There’s a new hot chicken concept in Rowlett that's taking a unique approach: Called Lava Hot Chicken, it’s located in a former ice cream shop at 6310 Dalrock Rd. #900 in Dalrock Crossing, where it opened March 8.
Lava Hot Chicken is from restaurateur Sam Sakhleh, who opened it with his two sons in mind. Both are allergic to peanuts, and some frying oils use peanuts. To solve the issue, he uses beef tallow to fry the chicken and fries.
“We fry everything in beef tallow — we don’t use oil or have any peanut product,” Sakhleh says.
Sakhleh, who has been in the industry since 2003, decided to start a hot chicken restaurant because he wasn't impressed with the conventional flavor at most hot chicken restaurants.
He connected with a distributor who offered a 27-spice mix imported from India which had a far more complex flavor profile.
"It made a big difference in the taste, and that's what we use in our spice mix," Sakhleh says.
The spice mix also gives the chicken a deep, ruddy color, unlike the neon orange tint of other hot chicken options.
Lava's menu features sliders and tenders with five heat levels. The sliders are on 4-inch thick buns from Martin's Famous Potato Rolls. Also, they use one big tender so big that Sakhleh says it's sometimes mistaken for a chicken breast.
They're marinated with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and buttermilk before being fried.
They’ve also recently added wings, with the same heat levels as sliders and tenders. Other dishes include chicken & waffles, and loaded fries topped with cheese, mac & cheese, pickles, coleslaw and "Lava sauce," a sweet and smoky sauce with honey and mustard. Homey desserts include sukseh, also known as "lazy cake," a rich no-bake dessert made with condensed milk and chocolate that's a little like fudge.
Prices range from $6 for a tender to $16 for two sliders with fries.
To-go orders are common but Sakhleh devoted two years to transforming the former ice cream shop into a bright cheerful space with colorful cartoon murals on the walls, plus a patio, so diners who want to eat on-site are covered.
