With every March Madness competition, there are upsets and surprises. And no, we’re not talking about the state of your NCAA bracket after this past weekend.
Rather, we’re referring to the results of our 2023 spicy chicken sandwich battle, which started at 32 of the Denver area’s favorite spots for hot chicken and is now down to the final four — and just like the college basketball tournament, there were some bracket busters.
In this case, the biggest upset from our Elite Eight round has to be Blazing Bird edging out the top-seeded Music City Hot Chicken, Colorado’s first Nashville hot chicken restaurant.
Here’s a breakdown of the final four matchups. Voting begins now and runs through 9 a.m. on Monday, March 27, to determine who will play in the championship. Play fair and good luck!
The Final Four Spicy Chicken Sandwich matchups
Courtesy of Blazing Bird via BusinessDen
Blazing Bird serves hot chicken in sandwiches, tacos and burritos, plus mac and cheese and fries. (Courtesy of Blazing Bird via BusinessDen)
Try 300 Suns Brewing Nashville hot chicken sandwich is brushed with spices and topped with slaw and pickles on a buttery brioche bun. (Courtesy Nathan Venzara)
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Blazing Bird vs. 300 Suns Brewing
It’s a duel between a small Colorado-based chain and a brewery. The Blazing Bird, a family-owned Nashville chicken spot, first opened in Arvada in 2020 and added three more spots in Fort Collins, Englewood and Denver in the last two years. 300 Suns Brewing, on the other hand, partnered with Scratch food truck owner Nate Say to create a brewpub in Longmont in 2019.
Will Blazing Bird’s chicken tender sammy, which can be ordered with heat levels ranging from mild to the waiver-required “blazing,” or 300 Suns’ classic Nashville hot, which can be dusted with ghost pepper, Carolina reaper or habanero seasoning, prove victorious?
Dave’s Hot Chicken opened in Los Angeles in 2017 and has since expanded to 100 locations. (Provided by Dave’s Hot Chicken)
Denver Biscuit Co.’s The Beeler is made with Nashville hot fried chicken, homemade ranch dressing, pickles and served on a buttermilk biscuit. (Courtesy Nate Lotz)
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Dave’s Hot Chicken vs. Denver Biscuit Co.
National meets local in this fiery matchup. Dave’s is an L.A.-based franchise that started in 2017 and has since expanded to more than 100 locations, earning the title as the fastest-growing chain in the U.S. Its simple menu features chicken tenders or a sandwich with seven levels of heat.
Meanwhile, Denver Biscuit Co., which has six locations in Denver and one in Kansas City, is ready to rumble with The Beeler, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich served on a biscuit with pickles and homemade ranch dressing, or any of its fried chicken sandwiches, which can be also be dipped in the restaurant’s Nashville hot glaze, made from bacon grease, according to owner Drew Shader.
This bracket is sponsored by Society Insurance. Learn more at societyinsurance.com/colorado.
