ChickenHeadz

the hottest is not hottest i have ever tasted... so go for it of you like hot

As a foreigner trying to find the best fried chicken in San Diego, main chik is my #1 spot. I’ve tried many places but their chicken is deliciously juicy, fresh, coleslaw is amazing, Mac cheese is probably not the best or rather 5/10. I will always get my fried chicken here from now on!

The chicken is legit hot as in spicy. I forget what level I got but it was adequately spicy. Cole slaw was really good too. I'm a newish spicy convert so when something says spicy I wanna feel it. Gotta try this vs Side Chick at the same time one day

The cashier made an honest mistake (someone accidentally took our order). She was apologetic, kind and took responsibility. She resolved the issue quickly. The food turned out great, as always. Main Chick is a family favorite. Only negative is that it (and Everything) is too expensive these days. I wish they had a few more coupons to help save. 10% is not much off.

#1 combo is huge. I ate the whole sandwich, most of the fries, and still have 2 strips and a handful of fries left. Chicken was juicy and well seasoned. I got ‘spicy’ level hotness. Second hottest on the scale. Will definitely try the hotter one. Fries are crispy and seasoned as well. The pickles are really good. The dipping sauce is good. I’m coming back.

Back home in Miami, craving this sandwich I had yesterday. Best I've ever had. I can still smell and taste it a day later. The girl working there made me feel like I wasn't hard-core enough having it in a sandwich, so I had the tender by itself too. Takes you to some serious levels of heat you may never have been to before. I love this place. Open one in Miami. Supreme 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 😍😋👌

If you have not yet tried their Nashville style fried chicken, I’d suggest you add it to your list. The chicken is cooked so perfectly. Crispy on the outside, and moist and delicious inside. And they have five levels of spiciness, the least is “naked”. Don’t forget the macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw is excellent as well.

So freaking delicious! The chicken is full of flavor and the medium spicy was perfect! You can choose how spicy you want it! The fries are amazing! You can’t go wrong with this place! Highly recommend it! It is a bit pricey but so worth it! Definitely coming back here again!

Dropped by after a long day at ComicCon. Spotted this spot after realizing I took the wrong trolling. Glad I did, this spot surprised me with an amazing meal. I thought it would be good but it is above and beyond what I would have imagined. That or maybe I was really hungry after a long day. Either way it is delicious and satisfying. The staff was helpful and friendly. Speedy turn around time from ordering. Did not have to wait long. Bring a friend or a family. Have a feast and indulge with fulfillment for the heart and definitely your belly.

Been trying a bunch of the hot chicken places in SD and this still ranks the highest. Favorite combo is #6 which is two dark meat sandwiches and fries , and I'll add Mac and cheese and a soda. You can also ask if you can sub in one white meat sandwich if you want to try both. I would highly suggest getting extra sauce as I use one to two per sandwich.

We’ve been searching for the best fried chicken in SD and this one ranks pretty highly! The chicken & spice are delicious, the fries are crispy and have a nice spice on them as well. Lastly, the pickles are crisp & are just the right dill flavor to complement the chicken & fries.

Combo #1 is a good option for 1st timers has a bit of everything. Spice level Medium and Spicy is good if u like a good spice level. Mac and Cheese and Cole slaw is good too. Food is always nice and HOT so it might make the chicken taste even more spicy.

Blake Jackson

Back home in Miami, craving this sandwich I had yesterday. Best I've ever had. I can still smell and taste it a day later. The girl working there made me feel like I wasn't hard-core enough having it in a sandwich, so I had the tender by itself too. Takes you to some serious levels of heat you may never have been to before. I love this place. Open one in Miami. Supreme 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 😍😋👌

Darryl Gordon

If you have not yet tried their Nashville style fried chicken, I’d suggest you add it to your list. The chicken is cooked so perfectly. Crispy on the outside, and moist and delicious inside. And they have five levels of spiciness, the least is “naked”. Don’t forget the macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw is excellent as well.

Denise

So freaking delicious! The chicken is full of flavor and the medium spicy was perfect! You can choose how spicy you want it! The fries are amazing! You can’t go wrong with this place! Highly recommend it! It is a bit pricey but so worth it! Definitely coming back here again!

Daniel Cheung

Dropped by after a long day at ComicCon. Spotted this spot after realizing I took the wrong trolling. Glad I did, this spot surprised me with an amazing meal. I thought it would be good but it is above and beyond what I would have imagined. That or maybe I was really hungry after a long day. Either way it is delicious and satisfying. The staff was helpful and friendly. Speedy turn around time from ordering. Did not have to wait long. Bring a friend or a family. Have a feast and indulge with fulfillment for the heart and definitely your belly.

