Holy smokes! This place is the line was literally wrapped around the building but trust me, it's worth it! Don't skip out on the banana pudding! Also, HUGE shoutout to the staff. The mostly friendly and welcoming bunch of people I've ever met! They really go above and beyond! read more

Howlin' Ray's - Banana pudding - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

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First time here. Would definitely come back. Super friendly here. Workers are chill but still do their work. They aren't afraid to interact with customers to make sure we have everything we need. They have a private lot with limited spaces. To order, line is usually out the door. They only have one register. Justin took our order and really made our first time memorable. He was welcoming and friendly. We originally ordered sando, Luis (secret menu), fried pickle (secret menu) and sweet peach tea. I feel he talked to us so much, it allowed the kitchen to catch up with orders too. Always a good thing . When we got our food, we got complementary tenders. Not too many places do this which made it very memorable. We had so much food. Our friends even ordered the fries and we thought it was going to be plain salt and pepper but it looked like it had seasoning similar to cajan. Trying it, fries are amazing. Their comeback sauce is great with all the fried stuff. Pickles weren't soagy and can taste the acidity. Yum. **Spice level**. As Justin explained to us, anything hotter than medium, he gives warning. Anything at medium or less, the food is still enjoyable with the spice. He is true to his word. Highly recommend. Wish they would expand to the Bay area! read more

Howlin' Ray's - Fried pickles. Sando mild. Luis medium. Chicken tenders. And more sando. - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great food, Eat as soon as possible for ultimate deliciousness. Staff is friendly and attentive. Recommendation: Sando, Tenders or just get the Whole Bird all delicious. read more

Howlin' Ray's - Abuelita approved! Sando One of, if not the best chicken sandwich in all Pasadena. - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Best fried chicken and waffles in a long time! Will be a frequent visitor , line is long so get there early and be prepared to wait!

10/10 experience. Just as good as the original location with great seating and oh so glorious parking. Took the kids too. read more

Howlin' Ray's - 1/4 bird - mild (still perfectly spicy) - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

For Hot Chicken this place is it. I consider myself somewhat of an Afficanado when it comes to chicken. Whether fried, baked, or broiled... I love my chicken. So regarding the food... That brine keeping the juices in is possibly where it's at. Combine that with the crunchy texture, not overly crunchy to destroy the roof of your mouth, but just enough to tantalize your senses as you bite into the meat below that savory chicken flesh. Mmmmmm... The chicken is beyond amazing. I would say it's only rivaled by Vons' regular fried chicken when it goes on special. Seriously you'll need to also give that a shot. The only down fall of this place is when they moved locations. I would've preferred Allen location remain open as well as opening the Arroyo restaurant within the historical Adohr Milk Farms facade. As much as I love the chicken I won't be standing in line waiting for this exquisite meal. I'm 40 years old with a semi bad back and kiddos. Sorry I'd rather spend my time elsewhere. I do drive by sometimes and see a small line. Wife has given me executive power to get dinner if no line exists. One day... that may happen... and if so I'll know what's crack in' with the howlin' on arroyo once again. read more

Stephen (part of the service team) made my first time trying Howlin' Ray's memorable. Everyone on the crew were friendly, welcoming, and eager to serve even though it was super busy Saturday afternoon. No need to worry about seating, the crew had someone to help clean and reserve tables so guests didn't have to stress to find a seat to enjoy the delicious meal. My friend and I got the 2.0 sandwiches with their signature sauce in medium hot and fries. Everything was flavorful and filling. It was so good, I placed a large order to go for my family. Highly recommend this location for the superior service! read more

If this place did not have an hour plus wait no matter what time of day on the weekend, I would honestly binge this place so much like no tomorrow. However, that still does not change the fact that I am calling this one of my favorite places and wish I could give them all the praise in the world. I have never seen a place that has their employees be so attentive, friendly, and welcoming into a restaurant. I especially have to give a shout out to the ones I ran into both times I came here (Javier, Dustin, and Steven, I hope I got those right). Whatever the bossman is paying these employees should be doubled because of how much work they push out while still being so amazing. But somehow even more crazy is that their food matches up to their service. This is some of the juiciest, flavorful chicken sandwiches I have ever had. I got to try their medium spice level and for me, that was already a perfect level for me. For them, their mild and medium spice levels are the same spices with just differing amount of spice put on the chicken. However, for their hot and up, they do use different spices but they are more than happy to give you pieces to try to be able to see if you want to go the extra mile for it. The medium though already has the good good kick and you totally do not need to have more. The pickles and coleslaw they use also provide such a nice way to cut through the heaviness of the chicken that there is no better way to say it other than it just works. And of course their fries and sauce is heavenly. Totally worth the extra 50 cents each (I get like 3-4 more extra haha but I am a saucy guy) If you ever have time to wait and want some amazing food and service, come through here, you will absolutely not regret it! read more

