Love Burn, South San Francisco

130 Northwood St, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 763-1887
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-9pm

Parking: street parking or free lot one street away
https://www.loveburnchicken.com/

Last Visited: January 31, 2021

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: N/A

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $

Love Burn is located inside Hometown Bowl and if you're not looking, you could easily pass it by.

Hot chicken sandwiches have finally made it to South San Francisco.  Over the last couple of years, I noticed the trend popping up at Popeye's Chicken.  The legend begins back in the 1930s in Nashville, Tennessee.  Thornton Prince, a ladies' man known for being tall and handsome, had stepped out on his main squeeze one night.  When she found out, she decided to sabotage his favorite Sunday meal, fried chicken, with a punishing spice.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you view it, he loved the chicken.  And that's how hot chicken was born. 

An authentic Nashville hot chicken sandwich from the Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is marinated and spiced with cayenne pepper. Served atop a slice of white bread, the chicken is also topped with pickle chips.

Variations here in South San Francisco typically involve a bun and some kind of mayonnaise-based sauce. At Love Burn, you can choose your level of spice: 0 - Just a Friend, 1 - Crush (mild), 2 - First Date (medium), 3 - Burning Love (hot), and 4 - One Night Stand (HOT!!!).

- Hot Chicken Sandwich - A crispy fried chicken thigh is served on a potato bun with creamy coleslaw and pickles.  The price is a bit steep at first look, but this chicken sandwich can easily feed two light eaters.  It gets a bit messy, but the chicken is flavorful and fried crispy.  I chose a level 1 because I'm wimpy and was not at all bothered by the heat.  Based on customer feedback, this potato bun has already been adjusted by Love Burn since its first iteration, but it does tend to fall apart by the time you are midway through the sandwich.  Tasty, nevertheless.  Just have extra napkins on hand.  $14  

- Seasoned French Fries - While incredibly simple, these fries were delicious.  Fried just to the right level so that the outside is crispy and the inside is cooked through and tender.  I couldn't stop eating these.  $3.50 

Other menu options include a Hot Leg Quarter sandwich served on a slice of bread and sides like macaroni salad, creamy coleslaw, sauces, and churros. Service was friendly, although I had to wait a while for someone to come to the counter.  They thanked me for waiting when I did finally get greeted and when I left.  Expect orders to take time because each sandwich is made to order.  I probably waited 20 minutes during lunch hour without pre-ordering.  Love Burn is also affiliated with SSF Chickenbox (last day is July 1) which recently rebranded themselves to be Respectable Bird.  I really enjoyed my SSF Chickenbox experience since you can order fried chicken by the piece and who doesn't love that?