Overview

Founded by chef Johnny Ray Zone and his wife Amanda in 2015, Howlin' Ray's started as a food truck before opening their brick-and-mortar location in Chinatown's Far East Plaza. Zone was inspired to create Nashville hot chicken after working with chef Sean Brock in Nashville. Known for their hours-long lines (pre-pandemic), they've developed a cult following for their perfectly fried chicken with varying heat levels from 'Country' (no heat) to 'Howlin'' (extremely spicy).