Howlin' Ray's - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Went here with a friend and boy oh boy this is the spot, on Larry the customer service was fye and the food was amazing. Coming back with the whole gang soon read more

The food was great! Customer service from some employees are either good or not great. Some of them seem like they really don't want to be there or get annoyed when I was asking for things like extra pickles but other than that they're chill. Just do yourself a favor and don't get the howlin ++ I actually felt like I had to go to the hospital after read more

Oh my! First time here in Pasadena- waited outside for over half an hour and another 15mins for food. That's actually nothing compared to a 2hr wait I have done I Chinatown before- it's so worth it. Pasadena crew are as awesome! Provided umbrellas for us while waiting in the sun, so polite and patient with my weird orders, and always smiling. The crew does add significance to how great this place is. The Sandos are always the best! Nothing compared to any I've had here in LA or other places for that matter. It's huge and juicy! That's what she said!!! Kidding aside- truly amazing Sando! And medium is the best for me but my son in law always goes for spicy- good for him. Ambience here in Pasadena is better than Chinatown- more seating area and dog friendly- A Plus!!! Love you Howlin'!!! read more

This is our first time at the Pasadena location. The service staff was simply the best. From the very start, they all greeted our party and our two little dogs, bringing a water bowl without us requesting for one. The staff checked on us and were some of the friendliest and most accommodating people I've experienced. Bravo to management for keeping a high level of service and also your staff happy! Will definitely keep coming back, and will bring everyone I know here to experience the food as well as the service. Almost forgot to mention, but the food...it's the best chicken sandwich and fries out there!! Everything is delicious, and I've tried so many other chicken sandwich places, I still keep coming back to Howlin'. read more

Best food ever! Doesn't get better than howlin. It's always a hit at this place. Though the hour long line might scare you off. Customer service is impeccable along side the amazing food. Definitely a must try! read more

Food is amazing! I tried their chicken & waffles on our second visit and it did not disappoint! Plus their staff is so friendly and accommodating. read more

ong this is the og chicken spot. their chicken is PACKED with flavor and i mean PACKED. spice was really up there. i would say i can normally handle spice pretty well but even a medium plus spice level took me out. there was nice outside seating along with inside to provide for any weather conditions. it was a pretty busy day so the food did come out a little slow, but definitely worth the wait and worth the try! read more

Howlin' Ray's - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food is fire. Customer service is superb. My son said he wanted to say bye to the cashier specifically because he said he was cool guy ( did not catch his name) . Food is fresh and hot. Being a brown person, Even mild had a kick to it! Ambiance was also cool , chill vibes . Highly recommend . Obviously being so popular and good, lines can be long but worth the wait gogogogogogogogo read more

Good food, lives up to the hype, friendly service. Only negative was the wait was about hour on a Sunday night.

The food was absolutely delicious. The fries were hot and spiced perfectly. The chicken tenders were moist and flavorful. The staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Loved this place. read more

The food is delicious, the chicken is very moist and the seasoning is immaculate. The fries are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The service is top notch, everyone is very friendly and attentive. Last time I was there I ordered medium spicy and it was delicious but didn't have enough of a kick so I ordered hot this time and boy was it spicy, too spicy to enjoy so I had to get back in line and reorder. Jay recommended the medium plus which was perfect and Mario offered a refund for the second order I placed. They were all really nice. I would definitely come back! Ambiance was nice, lots of natural light and a decent amount of seating. read more

Absolute example of a well oiled machine. Great way to know is how well every team member gets along, They are happy employees who enjoy creating a great experience. Now to the Food, What can I say other than "I'll be back" . Will see ya again Thursday, Can't wait ! read more

Anyone who 5 stars this has no idea about chicken quality. It's def cheap here. I've had HR from the original location. That's fire! The breading here is soggy. The heat is there but not the flavor. The fries are truly amazing. Can't knock them. So good. They got the other two stars for the fries and the staff is really nice. read more

The best fried chicken combined with the friendliest service we have ever had! This is now our go to spot whenever we are anywhere near Pasadena. Thank you Steve for serving us when the kitchen was already closed. Never seen anything like this. Everyone in the kitchen said hi and/or introduced themselves. Even came out to check on us when it was way past closing time. You guys rock! read more

One of the best food experiences around. Oh it's always a plus when you also have the greatest Nashville Hot Chicken on the West Coast!!