T M.

Wow, I think I may have just had the best chicken sandwich ever. Such a perfect size, slightly bigger than a slider but not too big. Pro tip: add honey to sauce + dip and enjoy!!

Ryan D.

Been trying a bunch of the hot chicken places in SD and this still ranks the highest. Favorite combo is #6 which is two dark meat sandwiches and fries , and I'll add Mac and cheese and a soda. You can also ask if you can sub in one white meat sandwich if you want to try both. I would highly suggest getting extra sauce as I use one to two per sandwich.

First visit great impression. Tried the dark meat sandwich mild (jalapeño). Freaking delicious crispy outside with skin on and juicy soft inside wow. Fries were too much. Tummy upset. I think just the sandwich alone would have been the move or a lighter side. Excellent and friendly service. No what time despite the lunch rush and it came out quickly.

Big hot chicken fan and I try new places whenever I can and Im a nationwide traveler and this is a definite top contender for my favorite place. The seasoning is delicious, just the right amount of spice, crispy chicken (not too heavy of breading), cooked just right, flavorful sauces, and the bun doesn't fall apart in my hands as I eat it like Daves Hot Chicken does. Will be back. No rating for atmosphere since i got delivery.

Ive honestly never gone to a chicken restaurant where ive truly liked the chicken but here the chicken sandwich was so good. the chicken was juicy, the spiciness was just right. I usually have to ask if the most spicy chicken sandwich is actually spicy because I always get disappointed but not here, their supreme level was the perfect spice level I honestly loved it! But warning it is spicy so if you don’t like spicy food I don’t recommend getting it lol.

Jeremy Gering

Big hot chicken fan and I try new places whenever I can and Im a nationwide traveler and this is a definite top contender for my favorite place. The seasoning is delicious, just the right amount of spice, crispy chicken (not too heavy of breading), cooked just right, flavorful sauces, and the bun doesn't fall apart in my hands as I eat it like Daves Hot Chicken does. Will be back. No rating for atmosphere since i got delivery.

Joselin Fuller

First visit great impression. Tried the dark meat sandwich mild (jalapeño). Freaking delicious crispy outside with skin on and juicy soft inside wow. Fries were too much. Tummy upset. I think just the sandwich alone would have been the move or a lighter side. Excellent and friendly service. No what time despite the lunch rush and it came out quickly.

Dante Hernandez

Ive honestly never gone to a chicken restaurant where ive truly liked the chicken but here the chicken sandwich was so good. the chicken was juicy, the spiciness was just right. I usually have to ask if the most spicy chicken sandwich is actually spicy because I always get disappointed but not here, their supreme level was the perfect spice level I honestly loved it! But warning it is spicy so if you don’t like spicy food I don’t recommend getting it lol.

jordan resnick

Having a dark meat chicken sandwhich and the spice and seasoning are what really set Main Chick apart. In my opinion, it is better than Dave's Hot Chicken and 100% with the price. Tip: The Linda Vista location tends to overcook the chicken. Go to the Clairemont Dr. location, it's cooked perfectly every time.

Let’s start off with the good, The food is amazing IF you like food with a kick, I ordered my food mild, and my wife ordered hers naked, which came with a sandwich, fries and a chicken tender (which seemed bigger than the sandwich) the food was promptly made and hot (heat wise) which is always a good thing considering chicken. There are stool seating to people watch while eating, which can be good and bad, depends if your watching or being watched…just a heads up. The “needs work” aide of this review, inside seating is mainly for 2 people max at a table. The seating Was very limited so I chose to sit outside in the elements or have my chair bumped every time someone was near the register ordering. Possibly rearrange the seating to accommodate a little bit more elbow space between the register and people eating. I didn’t ask but please note the fries have some kick to them. Possibly the mild or even hotter level as far as spice, so you have been warned if you are on the lower side of spice tolerance. Also if you wanted additional sauce it’s an extra charge!!!! Yikes as you only receive a small plastic condiment container with your box meal. So plan ahead and factor in that cost as well per box. Parking is not a pleasure there either, there are a lot of stores in the complex, so don’t bring a big truck or anything larger than a four door sedan or small suv, you will possibly not fit within the lines. More or less about the complex and not Main Chick’s issue. So in conclusion, if you’re feeling like chicken this is the place for you, it’ll change your mind and surely scratch that itch. Would I recommend, YES, The only reason I didn’t rank them a 5, is the inside seating layout (not conducive for large groups at all) it’s a grab your food and beat it type of place. That really kind of killed the vibe, and ability to take everything in at least for me.

