‘Caution,’ Boise: Now open, this new restaurant wants Idahoans ‘burnin’ for more’

With new restaurants popping up, Nashville hot chicken is starting to become all the rage in the Boise area.

But only one makes the rage seem scary — and, possibly, scary good.

Burnin’ Mouth Nashville Hot Chicken opened its first Idaho location at 3525 E. Longwing Lane last Friday. It’s next to Chico’s in The Village at Meridian, across from Fleet Feet Sports.

Signs above the counter warn customers of the tasty threat: “Caution” and “Super hot.”

Spice levels include Simple, Mild, Good, Ugly and Insane.

And sauce-wise? In addition to Comeback, Garlic Soy, Sweet Chili, Nacho Cheese and Ranch, there’s a sauce called Never Comeback. As in, it burns so badly that you shall never, ever return. (To the restaurant? To your senses? To planet Earth?)

The Meridian restaurant’s handful of Google reviews so far are all five-star. “Come hungry because the sandwiches are huge!” wrote one reviewer.

What’s not huge is Burnin’ Mouth’s simple menu. It’s anchored by two deep-fried chicken breast sandwiches on brioche buns. Each sandwich costs $12.90 in a combo that come with fries and Comeback Sauce (the house-made fry sauce). The Coo Coo Sando is a dry-seasoned Nashville hot creation. It has Comeback Sauce on it plus crispy onion, pickles and cole slaw. Conversely, the Korea-vibed Bang Bang Sando is a “wet” chicken sandwich. It has sweet Garlic Soy or Sweet Chili sauce, plus cole slaw and pickles.

Burnin’ Mouth also offers a couple of rice bowls — the Good Bowl (mild) and Ugly Bowl (spicy) — plus wings and tenders with Texas toast. Because even if the word “danger” adorns artwork on the wall, Burnin’ Mouth’s mission is to get taste buds “burnin’ for more.”

“We’re trying to make it fun,” company president Daniel Hwang told the Idaho Statesman last fall. “... We have the Simple and the Mild (spices). The Good — the normal, the medium one — is what most people get. It has a little kick, but it’s not burn-your-mouth or anything.”

Store hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

So if you’re tempted by Burnin’ Mouth but a little frightened? No need to be chicken.