Located on Venice Boulevard, Al’s Hot Chicken share’s its premises with the Middle Eastern restaurant Sah El Nom, which we reviewed in February. As we said then, it “makes for an interesting menu experience. You could order from one or both selections, should you so desire.”
Al’s Hot Chicken is a local mini chain, with eight locations around the Los Angeles area. “It all started years ago when Al experimented with different recipes to improve the taste of fried chicken,” they say online. “After adding his improved Nashville style chicken to his restaurant’s menu, long lines started to form; It was then when he decided to share his passion for great flavors with the rest of the World with the creation of Al’s Hot Chicken. Al’s one of a kind flavors have made people fall in love with our great-tasting, high quality chicken on their very first bite! It’s not just about the restaurant for Al, it’s about Love; Love for the people in our lives and for the dishes that bring us together.”
Love is lovely, but it’s not enough. Which begs the question – what makes a great piece of fried chicken. It obviously needs to be crispy, fried to a golden brown. The coating must be well seasoned, the meat juicy inside – it’s the blend of all those things.
The seasoning is where there’s room for imagination – where different fried chicken places can add little touches of themselves, flourishes. At Al’s Hot Chicken, as the name suggests, you can play with the spice level, starting at “country” though “mild,” “medium” and “hot,” all the way up to “x hot.” The “country” is essentially classic fried chicken, but you want a bit of heat to really get the most out of Al’s. The “mild” offers a nice bite, but it’s all up to the diner’s tolerance level. Whichever level you go for, it tastes fantastic.
The chicken is served on a slice of toast that could stand to be toasted for a little longer – it was a touch soggy. That said, the pickles are gloriously tart and contrast with the spice beautifully. The fries that came with our quarter meal – leg and thigh – were perfectly cooked, while the choice of sauces was wide. We opted for ranch and BBQ – classic chicken dips that work well here.
We asked what makes great fried chicken. Fortunately, Al knows the answer.
Al’s Hot Chicken is located at 10821 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles 90034. Contact 310-895-1227 and visit alshotchicken.com.