Get the spicy chicken sandwich I do a medium on the heat it's just right for me and I love spicy foods so if u can't handle go light.

I thought the chicken was good, good taste and texture with the right amount of juiciness. However I will say that the spice level for the mild was a little too spicy for my fiancee who can't handle spice very well. That's the lowest spice option besides a naked bird. Another thing is that you have to pay for a water cup, as well as any other dipping sauces. It's bewildering to me that at a spicy chicken restaurant they don't give free water. Finally the prices. They're a little more than I'm willing to pay for some chicken, but not too crazy. Definitely worth trying but a little too expensive to keep going back.

Pretty dang good. The sandwiches were actually pretty good - crispy outside and seasoned well while juicy inside. The issue is inconsistency. All the sandwich and chicken pieces were wildly different. And they didn’t offer any sauces or tell us we didn’t get any. I heard the cashier trying to charge someone for sauce but through it was extra and we didn’t have any in our to go bag.

It’s was my mistake for ordering hot .it was a nice and juicy chicken and I love hot stuff, but I should’ve ordered mild to taste the flavor and spices,even the fries was season perfectly..all it was missing was some honey to go with the heat

These chicken sammiches and tenders are bomb! If you go for spicy, they heavily season it for you and it is hot for sure. If you want the hottest they offer - Supreme - they ask you to sign a waiver. They also generously dust the seasoned fries. You’ll want a moist towelette or lots of napkins lol Small dining area but clean and neat in appearance. Very popular; lots of people run in to snag their boxed take-out order. Great service and the food is prepared fast.

Breana McGowan

Pretty dang good. The sandwiches were actually pretty good - crispy outside and seasoned well while juicy inside. The issue is inconsistency. All the sandwich and chicken pieces were wildly different. And they didn’t offer any sauces or tell us we didn’t get any. I heard the cashier trying to charge someone for sauce but through it was extra and we didn’t have any in our to go bag.

Key Roberts

It’s was my mistake for ordering hot .it was a nice and juicy chicken and I love hot stuff, but I should’ve ordered mild to taste the flavor and spices,even the fries was season perfectly..all it was missing was some honey to go with the heat

The Craic Pirate

These chicken sammiches and tenders are bomb! If you go for spicy, they heavily season it for you and it is hot for sure. If you want the hottest they offer - Supreme - they ask you to sign a waiver. They also generously dust the seasoned fries. You’ll want a moist towelette or lots of napkins lol Small dining area but clean and neat in appearance. Very popular; lots of people run in to snag their boxed take-out order. Great service and the food is prepared fast.

The fries were very salty and the few tables that were available were not cleaned. I just realized I thought it was a Dave’s Hot Chicken place.

This has been my go to hot chicken place for a couple years now. I order at least once a week. The flavor and sauce are better than any of the other hot chicken places around. But they no longer give sauce with tenders. Why did they have to go the route of McDonalds and nickel and dime their customers over sauce? Guess I'll be trying the new Raising Cane's location.

It’s like ever other chick place to have opened up recently if I’m going to be quite frank. You will either hate it or love it. Chicken in my opinion is very very over seasoned but for some it’s perfect. Out of everything I enjoy the buns and definitely the fries. Spices options are also a plus I will say if you don’t know your tolerance small steps at a time though because supreme killed me basically killed the taste and I was dying. Pricing makes me kind of stingy it’s around 20 or so bucks per person. If your trying to get the lost bang for you buck you should definitely grab the Dark Meat combo. It’s the cheapest and you get the most food which makes no sense in addition to buns and pickles and sauce so like way better priced. Everything else id say is super overpriced and also stay away from the Mac and cheese it’s acually disgusting 🤢 the noodles where stiff and the cheese sauce was Ight

The food came out pretty fast and was steaming hot which is great! Although I have a pretty high heat tolerance so I asked if I could possibly taste the supreme rub and I wasn’t allowed. I ended up getting the spicy to be safe and it had no heat, and the chicken tasted a bit too sweet for me.

Review based on Combo #1, medium spice. Was pretty much as expected. Not bad by any means, but not great either. Fries were way too heavily seasoned to the point I chose not to eat them; a quarter of the seasoning would have been better. Not bad, but not worth $15.

