Last week Royals Hot Chicken celebrated their grand opening bringing Louisville the hottest Nashville-style hot chicken yet. The hottest of their six different heat levels is the Gonzo: it’s made from the Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion and Ghost peppers. The Gonzo will make you cry and you might regret your life decisions the next morning but it’s delicious. Protip: Royals has soft serve ice cream to help you handle the heat or you can order the classic fried chicken.
This week’s best bite is Royals Hot Chicken’s pimento cheese grits ($3). Creamy and flavorful, the grits is to hot chicken as Robin is to Batman. Although a side dish at Royals, the pimento cheese grits could easily stand on their own or be a part of a veggie plate.
Other notable dishes from Royals include the fried chicken sandwich on a potato bun with duke’s mayo, lettuce and dill pickles ($8). Add pimento cheese and a side to any sandwich for only $4 more. Complete your meal with these side dishes the creamy coleslaw, broccoli & bacon salad and the black eyed pea salad ($3 each). Don’t forget to order a fried pie shake ($6) to help cool down and sweeten your taste buds. Royals is located in the heart of NuLu on East Market Street.
Photos courtesy of @EatLoveLouisville.