Howlin' Ray's Hot Chicken - Pasadena

10/10 — totally lived up to the hype. if you haven’t been yet, you gotta go. the sando is dialed in — perfectly breaded, well-spiced chicken that’s juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. we got medium spice and it had great flavor without being overwhelming. they don’t skimp on the chicken either. topped with sauce, slaw, and pickles, all on a soft, light bun. the line is long on a sunday but it moves fast and the staff coordinate seating, so you don’t need to stress about getting a table. the staff is all super friendly and happy and they keep the vibe fun. the aesthetic is great - the decor and logos feel rockabilly punk (they use a 1950s mic to call out orders, have a logo of flaming dice on their cups, and a framed image of johnny cash on the wall). and a cool bonus - they have a tap with still and sparkling water. theres a shared parking lot with sidecar donuts but also street parking on the side streets and surrounding neighborhood. 100% must go now

Always a pleasure coming here!! The staff is friendly and very quick with what they do. My go-to items are the chicken tenders and waffles, the sando with a side of fries, and the Mario Fries. This location is 100% better than the Chinatown one in terms of food quality and service. The best time to visit is right when they open so you can beat the crowd and have a short wait time. Will always recommend for those who love hot chicken!

Always a million percent best chicken spot. Perfect customer service as usual, been going to their original location since 2018, then started going the new location the second day they opened. Btw, I live in Bakerfield CA. I used to get the skinny jimmy (open faced sandwhich) lately I've been ordering the sando medium along with the fries and comeback sauce. My son gets the tenders in medium, and my wife usually orders the Howlin Sando.(no sweating for her at all) Today I had forgotten to order the collard greens. So I had asked if I can right away order just one side of greens. They ended up giving me a side for free. I suggested paying but they declined. I really appreciate the customer service they provided, always above and beyond. Also make sure to try the peach sweet tea.....

We waited in line for over an hour which was expected. But after you've stood in it you realize the restaurant is intentional with that pace. Regardless the chicken is very good, and the seasoned fries are excellent. The mild spice is quite mild here. I'd like to try the medium spiciness but I don't know how long I'm willing to wait for it. The staff is really stoked to work there and try and create a bar/club environment, but for fried chicken. It's kinda fun

So I finally made it to Howlin’ Ray’s. I've heard a lot of great things and I made it a mission to go. I was clueless about this location as I always s heard folks talk about the one in LA. So glad they have one outside from the Chinatown area because I always dread finding parking over there. This location does have shared parking. There is also street parking all around. The line was wrapped around the building. But I don't feel like the line went pretty quickly. We ordered fries, tenders, sandwich, breast and banana pudding. There is seating both inside and outside. Not a whole lot, but it looked like a good flow, so as you finished ordering, it seemed like a table became available. All of the staff were super friendly and nice. The restaurant was clean including the restrooms. Now the restrooms was another story. It felt like you just walked into a club. There was a disco ball, lighting, and music. Pretty cool lol Now the food, the food was good, but I don't know, I guess I was expecting something out of this world. Everyone hyped it up, my expectations were very high. But don't get me wrong, the food was delicious. However, the banana pudding was not it. The whipped cream was really bad and the pudding itself just wasn't for me. Not sure if I would stay in line and come back, but I'm glad I tried it and checked it off the list.

I went to this place and decided to try their Original Hot Chicken Sandwich, it definitely lived up to the hype , the chicken was juicy with a crispy, the sides were tasty, though the line is long, so be prepared to wait more so on weekends. Once inside the staff are friendly and efficient considering how busy it gets and orders come out fairly quickly once you reach the counter, it can get pretty crowded and loud so be prepared, might not be ideal if you’re looking for a low key calm place.

Southern food is becoming popular, and this place is no exception. The line tends to get long. We waited about 30 minutes to order and had to wait additional 15 minutes for our food to be ready. We ordered The Sando in mild, collard greens, a solo waffle, and a solo wing. Everything was very yummy except for the collard greens—I found it a tad too salty for my liking. While the food and service were good, I found the place to be too loud to have a normal conversation without raising my voice. I would just make my food to go next time.