A Not So Academic Food Blog: It’s ridiculous chicken this hot, tastes this good! Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack

I’ve been waiting for the opening of Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack for some time now. I’m somewhat of a Man v. Food buff and it is my personal mission in life to go to every Man v. Food restaurant possible. So far I’ve made it to:

Time-Out Restaurant

Chapel Hill, NC

The Chicken Cheddar Biscuit with Mac N Cheese

The Pit

Raleigh, NC

(I can say proudly before Pitmaster Ed Mitchell left)

The brisket and pulled pork platter

Oklahoma Joes Barbecue

Kansas City, KS

(Favorite so far)

Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manner

Kansas City, MO

Season one Adam visited Memphis to try the spicy fried chicken at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. I was fascinated with the concept of hot chicken, since I like Buffalo wings so much and when I heard Rocky’s was opening I new I had to try it.

I went to Rocky’s on opening day. I ordered the Hot---Pepper Spray wings for which the lady at the cash register responded with a shocked face ‘Oh Wow!’

As I ordered the additional side of corn pudding and a sweet tea, my mind began to wonder whether this lady had a clue as to how much I like spicy food or was my taste buds really in for a rude awakening.

The previous thoughts ran through my mind for quite some time because Rocky's was packed with people on opening day. This resulted in a backorder in the kitchen and quite a few messed up orders. However, I didn’t really mind considering it was opening day and mistakes are inevitable, plus it gave me the opportunity to do my second favorite activity at restaurants right behind eating, people watching.

The table next to me had a regular from Rocky’s old location in Arden, NC. This particular man that wore Rocky’s insignia on his chest proudly, took his chicken seriously and boasted to his table that he had found the perfect chicken spice when one day he asked Rocky to prepare his chicken right between the Pepper Spray and Mount St. Hell No (XX Hot) spice. He also explained that the wings were spicier than the breast no matter what spice you ordered because you come in contact with the wings spice more often while the breast’s middle offered a break for your tongue.

A man sitting at a table across from me ordered the Mount St. Hell No! Breast. I observed him rather closely. I wanted to know if I was going to cry like a baby after trying the Pepper Spray wings and whether the Mount St. Hell No! was even edible. The man took a couple bites and everything seemed ok. But bite three he began to wipe heat sweats from his forehead with a napkin. This is when I knew I might be in trouble.

After an hour and fifteen minutes from placing it, my order finally arrived.

I was starving so I dived right in. The following thoughts ran through my mind:

Bite one: yum!

Bite two: oh shit!

On bite three, I physically sneezed. My body wanted no part of the Pepper Spray wings but my palette wanted every last bit of it.

The wings were served on top of a single slice of bread. All the spices from the wings soaked into the bread creating almost a French toast experience, if French toast tasted like candy that was on fire.

The corn pudding didn’t pack a lot of flavor but I found it as a nice way to put out the fire that was a crackling on my tongue.

My wait time for food was a norm that day, but no matter how aggravated customers were that day waiting for their order, the majority of them left satisfied, even a few promised they could wait longer if the chicken continues to taste as good as it was.

They say you have to give a restaurant a couple of months to work out the kinks before you can really decide whether you like the place. No number of kinks will keep me away from Rocky’s chicken.

Lush Life Today and G Social Media are hosting Asheville Wing War this Saturday, July 15 at The Garage at Biltmore to benefit Our Voice. Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack is one of the competitors and I wouldn’t be surprised if it came home with a few awards.

Total before tip- $11.85