Drive-Thru Gourmet

KFC spices up a sweet deal with new Hot Honey Chicken Tenders

Caution: Have plenty of napkins ready when enjoying these sweet and spicy tenders.

This week, I reached out for a new Hot Honey Chicken Tenders Basket from KFC, the poultry kingpins with 21,000 restaurants in 123 countries 'round the world.

Hot Honey is the latest addition to KFC's cache of Southern-inspired flavors: Nashville Hot, Georgia Gold, and Smoky Mountain BBQ. Think of Hot Honey as Nashville Hot cranked up hotter and honey-er. As soon as you open the bag, and that aroma fills the car, you know you're onto something mighty potent.

Here's the Hot Honey Tenders blueprint: white-meat chicken tenders, covered with extra crispy breading and deep-fried, served with a pickle slice on top, plus a biscuit and one side. Smart play says coleslaw. KFC's coleslaw is a fast food legend.

Total calories: 190 (per tender). Fat grams: 12. Sodium: 490 mg. Carbs: 11 g. Dietary fiber: 1 g. Protein: 10 g. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $5.99 for a three-tender basket.

KFC isn't playing games with Hot Honey. We're talking legit sweet heat. The honey hits you first, like a soft lullabye, then the spice rocks your senses like a 5 am wakeup call.

Hot Honey sauce is a viscous blend of peppers and honey, and KFC lays it on thick. The breading is dripping in sauce and it sticks to your fingers and lips (and steering wheel). We're talking five napkins and one sleeve minimum. Sauce runoff coats the bottom of the basket, perfect for sopping up with the biscuit.

Hot Honey is available on tenders, the Colonel's Sandwich, Extra Crispy Chicken, and Chicken Littles sliders. The Colonel's Sandwich comes with pickles on top and a slather of mayo on the bottom. What KFC is thinking by adding mayo is beyond me. Mayo adds nothing, except a whole lot of calories and fat.

The pickles are a nice touch, though, adding cool 'n' crispy to the hot 'n' saucy.

KFC's tenders are bigger than shrimpy pieces from the burger drive-through boys. Chicken is KFC's thing, and the Colonel knows what he's doing. But he won't be doing Hot Honey for long, it's a limited time only deal.

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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know in the comments or on Twitter.

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Western Night

Boots, brisket, and big hearts fuel CIS Houston fundraiser

Community in Schools Houston Brighter Futures BBQ 2026

Photo by Henrich Perez

Ellie Alban and Ellie Monday.

A crowd of Houston philanthropists swapped cocktail attire for cowboy hats at the third annual Brighter Futures BBQ benefiting Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS). The Western-themed gathering leaned into Lone Star charm.

Photo by Henrich Perez

Ellie Alban and Ellie Monday.

The barbecue spread? Let’s just say it could make even the most disciplined diners circle back for seconds.

Held at The Pit Room in Memorial City, the evening was chaired by Jen Espey and Jen Moss, who helped corral the festive crowd into a spirited show of support for students facing barriers both inside and outside the classroom.

Jackson Womack, wellness counselor at Memorial High School in Spring Branch ISD, shared that roughly 3,000 students have visited the campus CIS office for help with issues such as anxiety, depression, and grief, noting the importance of partnerships with organizations like Memorial Hermann and DePelchin.

At Collins Elementary in Alief ISD, Mayte Yost explained that housing instability and food insecurity are among the challenges affecting students and families. Meanwhile, Melody Hall, student support manager at Stratford High School in Spring Branch ISD, highlighted how food insecurity, mental health needs, and family responsibilities can impact attendance and academic success.

Thanks to the generosity of The Pit Room owners David Sambrooks, Laine Sambrooks, and Michael Sambrooks, proceeds from all meals purchased at The Pit Room’s Montrose location on the day of the event were donated to CIS.

Thanks to the 110 event guests, the organization raised $100,000 to continue serving students across 147 campuses in Greater Houston.

Rounding up support for the cause were Adrian Anderson, Jen Espey, Brian Salazar, Krystol Wheeler, Lin Espey, Brian Moss, Lisa Sambrooks, Courtney and Meadows, Robin and Greg Nunez, Fatima and Tim Parker, Jan and David Redford, Dinah and Will Huthnance, Mallory and James Shaddix, Lisa and Greg Westerman, Mary Lee and Richard Wilkens, Melissa and Bill Moss, Minda and Bill Caesar, Jenny and Niko Lorentzatos, Diane and Andrew Ralston, Heather Braniff, Ellie Monday, Ellie Alban, and Sharon Yacob.

fundraisers barbecue