and skill, bearing platters laden with fowl crisp and golden, fries seasoned to perfection, and flagons of cooling draughts, all without stumble nor delay. Her hands are steady, her motions practiced, yet filled with care as though she served kings in their hall. No request is too small, nor any burden too great, for she doth labor with cheer as though joy were the very marrow of her bones

Oft have I witnessed her go beyond the measure of her duty, tending to tables unbidden, wiping spills with alacrity, and offering comfort to babes and elders alike. Where another might turn aside with indifference, Joelle doth tarry to ensure none depart unsatisfied. She hath that rare gift of making each guest feel seen and valued, as though the great house of Houston Hot Chicken existed solely for their delight.

Truly, the spirit of hospitality dwelleth mightily within her, and methinks it is this spirit that hath caused many a traveler to return time and again, not merely for the fiery fare, but for the bright company of Joelle. For what availeth the finest fowl if it be served without warmth of heart? She bindeth together the flame of spice with the balm of kindness, and in so doing, exalteth the humble act of service into something of noble art

Therefore, let it be writ and remembered: Joelle is not merely an employee, but a treasure to the house she serveth. Long may her light shine, and long may Houston Hot Chicken prosper through the grace...

(This review has been updated at the bottom of the post to reflect the changes that I've experienced since my initial visit) Let's start with the good stuff. The fries are awesome and the fry sauce was great. We got the original chicken sandwich meals. My wife got her's medium hot and I went for Lift-off hot which is their second highest heat level. The sandwiches were fine. It wasn't Chick-fil-A or Popeyes good though, but the meals were only $13.99 each so no biggie.

Here are my complaints. First, we were charged a tip of almost $5. We were in the drive thru! I was not aware that a tip would be automatically added, nor was I asked to leave a tip.

Secondly, drinks do not come with the meals. They are $2.50 each for a medium.

So for our basic order for the 2 of us we had an average chicken sandwich lunch that costs us $40.89

Other than they give you a ton of their great fries, way better than Chick-fil-A, if I'm going to spend over $40 on spicy chicken, I'll drive to Post Falls and just order Popeyes.

PART 2

It is rare that I am happy to repost an update on my comments. HHC reached out to me and we engaged in a very productive dialog with the results of me giving them another try. I'll say this, my food reviews, which have over 20k views, while subjective, are honest. I can count on one hand out of the all the reviews I have posted, the number of times the business has reached out to me for further dialog. Now I'm no one special, but this occurrence has elevated HHC as a business that really cares about their product and their customers. So, after a few months since my original post, I went back. Why did I rate them 5 stars this time around? It's in recognition to the changes that were made in the quality of their customer service and in their product in general. The latter is probably more my fault since I had ordered their second highest heat level on my first order and was unable to taste much of anything after the first bite! I do enjoy the spice. So to give an honest assessment of their chicken, I kept it on the milder side of face melting hot. It was pretty good and moist. It doesn't have the vinegar aftertaste that you can sometimes notice from Chick-fil-A. My opinion is Chick-fil-A uses more of a vinegar based spice so as not to clash with their use of pickle juice in their chicken brine. HHC's spice has more of a pepper, almost dry rub flavor that I really enjoyed this time around. We will be going back to HHC in the future.

If anyone has had a negative experience at HHC in its early days, I would invite you back for a second thought. It was...