Started in Philadelphia just 2 years ago, Asad’s Hot Chicken is one of the area’s top “must try” restaurants and now it appears they are “Coming Soon” to Sicklerville on Cross Keys Road.
This would be the second New Jersey location after Burlington opened last fall.
Update: Asad’s Sicklerville is Now Open. Check out my experience post!
The planned new location for Asad’s appears to be the former Texas Fried Chicken & Pizza location in the Winslow Plaza (next to ShopRite Sicklerville). Interior work has already started and the Asad’s Hot Chicken logo and distinctive graphics are in place in the customer area.
I previously reported that Dave’s Hot Chicken is taking over the former PDQ on Cross Keys Road. Crews are working on that building also.
Asad’s Hot Chicken offers a simple menu focused on large halal chicken tenders which are prepared Nashville Hot Style, and available in a variety of heat levels. French fries and coleslaw round out the combo meals. They also offer delicious milkshakes and fruit smoothies, and for dessert strawberry or banana pudding.
For the foodies of the area, Asad’s is well known and is a “must try, wait in long lines, share on social media” restaurant every time they open. While I did not make it to their first South Jersey location opening (Burlington), I understand there were long lines of customers waiting to try the delicious chicken tenders and sandwiches.
It’s an amazing local success story where the chapters are still being written. The first Asad’s Hot Chicken opened just two years ago in July 2022!
The praise and success seems well deserved… I believe it’s a combination of delicious freshly prepared food served in a large platter at a reasonable price. The most popular combo meal of a “slider with fries” is priced under 10 bucks!
So while they’ve been a secret to most of South Jersey, up to now much of the Philly metro area is well aware and telling everyone on social media! The Asad’s Instagram account has 180,000 followers… and they started just two years ago! The 2023 Philadelphia Magazine Best of Philly issue called Asad’s “Line-Worthy Chicken”.
I’ve known about Asad’s for a while now but it wasn’t until this morning that I had a chance to try it, after driving over to a newer location in Philadelphia which opened near Saint Joe’s University (Woodlane Ave).
I was impressed with my slider sandwich which featured a VERY large chicken tender on a fresh bun, Asad’s sauce and cheese. For under $10 it’s a large platter with the big sandwich, a huge portion of fries… and coleslaw, pickles and sauce to dip the fries in.
The sandwich was very tasty and cooked perfectly… Asad’s “puts the tender, in chicken tenders”! I went with a Hot style preparation which on first bite is cooled down a but with the slightly tangy sauce in the bite… but then two or three bites later the heat builds up and starts to catch ya!
Right now the Asad’s website shows 10 locations, but that’s just in a matter of a TWO very short years and they are growing rapidly via a franchise model. When Burlington opened last fall they only had four.
Asad’s Hot Chicken Sicklerville
As mentioned, the former Texas Fried Chicken and Pizza location in the Winslow Plaza on Berlin-Cross Keys Road is closed (about two weeks ago)… but immediately construction paper went up on the main windows and interior upgrades started happening.
Upgrades that clearly indicate that Asad’s Hot Chicken is taking over the space.
On the front of the customer counter, the Asad’s Hot Chicken logo is clearly seen painted in the center… as well as the brand’s distinctive graffiti style artwork throughout the space. And while I didn’t take a photo of the side walls, they are also colorfully painted.
Four large display screens are above the counter area, which match up to the digital menu display I saw during my visit to the Woodlane Ave location in Philadelphia.
Asad’s Hot Chicken does an amazing job with their social media presence and as of today there’s been no official announcement of this new Camden County location, but it’s tough to deny the interior graphics and logos which are already in place at the Winslow Township restaurant unit.
The location is the Winslow Plaza which is directly next to the ShopRite of Sicklerville, and it sits at the busy intersection of Berlin-Cross Keys Rd. and Erial/Chews Landing Road.
Hat tip to a 42Freeway reader who reached out to me, to let me know about these plans.
Asad’s Hot Chicken
Asad Khan is a Philly native with a comprehensive food industry background, growing up around the restaurant industry and developing a passion for it at a very young age.
The first Asad’s hot chicken restaurant opened in Northeast Philadelphia in 2022, and like all of the locations the menu is halal.
From Asad’s first location on it seems the local community really grabbed on to the delicious large chicken tenders, spicy seasonings and Asad’s Secret Sauce.
Very quickly the delicious flavors and excellent value grew into a large fan base who love to share the experience with others on social media.
As mentioned the chicken is prepared as large tenders which could be eaten as a tender or on a bun (slider). There are four different levels of spice (mild, hot, extra hot and scorchin’) as well as an option for no spice at all
Asad’s offers 6 combos in total, with 5 of them based on the chicken tenders. Likely the top seller is the “Number 1 Slider With Fries” which also includes pickles, coleslaw, cheese and Asad’s sauce… for under $10!
The other four options are variations on the sliders or tenders, and combo item 6 is a large platter of loaded fries.
As mentioned they offer milkshakes in six different innovative flavors including Nutella Magic, Cookies and Cream and PB blast.
Fruit Smoothies are offered in 5 flavors including Razzle Dazzle, Tutti Fruity and Tropical.
For dessert they offer Strawberry or Banana pudding flavors.
At this time I have no updates on when the Sicklerville location would be opening.
Links and Location
Asad’s Hot Chicken
Winslow Plaza
542 Berlin Cross Keys Rd
Sicklerville, NJ 08081