A place where I feel like only locals know. It's a hole in the wall gem that serves one of the best Korean fried chicken in the area! A must try for Korean fried chicken lovers like myself. A cozy restaurant that lines the main road on Castro Valley. Very easy to miss, even for someone whos been there a few times. The parking situation of the businesses need some work as there is a back undeveloped parking lot with hardly any lights. Stay alert if going to this place after dark because the walk back to your car is 90 percent in darkness. I ordered the wings and drumstick combination meal that comes with rice and a salad. The soy garlic was sauced up and taking a bite made a big crunch! Spicy medium wasn't that spicy obviously but offered a nice kick to your taste buds. The portions were generous and could barely finish my food! Staff was attentive and friendly. You'll have to pull up the menu using a QR code you scan but instructed not to order from your mobile device. I live streamed the experience and everyone in my chat awed at the meal! If you're looking for a mom and pop type of restaurant for Korean fried chicken, this is the place to be! Disclaimer: *my reviews are solely based on my experience as a patron and not as a live streamer. I do not publicly advertise that I am a live streamer/yelp reviewer to staff to keep an unbiased review.* read more

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After ordering from here through DoorDash twice, we decided to go dine-in for a better experience (crispier, hotter food). The place is quite small and have a limit to # of people in your party. We went on a weekday and we were seated immediately upon arriving. We got a medium with half spicy hot, half Smokey onion and an order of fries. The fries came out first and they are the crispiest fries I've ever had! You can tell they change their oil regularly because the fries taste great, fresh and super crispy. The wings come with rice and salad, which seems to be an Asian spin on coleslaw. The spicy hot was not as spicy as I was expecting but it had good flavor. The Smokey onion was a good mixture of Smokey and flavorful. The wings are definitely crispy but the sauce is pretty saucey that it does take away from the crispness a little. Overall, the texture and taste is still great and definitely worth the drive to eat it in person rather than wait for deliver. Overall, I would recommend this place for your KFC fix! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Left Smokey onion, right spicy hot - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Chicken on fire? My mouth is on fire after trying these wings! The medium spicy flavor isn't super super spicy, but you definitely taste a bit of heat. The sweet garlic flavor is so incredibly savory, and doesn't remind me a lot of Asian flavors but it just taste really savory and good for a wing. I don't think anyone would turn down this flavor after taking a bite. LETS TALK ABOUT THE CRUNCH. I wish your pad ASMR so you could hear every crunchy by eight. So crunchy and crispy! Trust me! Also, huge shout out to this location for being open on New Year's Eve when no other places were open in the evening. Also, I ordered the medium combo size but when I got home I realized that the nearly doubled our quantity of wings for each flavor! Huge thank you to the friendly owners! read more

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We have been ordering from this restaurant since they opened and they have never disappointed us. Food is delicious, tasty and full of flavor. The service is also great. read more

All was really good as usual this place never dissapoints the taste buds. Highly recommend.

We ordered take-out. Large garlic/soy chicken legs, rice, and potstickers! All was hot upon pick up. The chicken was meaty, tender and flavorful. We'll definitely return. Support local CV restaurants!! read more

Chicken wasn't good! Batter was thick and under fried! I've had better Korean chicken ! Also the server or maybe she is the owner was very rude! Everything we asked her either a question or a request, her reply was condescending ! Maybe because we came in 45min before they close! She kept reminding us that they stop taking orders at a certain time! We placed another add one before the deadline and again she reminded us! We felt uncomfortable and unwelcome! I think I will go back to Bonchon! Also I wish Von Chicken was still there next door as another option nearby! read more

Stopped in tonight for dinner..... Really impressed!! The owner was quite nice. She was attentive and respectful of the few food allergy concerns that my wife had. I ordered the wings with sauce on the side. Mixing both the garlic and spicy sauces together was a real hit. The chicken was moist and crispy. We tried their french fries and onion rings as well and they were also good. We will definitively be coming back again........ read more

I love it here. It's so clean. I love the crisp of their chicken & I love pickles radish! The woman that always helps us is always really polite. read more

Mom and pop Korean chicken (KFC) spot. Korean wings are among some of the best, albeit a little too large (that might be a pro for many folks, though). The flavor is delicate (a pro or a con depending on taste). The medium spicy is mild at best. Crunchy, sweet. Medium was a good size for two people. Comes with rice and a little salad. No radish though, which is why I took off a star. The pickle is a must. You can order it as a side, a minuscule portion for $2.50. The place is super clean and well-maintained. They have more cameras than a pawn shop, so that was interesting. Clean bathroom. Ample parking behind (turn right into the alley, right after you pass the store). Service was friendly but I didn't love how the owner spoke to the server. read more

