Ok, this arrangement is going to work out nicely! Baba's Chicken is a great addition to the Riverside Food Lab and the rapidity with which they filled the recently opened space is also admirable. A few days prior I spoke with one of the owners (Omar) who said Saturday (today incidentally) February 8th was the grand opening and when I walked up a little after noon a line was already formed and happy campers sat all around diving in to their impressive looking orders. For those familiar with Howlin' Ray's in Chinatown, the similarities are there but Baba's is no clone. One table had just picked up their order of Loaded Fries and man was it a huge portion for only $9! Check that out for sure! My turn came and a brief consultation with the cashier helped me determine that Medium has a kick and that's the place to calibrate your tolerance to spice. One suggestion I'd like to provide is to make it more clear on the menu board to state a choice of sides is available for the Chicken Tenders. I assumed that fries was the default but when offered a choice of macncheese, Cole slaw, or fried pickles I did not hesitate to get the macncheese. The food came out remarkably fast but not before I had a pleasant conversation with Fatima, one of the partners, and the source of the fantastic cupcake made available to the first 50 customers of the day. There's a good chance I'll return for dinner too! Chicken, this was awesome because despite the thin but savory batter, the meat was 100% breast sourced and not "parts" either. Very hot too so proceed accordingly. The spice level was mouth tingling with a very long finish on the lips (like a great wine). Two slices of bread are included so roll those puppies up! I asked for the House Sauce (they have Ranch too but I hate that stuff) and found it a very good accompaniment to the tenders. The macncheese also pleased me greatly because they use one of my favorite shapes of pasta (serpentine) and the extra creamy cheese is wonderful. The craft soda was nice but not essential. Extra napkins, a fork and knife, are, however, required! Bravi! PS- wishlist item(s) please consider adding traditional fried chicken to the lineup! PPS- I returned for dinner and brought reinforcements, this way we tried the Mild and Medium Tenders head-to-head plus two other sides (fried pickles and fries). Omar is fantastic, thank you very much for being so wonderful. We'll be back very soon. read more

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Super crunchy on the outside, tender and tasty on the inside. Toss your Popeyes in the trash and come to this place instead. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Oh goodie - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

Food was pricey for what we were given. Had an issue with our order and returned to the serving counter to get it fixed. There was a rude female employee who constantly had "smart" remarks, snickered to her coworkers right in front of me, and rudely pushed the food to me. All I was asked was to politely have the ranch removed as it clearly stated on our receipt "NO ranch". If this was not possible she could've stated that and I would've understood. Would be willing to try a different location- the food lab location is a no from me. read more

Conveniently located in the Riverside Food Lab (food hall). This seemed like one of the crowd favorites. There's also a few bars/pubs adjacent to this place where you can bring your food and have a drink too. The hot chicken was super flavorful and a packed a decent amount of heat, I went for the mild, and it was just right. The chicken was slightly dry, maybe bc it was a breast piece. I might request dark meat next time (if that's even a possibility). Also, Free Mac and cheese with a yelp check in! read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Cheddar Mac & Cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

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What was the Food Lab missing (besides an Ice Cream place obviously) a hot fried chicken place. Happy to say Baba's Chicken offers just that for those in the IE looking for Nashville hot chicken sandwich. This place overs the general things you would expect at a fried chicken sandwich place. One of there unique offering are is their loaded chicken fries. I must admit lately I've been suffering from fired chicken sandwich fatigue, so I went with the loaded fries. Happy to say the loaded fries were delicious, for what ever reason the food lab is a great place to get loaded fries of any variety and this place is no different. I went with medium spice for my chicken. I must say the medium/ mild is pretty spicy for the level of spice. It had just enough kick to it with out over powering your taste buds. The fries combination and ingredients were perfect together, everything that came with it was the same ingredients you would get in a hot chicken sandwich only with fries. Next time I will probably try a chicken sandwich which I imagine will probably be really good also. At least for now if your looking for some loaded fries look no further. read more

The loaded fries here are amazing and always filling! The ambiance can be a bit packed but worth the wait and service is always quick and welcoming. read more

Food is always soo good if you're looking for a spicy chievken sandwich this place is it! And the vibes here are always there!

I got the hot chicken sandwich and it had a bit of a kick but felt like a pretty dry chicken tender. They were pretty backed up on orders so mine took a while to come out even though it was a pretty simple order. The restaurant is in a food court with a bar which was a pretty cool place to come hangout with friends. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Mini Baba's Combo Cheddar Mac & Cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

The chicken is great and I enjoy the food lab vibe. The service is great and the workers are great! Recommend highly!

