By Alex Thalhimer

Hangry: adjective. Definition: “When you haven’t eaten in a while, and then you become really angry/mad. That’s why it’s ‘hangry’- hungry + angry.”  

Newly opened this summer, and new to the Collegiate-Tuckahoe area, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken claims they serve the “hottest chicken sandwich in town.”

Derek Cha, the founder of Sweet Frog, teamed up with partner Mike Kim to serve the hot Nashville-style chicken sandwich fast food style.

Previously, I had passed Hangry Joe’s often on my way to Chick-fil-A, but recently my mom Patti Hornsby and I decided to give it a try for our weekly mother-daughter date night. 

Our initial impressions of the restaurant were great. Hangry Joe’s is located on the corner of Parham and Eastridge Roads, in the building previously occupied by Sugar Shack. The inside is clean, modern, and fresh, with a kind staff to greet you. 

There are three ways to order: 1) in person at the cash register, 2) through the kiosk, or 3) on their website for pick-up. For each meal, customers can choose their level of spice. 

Hangry Joe’s spice levels.

My mom and I decided to try a variety of items. 

Chicken Sando Jr.- Chicken breast with cider slaw, pickles, and the signature Hangry sauce, all served on a brioche bun; Medium Heat. $6.95.

Do not be fooled by the name; this sandwich is still massive, making it difficult for one to finish in a single sitting. The chicken was juicy and steaming hot. The cider slaw was different from anything I have ever had before. Not bad, but an overpowering amount. The pickles were also delicious. As for the sauce, Medium was plenty hot. Noses were running, and water was being chugged. However, my mom describes our family as a “hot sauce-loving family,” therefore giving this sandwich an overall rating of 8.4/10.

Chicken Sando Jr.

Honey K-Sando– Honey chicken breast with cider slaw, pickles, and signature Hangry sauce, served on brioche bun: Mild Heat. $10.75.

This sandwich was not exactly what I imagined, but I was not disappointed. I believe this sandwich could feed a small village. Similar to the Sando Jr., the saucy hot chicken overfilled the toasted bun. Even “Mild Heat” was extreme, and if I were to return to Hangry Joe’s and get this again, I would do no heat, as the spice overpowered the honey flavor. Lastly, I was also let down when my request for no slaw was not fulfilled. Minus 1 point. Overall rating: 7.3/10.

Honey K-Sando.

Korean Chicken Nuggets- Chicken nuggets with a side of white rice, with Spicy Soy Garlic Sauce. $10.75.

My hopes were high for this dish; however, I was not satisfied. The presentation was delightful: a hearty helping of nuggets was accompanied by a ball of white rice and pickle slices in their checkerboard wax paper. However, the flavor was overpowering, thus ruining the meal, in my opinion. Neither my mom nor I could taste the soy garlic sauce, only flames. My experience with these nuggets was painful, and I hope to never experience anything similar ever again. Overall rating: 3.14/10

Korean Chicken Nuggets.

Waffle Fries- Side basket of fries: No heat options. $4.25.

WOW. These fries were cooked beautifully and were hands-down my favorite part of my Hangry Joe’s experience. I was expecting a waffle fry similar to Chick-fil-A’s famous french fries but was happily surprised with something a little different. My mom, stepdad David (to whom we brought home leftovers), and I quickly made a connection. These waffle fries taste exactly like Arby’s curly fries but in waffle form. Absolutely delicious. 11.8/10. 

Waffle Fries. Photo Credit: Alex Thalhimer

Oreo Shake– Classic Oreo milkshake, with whipped cream on top. $7.95.

I couldn’t help but order an Oreo shake when I saw it on the menu. Upon the first sip, it had a much thinner consistency than I was expecting but still had a great flavor. The incomparable aspect of this milkshake was the straw. Hangry Joe’s serves shakes and teas with a larger straw, which everyone knows makes a milkshake taste superior. Automatic plus 1 point. 10.2/10.

Oreo Milkshake.

My classmate and current Match writer Anna Grace Shaia (‘24) has also tried Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken. She described her meal as “good chicken, but I think that even no heat was too spicy.” She also believes that “people will always choose Chick-fil-A over new/unknown places.” Hudson Neese (‘23) tried it soon after the grand opening and got a Mild Chicken Sando. He says the “chicken was crispy and had a lot of flavor. There were more spice levels I could’ve chosen, but the mild was perfect for me.” An online Google Review by Mark Baldwin states in their 2/5 star review: “Save your money, the prices are high and the size of the chicken fingers are small and I bought and take out services and ended up going over to Publix to get bigger wings. Save your money, go down about two blocks to Chick-Fil-A.”

To Go Boxes.

A downside to Hangry Joe’s is pricing. Our Jr. sandwich alone cost $6.95, while a Deluxe Chick-fil-A sandwich is almost two dollars less, at $5.29, and a regular-size Hangry Joe’s sandwich is $10.75! I was also unpleasantly surprised by the $0.50 upcharge for whipped cream on my already $7.45 milkshake. I’d be much more satisfied with a Chick-fil-A shake, costing me only $4.25, including the whipped cream. While prices were high, we did come home with plenty of leftovers (which ended up being thrown away days later). The packaging was well-branded, though!

As for my experience, I had a middling first time at Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken. The food was nothing too special to me or my parents. If pricing is not an issue for you, I would recommend Hangry Joe’s to true spice lovers, which I considered myself until now. Do not underestimate the spice levels. 

All photos by Alex Thalhimer.