Nashville hot chicken is the fast-casual culinary trend of 2019, and the latest contender coming to San Diego is Firebirds, a spicy fried chicken eatery opening later this month in the 2,300 square foot space that last housed Saigon Alley in City Heights.
From UCSD International Business School students Abe Kesablyan and Nick Garkavenko, Firebirds is the culmination of the longtime friends joint passion for Nashville-style hot fried chicken and all things food. The restaurant will offer a fun vibe with upbeat music, eclectic furniture and stylish artwork on the walls, as well as an outdoor patio. Firebirds kitchen will be in the hands of 17-year-old chef Henry Smerjyan, who has had a deep passion for cooking since he was a young child. The menu at Firebirds will feature fried chicken tenders, sliders, a sandwich, mac 'n cheese, and Fire Fries - chopped Nashville hot tenders atop crispy fries with slaw, pickles and FireSauce.
Firebirds will be the latest eatery devoted to Nashville-style hot chicken, a preparation believed to have been originated by Andre Prince Jeffries of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. The story goes that the style was invented by Andre's great-uncle - a womanizer whose girlfriend tried to get revenge on him one morning with a breakfast of extra spicy, cayenne-laced fried chicken that inspired he and his brothers to create their own recipe. Recently, a stand devoted to the fried chicken trend opened in Liberty Public Market and we also recently broke the news that Los Angeles-based Dave's Hot Chicken had plans to open up to 14 locations in San Diego.
Firebirds aims to grand open at 4155 University Avenue in San Diego's City Heights on October 27. For more information, visit firebirdschicken.com and check out the opening menu below.
