Well worth the drive.
And you’re closer to Freebirds… Those nachos man
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You mean Freebirds the burrito place? Isn’t there one in Marina Del Ray?
No. There’s only one original and then a bunch of franchises with no affiliation other than the name that they licensed and they suck. The one and only original Freebirds in SB has the craziest nachos I have ever experienced and is a severe guilty pleasure of mine that I indulge in annually.
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Ah, gotcha. Sounds like an Original Soup Man situation. So sad when a place sells out its good name like that.
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Xtra Hot is quite hot but on ‘The Sandwich’ just perfect, at least to my palate! Howlin’ Hot has an intense blend of some of the hottest peppers known to man (or women) and is absolutely scorching HOT.
Anybody here regularly order their meals at Howling’ Ray’s with the Howlin’ Hot sauce?
Update 7:
(Adding the info and sides from the Fried Chicken Journey thread.)
For our 10th visit, the line wasn’t too bad, about a 40 minute wait.
Unsweetened Peach Ice Tea:
Refreshing, and with just the right touch of Peach aroma.
Pickles:
I love their Pickles. Crisp, crunchy, just the right amount of tartness.
Fried Chicken Dark (Leg & Thigh), “Country” Style (Level 1 - No Heat):
As soon as it appears, the beautiful golden hue, the look sets it apart from all of the other places we visited on this adventure. And then the first bite:
There’s this delectable, deeply satisfying CRUNCH and this light, airy crispiness. Chef Johnny Ray Zone has perfected the batter and cooking times, to create fantastic, legendary Fried Chicken! 
It’s so juicy, perfectly seasoned, not too salty, not underseasoned, the blend of everything together is just on an entirely other level of Fried Chicken to anything we’ve had in L.A.
IT’S SO GOOD! 
We got this piece just out of the fryer, piping hot, and you could see and taste how juicy it was:
Their Fried Chicken Wings were just as good:
Chef Zone and staff watch the cooking times of each of the pieces with an eagle eye. His pedigree from working in the kitchens of Chef Thomas Keller (French Laundry) and Gordon Ramsay are apparent. We’ve never had overcooked Chicken in any of the 10 times we’ve visited. Perfect. 
Fried Chicken & Waffles - The Waffle:
Their Housemade Batter and freshly-cooked Waffles make all the difference. On this visit, the Waffle is as crisp and pillowy as the first time we had it. (Note: Make sure you take the Fried Chicken off the Waffle and enjoy it immediately! ).
Market Side - Dirty Crab Rice:
I knew we were in for a treat when I glanced at the daily changing board on the wall announcing their Market Side Dish: Dirty Crab Rice! Yes, when Chef Zone starts making classic Southern sides like Dirty Rice, but this time with real Crab meat, it can only mean good things.
And it was absolutely delicious! Howlin’ Ray’s Dirty Crab Rice had all the wonderful aspects of a good Dirty Rice, with the Onions, Bell Peppers, Black Pepper notes and Bay Leaf coming through. But the Crab meat and the Serrano and Fresno Chilies were the additional layer that elevated this Market Side to must order status!
Note: Starting this week, Howlin’ Ray’s now has 3 Permanent Side Dishes(!) in addition to a rotating Special Market Side. The 3 Permanent Sides are: Collard Greens, Potato Salad and their Cider Vinegar Slaw! Paging @bulavinaka for the Potato Salad.
Potato Salad:
Collard Greens:
Chef Zone’s Housemade Collard Greens, while sounding simple, are just spot-on perfect. The Collard Greens are cooked down to a tender consistency, the Onions, Garlic and Vinegar help to counter the 2 types of Pork being added in, which gives the whole dish a subtle lush quality, while still being about the wonderful Collard Greens. These were delicious.
Hot Shake Fries:
We’ve ordered their Crinkle Cut style French Fries only once before, I think during our 2nd visit, which felt so long ago. They were "OK’ the first time we tried them, but they seem to have improved dramatically! They were piping hot, slightly crisped, and the Hot Shake seasoning (in-house blend) made them seriously addicting! Despite the red color, they weren’t spicy. Just beautifully seasoned, and not very salty.
Fried Chicken White (Breast & Wing), “Country” Style (Level 1 - No Heat):
The beautiful golden batter, yielded to perfectly fried Fried Chicken once again. In all 11 visits, Chef Zone’s Fried Chicken has been consistently cooked, always crunchy and crispy, with this lightness to the batter and lightness to the taste.