Waited for 1.45 hours. Got their chicken and waffles. Made in perfection. Howlin ray's never lets me down. Highly recommended. Worth the wait. read more

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By far the best hot chicken sandwich I have ever had. The chicken is piping hot, tender, juicy, and very flavorful with the spices, seasonings, and coleslaw they use. A lot of other places tend to make their chicken so dry but not here. Their fries were excellent as well! As for the restaurant, it is very busy so parking and seating can be quite hard to find. But the service and food more than makes up for it! A must try when in LA! read more

Every time I've been here, the customer service is PERFECT. They're on point, all the time. They greet you warmly, ask how you're doing, let you know they're there to help you with anything else you need. It's simply the best. It's hands down the best fried chicken in LA, and if that's too broad of a category, it's AT LEAST the best hot chicken sando you can get in LA. Don't sleep on the fried pickles and make sure you try the Mario fries cuz they're delicious. The banana pudding is just what you need to chill out after you hit all that spice and you can throw in a peach tea to really cool off as well. If you love beer, they got some solid brews on tap as well. Do yourself a favor and come on the weekend at least once in your life to try the chicken and waffles. I'm usually not a big waffle person but these ones are super bomb and deserve all the praise. The vibes are immaculate here too. Even the freaking bathroom feels like a party. Just go eat here, you'll be happy you did. read more

Howlin' Ray's - Fried chicken sando and shake fries - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Been to this location several times already and it never disappoints. Staff is always great, and food quality is beyond amazing. It's always reassuring to know that the staff is super social and even go beyond what you'd normally expect with standard service. The Howlin crew has always been very generous and accommodating and have even gone as far as thrown in free sides and samples without even asking. They really out do any other hot chicken spots, you just can't compare and move on from the Howlin Rays experience! read more

Howlin' Ray's - 3 medium spiced sandos, fries and fried pickles with ranch and comeback sauce ‍ - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

The fried chicken is fantastic and the sauce is delicious. Staff was very friendly and informative, saved me from burning my insides. I generally enjoy heat and thought I could handle their "hot", no problem. The cashier warned me that it was, indeed very hot. I opted for medium, which was one level below and my mouth was still on fire. Very delicious though. Would love to visit again, but for the fact that the line is always wrapped around the building, and parking is a nightmare. read more

Howlin' Ray's - Chicken tender - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

The best chicken sandwich I have had in such a long time!! The wait was not the greatest- almost 2 hours but I had to try it. I'll def come again once the lines get shorter The staff is friendly! read more

Came here because I had a gift card, and was pleasantly impressed by their costumer service!!! The people here are so nice and attentive, I'm so upset that I can't remember their names ToT We ordered a hot sando, a single howlin tender, mario fries, comeback sauce, mac salad, and two howlin coolers!! Personally, I would order the mario fries and the mac salad again... This place is definitely serve spicy chicken, if that's what you're looking for. I would recommend the mario fries, mac salad, and the howlin coolers. The comeback is a really good extra dip, I really recommend getting it! please. everyone get mario fries! they are so gooodd!! read more

I definitely would like to come back and try the food, but the first time we tried to even get food it was a rough experience. We got there around 5pm, the line was just short of the end of the sidewalk by the driveway to parking. We assumed it would be about a 30 minute wait MAX. Well 40 minutes later we had moved about two people. I've seen reviews say to get there right at opening and that just must be the trick. We saw one party stand at the only register for 15 minutes, I was timing our wait. After an hour we finally got to right outside the door and were peaking inside at the menu and then we saw it: everything is cooked in peanut oil. My friend I was with is allergic to peanuts. So he went and asked if they have anything that isn't, and the worker said no. I know there is more research we could've done on our end, but it was still disappointing, I've really wanted to try this place and we waited for so long. Again, I am hoping to try the food one day and Im really leaving this review for people with peanut allergies to beware! read more