So I've heard about Babas Hot Chicken a few times in the Orange County area, and here I am in a different county (Riverside) driving around hungry and I come across a food court area with Babas Hot Chicken. I got their chicken tenders with fried pickles and a mini order of the loaded fries. As for the spice level, I only went with medium cause I heard they go really hot on the spice levels here. The chicken was cooked just right, and it was delicious! The loaded fries were really good too and it was hard to stop eating the entire time. I drizzled a little bit of honey on the chicken tenders and it was just the perfect balance of hot and sweet for me. The side order of fried pickles were really good too, it's exactly what you want with your fried chicken and loaded fries. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Baba's Tenders Combo and Baba's Loaded Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

This place is located inside of the Riverside Food Lab. There are plenty of options here, but, this spot stands out. Let's start with the fact that this is the fastest hot chicken sandwich combo I've ever received. I ordered and about two minutes later they're handing me my bag. It's a great sandwich too! The fry on the chicken was perfect! The bun held up well too. You can select different levels of heat and I love that. The fries are great and get served with two different ranches on the side. I wasn't in love with the mac and cheese though. It's cheesy, but it wasn't my favorite. Great place overall. I'll be back again soon! read more

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The sandwich was huge! I ordered hot and it was a good spice level. I liked the coleslaw and pickles. The bun wasn't toasted, I would have preferred if it was. The fries are perfect and whatever seasoning is used is delicious. Ordered fried pickles and it was a generous serving size for only $4. Totally forgot to try the Mac and cheese, next time for sure. Park in the garage (First 90 mins free) There is inside & outside seating available. There is also a full bar right in front of Buba's. read more

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I love the fact that the food is prepared to order. I ordered the chicken sandwich combo with cheese. The combo included crinkle cut fries and a fountain drink. You get to choose how spicy you want the chicken: mild, medium, hot or extreme. I'm a wimp so I chose mild. The chicken sandwich was piping hot and and it tasted pretty good. Unfortunately, it was a bit overcooked which made it slightly dry instead of the juiciness you'd expect from a nice piece of fried chicken. The sandwich is topped with a simple coleslaw and pickles. The fries were decent. They were salted and piping hot as well which is always a plus. I'd definitely try this place again because I think the sandwich would have been excellent had the chicken not been slightly overcooked. read more

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The Riverside food lab was pretty popping thanks to this hot spot here, I was lucky enough to find parking as the time frame might running out when they stopped doing Yelp Elite experience which I only found out when the restaurant told me when I arrived. The food overall was great, chicken piece was huge, tasteful, and juicy not overwhelmingly with seasoning; crinkle fries pairing also great with dipping sauce, pickles plus coleslaw. Thank you to our CM and Yelp Elite for hosting another excellent event. read more

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Was excited to see a Hot Chicken Sandwich spot inside the Food Lab and knew I had to try it! I got to try the Mild Sandwich, Crinkle Fries, and Mac and Cheese. Everything was really good and the portions were pretty filling. I thought that the Sandwich itself was a decent portion for one, as it had two big pieces of chicken. The sandwich was a bit messy to eat though, since the two pieces of chicken kept sliding around and the coleslaw was falling out. I ended up cutting my Sandwich in half and that made it a lot easier to eat. The Mild in my opinion did not have any spice and I would probably go for Medium next time. My friend who got Extreme, did end up regretting it as he said it was way spicier than he expected. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Baba's Sandwich Combo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

I must have a refined Taste bud because this Chicken Sandwich was Horribe,It had no taste the chicken was flavorless, The fried Pickles are good. I will not eat at this establishment again. read more

Baba's hot chicken was very delicious. The two piece tender combo came with a side of choice for ~$12. I added on an extra tender for $5 because I was pretty hungry. I liked how you were able to customize the spice level and I got hot tenders. The tenders were surprisingly super filling and I could only finish two of them. The spice definitely crept up on me and I ended up drinking half a gallon of water (my mistake). Overall, the food was good. I ended up waiting 30 minutes in line for food because it was crowded which was not the best, but it's a popular spot. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Venue - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

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Ari's customer service was great and the food was nice and delicious. I'll be coming back to this place for sure

Great service and food the chicken is really crunchy. Nice ambience and environment too

