Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack

Rockys provides a unique fried chicken. You will crave it after leaving… It’s sooooo great tasting, and the sides are delicious too. The bowls and specials are big enough to split between 2 adults.

Love the fried chicken with buffalo sauce. The mac and cheese was delicious. Service was friendly and fast. Food was prepared great. Have returned a couple of times.

I’m not a huge fan of bones in my chicken so I usually go for the tenders. The chicken tenders plate with two sides is my go to choice. Their mild heat is plenty for me. I like to taste and enjoy the food I’m eating.
I’ve eaten at both Asheville locations. Within a week of each other. A local restaurant this good could have an influence on where I decide to live in the future.
Back to the review… The chicken is tender and juicy. The heat (whichever is to your liking) is right on. I’ve tried the okra, mashed potatoes, and the Mac and Cheese poppers. Those poppers… Man. So good. They’re the perfect blend of cheesy goodness and a nice crisp breaded shell. Yum.
I’ll be a regular at Rocky’s.

Husband and I came here for the first time. Tried the chicken tenders (medium), wedge salad, chicken wings (hot), and the waffle. Both the wings and the tenders were large and juicy. The waffle was fluffy and the syrup was great. The wedge salad was a solid classes.
Definitely recommend a lot of blue cheese or ranch for your chicken, they aren’t playing around with the spice! Medium was more like hot and the hot was more like fire. With blue cheese, the medium was definitely tolerable but my heat-​loving husband had some tears in his eyes after the hot wings. I loved that the sauce was not dripping off the chicken, they had been tossed in sauce but not soaked so there was still good crunch in the breading.
Overall a great experience, definitely recommend!

When I first moved to Asheville one of my first loves was Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack. I didn’t know what to expect when I first dined here. I knew they were known for fried chicken, so despite my efforts to eat healthy, I always indulge here. Medium hot is the right spice level for me. Not too spicy, but certainly not dull. They use dry spices here, not messy sauces.
I had no idea fried chicken could be so good. Crispy skin, moist tender chicken, a bit of heat. Their daily Soul Bowl special is a good place to start if you never have been here or don’t know where to begin. It’s usually a couple pieces of dark meat or a chicken breast, plated on a bed of some side dish and some special topping/​dressing or preparation. I have not had a bad Soul Bowl here.
As for their sides, we always love getting their corn pudding. Also good are their mac n cheese poppers.
The desserts here have tended to be on the senior Southern side of sweetness (meaning wayyyy too sweet for me), but their cookies are awesome.
I wish I could eat here more often, but a lady must watch her figure :)

Ordered take-​out on 5÷13÷16. Everything was hot and delicious.
Had the chicken tender plate (mild) and the chicken pot pie. The tenders were moist and juicy. The two sides ordered were the pimento cheese grits and the fried okra. Hot, fresh and satisfying. The huge pot pie (big enough to share IMO), was steamy and filled with moist chicken, vegetables and gravy in a nice pastry crust.
Had a side order of the «Woo» sauce (spicy blue cheese dipping sauce). Took the tenders (and the okra) over the top! C’est magnifique!
It’s nice to have such great food, so close by. Will return soon!

They are very helpful with ordering. I was going
To order the Hot wings like I do everywhere else. The server suggested the medium because their seasoning is a little spicer then other wing joints. BOY am I glad I listened!!! Great taste and not over done. If you are in this area, you really need to try them.

Beware even medium is pretty spicy. When they say Hot, they mean HOT.
You order at the counter here and there are lots of food choices. There is also local brews you can get by the pitcher for $ 15, a glass of wine at $ 6 or even a bottle to pair with your chicken for $ 20. And as I’m noticing in Asheville, most places have full bars! So what ever you want for drinks, there are lots of options for those too.
Once you order, you take your number to any where you want. And even if you go outside thy have a convenient condiment station so you don’t have to walk as far for ketchup or hot sauce :) I liked that. And boxes are out too so you don’t have to ask for them.
I ordered fried green tomatoes which had a sweet and spicy peach jam on them along with goat cheese crumbles. When I saw this special posted, I couldn’t resist and I am so glad I have in since they were amazing. Crisp and cooked just right.
I also got a leg/​thigh plate with medium spice and I like spicy and this was a bit of a kick for me. My nose was running but it wasn’t unbearable. Next time I’ll get the mild. For a choice of two sides, I got mac and cheese and corn pudding. Both were really good. Looking at my coworkers sides, all the sides looked great. I think I could make a meal of just that!
And the food came out fairly quick for our whole table and everyone’s order was correct even down to what side sauces they requested.
For spicy chicken and southern food, they know what they are doing here.

