13 February 12 - 18, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Hurts So Good A guide to the spiciest dishes in Dallas. BY TYLER DANIELS W hen is spicy food at its best? At 2 a.m.? After a breakup, when you’re ready to feel the pain? Spicy food is appropri- ate whenever you need it. We did some of our own sleuthing and got tips from several chefs for what they order when they’re feeling spicy. Chef Sarabjit Singh Assi of Sanjh told the Observer that with In- dian food, spicy isn’t so much about heat, “It really means food that’s well-seasoned and layered with spices. Heat is just one part of it. I like to focus on depth, aroma, and balance.” He added that at his restaurant, sourcing spices directly from India and grinding them in- house gives his dishes a bold and fresh flavor, rather than aggressive heat. Chef Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint warns that ‘spicy’ means different things to different cultures. “Let’s say, if spicy was a scale of one to three, where one is mild, two is medium, three is spicy, then Thai spicy would be like a four or five.” Following is a list of the 10 spiciest dishes in the city. Good luck and don’t hurt yourself. The A-Bomb at Ricky’s 100 S Central Expressway, Richardson, 3810 S Cooper St., Arlington, and 8400 Preston Road, Plano Ricky’s Nashville hot chicken is a Dallas staple. The simple sandwiches are made with buttered buns, pickles, slaw and Com- back Sauce. There are six levels here, top- ping off with the A-BOMB, which has become somewhat legendary. The spice mix includes jalapeño, habanero, Ghost pepper, scorpion pepper and Reaper. Have milk on hand. Spicy Fried Chicken at Brick and Bones 2651 Commerce St. Brick and Bones is consistently one of our favorites for fried chicken in Dallas. Here, the chicken is brined for 24 hours in a Mexi- can-inspired mix of japones, piquin, cay- enne and morita peppers, honey, salt and garlic, rendering a juicy and flavorful bite even after frying. The heat is then enhanced with a spicy oil-based sauce added just be- fore serving. The result is a piquant bite that delivers smoky heat in both the crust and the meat, rather than just a coating of hot sauce. Oyster Tofu Soup at Cho Dang Village 2625 Old Denton Road, No. 404, Carrollton, and 109 Legacy Drive, Plano Chef Nikky Phinyawatana told us that at her restaurant, Asian Mint, she goes for the Pa- paya Salad and Asian Noodle Salad when she wants heat. But when going out, she rec- ommends Cho Dang Village for their tofu soup, otherwise known as sundubu jjigae, which is infused with Korean chili paste and flakes to create a balance of spicy and savory. The spice scale here goes from one to five, and is labeled “white,” “mild,” “medium,” “spicy” and “very spicy.” If Chef Nikky’s pre- vious scale holds any value, then level five isn’t for the weak. We can only imagine that labeling level one “white” is a hint for new customers. Spicy Tenders at Mike’s Chicken 4234 Maple Ave. and 7752 Forest Lane In a world full of Dave’s Hot Chicken and Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets, we Dallas- ites have Mike’s to remind us that hot chicken is real and meaningful, not just a trend. The menu is perfect, with a chicken option for everyone, and classic sides done just right. Mike’s made its way on our list via Chef Anasticia Quinones-Pittman. When asked for her favorite spicy dish, Mike’s was her immediate answer. “Mike’s chicken has a spicy option for tender and bone-in. It’s fantastic,” she says. “Pair it with their house- made Buffalo.” She ended the message with a sweating tongue-out emoji and fiery heart emoji, which are very crucial details. Curry at Ka Thai 3220 McKinney Ave., 8185 Walnut Hill Lane and 6859 Arapaho Road Ka Thai has over 430 five-star reviews on Yelp, and “spicy” flies around in those re- views like seagulls behind a shrimp boat, with some even calling it too spicy. This restaurant offers five curry dishes: yellow, red, green, massaman and pineapple, which you can order on a scale of 1 to 5. One reviewer notes that if you like spice, ask for the 3, leaving us to wonder what 4 and 5 must be like. It isn’t just Yelp showing Ka Thai love, though; influencer Nara Smith, who was recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the most influential creators in the world, called Ka Thai one of her favorite Dallas restaurants. Damn Damn Hot Noodles at Red Stix 1499 Regal Row and 10305 Bee