400 Degrees

400 Degrees sets themselves apart from the hot chicken competition because of how they prepare the bird. Most spots pan fry their poultry, but that’s not the case at 400. This restaurant deep fries their chicken, which results in a fantastically crunchy and juicy final product served on red trays. There are five spice levels here: 100, 200, 400, 800, and 900. However, it’s easy to lose all sense of nuance in the spice blend beyond the 400 mark, so it’s not really worth it to go any higher. If you want to savor the subtleties at your own pace, you can buy a bottle of seasoning to take home.