This place is cramped! They do not have enough seating. Maybe that's to make them look more popular than they are. The atmosphere takes a hit because of that. I wanted to dine in and had to wait to eat because people were sitting for their to-go orders. Service, while slow, can be partly understandable. I like places that cook to order. The food was a mixed bag. The spices (I went with medium heat) were bland. They had a THICK skin on the meat. It didn't taste good. It was just some bland flavor. The chicken itself was perfect. Whatever brine they use is perfect. You can taste it. I ended up peeling off the skin and just ate the chicken. Fries were mediocre. This place isn't worth your time. I wish I could get a refund.

DeAndre

This place is cramped! They do not have enough seating. Maybe that's to make them look more popular than they are. The atmosphere takes a hit because of that. I wanted to dine in and had to wait to eat because people were sitting for their to-go orders. Service, while slow, can be partly understandable. I like places that cook to order. The food was a mixed bag. The spices (I went with medium heat) were bland. They had a THICK skin on the meat. It didn't taste good. It was just some bland flavor. The chicken itself was perfect. Whatever brine they use is perfect. You can taste it. I ended up peeling off the skin and just ate the chicken. Fries were mediocre. This place isn't worth your time. I wish I could get a refund.

IG Amado

The fries were very salty and the few tables that were available were not cleaned. I just realized I thought it was a Dave’s Hot Chicken place.

Greg Hoover

This has been my go to hot chicken place for a couple years now. I order at least once a week. The flavor and sauce are better than any of the other hot chicken places around. But they no longer give sauce with tenders. Why did they have to go the route of McDonalds and nickel and dime their customers over sauce? Guess I'll be trying the new Raising Cane's location.

Editing my 5 star review from a year ago: It seems an order came down from the top to start putting 50% less fries in each box while still charging the same price. To make sure this wasn't a fluke, I had my girlfriend and a few friends order at separate times over the last week; they all got reduced amounts of fries. This used to be one of my favorite spots, but cutting your portions literally in half and telling no one is starting to cross that line into slimy business practices. If they're fine with doing this then who knows what's next on the chopping block? The only people who suffer are the customers and the local employees who will get complained at; all because of a decision made by upper management.

The quality has significantly dropped. My chicken and fries were extremely oily, wet even. the Spicy level chicken was more like a mild spice and they increased the price on extra MC sauce. The food was surprisingly ready in 7 minutes and was cold when i got to eat it. I am sure they keep it “hot and ready” like the $5 pizza from little Caesars. Mac and cheese is still great but i will not be coming back. This was my favorite chicken but everything has changed for the worse.

My chicken sandwhich was a chicken tender, see pictures... Overall the price does not match the quality, the extra charges (pickles, ranch) make it even less desirable. The chicken tenders were alright, but they did not come with a sauce cup. A little cup of ranch was $1.07 more. Not an extra, just to get 1, for 2 tenders?🤷🏼‍♂️ 1 meal was the happy hour medium spice dark meat chicken sandwhich with coleslaw and pickles, fries, and a fountain drink. With a tube of orange sauce, no clue what it was but likely fornthe sandwhich. $9.99 My son ate it all and some of my tenders. 2nd meal was a Combo 1 spicy, which is a white meat chicken sandwich with coleslaw and pickles, a chicken tender, and fries. And the same tube of sauce for the chicken tender sandwhich... 🤣$15.99. FYI this is a combo that does not include a drink, had I know that I would have gotten the dark meat chicken sandwhich. As a drink is $3, so it would make a combo 1 with a drink just about $20 with tax. Absolutely not worth that. It had some spice and not much flavor. Why they used a chicken strip and not the chicken portion listed was quite odd. But they did add a 2nd tender. I was not impressed with the 3 tenders and little bun that I had. The fries were a decent portion but I'd rather have them be seasoned. Both ordered slaw on the side and extra pickles. That turned into 1 side of pickles for $0.99. They gave 3 ketchup packets, we asked for more 3x as the fry portion was a decent size and we like ketchup. The quality of food did not match the price. It lacked flavor and just not something I'd get again. The cashier was on her phone the entire time I was there often while customers waited for her attention. Also the table marked as ADA is not ADA accessible, it needs to allow a wheelchair to fit under the table, the single center post does not accommodate a wheelchair.

