Review: Fire in the Hole Tenders Sando from Urban Bird Hot Chicken

Bottom Line: The Fire in the Hole Tenders Sando from Urban Bird Hot Chicken is one big sandwich, and you better be prepared for the heat!

Hot Chicken continues to be a big thing at restaurants, with it getting added to menus all the time while new locations are opening up that feature the item. One of those near me is Urban Bird Hot Chicken, which got its start in the Houston, TX, area and is expanding throughout the state. I have been working my way through the menu, having tried the tenders (you can read more about those here) as well as the Urban Fries (you can read about those here), and most recently I stopped by to try the Tenders Sando. That includes two tenders with your choice of heat level, kale slaw, bird sauce, and two pickles, all held together on a potato bun. I had previously tried their hottest heat level—Fire in the Hole—and made it through that without too much trouble, so I went with it for my tenders.

To start off with, this is one big sandwich. The tenders are huge, and one cut in half would still make for a decent-sized sammy. They are cooked through perfectly and are nice and tender; not dry in the middle, as sometimes happens with a thick cut of breast meat, and not greasy either. There is a hefty amount of crust on these, but that’s perfectly fine considering the size of the tenders. There is not much crunch, probably because the slaw soaked into the crust on the ride home (I got this to go), but the tenders still have decent texture and good taste.

That slaw—which has the unexpected addition of kale—adds some creaminess and a bit of cabbage funk. The pickles add some acid and tang, though the slaw tends to overwhelm them (just a nitpick, though). There is a strong peppery kick to the seasoning, but it is not as intense as Dave’s Reaper spice. The sauce adds some creaminess and a bit of sweetness, while the bun holds everything together well enough and appeared quite fresh.

As for the heat, it doesn’t seem that bad initially, especially considering it is the highest on their scale. You do get a decent kick right away, but it won’t send you running for a fire extinguisher… at first. After a few bites, though, you notice that your lips are burning, and the heat only intensifies from there. By the last few bites, it is almost like eating lava, and overall I would put this well above Fiery on my scale. It was still tolerable, though, and I was able to get through that very large chicken sandwich more easily than getting through one Dave’s Reaper Tender. And fortunately, there was very little in the way of negative aftereffects the next day.

The sandwich comes in at 760 calories, which is actually surprising because I would have pegged it closer to a thousand. So the sammy by itself is not too bad, but then they add their delicious fries, which are nicely seasoned, and those tack on another 500 or so calories. And once you start eating them, you are probably going to finish the order because they are quite addictive. So count this as a splurge and schedule some extra time in the gym afterward. (Maybe not right after, though, give your stomach some time to settle!)

The cost for the sandwich itself is $10.99, or you can get a combo with the fries and a drink for $14.99. For what you get, that is a pretty good deal because this is a premium sandwich, and it will certainly fill you up. I would definitely get one of these again, but I am working my way through the menu and will probably do the chicken and waffles next. They have also added smash burgers that look pretty darn good, so I will be trying those at some point as well. You can check for locations on their website, and if there is one near you, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 760
Fat: 37g (5g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 42g
Carbs: 59g
Sodium: 1730mg