CH-CH-CHANGES
Bobby Flay-beating chef debuts new San Antonio chicken sandwich joint

Chicken Ranch is taking over Cooper's Ice House
The Philadelphia chef who beat Bobby Flay in a fried chicken standoff is back with a new restaurant in San Antonio. Chad Rosenthal of Motel Fried Chicken fame has partnered with Cooper’s Ice House to open Chicken Ranch at 8403 TX-151 #101, a concept devoted to the celebrity chef's famously juicy fried chicken.
Chicken Ranch is currently operating as a pop-up inside Cooper’s, which will retain ownership of the concept. The restaurant’s operations manager, via an Instagram message, says the team will fully complete the changeover on October 7.
The menu includes snacks like jalapeño hush puppies served with pimento cheese and soft Bavarian pretzels. And, of course, there will be plenty of fried chicken, including tenders and wings.
The menu also features a wedge salad and waffle fries, which can be made spicy for a little kick. A pair of monster chicken sandwiches, the Showstopper and the Spicy Siren, round off the menu.
Rosenthal is best known in Pennsylvania, where he operates intimate dinner spot Mary, and Mary's Chicken Strip Club. He shot to fame by besting Bobby Flay with herb-brined fried chicken.
That recipe, a protein pivot during the pandemic, became one of his most defining dishes. In 2020, he partnered with former San Antonio chef James Canter to open Motel Fried Chicken in the Five Points Local, a now-closed ghost kitchen.
It’s unclear whether Chicken Ranch will keep Cooper’s hours. Currently the restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 am-12 am and Friday and Saturday, 11 am-2 am.