It’s well-brined and seasoned. Never too salty, or oddly sweet, or dried out, or too greasy; the stuff that plagues too many of the Fried Chicken specialists around L.A.
It’s just fantastic, juicy, excellent Fried Chicken!
Side note: Kudos to the Howlin’ Ray’s team for getting a shout-out from Phil Rosenthal (host of “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having!”) on the Jimmy Kimmel Show last night. Well-deserved! (And maybe the reason the line after we left increased to over 120 people in line! 
)
Howlin’ Ray’s continues to deliver the most amazing Fried Chicken in L.A. It’s so good and consistent, nothing else we’ve tried has come close.
Initial Hours (extended Hours will be added once they settle in):
Wed - Sun
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Howlin’ Ray’s Nashville Hot Chicken
727 N. Broadway Ave #128
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel: (213) 935-8399
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I do… Every time. I crave that Howlin’ sauce.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKw7rhUg1wh/
So they got a Chicken and Waffles sandwich now!!
(Photo from Howlin Rays IG)
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Oh my… My my my my my.
What’s the yellow gooey stuff flecked with red? Egg? Cheese? The most special of sauces? Some phenomnomnomenally delicious combination?
apparently it’s cheddar and maple syrup
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Dear Jebus… I will be dreaming of this sandwich.
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Success @Chowseeker1999 finally!
The husband was driving home from Anaheim. He called and said he was getting off in Chinatown to get Howlin’ Ray’s 
. It was after 3pm on a Sunday! Even the parking lot attendant told him there’s no way he’s gettin’ any chicken.
Surprise!
Mild (touch of heat) for the first timers
Look at this big honkin’ thang.
Oh boy 
. The meat was super moist, tender & juicy… maybe the best meat of any fried chix I’ve had. Crust had a slight sweetness to it, maybe a hint of cinnamon. I’m full, but can’t stop picking at it. The coating did come off the skin a bit. But I’m chalking it up to take-out. I’ll make note when we eat it there. #takeouthowlinraysisbetterthannohowlinrays
Potato salad, greens, pickles & sauces
The sides are a little subdued, maybe purposely. Greens have a little smokiness. Tasty pickles. I doctored up the potato salad with the kicked-up mayo sauce, yum.
The wait was about an hour. But he chatted with other customers and smack talked (by text) with his friends. He says he can see why they have limited hours. It’s intense, non-stop action. It’s smart to keep it that way, so quality doesn’t go down. He met chef Zone and he was incredibly friendly.
Thanks all you intrepid chow seekers!
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Hi @TheCookie,
Yay! Glad you finally got to try it! 
Isn’t the flavor, juiciness just awesome?
Hopefully next time you can try it fresh at the shop. That crust is unreal just out of the fryer.
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It really is…I stopped in the other day and got a few free wings while waiting for sandwiches and shooting the shit with Chef Zone.
Rumor has it there is a secret level beyond Howlin’ spice level. =)
You can for sure see why they keep the hours the way they do.
You know you can call in orders for 10+ people and pick them up either just before opening (9:30 am), or just after close (5 pm)?
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Hi @Chowseeker1999 -
Juicy! The crust was still hot and very crispy. But it slid off a bit. This can be a problem with batter or buttermilk fried chicken. We definitely want to go and eat it right there. It’s sooo good.
Sorry… I just noticed your reply. I’m having trouble and not receiving many reply notifications. So apologies to anyone I don’t respond to. Calling @discourse… Where are my blue dots please?
Cluck cluck!
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Hi @TheCookie,
Glad it was still hot and crispy. When you do go to eat it at the restaurant, try one of the pieces on Level 1 (“Country” - No Spice), so you just enjoy the classic Fried Chicken crust.
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I tried some country level my last visit as well. Other than the great crust, I must say, the meat itself was not only perfect in texture, and juicy…it was also just infused with rich flavor. I don’t know that I have ever experienced such a thing with fried chicken before, at least not on such a level. Truly remarkable.
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Ooh thanks @Chowseeker1999! I actually thought of asking for a couple pieces of the “Country”. The word made me think it might be on the savory side, more golden, less red? I really like that and will definitely get some next time… and maybe try one level up from mild too, ouch 
. Thanks @Aesthete too.
I just happened upon your pictures of the Country Level. That looks right up my alley! Again, what would we do without you.
are they open tonight by any chance?