The wings were fat and juicy, unlike wingstop and buffalo wild wings with their skimpy chicken wings. The soy garlic reminded me of one of my fave chicken wing place, b.b.q chicken and sometimes im not willing to drive all the way to san jose just to get those wings, so id go here instead. the service was great! although it did take a while, the lady was really nice and kept us company in the mean time :) she was real read more

If you're looking for delectable crispy fried chicken, look no further! Seating can accommodate 2-4 people comfortably. The restaurant is a bit small and it can get hot inside, so if you have a large group, I'd recommend takeout. There are plenty of combinations to choose from and $5 beers to pair them with. Each combination comes with coleslaw and rice. We opted for the medium combination with the eight drumsticks and eight wings. For flavors, we chose the smokey onion and the soy garlic flavors. We also ordered a side of crispy fried onion rings. I felt like such a fatty afterwards, but it was so worth it. The flavora are on point. Customer service was on attentive and efficient. They cleared plates out of the way, refilled waters, and brought over to-go boxes and wet wipes after we had finished our meal. Between the two of us, we had four chicken pieces left and two bowls of rice leftover. You know it's good when you eat them for leftovers the next day and the food tastes just as good. read more

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Friend chicken wings were amazing! Only criticism is they we didn't order more! Cooked perfectly, crispy outside, tender inside, and sauce on point! read more

I had this bookmarked this and with all the hype was really looking forward to checking it out. Was running errands in alameda and decided to detour and wait 20 minutes for them to open. Got it to go and stored it in a thermal bag in the frunk to help keep it warm and from infusing the whip with that garlicky fragrance. we ordered 18 I think. Wanted only wings no rice or slaw. But we got both. The good thing about the wings was you could tell they were real chicken wings not some prefab presorted bulk bin chicken. And in that thermal bag they were still piping hot when we got home. Unfortunately we were 10 wings in alternating between the two sections supposedly to separate garlic soy from medium spice, and could not tell which was the spicy and which was garlic soy? Also disappointing was the so called slaw. Literally shredded cabbage and few sprinkled shredded carrots with a side of some kind of dressing that was not at all Asian inspired nor a compliment to the chicken. It was more like the prepackaged bag of lettuce /abbage you get at a grocery store that has that sleeve of pre made dressing stuck in the bag. And it has zero flavah. We didn't bother opening the rice figuring we would save that for a stir fry likely happening in the near future. That KFC chain that has popped up all over the country and in Bay Area still reigns supreme in my book. However if you live nearby this is an adequate sub. read more

You have to try this chicken if you haven't already. It's amazing. The place is small and if you sneeze while driving you'll pass it up so keep your eye out for it. The service is wonderful. The wings are HUGE!!! Gotta try them. I have been there a few times already. Going to keep going. What are you doing reading this? Go get your chicken on! read more

We've been fans of Chicken on Fire since its original location in Hayward off Hesperian Boulevard. It moved to Castro Valley years ago, but we FINALLY made it in to visit. Same delicious KFC that we remembered. The rice serving is a little on the skimpy side, but you can always order more if needed, plus the chicken itself is very filling. Who doesn't love crunchy, crispy, sweet fried chicken! We'll be back here when we're in the CV area. read more

Wow wow wow!!! My new favorite fried chicken spot in East Bay!! The wings & drumsticks were huge, and very flavorful. We ordered the Original/Soy garlic (my favorite) Spicy Flavor Spicy Thai They were all very delicious in their own way. Can't wait to go back!! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Spicy flavor - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Amazing hole in the wall. Stumbled upon here after craving koren fried chicken when I was in the area and they were the top search. No doubt for good reason too, with a nice little parking lot behind and great service; this place hits every point. Got the spicy wings and the garlic soy, and Bon Chon has nothing on this place. The fry and flavor alongside the crispyness throughout was on point. Spicy is no joke but a great experience and reminsicent of my nights eating Samyang extra spicy ramen noodles read more

