A HOT DASH OF A SOUTHERN SPECIALTY

By Rena Malai / Photos by Mark Gilvey

Legend has it that in a southern dining room long ago, around the 1920s, a spurned girlfriend was mad.

Her cheating boyfriend had finally gone too far and she was going to teach him a lesson by ruining his meal. So she dumped a whole lot of hot sauce and spice all over his chicken dinner.

It didn’t work. In fact, it backfired. Not only did the boyfriend love and relish the spiciness, but it was apparently the beginnings of hot chicken, a Nashville speciality, and a lucrative business opportunity for the boyfriend.

Prince William residents don’t have to travel to Tennessee to try authentic hot chicken. Local Woodbridge joint Crimson Coward serves up the southern speciality in an open kitchen concept with all the fixings. Cheating boyfriend notwithstanding.

Seeing Red

It may not sound like it, but the name Crimson Coward has everything to do with hot chicken.

According to Crimson Coward franchise owner Nevil Asad, the special spicy marinades and seasonings coat their hot chicken in a shade of bright crimson red. As for the coward? It’s just another word for a chicken.

“The owner of the Crimson Coward company came up with the name and when you think about it, it makes sense!” Asad said.

Hot chicken is a specially prepared fried chicken with spicy heat permeating and enrobing every bite. It’s not drippy or sticky like traditional buffalo wings, but more of a sheer, yet potent, flavor punch.

Spice is plentiful at Crimson Coward, and diners can choose the heat levels to enhance their chicken from mild all the way up to burn baby burn. Asad prefers the mild and wants to make sure folks know that the hottest level — burn baby burn — is no joke. Potential diners and newcomers have been dutifully warned.

“A friend of mine loves heat, and he was sweating and turning red — crimson! — with the burn baby burn. It’s incredibly hot,” he said. “Medium is probably a good starting off point and then folks can experiment from there.”

Crimson Coward opened in January of this year and the response has been remarkable, says Asad. After just a few months he has seen repeat diners coming in up to four times a week.

“One of the things here is we have great service. I am aiming to do even better as we get busier, and I think word of mouth is very effective. People come here and love the food, and tell other people about it,” said Asad.

Getting Fresh

Asad has been in the franchise space for decades, and he sees Crimson Coward as a freshly unique concept. There is no freezer and everything is cooked in house daily. The chicken served is halal, and the taste in quality really comes through.

“I have visited several concepts and one of the reasons I joined Crimson Coward is because I have never tasted a better chicken sandwich,” Asad said. “I think the community can tell too. The response after we opened has been far beyond what we imagined.”

The speciality at Crimson Coward is the Crimson sandwich, served on a toasted brioche bun with house made coleslaw and pickles. There are also chicken tenders, wings, and open faced chicken sandwiches.

A classic accompaniment to hot chicken — mac and cheese — is on the menu here, along with southern fried pickles, French fries, and potato salad.

The competition for authentic hot chicken is not so fierce yet in the area, and Asad doesn’t really see Crimson Coward juggling for space with the big names, as the concept is different. He does see the popularity growing as more Prince William residents get to know what hot chicken is all about.

“We may open a couple of more locations in Virginia and Maryland soon, and could potentially have six or seven Crimson Cowards locally by the end of the year,” Asad said.

Even vegetarians can get something they love at Crimson Coward, as Asad says they make a killer grilled cheese.

“We have an open kitchen and if people choose to eat inside, we have a dining area and a few seats at a counter where you can sit, eat, and watch everything going on in the kitchen,” said Asad. “It’s a great way to see how your food’s getting made. Everything’s fresh.”

Crimson Coward is located at 12707 Ridgefield Village Dr Suite #105 in Woodbridge. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

Dine in, carryout, and online ordering options are available. Go to crimsoncoward.com to take a look at the menu.

Rena Malai is a freelance journalist and has covered everything from food to tech to politics. She lives in Prince William.