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Howlin' Ray's in Los Angeles has one of the hottest sandwiches in the game, and the wait to get it is always hours long.
I waited for two hours to get my hands on a Howlin' Ray's sandwich. It was the best chicken sandwich I've ever had, and also one of the best experiences I've had at a restaurant.
The chicken sandwich was perhaps the food that defined 2019. But before Popeyes' chicken sandwich was drawing lines around the block, there was Howlin' Ray's.
Howlin' Ray's started out as a scrappy Los Angeles food truck hawking hot chicken and chicken sandwiches. After an inspiring trip to Nashville, chef Johnny Ray Zone and his wife Amanda Chapman gambled everything on bringing hot chicken to Los Angeles. It paid off.
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Hordes of hungry hot chicken fans stormed the food truck on the regular, turning it into one of the hottest food spots in town. Soon enough, Howlin' Ray's moved from the truck to a storefront in a Chinatown strip mall. Now Zone and Chapman plan to open a second location in Pasadena. But the food remains the same - as do the ridiculous lines to get to it.
When I went to LA for a week, my editor had Howlin' Ray's on his mind. "Go forth, and eat thee some hot chicken," he said.
At 4:00 pm, I walked from downtown LA to the restaurant's location in the Chinatown neighborhood.
Google led me to a nondescript strip mall with a bunch of Chinese restaurants and stores. At first, I wasn't sure if I was in the right place.
But at the bottom of the strip mall sign was Howlin' Ray's Nashville Hot Chicken.
As soon as I walked into the mall, I saw the line extending from the storefront. I went straight to the end.
It didn't look too bad. I've seen lines move pretty quickly at fast-food restaurants. But Howlin' Ray's is no fast-food restaurant.
I'm not someone who typically waits in lines for things. I'd rather just wait for the hype to die down.
But with Howlin' Ray's in its third year of operation and still drawing hours-long lines every day, it seems unlikely that the hype for this hot chicken will die down anytime soon.
I was still full from brunch, so I was worried I wouldn't have an appetite. But after waiting an hour, I was barely halfway through the line.
The place was blasting loud music, a common tactic restaurants use to encourage turnover.
But despite the fact that most people were ordering takeout, the line moved at a glacial speed.
I could smell the chili frying from outside, and my stomach started to grumble.
Every so often, I'd hear yelling from the kitchen. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I dug the energy.
Finally, at around 6:00 pm, after around two hours of waiting in line, I was in.
I got a medium spicy chicken sandwich, a side of fries, and lemonade mixed with peach tea. After ordering from the employee at the door, I took a seat at the bar in front of the kitchen.
The atmosphere in the kitchen was extremely fast-paced but jovial and casual. I was stunned by how friendly everyone was.
There was someone manning each station, and each action was performed with expert panache.
It was like a hot chicken assembly line. Gordon Ramsay would be proud of this kitchen.
When orders were called out to the kitchen, they were met with a whole-chested, simultaneous "Yes, chef!" from the team.
Every so often, the kitchen communicated with its customers over a mic.
The guys in the kitchen started me out with a complimentary piece of mild chicken as well as toast, pickles, and comeback sauce.
There are six levels of spice at Howlin' Rays: country (no heat), mild, medium, hot, x-hot, and Howlin'.
I love spicy food, so I was surprised when the guys told me to start with mild to see if I wanted to go any higher.
And I had to admit, mild was what most restaurants would call medium or even spicy.
Other than the prominent savory flavor of the chili pepper powder, this was just a very, very good piece of fried chicken. But paired with comeback sauce (a spicy ranch sauce) it was unstoppable.
Still, I couldn't go too crazy. I had my sandwich to think of.
While I waited, I chatted with some of the kitchen guys. One of them had moved from Minnesota to LA to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. Howlin' Ray's was the first step in that direction.
Julian, the manager, is an iconic face at Howlin' Ray's.
When I told him I was a food journalist, he seemed more than happy to play with the camera.
The way he handed me that chicken sandwich made me feel like royalty.
Or maybe it was the chicken sandwich that was royalty.
Behold: the best chicken sandwich I've ever had.
It's a big bite, but worth it. The journey begins with a soft and sweet brioche bun that gives way into cool, crispy cabbage, thick, tart pickles, and hot battered chicken.
The kitchen guys were right: medium is pretty dang spicy.
I have no idea what's in comeback sauce. To me, it tastes like a spicy, smoky ranch.
But whatever it is, it adds the extra oomph to this sandwich that makes it truly irresistible.
I'm not one to neglect my fried potatoes, so I turned my attention to my shake fries.
Crinkle cut? Bold move, but it worked for Shake Shack.
I immediately went for the comeback sauce. Thank god the guys had given me a cup.
These fries, too, were perfect. They were crispy and full of flavor and seasoning.
I washed down all the salt and heat with a couple of big gulps of peach lemonade.
That was one fragrant, juicy-sweet cup of tea.
Despite the long line outside, the warm atmosphere inside made me feel at home. I didn't at all feel rushed, so I took my time to savor my sandwich.
I'd punctuate bites of crispy hot chicken with a thick slab of pickle.
Followed by a fry or two.
I felt pretty full by the time I got through half of my sandwich. But there's just something about the smell and taste of fried chili powder that keeps you going.
Finally, I gave up and asked for a box. It was time to give someone else a seat at Howlin' Ray's.
It wasn't just the chicken that made my meal Howlin' Ray's special. It was the fun, life-affirming energy of the people who work there. The food was so good the staff could probably get away with terrible service. But the staff treated each of their guests like a VIP.
It's a darn shame that, at least in the near future, it doesn't seem likely Howlin' Ray's will make its way out of SoCal. If Howlin' Ray's, instead of McDonald's or Coca-Cola, was the global face of American capitalism, the world would probably be a much better place.
