Nashville, Tennessee is home to the hot Nashville chicken. Luckily for California residents who want to enjoy the same crispy, fried, flavorful, cayenne spiced chicken, restaurants such as Crimson Coward and Cluck & Blaze have brought that to the area.

Crimson Coward, a Nashville chicken joint located on Lakewood Boulevard in Downey and South Street in the Artesia area gives the locals that authentic Nashville taste.

The owner of Crimson Coward, Ali, first opened the restaurant in Downey in April of 2019. Due to popular demand, the business opened another location in Artesia last Saturday, February 6.

Opening the doors to the public at their new Crimson location around 11 a.m., about 35 customers waited in line to taste the tendered, crispy chicken and other finger-smacking items from their menu.

Food from the menu includes half coward, full coward, chicken sandwiches, lone breasts and more mouth-watering options. Each chicken option lets you choose your heat level, ranging from no heat, mild, medium, hot and if you dare, burn baby burn.

Their most popular item is the crimson; a boneless breast with slaw, pickle, their famous crimson sauce, compacted between two brioche toasted buns and the joey-eat-fries smothered in cheese sauce, crimson sauce drizzled, slaw, pickles, and a whole chicken breast into pieces to make it *chef’s kisses*.

I got their half-coward, hot, which came with four wings and two drumsticks and a side of ranch. Of course I had to get their crispy fries with their special seasoning along with it.

Their food is organic, non-GMO and made fresh everyday. Definitely a step up from fast-food but still at an affordable price.

However, they are not the only Nashville hot chicken place in the local area. Cluck & Blaze, located in Long Beach and, just recently, a new location in Glendale, is a spot you definitely need to try.

Owners Jerry, Adam, Vatche and Jack opened Cluck & Blaze to the public in November of 2019. Four Nashville chicken lovers decided to bring that authentic taste for local residents to experience.

Their menu consists of individual chicken pieces, chicken sandwiches, their famous breakfast burrito and mouth-watering sides.

I got their three tenders, hot, which comes with Texas toast, special sauce and pickles. Their chicken tenders are perhaps the juiciest chicken I have ever had the pleasure to eat and their sweet, yet tangy creamy sauce pairs wonderfully with the chicken.

I can honestly guzzle a whole bottle of the sauce. That is how good it was.

New and recurring customers continue to walk through their doors, creating more demand for their delicious, lip-smacking food. Their following continues to grow on Instagram and their lines reflect this as well.

General manager of the Long Beach location, Andrea, stated that she is not aware of any possible new locations talked about by the owners but hopes the business will expand further.

For Cluck & Blaze first timers, Andrea recommends the Nashville hot breakfast burrito consisting of egg, cheese, tater tots, their special sauce and chicken.

This Nashville joint is also organic, non-GMO and their food is made fresh everyday. Don’t you love fresh, natural, quality ingredients at an affordable price? I know I do.

Crimson Coward and Cluck & Blaze are chicken joints that I definitely recommend and trust me, you will not be disappointed.