First time visiting Baba's hot chicken. I ordered the mini Baba's meal, small chicken sandwich. The bread was good and the chicken was juicy. The pickle was fresh. I just felt it lacked flavor. The only seasoning I tasted was the cayenne pepper. I was a little disappointed. I received a free side of Mac and cheese for checking in on yelp. . I'm glad I didn't pay for it as it tasted like the pot was burnt. A no from me! I paid $15+ tip a little steep for a chicken sandwich. I probably won't be visiting again. read more

Normal service, just too quick service for something that's not fast food. Came out within 3 mins. Also ordered a mini baba sandwich that had a chicken tender about a quarter of the size of the sandwich bread. Salty ass food, overly salted fries and chicken. Tiny sandwich almost same price as this big box. Pickles were good tho. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Baba's Loaded Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

On November 8th, I attended the Yelp perk at Babas chicken which took place from 1pm-6pm, which I had never had some of the items before the food was actually not bad this time around I ordered the classic chicken sandwich this sandwich has different spice levels and I chose no spice, mini loaded fries, & mac & cheese. I am giving an updated review due to the event, but although the food was great I'm giving 2 stars because Baba's was not ready at all for the event, and what I mean by that was the mass confusion that took place. The person in charge had forgotten about the Yelp perk, staff had no idea about the Yelp perk, and the boxes of goodies could not be found & when they were found I only received one plate & one item even though I bought multiple food items I wanted another plate I was denied an extra plate so I made due. The whole experience was not pleasant It was crowded, I couldn't hear my name from where I was sitting 20 minutes went by I asked for my food it had been sitting there awhile so my food was not hot anymore along with several other bags of food. I noticed they are & were so busy they call the names one time and move on, they definitely need a new system perhaps a loud speaker, megaphone or paging system. I say that due to people have the same first name and it got confusing some people had to wait for their food to be remade, because it was given to another person with the same name. Needless to say if I go back I will go when it is not peak hours, and give a weird fictitious name, and stand very close to the one register taking orders which is ridiculous they need at least two registers. read more

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Quality chicken & great service from the babas in downtown riverside!!! I would recommend the Liquid Gold sandwich!!

Love, love, love this place! I personally think it's batter than Dave's Hot Chicken and they always have the most amazing and caring staff!!! read more

Great service I get my food right away even when they are busy the people that take the orders are very nice and helpful they never messed up my orders . read more

I've been here several times now, and it never disappoints! There's nothing like a perfectly giant, spicy, crunchy, but also moist chicken sandwich, especially when it's complimented so nicely with the right slaw, pickles and a soft fresh bun - and they do it perfectly! There's always a bit of a wait here to order, but that's because the food is always worth it. Plus the staff is always friendly, and once you order it doesn't take too long at all for the food to make its way out. On this day, I ordered the Chicken Sandwich (which is huge by the way - made with two very large chicken strips) in mild (as I've ordered the hot before, and I know they don't mess around with heat here) with fries, and then also ordered a side of mac and cheese, a side of fried pickles, and a mini babas chicken sandwich (which is probably what size I should order on a regular basis) in medium heat (I wanted to taste the heat difference). Everything was so good, as always. I was really surprised I enjoyed the fried pickles so much; I'd never had those here before, and they'll definitely be added to all of my orders going forward. The sandwiches were so delicious. I didn't really taste too much of a difference between the mild/medium heat, but loved them both the same and with a drizzle of honey over the top of each bite. Their fries are always nice and hot, perfectly crisp and have just the right amount of seasoning on them. read more

Great service, one of my favorite spots in the lab! Fried pickles and a fresh hot chicken sandwich

I had never been to the food lab here but was in town and decided to come down and check this place out . The chicken sandwich here was very good, full of flavor, very tender chicken, the pickles were great, very good sandwich I'd say. I will definitely be coming back and would have this sandwich a hundred more times. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Hot chicken Baba's Hot Sandwich With fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

September 12th, 2021 - Sunday HALAL!!! Ordered: 1 Baba's Loaded Fries (Mild) $10 1 Baba's Sandwich Combo (Mild) $12 1 Yelp Mac and Cheese Mild flavor was not spicy at all, we might have to come back and up the level up. Baba's Loaded Fries was such a good combination inside the melted cheese and so much sauce did not make the fries soggy at all. Baba's Sandwich combo - my husband said he wished they put more sauce it was a bit dry and would up the level of spice cuz mild tasted as if it was classic. Mac and Cheese was our fav it was really cheesy and creamy and ranch flavor to it! Real good. Parking is a little hassle trying to find on the streets, and the Food Lab is self has so much variety would love to check it out again. Quite a busy food court! read more

