Nashville hot chicken has arrived in Walnut Creek.
The wait is over for spice-customized, beyond-crunchy birds, with a totally fresh vibe inside the transformed former Mel’s Diner at 1394 N. Main St. After a raucous soft opening on Friday night, World Famous Hotboys opens to the public today.
Co-owners Victor Ghaben and Berk Gibbs, the artist behind the eye-popping, primary-colored mural outside, greeted friends, family and influencers with hot fried chicken thighs available in six levels of heat, from “training wheels” to “painfully spicy” (which costs $1 extra), while the restaurant’s loud hip-hop jams filled this popular corner of downtown.
Ghaben and Gibbs are no strangers to foodie fandom. Their first two locations in Oakland and Sacramento have earned countless accolades, and Yelp ranked it the No. 1 fried chicken sandwich in California. Walnut Creek is the biggest and possibly the most festive of their three locations, with seating for 42 inside and another 30 on the patio. A fourth location is opening this spring in Indianapolis.
Inside the Walnut Creek restaurant, twinkly lights and mini flags zigzag across the ceiling. High-backed booths in yellow, blue and red fill the left wall. The bar is lined with old television sets, and kids can sip sodas while playing retro Super Mario Bros. And in the open kitchen, at least half a dozen cooks concentrate on birds and crinkle-cut fries.
The opening menu echos Oakland’s, including the popular favorite, The Sando ($13.50), a generous fried chicken thigh served on an oval bun with pickles and slaw. We went “mild” and found it pleasing, just a bit of heat and an orange hue. Our neighbor ordered “med +” and said he “could really feel it.” Other options include “southern” and without spice, which our son did with his crunchy, two-bite nuggets ($10). He loved them.
This is the first World Famous Hotboys location to offer breakfast — hence the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours — with options including fried chicken and waffles, a breakfast sandwich with housemade chicken sausage and chicken etouffee served with rice.
Ghaben is a member of one of the East Bay’s most experienced restaurant families. The Mel’s Diner location, a classic breakfast spot for 20 years, was run by his cousins, who are also behind Walnut Creek’s hot new Lita and Lafayette’s Batch & Brine.
And for dessert, you ask? Don’t leave without a warm, greasy bag of bonuts ($5), hybrid biscuit-doughnuts made to order and covered in cinnamon sugar. They’re delicious.
Yes, you can get them “angry,” but we can’t confirm the spice level. Hopefully “training wheels.”
Details: Open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 1394 N. Main St. Check out the menu at https://worldfamoushotboys.com.
Source: www.mercurynews.com