A fried chicken sandwich for every taste.

Bay Area chefs go to extremes in their love of bold, spicy, sidehustle sandwiches

Just when it seems we’ve been there and done that with the fried chicken sandwich — didn’t we peak with Popeye’s 2019 hot take? — Bay Area chefs are rolling out more signature styles from extra hot and sour versions on Dutch crunch buns to those using chicken thighs first brined in pickles for 48 hours.

Of course, fried chicken sandwiches are nothing new; they’ve been on menus at other restaurants such as momandpop shop Bakesale Betty in Oakland, which debuted its now famous sandwich nearly 20 years ago.

But these versions go to new extremes. So what gives?

For Collin Hilton, chef at ABV in San Francisco, it was a way to keep the restaurant afloat.

“It was a weird time in the pandemic when every restaurant was trying to reinvent themselves,” noted Hilton. Like other restaurants, ABV was dabbling in retail. One item on offer was a package of pastured poultry, which Hilton tested by turning it into a fried chicken sandwich. The version he ended up creating was such a hit with staff that he put it on the menu.

“It was the result of us trying to navigate the pandemic and stay in business, but it ended up being special,” said Hilton of the sandwich.

For David Fisher, who runs the fine dining restaurant Marlena with his wife, Serena Chow, the chicken sandwich is a creative outlet. “It’s funny, because I love getting complex with food, and I also absolutely love simplicity,” said Fisher, who typically serves laborintensive, intricately plated dishes during dinner service at the restaurant.

Others, like True Laurel’s executive chef Geoff Davis, see it as a way to keep customers happy. “I’m not someone who wants to have two sandwiches on the menu,” said Davis, whose impressive patty melt has been a menu mainstay since the cocktail bar opened just over four years ago. But Davis needed an additional item that was portable, so he introduced the Spicy Chicken Sandwich.

Enjoy it while you can. “I don’t see it staying on when things return to normal,” Davis said.

Here’s a look at some of these new fried chicken sandwiches around the Bay Area.