I'd been to the one in DTLA a few times but was never willing to wait in that insane line. Saw they opened one nearby in Pasadena so checked it out. Still a long line but worth it. I got the sando hot and it was maybe the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. I got a wing a la carte which was also yummy but not as good as the sando. I don't usually like crinkle fries but theirs were very good. The comeback sauce was delish but the dill one was just ok and the banana pudding was nothing special. Would definitely go back for the sando but not if there's a long line. read more

I knew the food is great already. But if you don't have a lot of time, or if you're already hungry, don't come here... they don't have online orders for takeout either, so be prepared to wait both to order and for the food to come out. One associates fried chicken with fast food, and fast this place is not. While they excel in their chicken and the chicken sandwich, and the restaurant is hip and set up nicely, this place gives the vibe of trying too hard to build a brand. For the wait, for someone lacking in patience like myself, I'll definitely think twice before subjecting myself to the wait again. They probably strive to be friendly and try to chat customers up a storm, but I just want my food... I don't like getting hangry. read more

The chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. I tried their hot (too much for me); even their medium plus was just a tad much (will stick with medium). Fries were crispy and well seasoned. Let's talk about the waffles. One word: DELICIOUS (served warm, perfectly crispy outside and soft inside); just enough butter and syrup. Friendly service (Kudos to Allison) Casual ambiance with music playing but not annoying. Definitely recommend this place and will plan to return. read more

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This place simply can not disappoint! I have not been able to stop thinking about how crispy it was with just the right amount of heat. Definitely a must try if you're in the area! read more

Came for the food, stay for the vibes because they are always immaculate. The chicken sando with some shake fries & fried pickles *chefs kiss*. If I was hungrier would've definitely gotten the collard greens & mac salad. I'll get those next time. Came in on a Thursday around 11:30am & there was already a line. The wait to order was around 30-40min, not too bad. If you have the time, definitely dine in. Customer service is always top quality - the cashier (didn't catch his name), Allison & Steve who were on the floor, everyone is always so genuine & cool to talk to! The music playlist is banger after banger. Also, it's cool to see the Howlin Rays crew just genuinely enjoying what they do. If I could give more than 5 stars I definitely would. Highly recommend. read more

I came on my birthday weekend to try out Howlin Rays Hot Chicken. I got their chicken sandwich in the hottest spice flavor and my wife got the tenders in Hot flavor. Man I can handle hot but damn I was crying the whole time while eating this and my wife took one bite of hers and she was done. Workers were really cool and checked on me constantly while eating. Overall rating is 8.8/10 next time I think I'd just go Hot and the wife mild! read more

I really don't know what was more 1st class, the food or the people/staff at Howlin Rays... As far as a Hot Chicken sammy goes, no 1 is going to one up Howlin Rays...it's big, tasty and can bring the heat if u want. The fries were fresh, crisp and plentiful. And like their sammy, no 1 is going to 1 up Howlin Rays with their service and staff. Alison, Javier, Mario, et al, you all make me want to come back just to say hi, see how u guys are doing and...eat some more hot chicken...Cheers! read more

The hype is true. This is likely the best Nashville Hot Chicken joint in Los Angeles. You're going to love their food. It is damn delicious. Period. However, the thing that prompted me to write a review for them wasn't their amazing food, but how genuinely friendly, helpful, and pleasant their staff is. If I can give them all 6 stars, I would. Justin, Steve, and a blonde woman with green eyes and cool tattoos made our visit to Howlin Rays so memorable it made the wait worth it. Also, THEIR FOOD IS F%%*NG DELICIOUS. If you like spice, but still want to keep some taste buds to enjoy your meal, try ordering it as "Medium Plus". Otherwise, go hot or beyond. Thanks to everyone at HR! read more

Howlin' Ray's - Medium Plus Chicken Sando. - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great new location to match the great taste and outstanding service! I usually have The Sando in medium but this time tried it in hot and boy was it delicious. I can't wait to return and try it in medium plus! Until next time... read more

Howlin' Ray's - Ready to order The Sando and Jules' banana pudding! - Southern Near Me - Pasadena, California