Royals Hot Chicken

Reviews

• David T.

  star star star star star 11 June 2026

  I have no complaints really about the quality of the food and the taste of it. Great tasting chicken sandwich!
  
  My only thing would be the level of heat. It's partly my fault for not asking about the heat level, it being my first time trying a "hot chicken" sandwich. I ordered the "Hot" level of spice, there were two more levels above that.
  
  The hot is doable for those who don't like spicy stuff. Again it tastes great, not one complaint about that. But the chic fil a spicy sandwich has a hotter kick than that. So if you want to probably experience a proper hot chicken ask them or just get the top level. I may have psyched myself out.
  
  Also the line was pretty long but moved quickly, and the food came out super fast.

• Edwin L.

  star star star star star_border 30 May 2026

  I have been going back and forth between giving four or five stars to Royals Hot Chicken. Several people told me about this place and how much they liked it. This really had me looking forward to trying out their hot chicken.... so we headed over there with the whole family.
  
  This restaurant is a cool looking kind of place. Like many informal places these days, counter service seems to be the order of the day. Order at the register, find a table and somebody will come and bring out your food to you. Their menu is a bit limited in my opinion (no dark meat - bummer) - the RHC menu is on their website - be sure to check it out before you go to make sure they have stuff you like. The sides we ordered ended up being quite good (coleslaw, potato wedges, waffle fries, kale salad, cheesy poppers. Their milkshake flavors looked really interesting and delicious too but regrettably I stuck to that part of my diet.
  
  Now for the chicken .... it was good, crispy, crunchy, tasty, etc. but.... there is no shortage of good fried chicken in Louisville and while it was certainly better than say KFC or Popeye's, just of the top of my head, there are 3 other places in this town, that I think have even better fried chicken (Joella's, The Eagle and (gasp) Raising Cane's).
  
  Service was friendly and fast, all things considered, I would consider coming back to Royals but for the atmosphere, drinks, milkshakes and sides rather than the actual fried chicken. If a restaurant has hot chicken in its name, their chicken better be really, really, really good - hence the four stars rather than five.
  
  P.S. my wife (who apparently has no pain receptors - which is likely the reason why she has stayed married to me) ordered the Gonzo (hottest) spice level. It came with a glass of milk and gloves - I would recommend using both if you are gonna try it. I felt the pain.

• Karen C.

  star star star star star_border 29 May 2026

  Juicy and delicious chicken sandwiches!
  
  I agree with other reviewers that the hot is on the milder side. If you really like heat, order on the higher level side.
  
  Could be an off day, but my fries were not as hot or crispy and were in the soggier-side. They serve waffle fries.
  
  Service is great and quick. You order at the front counter, and they'll bring the food to you. The place offers self-seating.

• Matt R.

  star star star star star_border 17 May 2026

  Good food, really well-run. Royals ticks all the boxes.
  
  First and foremost, the hot chicken is really good and the consistency of the cooking here is impressive -- always cooked the right amount and in my experience if you order the x-hot, you get the x-hot. Its price point is really favorable for the real estate it's sitting on. The menu strikes a good balance of offering enough without being too confusing. Service is terrific, especially if they aren't slammed. And even if they are slammed, you'll probably be happy if you can wait out the ordering line. I just wish they offered a go-to side that I really liked. Still, if you go with one of their hottest chickens, the potato wedges help temper the flames.
  
  I'm grateful this place is in Nulu. It's become a deserved staple here.

• Leah M.

  star star star star star 17 May 2026

  We came here for a little date night dinner Friday evening. We got there around 6:30 and it wasn't too busy. You order at the bar and the deliver the food to you seat-yourself table. After ordering we walked up to the bar to order a beer also. They have a great selection of tapped beer. I settled on my personal fav, Cougar Bait.
  
  We chose to sit outside. Their outdoor seating has a really cool ambience. They have a few storage containers that they've repurposed as covered patio seating. It was so cool! There are stung lights over head adding to the whole experience.
  
  We ordered the chicken sandwiches with slaw and waffle fries. We also got an order of their loaded potato wedges. For me, the wedges were the star of my meal. SO. GOOD. They were seasoned with their house seasoning. They were topped with cheese sauce, bacon, ranch sauce, pickled onions, and green onion. They were flavorful, and the portion was perfect to share with a friend/date. My sandwich was also delicious. I chose the "hot" seasoning and it was the perfect amount of spice for me. The slaw and fries were yummy too!
  
  All in all, I really enjoyed this place! We'll definitely be back!