Pacoima’s Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant certainly beat others to the naming rights, even if it wasn’t the first to show off saturated photos of deep red chicken and lots of drizzled sauces atop fries, inside buns, and on salads.

Hawaiian Hot Chicken is the current star of the ‘hot chicken at a car wash’ trend that has somehow also swept across Los Angeles. From the King’s Hawaiian buns to the nightly showcase of cool rides that roll through, this is a great place to get a real feel for the street scene that has come up around hot chicken in recent years.

Perhaps no hot chicken operation (save for Dave’s) has grown as fast as Angry Chickz, which now counts nearly a dozen outlets from Hollywood to Bakersfield to Visalia to San Jose and beyond. Next up: Las Vegas.

Hot Motha Clucker is one of many modern interpretations of Nashville-style hot chicken, far from the original intent and execution but still tasty on it sown. This outfit with multiple locations leans into the messiness with extra-saucy sliders, fries, and more.

Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks has largely been ahead of the hot chicken trend, cooking the stuff up for occasional specials or Monday night meals for years now, well ahead of the competition. The bird here is still special compared to much of the tender-loving competition, which usually ends up slathered in sauce and cheese.

Blazin’ Chicks keeps the San Gabriel Valley well-stocked in the usual hot chicken sandwiches, sliders, tenders, and sides, because in LA, every neighborhood deserves its own hot chicken.

As influential as Howlin’ Ray’s has been to the hot chicken scene in Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine this current saturation point with out Dave’s, the laid-back group of guys who went from a parking lot to a multi-million-dollar franchise agreement and locations in Canada — all in just a few short years.

Fritzi Coop isn’t some new player on the hot chicken scene. Founded by star chef Neal Fraser in 2016, this tiny takeout operation at the Original Farmers Market continues to showcase Nashville flavors in sandwiches, by the bucket, or on top of curly fries for those that need a real jolt.

The Downtown LA hot chicken wars heated up in early 2019 with the arrival of corner shop the Red Chickz, which has become a fan favorite in the ‘more than just traditional Southern chicken’ category. Here, diners can find hot chicken tacos, hot chicken and waffles, and a whole lot more.

Birdies has been frying chicken in Downtown since 2016, and as such has kept its pulse on the hot chicken side of the equation. While fans here can opt for the non-spicy stuff, the sandwich with heat is among the better decisions you can make here.

Only one Los Angeles hot chicken restaurant can lay claim to the family throne, and that’s Kim Prince’s hot chicken restaurant called, appropriately, Hotville Chicken. This Crenshaw staple is considered tops for many who dive deep into the hot chicken genre, thanks to Prince’s family recipes, love of spice, and friendly smile — all steeped in history that has surprising West Coast roots.

Cluckin’ Bun is Inglewood’s one-stop-shop for hot chicken and more. The place works a more pedestrian menu of tenders and slider-sized sandwiches, while also offering hot shrimp. loaded fries, and more. And yes, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust is often involved.

In the mood for an absolutely overclocked hot chicken sandwich, served with a mound of slaw, melty cheese, and enough heat to push your eyebrows back? That’s precisely what Crimson Coward does, daring folks to dive into the highest spice levels daily.

Gardena’s Wing Ferno is, in some ways, a more traditional chicken shop, with options that go beyond one style of fried bird and one type of chicken. Here it’s possible to dive into saucy wings, quarter birds fried with light heat, or extra-spicy tenders at the top of the heat index.

Main Chick is among the fastest-growing hot chicken outlets to emerge in Los Angeles in recent years. The group has multiple outlets across the region and turns out reliable tenders, sandwiches with both light and dark meat, fries, and more.

While billing itself as a home for authentic Nashville-style hot chicken, Cluck & Blaze — with locations in Long Beach and Glendale — is actually a new school operator, turning hot chicken into Instagrammable dishes like a spicy breakfast burrito.