The restaurant, which has been accredited with kick-starting the LA craze for hellishly hot fried poultry pieces, is famous for its hours-long queues. “Of course, there’s nothing illegal about a different restaurant in Queensland, Australia serving their own version of Nashville hot chicken,” the website proclaims.Īfter its Californian branch opened last year, Howlin’ Ray’s was billed as a “tour de force in LA’s restaurant world” in an Eatery rundown of the best Los Angeles restaurant newcomers. The website pointed out that the rooster logo and red coloured theme of the soon-to-be-opened Cairns restaurant were very close to the iconic markings of the American original. What’s a consonant between continents, right?Īccording to influential online foodie mag Eater Los Angeles, it seems there’s a little bit more to the similitudes than mere alphabetic aberration and a penchant for spicy chook. The restaurant's name Howlin' Jays and venue theme bears an uncanny resemblance to cult American restaurant Howlin’ Ray’s, which also happens to be famous for its “Nashville hot chicken”. Howlin' Jays will serve up the latest food trend with American craft beers like Brooklyn Brewery in a venue blasting loud music and kitted out with kitschy posters.īut the new venture, run by James Burman, has copped some flack from a place that has led the hipster revival of the old-school dish: Los Angeles. The American themed restaurant will specialise in 'Nashville hot chicken', a spicier, higher quality version of KFC. The team behind Jimmy's Burgers on Shields St is about to open Howlin' Jay's at the Pier.

An on-trend fried chicken joint is about to open in Cairns - but it's raising eyebrows all the way over in the United States before it's even opened.

Howling hot chicken