Ryan's

My chicken sandwhich was a chicken tender, see pictures... Overall the price does not match the quality, the extra charges (pickles, ranch) make it even less desirable. The chicken tenders were alright, but they did not come with a sauce cup. A little cup of ranch was $1.07 more. Not an extra, just to get 1, for 2 tenders?🤷🏼‍♂️ 1 meal was the happy hour medium spice dark meat chicken sandwhich with coleslaw and pickles, fries, and a fountain drink. With a tube of orange sauce, no clue what it was but likely fornthe sandwhich. $9.99 My son ate it all and some of my tenders. 2nd meal was a Combo 1 spicy, which is a white meat chicken sandwich with coleslaw and pickles, a chicken tender, and fries. And the same tube of sauce for the chicken tender sandwhich... 🤣$15.99. FYI this is a combo that does not include a drink, had I know that I would have gotten the dark meat chicken sandwhich. As a drink is $3, so it would make a combo 1 with a drink just about $20 with tax. Absolutely not worth that. It had some spice and not much flavor. Why they used a chicken strip and not the chicken portion listed was quite odd. But they did add a 2nd tender. I was not impressed with the 3 tenders and little bun that I had. The fries were a decent portion but I'd rather have them be seasoned. Both ordered slaw on the side and extra pickles. That turned into 1 side of pickles for $0.99. They gave 3 ketchup packets, we asked for more 3x as the fry portion was a decent size and we like ketchup. The quality of food did not match the price. It lacked flavor and just not something I'd get again. The cashier was on her phone the entire time I was there often while customers waited for her attention. Also the table marked as ADA is not ADA accessible, it needs to allow a wheelchair to fit under the table, the single center post does not accommodate a wheelchair.

$8.17 for a single sandwich, with cheese, that looks like this is crazy. I wanted to go back in to mention it but honestly just wanted to eat and be on my way. The Clairemont location is 10x better.

First time going here over the weekend and it was not good. The prices were outrageous for one tender on a sandwich. The combos don’t come with a drink either. The fries were soggy and suuuuper overseasoned and the chicken tasted burnt. The slaw on the sandwich was good though. So there’s that… Was excited to try but will not be returning.

I gave the dude a $3 tip for pressing 3 buttons, and he still tried to charge me $2 for a small sauce. My food came out in less than a minute, it was ice cold. Overall experience wasn’t good, you’re better off going to Dave’s hot chicken.

I said no pickles and these fools put pickles on my tender and sandwich. I told them mild they gave me spicy. I said please add a fork for my Mac and cheese they gave me no fork or napkins. The food wasn't good at all. The mac was average and the tender and sandwich were horrendous. I haven't ate here in a year won't be back again

Customer service is mid at best don't like the lady behind the counters energy

Food is good. The service is trash. Cashier names is Cesar been Sarcastic don’t even care about the clients

My boyfriend and I ordered some fried chicken for take out. But when we almost finished food, I found a hair inside chicken skin. Food tastes good but you never want to eat again after you found the hair.

1st time here, Food over priced and combo don't include drink!!! Chicken sandwich was good try the medium spice so I decided to order a Cole slaw and when start eating it found out it was soggy and not fresh at all, order to go I was long gone to comeback and return the slaw

Ruth Li

My boyfriend and I ordered some fried chicken for take out. But when we almost finished food, I found a hair inside chicken skin. Food tastes good but you never want to eat again after you found the hair.

Ricardo Labrada

1st time here, Food over priced and combo don't include drink!!! Chicken sandwich was good try the medium spice so I decided to order a Cole slaw and when start eating it found out it was soggy and not fresh at all, order to go I was long gone to comeback and return the slaw

Food was okay. But my hubby found some hair in a previous order months ago, and another. Yall need to do a better job on inspecting your employees and how they treat their guests especially military personnels 🧍🏾 Yall should try fluster cluck chicken in point loma🧍🏾

Used to love this place and would get once every two weeks when I lived closer (at that time would give it 5 stars). However the last two times I’ve eaten here (once in March and August) my wife and I got really sick soon after eating our food. The food tastes really good but it’s concerning it would cause our stomachs to be so upset within 10 minutes of eating. This last time our stomachs still felt off the next day. At this point we will not be going back which is a bummer because they had really good hot chicken. Has anyone else been experiencing the same issues??

Daniel Korman

Used to love this place and would get once every two weeks when I lived closer (at that time would give it 5 stars). However the last two times I’ve eaten here (once in March and August) my wife and I got really sick soon after eating our food. The food tastes really good but it’s concerning it would cause our stomachs to be so upset within 10 minutes of eating. This last time our stomachs still felt off the next day. At this point we will not be going back which is a bummer because they had really good hot chicken. Has anyone else been experiencing the same issues??