Clutch City Cluckerse
will soon start serving cheesy chicken sandwiches with tons of spice and H-Town prid

An alumni of Houston’s first halal food truck is set to open his own restaurant next month, a Nashville-style hot chicken truck that will offer halal meats, cheesy chicken sandwiches, loaded fries and more.

Clutch City Cluckers, at 5550 Val Verde Street, will host its grand opening the weekend of February 19 with a blowout event that will include half off the entire menu.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Ahmad Kilani, a Jordanian immigrant who first landed in Houston in 2015 to study for a masters degree. While going to school full time, Kilani also started working at Abu Omar Halal, the city’s first halal food truck. Kilani eventually invested in the brand, and now owns six of the restaurant’s 15 locations state-wide, including the chain’s brick and mortar at 6377 Westheimer Road.

Kilani is using the knowledge he’s gained of the restaurant industry over the past six years to jump on one of the hottest trends in Houston dining — Nashville-style hot chicken. Clutch City Cluckers will serve Nashville’s signature cayenne-heavy yardbird, but will use all halal meat. Menu items include the standard hot chicken sandwich, with a healthy dollop of cole slaw to temper the heat; a hot chicken sandwich topped with gooey melted cheese; and fries loaded with chicken tenders, cheese and pickles.

The restaurant also serves as a tribute to Houston, the city that Kilani says gave him a major career boost. The restaurant’s logo features a a rocket in homage to the sports team that gave Houston the “Clutch City” nickname. Kilani said he also wants to help provide jobs to Houstonians and to support the local economy.

Clutch City Chicken’s grand opening will take place Friday, February 19 through Sunday, February 21 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant’s normal hours will also include late night service — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.