Soul Shack

About Soul Shack

Soul Shack Hot Chicken is a Victoria Street spot in the heart of Wellington's CBD serving American-style hot chicken — crispy, juicy buttermilk-fried chicken, loaded burgers and crave-worthy sides, made fresh to order every time. The kitchen keeps its promise simple: hot chicken, bold flavour, good vibes, and comfort food with a kick.

The menu centres on boneless fried chicken thighs in buns with lettuce, pickles, cheese and comeback sauce, whole buttermilk wings served on white bread, and big shareable feeds like the Boneless Bone Meal and the twelve-wing Big Wing Squad. Heat is your choice, from Level 0 up, and there are vegetarian burgers, fried cauliflower, mac & cheese and cinnamon-dusted donuts alongside. The drinks line-up runs from mango lassis and M Fresh flavoured milk to local IPAs, wine and spirits.

With a 4.7 average across more than 724 Google reviews, Soul Shack is praised for huge portions, consistently crunchy chicken and genuinely warm service — the kind of place where staff fix problems on the spot and the owner is often on the floor. Now open again in the same spot, it's ready for your next hot chicken fix.

Soul Shack Hot Chicken: Wellington's Home of Crispy Fried Chicken, Loaded Burgers and Choose-Your-Own Heat

Soul Shack Hot Chicken sits on Victoria Street in the middle of Wellington's CBD, doing exactly what its name promises: hot chicken, bold flavour, good vibes. The kitchen's idea of comfort food comes with a kick — crispy, juicy buttermilk-fried chicken, loaded burgers and crave-worthy sides, all made fresh to order every time. After a break in trading, the team is open again in the same spot, and regulars have been quick to come back for their fix. Whether you're ducking in for a quick solo bite or feeding the whole crew, this is fried chicken built to satisfy. The online menu covers sandos and burgers, chicken meals and wings, sides and snacks, donuts and desserts, plus a full drinks line-up.

The heat is your call

At the heart of the menu is boneless buttermilk fried chicken thigh, done American rub style. How hot it gets is up to you: most items are dusted or served at your chosen spice level, and Level 0 exists for anyone who wants the crunch without the burn — the Double Harland Burger is explicitly not spicy. Every sando lands in a bun with lettuce, pickles, cheese and the house comeback sauce, while the wings arrive old-school: buttermilk fried and served with pickles on white bread. Reviewers say the heat scale is spot-on, from mild wings to proper fiery dust, and that you'll never leave hungry. Spice here is a dial, not a dare.

What to order

First-timers usually start with the Hot Chicken Sando, the house signature, or level up to the Alpha with two thighs. Wing people can grab a trio of Whole Wings or commit to the Big Wing Squad — twelve wings with four sides of your choice. The Boneless Bone Meal stacks two thighs, two wings, fries, pickles, bread and sauce on one tray, and the Chicken & Donuts pairs fried chicken with hot cake donuts, maple syrup and cinnamon icing sugar.

The sides punch above their weight: jalapeno mac & cheese, seasoned wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream, and fries in the house flavour dust that reviewers single out for praise. There are onion bhaji, samosas and buttermilk fried cauliflower, plus vegetarian burgers built on battered mushroom or a veggie patty. Save room for cinnamon-dusted jam or cinnamon donuts and a mango lassi or M Fresh chocolate milk. The drinks list runs from Garage Project and Parrotdog IPAs, Asahi, Tiger and Heineken (including 0.0%) to a short wine list and 30ml spirit pours.

The word on the street

Soul Shack holds a 4.7 star rating from more than 724 Google reviews, and the themes are remarkably consistent: massive, juicy portions, chicken that's crispy and moist every time, and service that goes out of its way. Portion sizes get called out again and again as generous for the price. Reviewers tell stories of staff fixing order problems on the spot, of extra wings sent out as an apology for a sell-out, and of an owner who is regularly on the floor. More than one regular calls it the best fried chicken in Wellington, and the lunchtime burger deal gets named as the best bang for your buck in the whole CBD. Even visitors from Australia leave saying they'll be recommending it to friends.

Planning your visit

Practicalities are simple. Monday to Thursday there are two windows — lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm, then dinner from 4:30pm to 9pm. Friday and Saturday run straight through from 11:30am to 9pm, and Sunday is dinner only from 4:30pm. Order online for pickup, call or email ahead, or make a reservation through the contact page. Vegetarians are looked after, and groups have an obvious landing spot in the Big Wing Squad. If you like your fried chicken with personality — and a heat dial you control — Victoria Street's Soul Shack is an easy call.

