Howlin' Ray's Hot Chicken - Pasadena

I finally made it out to their Pasadena location and I am very happy I did. The wait time in line was only about 15 minutes on a Friday afternoon after 1pm. I was afraid there wouldn't be any seats, but their staff promptly gave me a table and seat. The service here is very friendly and accommodating. Wonderful. The chicken is that spicy flavorful punch to the face I remember it to be. The spice level from medium to hot is quite the jump so burn baby burn is an accurate description. I'm also please the waffles are also great, light, crunchy and needed to help with a spicy and sweet bite. The fried pickles were also a great side to give you a nice sour bite to cleanse the palette. Next time I'll try their banana pudding and few other of their odds and ends.

This hot chicken is fantastic. It's also a great value for what you're paying vs what you're getting. Everyone that worked there was super friendly and it was a very welcoming place. It's very clean and even though it's busy, they come wipe down the tables between every group. Loved the vibe, setup and music. For the actual food - we got a medium and a hot tenders. As many other reviews have said, there's a big jump in spice level between medium and hot. Once the hot wasn't straight-out-of-the-fryer-temperature-hot, it was totally doable. I would hesitate to go past that level, though. The chicken tenders were huge and all good meat. The potato salad was good and the waffle (came with butter and syrup) was tasty. Loved the bubbly water on tap. Be ready to wait a bit. We got there around 5:30pm on a Friday and it was an hour from when we got in line to when we sat down after ordering. It was another maybe 10-15min for the food.

Not overhyped. Respect to staff & chefs. Good music, nice vibes. Excellent chicken and quality is consistent. I have a kid so we can’t be waiting in line for hours but I can see why people do. We usually go toward the early or late ends of their hours, which cuts down on wait time considerably. Even their bathroom feels like you went out dancing lol. Staff have gone out of their way to make us feel at home. Our friend came in from NYC and he and I now talk about this spot all the time.

Chicken sandwich was good but definitely not worth the super long wait. Line was out the door and wrapped around the side of the building. The music playlist that played outside was good. It took 58 minutes to get through the line and place our order. Food took about 25 minutes to prepare. After placing your order you must give one of the staff your number so they can assign you a table. We ordered country chicken (no heat) and mild chicken. The hot wings were medium and it was spicy! One order of fries are enough for 2 to share. Loved their special sauce. Happy to have tried it and would go back if the wait was closer to 10 minutes..max 15 min. Worth a try if you have time and get on line before you are hungry. Staff were all very friendly. Umbrellas offered to protect you from cooking under the sun as you wait.

Incredible option for chicken sandwiches! Was fortunate enough to talk to the founders for 10+ minutes and hear their story. There is a secret menu which is cool to know 😎 Customizing your spice really lets you personalize your sandwich though I wouldn't lean into the hotter options since it takes away from the succulent chicken. Seating is very limited considering it's always crowded, but parking is relatively accomodating (ESPECIALLY compared to the Chinatown location)

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Been to Howlin' Rays in Chinatown before. Great food there too, but just not a great location. This location is just so much better. Staff was super friendly, I love that there's bathrooms here that are actually nicely decorated (Chinatown location requires you to pay with coins to get in at the mall-owned bathrooms). Lots of parking. Music is bumping but not overly loud. Loved it and will be going back. Highly recommend the waffles.

We used to always brave the line in Chinatown when Chef Johnny & wife first opened their doors (and yes, the longest we've waited was 3 hours). We've taken our kids there since they were babies (it was even the 2nd one's first outing at only 3 days old). When covid hit, we still supported (because why wouldn't you for a damn good food?) by using Door dash and/or picking up. Now we went on a family outing to rekindle our love for Howlin Rays by visiting the new Pasadena location. It was a pleasant surprise to see Chef there and when he saw us, it seemed like he recognized us and couldn't believe how tall our oldest had grown over the years. Thank you for making us feel special every time! Once we bit into our food, all the memories came back, but honestly... The love and administration for how well the food is STILL made! The freshness, the flavors... All still unbelievable! Plus, it's great to get the vibe of people who actually love working there and love what they do. That's telling of the work family they've established due to great leadership. Can't wait to go back!

Twas my first time at Howlin' Ray's and WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! I was working at an infusion center where I was interacting with cancer patients who are parked in a chair for hours & hours receiving various IV drugs that day and it was weighing on me so coming into a restaurant bumping great tunes and being greeted by extremely friendly staff was not only a surprise but a real treat; I felt so turned around and knew I was in the right place. I ordered the Sando 2.0 with the HOT spice level, the shake fries and opted for the sparkling water they have on tap, yes you read that correctly, ITS on TAP🤯! My friendly Howlin' Ray's constituent behind the register warned me that the HOT seasoning is made of Ghost Pepper and Habanero which is going to make the further details of the story a bit better😁. I found a spot in the sun outside and just started mauling this sandwich like a bear does to a lost hiker on a cold winter day and then.... BOOM💥💣💥that spice hit me hella hard🤜💥🫨😵‍💫😵😭🥵. First the Sando's quality was top-notch outside of the spice level that I clearly made the mistake of ordering, that was my bad😬. Otherwise, I loved the thin bun, how insanely juicy the inside of the chicken was, the sweet mustard sauce was 100% money and paquilla peppers along with the bacon was a perfectly constructed culinary delight. The spice, that spice THO was having me sweating like I was being chased by a ghost that was making very real threats and tearing up like I just got broken up with by the love of 17 year old life on Senior Prom night so much so, I got up for that delicious tap sparkling water like 6 times, using mad ketchup on the fries needlessly because the fries DON'T need it and had the staff asking me, "are you okay?"; big 🗣️shout out to Steven and Allison for their dedicated hospitality for real✊...I felt truly supported on my journey lol. They were absolute sweethearts and genuine folks; anyone would be blessed to work alongside them. To wrap this up, I couldn't finish it so like a true glutton for pain, I got a box and I am about to embark on this rollercoaster ride again...send HELP🚨🚒🧑‍🚒. Nah nah I'll be okay, I got LifeAlert. So with that being said, you are guaranteed to have a full on (+) experience no matter what happens... Howlin' Rays has got your back so get out there, explore the territory and take a chance or play it safe; the choice is yours. 💙you.