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Got two large orders and a sweet potato fries to share among five of us with three being growing teenage boys. Decided to have a large order of garlic soy wings and then a large wings and drumstick order split between spicy medium and curry spicy. Garlic soy is the best out of the three flavors we got. Overall food was ok but not something I am wow-ed by or would come out to eat at. Have had better else where around the Bay like in Hayward or Oakland. What's the problem: the chicken was juicy but because the sauces were so so watery, it pretty much means that the fried chicken were just sitting in liquid and becoming soft and almost mushy - which is NOT what Korean fried chicken is anyways as I've had them multiple times in Korea (which no places here have come close to it). read more

The Chicken On Fire - Two large orders : garlic soy, medium spicy and curry spicy plus an order of sweet potato fries. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Soy garlic! Came here on a Sunday night at 6:30pm. Found parking right outside the store. Split a medium combo 2 between 2 ppl. 8 wings, 4 drumsticks, 2 rice and 2 salads. Perfect amount of food! Chicken was piping hot and super crunchy so you know it's fresh. The soy garlic sauce is so delicious. But beware: one day later and I could still taste lingering hints of garlic in my mouth. I love garlic, but not that much. I've never been served rice with wings. It was a bit odd to keep alternating between the two. But the rice was so good with the sauce on top! I honestly would've been happy with just that. Two TV's to enjoy while you munch on some chicken. Service was good also. $28 total for the meal. Great find if you're craving some wings! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Medium combo #2. 8 wings and 4 drumsticks. Get the soy garlic! - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I have ordered from Chicken on Fire a few times and the food is consistently excellent. The wings are juicy, flavorful and tender. The portions are massive and a medium is more than enough for 2 people. Besides the great food, the owners are always super nice and helpful. Their customer service is another reason as to why we keep going back. read more

This is the place to go for Soy Garlic Korean fried chicken! As soon as the order comes out, you cannot miss the aromas coming from it! The wings are crispy with just the right amount of soy garlic sauce. I also got an order of their sweet potato fries, which was good but maybe lacked a bit of salt. read more

The Chicken On Fire - Soy garlic chicken wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I haven't written a reviews in a hot minute but I need to post about some of the spots that I've been to in the past couple of years and this one seems like a good one to start off with since the ratings and reviews can be... hit or miss. Location: 3/5 The location on the side of the street is kinda out of the way and it can be a little hard trying to get in (I had a bit of trouble finding the parking lot) and the foot traffic doesn't seem to be much as a busy main road is nearby. Regardless, it was a Wednesday evening but I would have expected a few more people considering it is summer. Atmosphere: 5/5 The interior of the place is nice and homey with ample seating and such. I did not take much time to admire it since I was eating to-go but there was a cute little Lego set at the front counter showing off a chicken. The owner talked about it being a gift from a return customer who made it and I thought that was sweet. Service/Price: 5/5 The only one in the restaurant at the time was a lady, who was SUPER nice. All I did was pay for the food ($33 for a medium chicken) and a small ice cream for my sister. Very efficient service and even provided radish when I asked for it since it wasn't in the bag. The portion size was pretty good at around 15-20 pieces of chicken in the box. Food: 2.5/5 It really pains my heart to say this but I did not like the chicken that much. I am an avid Korean fried chicken spot eater so I had high hopes since the reviews were high and the rating pretty nice. However, the chicken left me disappointed as while it was juicy, the skin of the chicken was not like other Korean Fried Chicken spots I had been to before. The skin was chewy and kinda thick, almost like biting into slightly crispy potato skin, and it was not seasoned well. The sauces were fine but I had seen other places do soy garlic just as good there. The spicy curry was good, though. The radish I requested, however, was not alright. I popped it in my mouth and it was not crunchy but soft and overly bitter. I thought it was just the piece I got but after a few more I decided that was not the case. Would I come here again? Sadly, no. I appreciate the business and how successful they are but my experience was extremely lackluster and the taste was enough to have me shying away from it. If you need decent chicken in Castro Valley, you could come here. read more

I love chicken on fire! I used to have lunch dates with my husband here prepandemic and I'm so glad they're still open! It's a cozy little restaurant in Castro valley with the friendliest staff and some bomb chicken! We also get soy garlic for the kids and spicy (hot or medium depending on the mood). I love that it's not overly battered like other places. Picked it up to-go for our family dinner a couple nights ago and it's still delicious as ever! Definitely check them out! read more

