Restaurants & Bars

Popular Hot Chicken Chain Opening 1st Union County Location

Namkeen Hot Chicken Joint merges the Nashville hot chicken craze with South Asian flavors.

UNION, NJ — A New Jersey chicken chain, known for its Pakistani-style Nashville hot chicken, is expanding to open its first Union County location.

Namkeen Hot Chicken Joint will host a grand opening at 1105 Morris Ave, Suite H, in Union Township on Saturday.

"Come out and show your support for local businesses. See you there!" said the Township of Union.

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This new location marks Namkeen’s seventh.

Owners Usman Chaudhry and Amena Chaudhri opened the first Namkeen in Chatham in 2020, aiming to 'bring some heat' to the hot chicken scene with Pakistani spices and flavors. Since then, they’ve expanded to Metuchen, Brooklyn, NY, Lake Hiawatha, Red Bank, and Mississauga, Canada.

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Namkeen was inspired by Nashville’s hot chicken craze.

"Our brother, Usman, started experimenting in the kitchen. It began with a dash of cayenne here, a hint of turmeric there. Then suddenly, he hit on the otherworldly combination that literally took our breath away: crispy-coated, buttermilk-brined hot chicken smothered in a special blend of Pakistani spices. We all tried it and immediately knew something big had just happened," according to eatnamkeen.com.

Namkeen's menu features tasty fusions like the Fried Chicken Tikkaville Sandwich, masala-seasoned fries, and a burger with mint and tamarind chutney, alongside classics such as Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, wings, tenders, Belgian waffles, and fries.

Patrons can adjust the spice levels.

To celebrate their grand opening on Saturday, Namkeen will be offering the first 10 people through the door a free Namkeen hoodie, and the first 100 people will get a free Nashville sandwich.

For updates and details, Namkeen, visit eatnamkeen.com or follow at instagram.com/eat.namkeen or facebook.com/eat.namkeen.

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