8386 W Thunderbird Rd Suite 103, Peoria, AZ 85381
My longing for well crafted food draws me to Twist Hot Chicken like some magnetic pull. The smell of fried chicken, the smell of the different sauces, the knowledge of how spicy their sauce can get, the memory of what it tastes like, the memory of how it feels and that burn against the back of your throat and on your tongue. I am one of those people that loves eating spicy food because of the endorphin rush that is released in your brain, making you feel better immediately, no matter how bad your day was. This endorphin rush is what draws me to Twist Hot Chicken.
As you pull into the parking lot, you are greeted by the visage of The Chicken, staring at you from the front of the building. On the generous sidewalk area in front of the entrance are two nice-sized tables for outdoor eating. Walking in the front door, your senses are assaulted with the smell of delicious chicken cooking, mixed with the smell of fresh french fries, and the tang of hot sauce in the air.
The dining area is surprisingly large and all told, between inside and outside, there is seating for approximately 20-30 people at a minimum. The inside of the restaurant is clean, bright, and well organized. If you like beer with your hot chicken, they’ve got that. If you want soft drinks or kool-aid with your hot chicken, they’ve got that too.
Let’s get to the food. Today, I had the Honey Hot chicken sando, spiced to a level of Hot. They have 4 levels of heat; Mild, Medium, Hot, and Can’t Touch This. I’ve never been brave enough to attempt the last one. Hot has always been my go-to heat level and I usually get all I can stand, as this heat sneaks up on you and builds, little by little. I would say Hot is equivalent to a good Habanero sauce; flavorful, spicy, maybe just a touch painful at times, but it’s Oh, so good. If you are sensitive to the spice in things, then go with a mild sandwich. It’s still very flavorful and tasty. Due to the fact that everything in the kitchen is scratch made when you order it, your sandwich is going to physically be very hot. That physical heat, combined with the spice on the sandwich, is going to intensify the heat of the sauce, so be careful your first time out.
Let’s talk about the sandwich. The bun was very soft and fresh. Thankfully, there were also no sesame seeds on top of the bun. I hate the extra sesame seeds that some buns have, as they don’t really add any flavor, they just get stuck in my teeth. The piece of meat you’ll get on your sandwich is one solid piece of chicken breast, about an inch or more in thickness. It’s a good slab of meat! The breading on the chicken is some of the best breading I’ve ever tasted. Not too thick, not too thin, and incredibly crispy! Even after carrying it home in a to-go bag and letting it steam a little, it was still crispy and not soggy. The pickles on the sandwich were nice and thick and full of pickley (is that a word?) goodness. I should have asked for extra pickles, but then again, I’m something of a pickle freak. Two pickles in every bite would be about the right amount for me. This particular sandwich however, was not quite to my liking. On a scale of 1 – 10, I’d probably give it a 7.5-8.0. The thing that caused me not to give it a 10, was some funky texture to the chicken breast in part of the sandwich. Have you ever bitten into a piece of chicken that isn’t fully cooked, and it feels like you’re biting through some fibrous, rubbery texture? That’s kind of what this was like, only with a little bit of stringiness thrown it. I checked the sandwich and it was fully cooked, so that’s not my fear. I’m sure this was a one-off situation and just an anomaly however, as I’ve eaten here before and didn’t have the same experience. The rest of the sandwich however, was phenomenal! Great flavor in the hot sauce, tasty pickles, the perfect amount of breading and crispiness…I don’t think you could have made this sandwich any better.
Twist Hot Chicken will be a permanent addition to the lunch rotation. However, this brings up one other point. Don’t go to Twist Hot Chicken if you’re short on time or at lunch time, if you have to be in and out in 5 minutes. Because everything on the menu is scratch-made, it will take you at least 20 minutes to get your food, from the time you order it. But see, I’m okay with that. I’d much rather take a little longer to get my food and have it be hot and fresh, than go to some corporate burger joint, where your fries and hamburger have been sitting around for 1/2 an hour.
All told, I’m going to give Twist Hot Chicken a 4.5 out of 5 stars this time. The sandwich was great, the staff was friendly and helpful, the entire restaurant was clean and bright, and the ambience was good. I’m sure the sandwich texture will be better next time, and if it is, I’ll have no problem giving them 5 out of 5 stars. Total price for the sandwich and fries, out the door with tip and tax, was an even $18.00.