I know this is true about frying chicken at home, even if you think you’re doing it the same each time. I hadn’t thought about restaurants having the same issue but you’re right.
Ah hah! Is that why everyone seems to still love McD’s Fries but me? The Fries at the one near my home are tasteless, dry and get cold almost immediately. I thought it was because they don’t use tallow anymore. But maybe it’s a location thing.
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i dont know if they still do it but el pollo loco has a grill masters championship to see which location had the better grillers.
i remember the Fountain Valley one on Brookhurst had a plaque for their grill masters and they were superior to other el pollo locos i had been to
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That’s pretty cool. I used to love EPL when they first expanded years ago. My first apartment was in K-town and I ate at the Wilshire/Arlington locale all the time. It was so good!
I don’t get the McD fry love either i find them wan and flavor less
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While I’m not a McDonald’s fries fanatic. You can ask them to cook you a fresh batch. I find those to be consistently better.
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I used to love them but not so much anymore. It’s not the same recipe maybe. Still love those greasy, salty Hashbrowns, though. 
Will do
Yes, it’s all the same, it’s like fast food chain like Popeyes. I like it better than Popeyes though. All of them are not created the same.
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Where does this come from??
Howlin’ Ray’s.
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Jeezus, I’ve only had it a couple dozen times. The color of the chicken threw me off. I guess I’m too busy inhaling to notice the wrapper 
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What spice level is that?
mild
The Popeyes sandwich is not bad. Obviously not Howlin Rays but on par with Chik Fil A. I think I give the slight edge to Popeyes. I like their thick pickles and the bun. Chicken was crispy but a touch on the greasy side. Could do without the sauce. In a pinch not bad but not waiting on any lines for this.
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Most anything fried is better when it’s been fried recently. I’ve expounded on this before, but McD’s burgers used to be much better before 1995, when you would order one as a “grill”. That was when they initiated “par-frying” and “Q”-ing*, which later evolved into those nasty little ovens they store their proteins in before assembling. They’re still better when ordered “grilled fresh”, but not like they used to be.
*That’s another part of the story. “‘Q’-ing” was a technique they initiated at that time, that involved par-frying and subsequently microwaving a burger. I found out about it by following a Usenet newsgroup frequented by McD employees. After I heard of this, I ordered my usual double cheeseburger as a “grill”, but told the counter guy, “Don’t ‘Q’ it”, mainly to see what happened. What happened next was pretty funny. The manager who had overheard my request raced out to the front, visibly alarmed, and asked me how I knew about “Q-ing”. I just told her I’d read about it on the Internet, as most people had no idea what Usenet was, and I didn’t feel like getting into that explanation. I have no idea if they still do “‘Q’-ing”, but I do know that right around then was when ordering a “grill” no longer meant getting a comparatively decent fast food burger.
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We were able to try the hot chicken night at Huckleberry Cafe tonight, and it did not disappoint.
Quick word of warning is that on Hot Chicken nights (Thursday and Friday), they only serve their hot chicken menu and nothing else. So you can get pickles, slaw, salad, or chips as a side. We didn’t know about the salad since it’s not on the menu, but someone else ordered it.
At night, the Cafe is more relaxed and really low key. Onto the food! I ordered a “Seriously Hot” sandwich (2nd hottest) and wife ordered “feelin the heat” which is the next level down (3rd hottest). My sandwich had a red flag on top, and my wife’s had a yellow one. Cute.
The brioche bun, as has been mentioned by @Chowseeker1999 before is outstanding, slightly sweet, pillowly soft while retaining enough structure to hold the sandwich together through the meal. The chicken is super crunchy, like Howlin Rays, and the meat is tender, juicy, and flavorful. The “hot” part of it is a wet hot sauce - I think they use their Huck Hot sauce, which has a fair amount of tartness from the white and cider vinegar. It’s really good, but very much unlike Howlin Ray’s spiciness, which teases your taste buds with a bit of sweetness while simultaneously lighting everything on fire. Neither was spicier than a Medium from Howlin.
Definitely worth the visit on a Friday night. No, it’s not as spectacular as the Howlin sando, but it’s a really good sandwich in its own right.
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I was the manager of a Burger King and they microwave burgers in order to melt the cheese.
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Hi @NYCtoLA,
Thanks for the report back! 
It looks like you had a great time, and glad you enjoyed Huckleberry’s Fried Chicken Sandwich as well. We’re really glad to have such a great option on the Westside.
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