Signature items

• Hot Chicken Sando
• Double Harland Burger
• Whole Wings
• Boneless Bone Meal
• Chicken & Donuts
• Big Wing Squad

Menu

Beer

• Corona Extra (Mexico) — Mexican lager
• Kingfisher — 330ml lager
• Kingfisher (500ml) Can — Lager in a 500ml can
• Steinlager Light — Light lager
• Asahi (Japan) — Japanese lager
• Heineken (Amsterdam) - 5% — Dutch lager, 5%
• Heineken (Amsterdam) - 0.0% — Non-alcoholic Heineken
• Monteith Apple Cider — Apple cider
• Tiger (Singapore) — Singapore lager
• Garage Project IPA - 5.8% — Local IPA, 5.8%
• Parrotdog IPA - 5.8% — NZ IPA, 5.8%

Wine

• Pa Road Rose — Rose by Pa Road
• Sauvignon Blanc — White wine
• Chardonnay — White wine
• Pinot Gris — White wine
• Pinot Noir — Red wine
• Shiraz — Red wine
• Merlot — Red wine

Spirits

• Johnie Walker Black Label — 30ml pour
• Johnie Walker Red Label — 30ml pour
• Coruba (Rum) — 30ml pour
• Bacardi (White Rum) — 30ml pour
• Glenfiddich Single Malt — 30ml pour
• Absolute Vodka — 30ml pour
• Bombay Sapphire (Gin) — 30ml pour

Soft Drinks

• Soft Drink Can — Chilled soft drink in a can
• Soft Drink 600ml Bottle — Soft drink in a 600ml bottle

Sides & Snacks

• Deep Fried Cauliflower — Buttermilk fried cauliflower dusted in Level 0 spice
• Battered Mushroom — Battered mushroom dusted with your choice of spice level
• Jalapeno Mac & Cheese — Soft cheesy macaroni with chopped jalapenos
• Seasoned Fries — Fries in the house seasoning reviewers rave about
• Seasoned Wedges — Potato wedges with Shack seasoning, sweet chilli sauce & sour cream
• Onion Bhaji — Finely sliced onion in a fragrant spiced batter, fried to crispy perfection
• Samosa 2 Pcs — Two fried or baked pastries filled with savoury ingredients

Sandos & Burgers

• Hot Chicken Sando — Boneless buttermilk fried thigh with lettuce, pickles, cheese & comeback sauce in a bun
• Alpha Chicken Sando — Two fried chicken thighs with double lettuce, pickles, cheese & comeback sauce in a bun
• Double Harland Burger — Two Southern-style fried thighs, lettuce, pickles, tomato & cheese — not spicy
• Hot Mushroom Burger — Battered mushroom with lettuce, pickles, cheese & comeback sauce in a bun
• Veggie Patti Burger — Veggie patty with lettuce, pickles, pineapple & cheese in a bun

Donuts & Desserts

• Jam Donuts — Dusted with cinnamon icing sugar
• Cinnamon Donuts — Dusted with cinnamon icing sugar

Flavored Milk Drinks

• M Fresh Chocolate 600ml — Chocolate milk in a 600ml bottle
• M Fresh Strawberry 600ml — Strawberry milk in a 600ml bottle
• M Fresh Banana 600ml — Banana milk in a 600ml bottle
• Mango Lassi — Creamy mango lassi

Chicken Meals & Wings

• Boneless Bone Meal — Two boneless thighs, two whole wings, fries, pickles, bread & sauce
• Whole Wings — Three buttermilk fried wings served with pickles on white bread
• Big Wing Squad — Twelve whole wings with four sides of your choice
• Chicken & Donuts — Fried chicken on hot cake donuts with maple syrup & cinnamon icing sugar
• Chicken Fangers — Six boneless chicken fingers at your chosen spice level with chipotle mayo

Frequently asked questions

Where is Soul Shack Hot Chicken?

120 Victoria Street, Wellington CBD — in the heart of the city.

What are the opening hours?

Monday to Thursday: 11:30am–2:30pm and 4:30pm–9pm. Friday and Saturday: 11:30am–9pm. Sunday: 4:30pm–9pm.

Can I choose my spice level?

Yes — most items are dusted or served at your chosen spice level, with Level 0 for no heat. The Double Harland Burger is not spicy.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes — the Hot Mushroom Burger, Veggie Patti Burger and Deep Fried Cauliflower, plus sides like onion bhaji and samosas.

Can I order online?

Yes — order online for pickup through the menu page on the Soul Shack website.

Do they take reservations?

Yes — make a reservation via the contact page, or reach them by phone or email.

What do customers say about Soul Shack?

It holds a 4.7 average across more than 724 Google reviews, with frequent praise for big portions, consistent crunch and exceptional, friendly service.

Tips

• {"body":"Monday to Thursday the kitchen closes between 2:30pm and 4:30pm between lunch and dinner — plan around the break.","title":"Mind the weekday gap"}
• {"body":"Choose your spice level when you order; Level 0 means no heat, and the Double Harland Burger is not spicy at all.","title":"Set your heat"}
• {"body":"Portions are famously generous — the Big Wing Squad's twelve wings and four sides are built for sharing.","title":"Come hungry or bring the crew"}
• {"body":"Doors open at 4:30pm on Sundays; the rest of the week lunch service starts at 11:30am.","title":"Sunday is dinner only"}
• {"body":"Reviewers call the lunchtime burger deal the best bang for your buck in the Wellington CBD.","title":"Lunch deal fan favourite"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Group-friendly feeds like the Big Wing Squad; generous portions for the whole crew","dietary":"Vegetarian burgers, fried cauliflower, bhaji & samosas; spice level from Level 0 up"}