Howlin’ Willy’s turns up the heat in Atlanta

ATLANTA - It was just about a year ago that we were celebrating a major milestone with Atlanta’s own Willy Bitter: the 25th anniversary of the day he opened the very first Willy’s Mexicana Grill in Buckhead.

And it looks like Bitter’s got big plans for the next 25 years, as he unveils a brand-new concept sure to fire up a city that’s already used to extreme heat!

This morning, we got a first taste of Howlin’ Willy’s Hot Chicken, which serves up Nashville-style hot chicken on a scale from "Not Hot" to "Howlin’" — and trust us, with ghost peppers in the mix, Howlin’ might just bring a few tears to your eyes.  

The menu is short and sweet (or, short and spicy), with chicken available in tenders and wings and in sandwiches or a salad; guests get to choose their heat level when ordering. Of course, sides including mac & cheese and crinkle-cut fries are also available, as are some sweets: fried apple hand pies (sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar!) and soft-serve ice cream. 

Howlin’ Willy’s is located at 1071 Piedmont Avenue, inside the Willy’s Mexicana Grill at the edge of Piedmont Park; for more information or to check out the menu, click here.

Now, anyone who’s ever seen us with Willy Bitter on television knows things can get a little competitive — so, this morning we naturally challenged the restaurateur to a hot chicken eating contest. Can Willy handle the heat? Can we? Click the video player to find out! 

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