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I really tried giving this place a chance, but I just can't. I would not come here again. I ordered a Baba chicken sandwich with a side of fried pickles. I took a bite of the fried pickle... the driest piece of fried food I've ever tried. Couldn't even finish them. Maybe the batter was bad? I mean, if they're going to be that dry, include some kind of sauce. I went to the sandwich, having high hopes. The chicken was dry, hardly no sauce. Not much flavor in the chicken either. It got a little better towards the middle but the sauce still didn't help either with flavoring. Maybe they had a bad day. But I would never come back. At the bottom of the list of the chicken sandwiches I've had in my life. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Fried Pickles - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

Fire!!! This chicken spot is coming for the chick-fil-A and the Popeyes sandwiches. Their special spicy Mayo sauce is to die for. I told myself I was going to try every spot inside the food lab but I can't help but keep going back to Baba's for their sandwiches. For the most part there is always a line of 2 or more people but it's always worth the wait. The fries are ok, nothing extraordinary about them. The staff is super friendly and the brunette girl who worked tonight was very kind and had excellent customer service. Always excited to come to Riverside for their sandwiches. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - The Baba's Sandwich Combo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

Located inside the food lab, you'll find this hidden gem. The chicken sandwich was pretty tasty. The chicken was juicy, tender and well seasoned. The coleslaw and pickles are a great touch to the sandwich along with the fries. Usually get the medium level because I like spice, but not too much. Try the hot level if you can! It is spicy, but super good! I enjoy the flavors of the hot sandwich more than medium. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Baba's Hot Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

Every time we come to The Food Lab, Baba's has a line longer than any other vendor! So when we came at a off time on Sunday and there was no line, we HAD to give it a try! My fiancé and I split the mild (I'm a wimp) w/a Mac n cheese side. The Mac n cheese was awesome! And the sandwich was great too! Not spicy at all. Not so much coleslaw that it was a mess, and the sauces on the side were great! No complaints, wouldn't definitely go back! read more

Came back to try a chicken sandwich recently and was glad I did. Sandwich was scrumptious and the medium heat I chose was perfect for me. Fries were on point. Line was long as heck but I think it's worth the wait as long as you're not in a rush on your lunchbreak or something. Also got a free sticker read more

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Fantastic service and fantastic food! Would definitely recommend for anyone who wants a nice chicken place.

First time going to the Riverside Food Lab and there was a good amount of people surrounding this restaurant. Looked good, I got the mac and cheese. It was ready very quickly and I would definitely come back and try something else. My friend got the mini baba combo. He likes moderately spicy food and got the 2nd hottest level and said he should've gotten the hottest one. He also said he should've gotten the full-sized baba combo instead of the mini. read more

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I have ordered from Baba's 4 or 5 times already. I usually go with the 2 piece tenders with the medium spice level. The tenders are big, juicy, with a nice coating of spice on them. The combo also includes a few pickles and two slices of white bread and fries. When I am craving for some spicy tenders this is my go to spot. I got my wisdom teeth removed a few weeks ago and was craving this spot so bad LOL! I'm so happy my boyfriend ordered this for me today. My boyfriend ordered the loaded Mac n cheese and he said it was okay, they top it with coleslaw and chicken strips cut up into bite sized pieces. As an appetizer I ordered the fried pickle spears, it comes with a good portion so if you're eating them yourself you will have plenty left over! read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California

It was our first time here and we will definitely be returning! My husband absolutely loved his meal and wouldn't stop raving about how delicious the chicken tasted. This shop was fairly busy so it took about 10-15 min to stand in line to order and then another 25-30 min to receive our order! The booths were also pretty full, but we managed to find a spot to sit. Seems like the place is extremely popular! read more

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This place was excellent in terms of food but they've increased the price on their combo by over $4 and I just can't see why. I understand every business wants to use inflation as an excuse but its out of control. A chicken sandwich combo should not come out to $19 after tax. Thats ludicrous. I really enjoyed this place a year ago when the food was cheaper but I won't be coming back anymore. read more

Some of the best hot chicken available in the inland empire. Spice levels are perfect and you can choose your level when ordering. This place is also located in a pretty cool food court and the atmosphere is very enjoyable. The quality of food is amazing as well my wife and I enjoy this hot chicken very much and of we're in the area we are probably getting Baba's. read more

Baba's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Riverside, California