Hot wings hold a special place in my heart as a fan of fried chicken and spicy flavors. Since my expectations for Dining Commons’ spicy food were shattered by Crossroads’ “Spicy Chicken Sandwich,” my spicy fried chicken cravings have been greater than ever. So, I grabbed four of my friends and fellow Spoon members to find the best spicy fried chicken in Berkeley! We stopped by four fried chicken restaurants close to the dorms and rated each based on taste, texture, and flavor.
#1 Ko Stop’s Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken
ORIGINAL PHOTO BY ROHAN VUPPALA
Working our way up from the least spicy, we began with Ko Stop’s Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken. This place does offer a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, but we stuck to traditional fried chicken for the sake of consistency. Its Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken was enjoyable but lacking in spice. Here’s what some people had to say:
“There isn’t that much spice, but flavor-wise, this one is my second favorite!”
- Gabriel
“The meat is drier than the other ones, and it is a lot less spicy than I expected.”
- Andy
“Overall, its spiciness level is like a zero.”
- Cody
Spiciness rating: 0/5
#2 Southside Station’s Jumbo Thai Fried Chicken Wings
ORIGINAL PHOTO BY ROHAN VUPPALA
Further downtown, Southside Station prides itself on having some of the best chicken sandwiches in Berkeley. Many of its dishes have a Southeast Asian twist on fried chicken, so we expected its Jumbo Thai Fried Chicken Wings, featuring lemongrass, lime, and red and green chilis, to have a “Thai spicy” kick. Texture-wise, the chicken wing was extremely crispy and light while being well seasoned, releasing the tangy flavors that are commonly associated with Thai food. However, the wings themselves were milder on the spice scale.
“The skin is crispy with thin batter, and it doesn’t feel greasy at all!”
- Andy
“The meat tastes like it’s good quality, yet it’s really light for being a fried chicken.”
- Cody
“I would give it a 1 on the spicy scale, I was expecting a little bit more for something labeled with Thai spice.”
- Rohan
Spiciness rating: 1/5
#3 Koja Kitchen’s Buffalo Wings
ORIGINAL PHOTO BY ROHAN VUPPALA
While Koja Kitchen is known for its signature rice patty sandwiches, we decided to try the various chicken wings the restaurant offers. Its Korean Buffalo Wings definitely had a kick from their Korean Gochujang Buffalo sauce, though this did cause the wings to be a little soggy. Nevertheless, the chicken was still enjoyable and mildly spicy!
“Out of overall taste, it is very enjoyable, but its spiciness is a level one.”
- Gabriel
“I would rate it out of a 3.5/5 for taste. The sauce made it lose its crispiness, but it was also sitting for a little bit waiting to be picked up.”
- Rohan
“Honestly, not bad for a buffalo wing, but I wouldn’t say it is outstandingly spicy.”
- Andy
Spiciness rating: 2/5
#4 Sweetheart Cafe’s Spicy Popcorn Chicken
ORIGINAL PHOTO BY ROHAN VUPPALA
Last but not least is Sweetheart Cafe, which claims to be the first Bubble Milk Tea cafe in the East Bay. As part of a small collection of restaurants colloquially known as the “Asian Ghetto,” Sweetheart Cafe has been a go-to for many students’ late-night snack runs. Its new spicy popcorn chicken hits the spot when paired with boba, and the taste slowly lingers and grows with each piece you snack on!
“We ate this last, but it’s still very crunchy, and the meat is extremely tender.”
- Andy
“It’s a Berkeley staple for midterm season! It seems like the more you eat, the spicier it gets.”
- Rohann
“I would give it a spiciness level of four compared to everything else tonight… the spiciness does build off nicely.”
- Gabriel
Spiciness rating: 4/5
Overall, Berkeley offers a wide variety of fried chicken in various restaurants and cafes, but the spice is often relatively tame to the tongue. As I continue to fuel my fiery cravings, I hope that many of you will join my search for the spiciest chicken in Berkeley!