I stopped by for lunch literally as soon as it opened on a Monday morning. We wanted that hot hot chicken! Grab a menu when you walk in and head to the counter to place your order. You will get a number and they bring your food out to you.
So, I had no idea where to start with the temperature/​hotness of the chicken. I like a nice kick but I also don’t like to take a bite then a drink and repeat. I decided to go with the mild and play it safe because I was really hungry and wanted to enjoy my food. I am so happy I did, it still had a little heat to it.
I got the chicken tender plate (3 pieces) and it comes with two sides. The pieces of chicken were huge! Very crispy on the outside and juice and steaming hot on the inside. It was totally satisfying and put a smile on my face. I got the potato salad and sweet potatoes casserole as my side and I shared so I was also able to try the mac and cheese and collards. All of the sides were delicious! And I believe homemade too.
Service was quick and there are plenty of tables to sit at. The outside patio looked awesome and even had a little stage. There are plenty of signs and menus on the wall to help you decide the temperature of your chicken. Delicious hot chicken!

YUM. I LOVE spicy food and fried chicken is a staple in the south. Rockys does a wonderful job with their hot chicken and they also have mild and honey options for non spicy people. They also have a great selection of sides that non meat eaters would love. They have quite a few local craft brews on tap and have a full bar with craft cocktail and wine selections. Ricky’s has become my favorite go to restaurant to eat with my family when I visit home! If you have never been you need to go! I would give them 6 stars if I could!!!

Well, I have to admit that it’s taken us this long to try Rocky’s. It’s in the neighborhood and we’ve always ended up driving by saying, «next time we go out we need to try Rocky’s»!!
Finally, bit the bullet and thought we’d feed the daughter and her boyfriend their last meal before heading back to Charlotte! WOW! YUM! I’ve heard all about the veggies so I did the veggie plate.-Macaroni & Cheese Poppers, Collards, Potato Salad and Fried Okra-​lets just say there wasn’t anything left… Hubby and daughter had Chicken leg and thigh plate «Not So» mild, along with a couple of sides (green beans and Mac n cheese, mashed potatoes & Cole slaw). Boyfriend had the tenders with the «Inbetweenium» sauce, which was plenty hot! Forgot we started with the Fried Green Tomatoes with a jam and goat cheese since we wiped the plate clean. Full bar and great local beer selection.
Sat outside– great space. I’ll bet it’s fun when they’ve got live music on the little stage in the corner. We’ll be back for sure.

When they say it’s hot, they mean it! You can still get plain chicken, but the red and crispy hot chicken is so delicious! I’m glad Rocky’s is on the south side of town too, although Sweeten Creek Road can get gridlocked in the afternoon. The menu is pretty big, featuring not only the hot chicken, but sandwiches, salads and at least 15 different side items. The south location also has rotisserie chicken which is excellent (they run out pretty quick sometimes). My favorite item though is the «Soul Bowl» special. They are all different, but every one I’ve had has been terrific. Sometimes it pork chops, or catfish and of course chicken, with a couple of veggies and a sauce, it’s hard to beat. Sunday brunch is great too, the waffles are fantastic! The only thing I’m not a fan of is having to order at a counter. If the line is long, and with such a big menu, the wait times can be too long, especially if you have a little one with you.

They are NOT. Joking about their hot sause,
Average price .
Descent food
Nice service
Not a bad place to take family.
FOLLOW THE Genius THAT IS ME !

Food was excellent! Best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had from a restaurant! I had to send my chicken plate back, and they were very cool and friendly about it. I sent it back because I ordered it too spicy, it was no fault of Rocky’s. I definitely plan on coming back!

