Dish: Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack
Channel: BuskBreak-Old
Date: 2011-08-15

Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack has gained quite a following for owner Rocky Lindsley's ridiculously hot fried bird. The eatery was once located in an actual shack by the side of Highway 25 in Arden, manned by only Lindsley who worked a single pressure fryer, with sides coming fresh out of the Sam's Club container. When the Shack was closed for rather ambiguous reasons, the resulting outcry from the hot-bird addicted led Lindsley to reconsider his decision. Earlier this year, Rocky's reopened in a comparatively nice and spacious joint on Patton Avenue, with the quality of side dishes improving drastically (thank to additional help in the kitchen). But the star of the show remains Rocky's chicken, which is served according to heat level — there's plain, mild, "inbetweenium," "heatium," hot and the face-melting, hot-to-end-all-hot "Mount St. Hell No."

Xpress went back to the Shack to try some of this inhumanely hot chicken with Meherwan Irani, an owner of Asheville's Chai Pani and somewhat of a hot pepper aficionado. The first installment of this two-part video series features an interview with Lindsley and a sneak peek of some of the pain we put ourselves through. Look for the second installment early next week, when we tackle Mount St. Hell No for you. 

Shot, directed and edited by: Troy Burnette
Produced, directed and edited by: Steve Shanafelt
Produced by and starring: Mackensy Lunsford
Featuring: Rocky Lindsley and some crazy-hot chicken