Howlin' Ray's Hot Chicken - Chinatown, Los Angeles CA

Hot Damn! Believe the hype. This isn’t just the best hot chicken sando in the LA, it’s the best sando, period. Special shout to the guy running the take-out window, Matt. He keeps things moving efficiently and went above and beyond to fix our order after I screwed up by ordering online from the wrong location.

If you want a really good fried chicken this is the place. Be ready to wait but it's worth it. A bit pricey but again worth it.

I can easily say this is the most delicious chicken sandwich I've had in my life. I just wish there was a way to give them 6 stars.

It was really good. The meat was really tender and well flavored. The sandwich balance the spiciness a little bit. Beware: it's hot. You might overestimate your spicy tolerance. It was a really nice sandwich, but I think I just had a very high expectations because of the hype and hoping that there would be something that makes me wanting it more. But apparently I'm good with trying it once

I've always thought it was so annoying how they always had a huge line where people are waiting 2-5 hours for food when there's technology available for people to order food and pick up when the food is ready. It's not that hard.:) BUT THEY FINALLY DID IT. Thanks to the pandemic, Howlin' Ray accepts orders online through Postmates. You place your order online and it notifies you when the food is good for pick up.

I opted for the wings (3 pieces for $9) and tenders (3 pieces for $10) and come back sauce (1 for $0.50). I must say, the food tastes a lot better when you're only waiting 5-10 minutes for it. Each order comes with pickles and Texas toast. And much to the hype, this chicken is very good. Both the wings and tenders were large and filling. I love the crisp it gets and the flavors are just *chefs kiss*. I am a spice fanatic and I thought the medium was perfect. Not too spicy where I couldn't taste the flavor but still has a nice kick. I've had both the sandwich and the wings + tenders now and IMO, I prefer just getting the wings/tenders. I like enjoying just the chicken.

Overall, I appreciate the online ordering and fast pick up. Definitely worth going now that you don't have to wait hours!

This place is pretty good. I'd say above average fried chicken but not the best I've had. Location and pricing is one of the main factors that make me come here.

I have tried them all Dave’s, all the “Bird”hole in the wall spots around town and this is the real deal. The best chicken sandwich I have ever had by far. Never thought there was levels to this Nashville chicken sandwich game but there is and Howlin is at the top.

In my opinion it is good but not worth the hype. Many other places that are better and less money. I would come here again just not all the time

Very good chicken however very poor service, need one more cashier. The line of people can be 70 people long, and there is just one cashier, making the wait more than one hour. I will never return. I would give this place a 5 star rating for their chicken though, very delicious and remomended fif you don't mind waiting for hours to get it

Spicy chicken sandwiches are really good here, but they recently jacked up their prices and changed their happier meal so that it no longer includes any of their nicer beer. It used to be $12.5 for a burger, fries and any beer, but now it's $16.75 for a burger fries and either a Miller or coors light.

They do not accept Apple Pay.

This seems to be on everyone's must try list in LA so we stopped by. Like many places, you have to pay for parking.

They're only doing takeout/delivery right now and you have to order on Postmates. They also tell you your order is ready when it's not. We waited another 15 minutes for our order to come out after they said it's ready.

Logistics aside, we got the Sando, medium spice level. I didn't think it was supposed to come with any sides, but we were given fries which were good.

We enjoy spicy food, but medium was a little spicier than I would have wanted. It seems to be the kind that's spicy just to be spicy, not to add flavor. I'd go down a level next time. Other than that, the sandwich was good.

If you're a big hot chicken fan, I think this should be on your list to try.

The undefeated, undisputed heavyweight chicken sando champion of the world.

Best customer service in the game, pure vibes in side.

Check the secret menu for sure, get extra sauce and enjoy your best life.

The chicken was SO crispy and the seasoning used in the spicy fry batter was absolutely perfect. A match made in heaven with the right amount of slaw/pickles adding sourness in between the layers of the sandwich, and the buns were also quite crispy. The chicken had the potential to be more tender, and we also ordered the fully loaded fries which were fine though not mind-blowing, but this was overall a really enjoyable meal. Also very convenient for takeout!

The food is good you won't be disappointed with that, however you will be disappointed by the wait. I'm talking at least 30 minutes or more depending on time of day. This is NOT a place you can run to on lunch break, or even for a date night. You need to get there at like 10AM and hope you can start eating 10: 45.

On top of that there location is basically a hole in the wall with no seating available. You will find multiple people having meals on the floor.

I can't stress enough how annoying waiting in line excessively for a simple chicken sandwich.

So all in all be prepared

When you hear about Nashville Hot Chicken, you probably are prompted to think about, well, Nashville. Those of us in California are lucky because we have that authentic Nashville hot flavor just a drive away. Serving up Tennessee’s finest in La La land since 2014, Howlin’ Ray’s brings those flavors to you without having to book a flight. Order their famous Sando with whatever amount of spice you prefer. I have to warn all my readers that this chicken sandwich will forever change your mind about all chicken sandwiches. I came back to the Bay Area and the chicken sandwiches here just aren't the same compared to Howlin' Rays. Howlin' Rays has the most tender and juiciest chicken I've ever had in my life. They have country spice for those who are not big fans of heat, and they have howlin’ heat which is reserved for those who live for spice. Make sure to keep it Southern by adding a side order of collard greens.

What I recommend: Chicken sandwhich but if you can take spice, try their Howlin'

Howlin Ray’s is the godfather of the Nashville Hot Chicken craze here in LA. All of these other places such as Daves (which is also pretty good) wouldn’t have existed without Howlin and their success. The combination of a perfectly seasoned piece of bird with the comeback sauce is to die for. A must go to place if you’re ever visiting out of LA.

Ordered Hot chicken which was perfect amount of spicy for any Indian. Wouldn't recommend Howlin' Hot at all. They accept Postmates orders only and are ready in 10 mins so order accordingly.

A-OOOOOOO! WOW! Probably the best fried chicken we have ever had, and I've had a TON of fried chicken. Visiting from Canada, we went through quite the mission and hassle to get our order in, as we were unable to download the Postmates app given that our credit cards were Canadian. But somehow, in some way, we managed to get through using the Postmates website, but the emotional toll it took on us constantly refreshing and waiting for Howlin to accept orders 40 minutes before closing was something else. We even decided to skip doing the Hollywood tourist stuff because fried chicken is, and always will be, more important.

WORTH IT. WORTH EVERY SINGLE TEAR. WORTH THE WAIT. WORTH THE HASSLE. STOP READING AND GO GET SOME.