Much like the other location, this one is everything you’re looking for in chicken, unless you were after bad chicken. It’s a place, possibly the only place, I’ve ever seen that should be taken seriously when they say that their chicken is hot.
Don’t be a hero. You will regret it. The hottest levels will make you forget where you are. I know this first hand. Apart from the spice, it’s amazing chicken. The sides are equally fantastic.

Hell. Yes.
My husband hadn’t had hot chicken before and I’d been craving it since that one time over a year ago at Hattie B’s in Nashville, so when I saw Rocky’s pop up on my handy Unilocal app I knew where we’d be going for dinner. It was not a mistake.
The line was about 30 min long (to the door, but not out the door) on a Saturday night. This gives you plenty of time to grab one of the menus they conveniently place near the line so you can decide what you want. I urge you to be prepared. I mean, really. It’s only fair that you figure out what you want instead of holding up the already long line any further.
The wait was 100% worth it and in about 10 minutes after ordering we were happily digging into our chicken breasts (medium for me; hot for the Mr.) and the delicious potato salad. I ever grabbed a piece of the Coca Cola cake to eat later (it was a little too sweet for us, but not bad).
All this to say — go! Eat the chicken! It’s frickin delicious.

This is NOT the same vibe as the west Asheville location. The staff there is upbeat, energetic and knowledgeable. Not here. The young man who waited on me didn’t give me a receipt and when I asked for it didn’t know how to print it. The wait for my food was way too long (20+ minutes) and to add insult to injury I was charged extra for ordering it to-​go. I won’t be back.

I recently moved to Asheville from Los Angeles, and I have been taking in the local food scene. A couple of weeks ago, I had a powerful lust for fried chicken, and Rocky’s was recommended to me.
I have to say, that I love the food. The chicken is moist, crispy, and delicious — and it’s bringing some serious heat. So far, I’ve only been able to manage the MEDIUM (which would be HOT for most other places), although the mild still has a healthy kick to it. The waffles are also an amazing compliment to the chicken. I’ve been back several times and introduced Rocky’s to other friends of mine, and in fact, intend to do the same today.
An honorable mention goes to the Mason Jar Banana Pudding. It’s excellently made and almost seems wrong to pass up, even if you’re not sure you have the room for it.

Ate here for the first time tonight. It’s very casual and order at the counter, but the staff busts their butts to make you feel like you’re in a full service place (thanks Jessica W. you made us feel special).
The food was great. I was very glad that the staff warned me to take the spicy ratings seriously though. We dropped what we were getting by one level and if we hadn’t it would have been too hot!
I’ve had a lot of wings and these are top notch! Also, everyone likes their side items and there is a good selection of drafts.
A+

OK… so I have now been to RHCS several times… both locations. WOW! If you are coming for HEAT, you have found Nirvana! This place knows how to pack a punch and still retain flavor. I have not had the kahunas to order anything spicier than MEDIUM and it leaves me sweating in the end. There is true consistency from both locations. Since I have been a number of times, I will list some pros and cons in bullet points as my memory holds out:
PROS (many)
–GREAT FOOD! I have tried any number of chicken items from the menu, but I keep coming back to the chicken strip platter– 3 gigantic strips (usually take the 3^rd home) with 2 sides (usually get their delicious fries and collard greens). Never had anything from this menu that I did not love. Last time in, my dining partners ordered wings and you would have thought these wings came off of bald eagles they were so big! Good, good, good food!
–PARKING! Excellent at both locations… and in this town that is a miracle.
–BEER! PBR on the cheap, but they have a full selection of local craft brews as well.
CONS:
— I am not a fan of the line up at the cash register with people in front and in back of you… I feel rushed to make a decision. I want to sit down with a menu and wait for my beer and decide in my own time. Yes, they do bring the food, but ordering and busing are self serve.
–The ambiance on Sweeten Creek is just too darn loud inside. Outdoors would be nice, but the gravel drive and lot kicks up some dust. The music being played indoors is just to loud. Turn that crap down! I do not want to yell at my dining partner. Patton Ave location… paved lot… music tolerable. Nice.
If that is all I got to gripe about… RHCS wins!