Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker.
Nobody likes wings or chicken as much as Bobby Shuey does.
Shuey, a regular backyard cook and wings fanatic, couldn’t find the cure for his chicken fix.
He needed something fried and smothered in sauce that was similar to the wings he regularly made at home.
He could’ve gone to any fast food restaurant for chicken in Dallas.
There was Raising Cane’s, but they specialized in chicken strips. Chick-fil-A was an option, but it still didn’t match what he was searching for. And although he loved Pluckers for their wings, he wasn’t a fan of the “two-hour wait.”
Something was still missing.
The only way to resolve Shuey’s chicken issue was to open Bad Chicken, his own fast-casual chicken concept.
Opening a restaurant was new to him. Shuey, who had been in the tech industry for years, knew he was going to need a partner with restaurant experience.
In June of 2022, Shuey met chef Tim Woehr, who is seasoned in food industry management and hospitality. They ironically met at Pluckers and after discussing the concept, Woehr was in.
“It wasn’t [about] creating a restaurant to make the most money, it was because I had this passion for food,” Shuey says. “I wanted to get these recipes I’ve always had out there.”
Five months later, they signed a short-term lease in Preston Center and waited to see if their project was going to resonate with Dallasites.
The menu started with just their signature wings, but more concepts like the buffalo chicken bowl, stuffed with mac and cheese, curly fries and sweet potato fries, a classic chicken sandwich, a bacon PB&J sandwich and chicken nuggets were added. Sides are simple though — loaded fries, coleslaw and elote.
“[Bad Chicken’s differentiating staple is chicken that is] flash fried to order, which makes it possible to offer top-tier wings at drive-thru speed,” Shuey says. “While you can get smoked and flashed fried wings at most BBQ restaurants, we are one of the few chicken restaurants in the state that serve smoked wings.”
August 2023, the eatery announced their relocation to Old East Dallas at 5014 Ross Ave. Eight months later, Bad Chicken opened with a revamped look featuring a large family-friendly patio, an arcade area in the dining room, cocktails such as watermelon slushies and frozen margaritas, which can be purchased at their drive-thru until 2 a.m.
The move was “literally the perfect spot,” with recent growth in the neighborhood and proximity to major spots like Knox Henderson and Lower Greenville.
The 2,800-square-foot blue-and-red eatery is for everyone, they say, as the space includes indoor seating for 44 and patio seating for 40, suitable for grabbing food with family or for a late-night bite after a night out with friends.
Instead of going with a “typical color scheme and trending artwork,” the duo created a “fun party vibe” that invited people to lounge.
“For us, it’s all about standing out and letting people have some fun,” Shuey says.
The interior is described as “electric and vibrant” but also peppers in a retro feel with Sega game consoles and movie artwork that combines some throwback movies.
“This place is Bad Chicken,” says Woehr, comparing Bad Chicken 2.0 to their 2022 brick-and-mortar.
A new feature of the Ross location is an updated dessert menu that includes cheesecake eggrolls with blueberry compote and classics like churro donut holes and lemon ice box pie.
“My wife and I are dessert addicts so we wanted to create a robust selection of desserts and all made in-house,” Shuey says.
Since moving to the area, business has skyrocketed, Shuey says. Whether it’s related to an increase of younger customers walking nearby, their selection of 28 sauces, late hours or perhaps the punny name.
“I’m a big believer that if you eat somewhere you really like and you go tell your friends but they can’t remember what that name is, nobody’s gonna [remember it,]” Shuey says. “There’s 10,000 restaurants in Dallas and if your name doesn’t stand out, no one’s gonna remember it.”
Bad Chicken is serving three to four times the amount of people they used to serve at the last location and are ready for the day they get to expand.
“We have more customers than I could have imagined that come in and tell us this is the third, fourth, fifth, 10th time they’ve been here since we opened and they keep bringing more and more people each time they come,” Shuey says.
“No one’s going to forget Bad Chicken.”
Bad Chicken, 5014 Ross Ave, 469. 206. 0237, badchicken.com
