One of the most popular of the new Nashville hot chicken places in town is about to hit Dallas: Hot Chicks Nashville Hot Chicken will open a location at 5609 SMU Blvd., with an opening date set for March.

The restaurant is taking over the space on the ground floor of the Shelby building previously occupied by a Twisted Root burger joint, which closed in July 2019 after a decade.

Hot Chicks is the fast-casual restaurant from One Entertainment (Landmark Bar & Kitchen, Texas Republic, The Yard, Playground in Fort Worth; Theory Nightclub, Cutie Pies Pizza, Playground Bar in Uptown Dallas) that does scratch-made, Halal, dairy-free, peanut-free hot chicken, with heat levels varying from "none" to "Hot AF."

The concept began as a pop-up in Fort Worth, before finding their first permanent location in Plano, at 1885 Dallas Pkwy., which they opened in late 2020.

Sam Sameni, Principal of One Entertainment, says the SMU location checked off a lot of boxes for what they wanted.

"It's near SMU, in the middle of everything and so convenient - right off US-75, near Greenville Avenue, and there's lots of parking," he says.

They make nearly everything inhouse, not only coleslaw and sauces but also their own crinkle cut fries, hand cut daily, which is unusual.

"It's more time-consuming and more expensive, but we feel like it's definitely worth it," he says.

Bread is baked and delivered daily from a local artisan bakery. The chicken is Halal, dairy and peanut free in hopes of being more inclusive. The menu also boasts a grilled hot chicken option for the health-conscious and gluten-free consumer.

Their menu includes tacos, mac & cheese, plus loaded and seasoned fries.

They're also doing another trendy item: "boozy slushies," including frozen and spiked versions of sweet tea, lemonade, Big Red, and a Super Claw.

Other locations coming soon include Willow Park, west of Fort Worth, which they'll open in April.

In addition to dine-in service, Hot Chicks offers curbside pickup and delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber EATS. Guests can also order ahead by calling the restaurant, and they're also now offering online ordering.

"That has been a big surprise, even with the pandemic, what a large percentage of our orders are to go," Sameni says.