It’s no secret that Nashville hot chicken has been a craze in Los Angeles for some time now and Rojo’s Hot Chicken continues the trend. Sure, we’d wait in line for some Howlin’ Rays on any given day, but what’s the fun in that? Instead, we hit up Rojo’s Hot Chicken which isn’t new to the game. In fact this was the third time around for the Rojo’s duo Chef Rubacalva and Jose Ponce. Previously, I had only heard about them from their line chef— Adrian Lechuga and ever since, it’s been on my list. I wasn’t even sure if I’d ever get the chance to try it, up until I saw an Instagram post announcing their next pop-up. And if you missed it, I’d hate to be you.

Just as most, we carry some high standards when it comes to food let alone a spicy chicken sandwich. Expectations were high when we walked into Burritos La Palma where the pop-up was held. The menu was simple— sandwiches, sides, fries, and dessert. For the sandwiches Chef Rubalcava made sure the heat was turned up. With options ranging from naked (no spice), Rojo (medium spice), and Rojo X (very spicy).

I ordered a Rojo with some Dirty fries (spicy topped with queso) and both sides, coleslaw and Mac n’ Cheese. So let’s be honest, there was room for more spice. In my case I went with the safe bet and ordered the medium spicy sandwich. Mainly for the fact that I’ve had my share of overly spicy sando’s that weren’t even enjoyable. But the medium was perfect. It had heat, flavor, and crunch. One thing that really stood out to me and really put the flavors together was the grilled nopal. It gave the sandwich it’s own personality. You wanted to taste it as much as you tasted the spicy breaded chicken itself. All in all though the sandwich exceeded my expectations. It shouldn’t be hard to make a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, and chef Rubacalva proves that. Credit to him and his team who made the experience a hot one. Hopefully we’ll see more of them in the future cause I could sure go for another one or two (yes, you can order a double).