Dallas Hot Chicken Purveyor Lucky’s Plots a Major Expansion

A Dallas-born hot chicken chain has announced a major expansion, bringing one of this year’s biggest food trends to even more neighborhoods in the metroplex.

Lucky’s Hot Chicken, which opened its first location in East Dallas in September 2020, will open five more outposts in North Texas by 2022. Including the second location, which is near near Southern Methodist University, this expansion will bring the total of Lucky’s restaurants to seven.

The new locations will debut across the metroplex, including outposts in Richardson, Pleasant Grove, and Grand Prairie. Check out the addresses below:

• Oak Lawn, 3827 Lemmon Ave
• Richardson, 1545 E Belt Line Road
• Pleasant Grove, 2630 S Buckner Blvd
• Farmers Branch, 3106 Forest Ln, Dallas
• Grand Prairie, at Epic Northwest Crossing at Warrior Parkway and 161

All five new locations will build off the retro vibe of Lucky’s original spot, the 1960s building where Brink’s Restaurant was first founded, including red-and-white vinyl-tiled floors, aluminum-sided counter-tops, and vintage neon signage. Four of them will feature drive-through windows.

Nashville-style hot chicken has emerged as one of Dallas’s hottest food trends in the last year. The chicken is typically dredged in a batter heavy with cayenne pepper, chili powder, and paprika before it is fried, giving it a distinctive red color and plenty of heat. At Lucky’s, the chicken is served in five heat levels — kinda lucky, feelin’ lucky, damn lucky, lucky AF, and best of luck — either in sandwich form or as tenders. Lucky’s serves a smattering of sides meant to cool the heat of its signature dish, including cole slaw, mac and cheese, and fried pickles.

It’s been a busy 2021 for Lucky’s parent company, Vandelay Hospitality. The group is known for their place-inspired restaurants, including Hudson House and Drake’s Hollywood. Earlier this year, the group announced two new restaurant concepts — D.L. Mack’s, a nod to classic Chicago cuisine, and Brentwood, an homage to the food of the Southwest — for Dallas. They also announced an expansion in Houston, with a Hudson House location opening in that city in November.

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