St., Farmers Branch The Damn Damn Hot Noodles at Red Stix were recommended to us by pitmaster Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck Cattle Co. Red Stix has an all-star chef of their own: Uno Immanivong, a first-generation Asian Amer- ican born in a Thai refugee camp who left a banking career after being mentored by An- thony Bourdain. She’s built a celebrated cu- linary career blending Thai and Lao flavors. The Damn Damn Hot Noodles comes with a warning and has its own TikTok challenge. Kori Gasi at Sanjh 5250 N. O’Connor Blvd., Irving Chef Sarabjit Singh Assi of Sanjh recom- mends the Kori Gasi at Sanjh, which is made with a coconut milk base, Guntur chilies, garlic, curry leaves and strong South Indian spices. “The heat comes through right away and stays with you,” he says, adding that it is still deeply flavorful, but the heat is the star of the show. Spicy Fish Fillets at Sichuan Folk 109 Legacy Drive, Plano The spicy fish fillets at Sichuan Folk are leg- endary. These grilled fish filets are served hot-pot style, swimming in a sea of chili oil, ginger, scallions and peppers. The key to the heat here is the intense mala from the com- bination of Sichuan peppercorns that numb, then the chilis that light a fire. The Salazar Burger at Goodfriends 1154 Peavy Road Goodfriend used to have an Annihilator on the menu, but perhaps they got served too many restraining orders. Now, they have The Salazar, which the menu says is “Hot enough for Javier.” It’s made with habaneros and Ghost Chili Sauce, which is often de- scribed as very hot, even for people who “like heat.” No. 1 Plus Chicken 2240 Royal Lane and 2625 Old Denton Road, Carrollton This Korean spot has great fried chicken op- tions, including Green Onion, White Onion and even Crack Chicken, which is topped with their “addictive crack powered cheese blend.” If you prefer to light you insides, or- der the XXSpicy heat level. Kristy Yang wrote for the Observer about this spot, “There are spicy foods, and then there is No. 1 Plus Chicken. Holy moly.” Her boyfriend “wirthed and burped in pain the whole night.” We hope they worked that out. ▼ DRINK THIS GOES DOWN EASY THE BEST $10 YOU’LL SPEND IN DALLAS: A WHISKEY SHOT WITH A BROWN GRAVY BACK. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T here ain’t no rookies at Easy Slider. And their new digs just outside Deep Ellum doesn’t give sophomore vibes (despite being their second brick and mor- tar). On a side street you didn’t know ex- isted, Easy Slider is in its senior year and is ready to have a good — easy — time. Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes founded Easy Slider with a mission to create the perfect bite and they’ve done quite well. This new lo- cation enjoys split custody between Deep El- lum and East Dallas, a mesh up of two iconic neighborhoods. It’s just celebrating one year at this new location, and, yeah, we’re made we only recently checked it out. Easy Slider started back in 2011 as a food truck, part of the early wave of trucks that hit the street. The gourmet sandwiches have always quelled whatever hunger pains you had. Then, in 2017 they opened a bar in Deep Ellum, a lively fun spot awash in the big party energy that Deep Ellum is known for. They closed that location in 2023, saying at the time that the spot never recovered af- ter the pandemic. This new space opened a year ago and is like when Dad buys his first leather recliner. It’s on a quiet side street and is a simple space with modern touches and a warm glow. The Food The backbone of the Easy Slider experience is still the small sandwiches. Staples like The Sweet and Lowdown — beef, bacon, goat cheese and strawberry jam — offer the per- fect bite (or three). There are eight sliders total, plus a Big Smash (regular burger, chicken strips) and a patty melt. But the menu changes by day: that’s sort of the crux of the experience Easy Slider. Differ- ent days mean unique menus and events. On a chilly January night, we stopped in for Italian Disco, which is every Thursday. This is not an actual disco, more of a vibe. Old Italian tunes play overhead, and old Italian films play on the TV. A chicken parm is the real pride and joy of the event, though: two breaded and fried tenderloins are topped with marinara, pesto, and Aaren Prody New-age romance is locking eyes with that first bite of your hot chicken sandwich. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish >> p14
