If you had a choice between pumping gas into your car or chowing down on the most delectable, juicy, Nashville-style hot chicken, which would you choose?
Fortunately, you don’t have to choose. Right off Route 94 in Weldon Spring is a place where you can do both. Neighboring a Zephyr Express gas station is Slaps Hot Chicken, serving spicy, smoky chicken that’ll make you slap your knee with each bite.
Owned by Oday Bisharat, Safi Hasan, and Sharif Hasan, Slaps Hot Chicken opened its doors in June and has been testing St. Louisans’ spice tolerance ever since.
The menu is straightforward: chicken tenders, sliders, and chicken & waffles make up their combos menu. Signature items include fries, mac & cheese, and fried ravioli, all loaded up with chicken, their signature Slap sauce, and Nashville Hot seasoning. And their menu for sides is extensive: mozzarella sticks, mac & cheese bites, Belgian waffles, and more. All items are dusted with a spice blend of customers’ choosing.
Spice levels range from “No Heat” to their Reaper blend, which combines dehydrated Carolina Reaper peppers with their proprietary spice blend of cayenne and other secret ingredients.
The Reaper spice blend is no joke, Oday explains. The spice blend is stored in an unassuming tupperware container, and the contents are so potent that one must wear gloves prior to handling.
I tried the Reaper blend on the mozzarella sticks, hoping the cheese would counteract the intense spice. (Spoiler alert: It did not.) The spice doesn’t kick in immediately. It lies in wait until you swallow, then delivers a swift kick to the back of the throat.
To soothe the spice burn, you can add a desert cup to your order, which comes in two flavors: banana pudding and strawberry cheesecake.
Grab an order of the mac & cheese, which is as decadent as grandma’s secret recipe at Thanksgiving. Inspired by the Southern practice of drizzling barbecue sauce on the popular side dish, Oday’s version includes a dusting of their spice blend, a drizzle of their housemade Slap’s sauce, and chunks of marinated chicken.
If you’re looking for something a little more nostalgic, try a jumbo slider, served on a quintessential checkered red-and-white basket liner. Tastewise, it is a symphony of flavors and textures. The coleslaw is the first act: cold, crispy, with a zing. Then comes the chicken, prepared according to halal guidelines. It’s tender, juicy, and covered with the tangy Slap sauce. The spice doesn’t hit you until the finale, slowly building until it slaps the back of your throat, lingering long after the next bite.
Whether you’re stopping by for a quick to-go or for a quiet sit down meal, you can do both at Slaps Hot Chicken. The 5,000-square-foot space formerly housed a McDonald’s and is now transformed into a family-friendly space that seats 44, complete with a glow-in-the-dark mini golf area for kids and adults alike.
Visit Slaps Hot Chicken at 5950 MO-94 in Weldon Spring, open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Follow their Instagram and Facebook for more updates.