Hot Chicks Opens in Plano. Here’s What to Order.

Hot Chicks starts with a love for fast casual eating and Nashville hot chicken. The menu is a simple list of comfort foods, a sandwich, a taco plate, loaded fries, mac 'n' cheese, and chicken that can be as mild or as hot as you want. (They range from no heat, to hot —enough to make you “ugly cry” — to Hot AF, "ordered by someone who lost a bet," according to the menu.)

Hot Chicks, a fast casual Nashville hot chicken joint, opens its first DFW location in Plano on Dec. 14, offering the first 25 guests a free meal. Hot Chicks has never opened a DFW location before, but veteran restaurateur Sam Sameni says that he is not stopping here. He dreams of expanding to Willow Park, Dallas, Las Colinas, Arlington, and San Marcos in early 2021.

“Nashville hot chicken is a spicy meal, but you can customize it to your liking,” Sameni says. “Everyone can get something different. It’s a dry heat, not like buffalo chicken. It’s a dry rub.”

Sameni says he’s happy to have Hot Chicks' first DFW location open in Plano, where he grew up, and which he calls a perfect test market for a new concept. “We were lucky enough to find a space,” he says. The next location opens soon on SMU Blvd.

Hot Chicks is also Halal, and dairy and peanut free. Everything is made fresh in house. In fact, the freezer isn’t even plugged in; it’s basically just storage space.

“We make our vinegar slaw daily, and we hand-cut crinkle-cut fries in house daily. That’s a two or three step process. It’s a ton of work,” Sameni says.

He says they tried a variety of frozen fries, but that none of them compared to their fresh-made ones. It takes three people cutting fries all day to make it happen. “A little crazy, but it’s worth it,” he says.

Sameni also recommends three dishes newcomers won’t want to miss.

Hot Chicks sandwich — Courtesy of Hot Chicks

The Sandwich

“Our sandwich is iconic. Most of our advertising is focused on the sandwich, because it’s a well-balanced meal: vinegar slaw, the chicken, housemade pickles for another layer of tang to take away from the heat, on local brioche bun.

The Rice Bowl

“This one is unique to our concept. I haven’t seen other places like ours with a rice bowl. The Jasmine rice complements the hot chicken so nicely, and there’s a great variety of flavors in the bowl.”