By Thomas J. Sullivan–
Sam Ayvazian, co-owner of The Angry Bird – Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant that recently opened at the site of the old Deli Delicious in Citrus Heights, has a reason to smile. Sales are off to a very good start, he said.
“We typically go through four, 40-pound boxes of chicken daily,” Ayvazian told The Sentinel in an interview this month. “In all, I think that breaks down to nearly 10,000 pounds worth of hot chicken tenders and sliders sold since our opening day on July 1.”
Ayvazian and his wife Diana, of Rancho Cordova, hope that their new Citrus Heights location will be as successful as their two popular Southern California locations, located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles and in Van Nuys.
To date, The Angry Bird has gained a strong local customer following and positive reviews, with over 175 Yelp reviewers already giving the restaurant an average rating of 4.5-out-of-5 stars.
The Angry Bird serves up its larger-portion chicken tenders or sliders cooked in peanut oil to order — artfully seasoned from mild to scorching hot. A colorful yellow Angry Bird mural on the wall greets customers as they walk in.
The tenders are a huge portion, and the coating is thick and crispy. The inside chicken is moist and tender. Coleslaw and their signature seasoning sauce are made fresh daily.
Chicken spice levels start at “country,” with no heat, and increase to mild, medium, hot, extra hot and “Angry – Sign a Waiver.” A family friendly, non-spiced tender or slider is offered without heat, Ayvazian said. French fries are served mild or “angry” style with a potent kick.
“Most of our customers prefer to start at a medium spice level, but there have been a brave few willing to dial up the heat to the Angry level,” he said. “Only a few have regretted it.”
The Angry Bird – Hot Nashville Chicken is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and closed Sundays. Fridays and Saturdays are typically the busiest, Ayvazian said. A regular weekday lunch crowd is starting to build, thanks to spicy word of mouth.
The Angry Bird’s menu has four different combo offerings. Combo #1 which includes two hot chicken sliders with coleslaw, pickles and French fries for $12. It’s been the top seller so far, Ayvazian said. Unless customers have a particularly large appetite, this combo is a generous meal that can be shared by more than one diner.
Combos #2 and #3, for $11, offers a choice of two hot chicken tenders, or one chicken tender and one chicken slider, with coleslaw, pickles and French fries. A non-bread option, Combo #4 for $10, offers two hot chicken tenders over buttery rice, topped with coleslaw and pickles. Soft drinks are just $2.
Tenders are also available for sale individually for $3.50. An extra slider is $5. Sides include French fries, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw or buttery rice.
“It’s a fun place to enjoy some great chicken,” Ayvazian said.
The Angry Bird – Hot Nashville Chicken is located at 5500 Sunrise Blvd. in Citrus Heights. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and closed Sundays.
