I'm back in L.A. for work, and my latest food blog review is of a beloved local restaurant that I tried for the first time yesterday: Howlin' Ray's, the first place to make Nashville hot chicken in Los Angeles. It first opened ten years ago as a food truck, but now has three brick and mortar locations in L.A.'s Chinatown, Pasadena, and even Las Vegas.
I had it delivered to my job site, and I definitely tried a lot of things. I appreciated that Howlin' Ray's serves bone-in chicken, not just tenders, so I got a dark meat quarter-chicken that was hot, and their version of hot is HOT. I also tried the "Mario Style," which is a mountain of seasoned fries topped with chopped fried chicken breast (this time medium-plus for the heat level), vinegar slaw, pickles, and creamy comeback sauce. All that, and collard greens and macaroni salad too? You better believe it!
I first experienced Nashville hot chicken IN Nashville at the legendary Hattie B's, and I'm a huge fan of Chicken Fire and JAM Hot Chicken back home in Orlando, Florida. How did Howlin' Ray's compare? You have to read my full, detailed review on The Saboscrivner food blog to find out!
https://saboscrivner.com/2025/08/22/howlin-rays-los-angeles/
Spoiler alert: I thought it was very similar to Hattie B's, and as much as I love my hometown places, they just serve hot chicken tenders and sandwiches, so I really appreciated getting a hot leg and thigh at Howlin' Ray's. Needless to say, regardless of heat level, they fry their chicken to perfection, and everything was still hot and crispy even after being delivered. I've also never had collard greens cooked with tomatoes before, so that was a nice surprise too.
My previous L.A. reviews:
Langer's Deli:
https://saboscrivner.com/2023/08/27/langers-delicatessen-restaurant-los-angeles/
Philippe the Original:
https://saboscrivner.com/2024/02/18/philippe-the-original-los-angeles/
Genghis Cohen:
https://saboscrivner.com/2024/12/21/genghis-cohen-los-angeles/
The Prince:
https://saboscrivner.com/2025/02/15/the-prince-los-angeles/
Bob's Big Boy:
https://saboscrivner.com/2025/04/12/bobs-big-boy-los-angeles/
Baar Baar:
https://saboscrivner.com/2025/05/31/baar-baar-los-angeles/
by Saboscrivner
Dining and Cooking