Poultry in motion
Roving San Antonio chicken pop-up lands in permanent Northwest Side locale
One of San Antonio’s most popular pop-ups has settled into a permanent home. ChiChi Birds Hot Chicken, known for its spicy sandwiches, quietly launched November 15 at Shenanygans Sports Bar & Lounge at 6422 Babcock Rd.
According to owner and chef Caleb Lott, settling down was a natural next step after approximately a year in business. He established the concept in 2018 as a private underground “restaurant” his dad’s backyard, quickly going public as a roving kitchen popping up at spots like The Squeezebox and Sangria on the Burg.
“It was time to move on to something bigger and better,” says Lott of the decision to roost in a permanent locale.
Though the atmosphere for the brick-and-mortar will be different, the menu will be familiar to longtime fans. Chicken sandwiches are still the focus, including the signature Bird with white bread, twice-cooked fried chicken, coleslaw, pickles, and a proprietary sauce.
In addition to the main fare, Chi Chi Birds also serves other hot chicken dishes and appetizers like fried mushrooms and pickles. An assortment of wings rounds out the menu in flavors ranging from jalapeño lemon to the incendiary atomic.
Shenanygins will continue serving its bar program, but Lott said it is getting a rebranding. In the upcoming weeks, it will switch over to the name Par Bar.
Following the weekend soft open, Chi Chi Birds will be open seven days a week. Hours are 11 am-1 am with a last call at midnight.