For me, this was just ok. Nothing special, the sauce and flavors didn't pop and although it was hot and fresh out of the oil, the chicken tasted a bit bland. The coleslaw sauce was really tasty and just the right amount of zing! I did notice that after eating the chicken, several hours later I was so thirsty and my tongue was a bit numb. I'm thinking that there might have been a tad too much MSG. I probably would not be back for a long while and even then, I'd probably order the small for the two of us so that we can have this in heavy moderation. read more

The Chicken On Fire - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I can never ever get enough of fried chicken! I had bookmarked this place for some time and finally had the chance to go recently. First of all, there is a small private lot for parking, but it is teeny tiny and shares it with other establishments. In other words, parking is slightly difficult. You may have to search for spots in the nearby residential areas. The boyfriend and I arrived late afternoon and was immediately seated. The staff was all nice and welcoming. We ordered the Medium, M2 with 8 wings and 4 drumsticks in Spicy and Soy Garlic. In addition to our wings, we got a bowl of white rice, slaw, and pickled radish. Overall, the food was good, but it fell short of expectations. I LOVED how crispy the wings were, but flavor wise I wasn't impressed. The spicy could have been spicier. In addition, the consistency of the spicy sauce was watery, which I wasn't a fan of. The soy garlic was also underwhelming, and I was not a fan of their pickled radish as it was more on the sweet side and not the sour/vinegar-based. In contrast, their slaw was good and complimented the wings well! Service was outstanding, but food was just okay. Even though I was disappointed, I am interested in returning to try out their other flavors! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Updating my review after today's visit to 5 stars. We placed a pretty large order right when they opened and it was ready within 20 minutes. The staff were friendly, kind, and professional. They were practicing required safety measures, including wearing masks, social distancing, providing hand sanitizer and sanitized pens to customers, asking customers to wait outside for orders, etc. We ordered wings and drumsticks in Soy Garlic, Sweet and Sour, Salt and Pepper, and Plain. All were SO good and fried to perfection (crunchy and juicy). The pieces that were tossed in sauce were tasty, yet still crispy even after the drive. The rice and cabbage salad were packaged well with the dressing taped to the top of the salad container to avoid any confusion. (When you have so many boxes to open, this was extremely helpful!) My family loved everything that even the box with the leftover Soy Garlic sauce in it was wanted for leftovers! And in a discussion afterwards of which restaurant served the best fried chicken, we decided it was from here. Thank you, Chicken on Fire! read more

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The food was cooked perfectly. The menu is short and simple. Everything they do they do it right. The food came out quickly and the staff was friendly. The restaurant is small, quaint, and clean. You have got to come to this spot if you are craving some delicious, pipping hot Korean fried chicken read more

Glad I came across this place when running errands. If you're ever in this area, gotta give this place a try. Chicken wings AND I get rice with it? Yessss. Also comes with a wonderful side of dressed cabbage and pickled radishes. Got the medium with 16 piece wings. Smoky onion and Soy Garlic. Yummmm. Lovely crunch. It wasn't over sauced which I liked. Also, there's more sauce on the bottom so your chicken isn't soggy. This is a perfect meal for 2 people. Service was very attentive. They were quick and efficient. The place was clean and well maintained. They even came by and offered hand wipes at the end of my meal. I'm a happy customer from beginning to end. I have to come back to try their other flavors!! read more

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The servings are huge! My recommendation is the chicken order for one person is easily two people. Order for two is easily for four people. The chicken flavors are great, get ready to get your fingers messy. A great place to eat in or to go! A good for Castro Valley read more

Food was amazing, service was great! Our server was very attentive. Everything was fresh! Small little spot, but super cute and clean. Will definitely be back and will recommend. read more

This was our first time trying this place. It was a so delicious. The wings were big, flavorful and super crispy! The potsticker were also warm and delicious on the inside and crispy on the outside. They also serve your order with sides. We had the salad and radish, it was so refreshing and yummy. You can tell this is a family owned spot and they also have their regulars, it was cute watching them interact and be so great with them. All I can say is that this place did not disappoint and we will definitely be back!!! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Ordered their Sor Garlic and Sweet and sour Wings / Small - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I think I've found my go-to spot in the East Bay for Korean Fried Chicken. Me and my friend ordered the medium fried chicken with half soy garlic and half Smokey onion. Of the 2 flavors, I preferred the soy garlic. It wasn't too sweet like other places and the soy sauce flavor really shined. What I really liked about the chicken, however, was the batter. The batter was super crispy and did not get soggy with the sauce. This will probably be my go-to place for Korean fried chicken in the east bay! read more

The Chicken On Fire - Onion Rings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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