Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Friday, April 26, 2024 — Houston, TX

Review: Clutch City Cluckers brings the best of Nashville hot chicken to Houston

courtesy-clutch-city-cluckers
Courtesy Clutch City Cluckers

By Shiyu Miao     3/9/21 8:08pm

Review: ★★★★½☆

 

If you’re looking for ways to spice up your next night out, Clutch City Cluckers has you covered. Since its grand opening on Feb. 26, Clutch City Cluckers has served Nashville hot chicken from its food truck located at 5550 Val Verde Street, right next to the Galleria Food Truck Park. I was impressed by their chicken sandwich — crispy pickles and tender chicken between a mouthwatering bun — which made my entire Saturday night.



Surrounded by other food trucks, Clutch City Cluckers stands out with its sleek black facade with bright patterns of fire painted on the bottom, a nod to the spice level of their sandwiches. Its atmosphere was vibrant and playful — bright green rugs cozy up the waiting area, and a neon sign next to the truck that reads “Cluck it like its Hooot” instantly attracts attention. The best part of the ordering experience, though, was the short wait time: my food came out in about five minutes.

Clutch City Cluckers offers a wide variety of customizable hot chicken sandwiches. Customers can choose between its classic “Cluck like it’s hot” sandwich, which comes with slaw mix, or a “Cheesy Bun” which trades slaw for queso cheese. Both come with a Brioche bun, sliced pickles and either one or two chicken tenders depending on the customer’s choice. I ordered a single, but if you are a meat lover, two tenders are the way to go. 

One unique feature of Clutch City Cluckers is its different spice levels, which depend primarily on your desired amount of cayenne pepper — the trademark of any Nashville hot chicken recipe. From “No Spice” to “Cluck it Like it’s Hot,” customers can choose their favorite level of spiciness while still enjoying the chicken. At first, I decided to order a “hot” cheesy bun but was duly warned by the cashier that it was very hot, so I ordered a medium-hot tender instead. It was a good spicy level, as I could still taste the texture over the deeply flavored chicken tender. The rich hot sauce intensified the flavor of the bun, and I loved the fresh, thinly sliced pickle chips so much.

Their fries, piled high into a mountain next to the burger, were also outstanding. These straight-cut fries were perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper and came out very hot. For some extra cheesy options, the truck also offers fry baskets topped with queso cheese and pickles, and even small chicken bites as an additional option.

Clutch City Cluckers is a must-try chicken sandwich spot in the Galleria area, with excellent customer service and delicious chicken. Takeout is available during their hours of operation, between 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delivery is also offered on Grubhub and Uber Eats.



More from The Rice Thresher

A&E 4/21/24 11:51pm
Jeremy Zucker is no longer a ‘sad-boy troubadour’

Jeremy Zucker’s arms, like most of his body, host a scrapbook of tattoos — a faded clementine peel, his childhood pets (Rusty and Susie), a Pinterest doodle of Sonic the Hedgehog with a bouquet of flowers. His middle finger is etched with a single tooth, hanging off a thin branch wrapping around the rest of his hand.

A&E 4/17/24 12:00am
Super Smash Bros. ultimate tournament sees smashing success

The Super Smash Bros. Club held their second annual ultimate tournament Friday, April 12. Club president Jashun Paluru said all Smash players were welcome, regardless of ability, experience or involvement in the club. The event was held in collaboration with Owls After Dark, a late-night activity series headed by the Rice Student Center, at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall.

A&E 4/16/24 11:07pm
Tribute band ‘Suede Hedgehog’ talks inspirations, legacies

Last Thursday, the halls of the RMC were graced with smooth melodies and funky grooves courtesy of “Suede Hedgehog,” Rice’s very own tribute band to “Silk Sonic,” a musical duo made up of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. Although the tiny desk concert only lasted about 20 minutes the atmosphere was electric, and Coffeehouse — their venue — was packed with listeners.


Comments

Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.