By Jim Ayres 

Trendy Tennessee-style hot chicken shows no sign of cooling down in 2022. So, in the past month, I’ve had a hot chicken adventure, visiting five inner loop spots to see who’s serious and who’s silly. My ranking follows. 

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
1815 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
832-740-4022
GusFriedChicken.com 

Each of my visits to Gus’s Houston location since it opened in 2018 have only bolstered my opinion that it’s the hot chicken gold standard. Here you’ll find juicy, succulent pieces with just the right amount of spice. You don’t get to choose the spice level, but I’d say it has a slow, pleasing kick rather than a jolt of mouth-burning fire. It’s served directly from the fryer, flawlessly crisp on the outside, moist and succulent inside. Surprisingly, Gus’s Chicken is the only place on this list that serves actual bone-in pieces of chicken. The others deal strictly in tenders and sandwiches. 

Howdy Hot Chicken
3520 South Shepherd
Houston, TX 77098
832-831-8186
HowdyHotChicken.com 

I’m thrilled that my number two choice is so close to my home. Howdy serves up an amazing sandwich with your choice of a boneless breast or thigh. Pro tip: Get the thigh. It’s thick, juicy, and delicious on its own, but the slightly sweet, slightly spicy howdy sauce takes it over the top. Add slaw, pickles, and a cushy brioche bun and you’ve got chicken sandwich perfection. Howdy’s menu is halal, and you can choose from five kitschy spice levels: Harmless, Hello, Heat Up, Howlin’, and Have Mercy!

Mico’s Hot Chicken
1603 N. Durham Dr.
Houston, TX 77008
713-434-6133
MicosHotChicken.com 

Converted from a former convenience store, Mico’s certainly holds fast to the Tennessee hot chicken concept. The whole chicken breast on this sandwich is huge, extending far past the bun’s boundaries. However, the dry rub is so liberally applied that it felt like sand in my mouth. And it’s seriously spicy: Even the medium spice level was far too hot for me to eat more than a few bites; your mileage may vary. I had the same experience with the otherwise immaculate fried pickles. Right now, the dining room is open only for restroom use, but dining on the big patio is lovely on a nice day. 

Dave’s Hot Chicken
614 Dennis St. at Louisiana
Houston, TX 77006
281-584-3733
DavesHotChicken.com 

When Dave’s opened in Midtown last September, its press trumpeted its celebrity pedigree. Investors include Samuel L. Jackson, Drake, and Michael Strahan. According to their website, “Dave… set out to create the perfect hot chicken by searching, tasting, and frying. Each piece is topped with Dave’s own mix of spices ranging from “Mild” to “The Reaper.” Dave’s chicken is tasty but falls just a little short of my top three. The menu is quite limited — order a #1 (Tenders and Fries), #2 (Sliders and Fries), or a #3 (Combo and Fries). You can choose your dry rub heat level, but like Mico’s, even medium has a strong bite. The chicken itself seems commercial like you’d find at Popeye’s, and the fries aren’t anything to write home about. 

The Cookshack
4015 Washington Ave.
Houston, TX 77007 713-534-1746
TheCookShack.com 

Compared to the others on this list, the “hot chicken” at Cookshack is a feeble attempt to cash in on the trend. It’s not even hot chicken really — just fast-food quality pressed breast meat with a tame Crystal/mayo sauce (“Shack Sauce”) on the side. Mac N Cheese and Texas Caviar made for fine sides, but both needed more seasoning. The Cookshack also serves baby back ribs and maybe they’re better than the chicken, but at $24 for a rack, I’m not dying to go back for them.