2 Neighbors Hot Chicken

A tidal wave of Nashville- and Memphis-style hot chicken restaurants hit the Dallas area in 2020. The city’s biggest food fad is available at more than a dozen spots around town and in the suburbs, but 2 Neighbors stands out for three reasons. First, 2 Neighbors pounds the chicken breasts used in its sandwiches to make the finished product easier to eat. Those bulging piles of chicken at other restaurants may look good on Instagram, but will they actually fit inside your jaw? Second, the spiced coating at 2 Neighbors — which, we’ll admit, isn’t as spicy as at many rival spots; “medium” here means a comfortable, gentle burn — doesn’t have the sandy, gritty texture of the added spices at other hot chicken spots. Third, there’s the issue of heritage: Nashville-style hot chicken comes from African-American tradition, but 2 Neighbors appears to be one of just two Black-owned independent hot chicken restaurants in the area right now. (The other is Helen’s in Lewisville.)