“I think that people are hungry for something different — something craft,” says chef Lydie Lovett, owner and operator of Chicken Rebel. On October 8, the award-winning eatery launched its third brick-and-mortar, at 8246 Bowles Avenue in Littleton’s Chanson Plaza. Like its Westminster location, which opened in February, its latest suburban restaurant is surrounded by chains such as Starbucks and Qdoba. Service at Chicken Rebel is as fast as that of nearby competitors, but without any sacrifice to quality.
“What really makes our chicken unique is that we sous vide it,” shares Lovett, going on to explain that Chicken Rebel's all-natural, locally sourced birds are brined, then vacuum-sealed and cooked in a low-temperature water bath for a lengthy period of time. By par-cooking, time in the fryer is reduced to just three minutes. The result is chicken that’s “perfectly juicy, moist and tender,” she notes.
Lovett’s following started in San Diego at a time when craft chicken sandwiches weren’t part of the food scene. Prior to Chicken Rebel, she managed several restaurants and worked eighty-hour weeks. “I started to realize I could do this for myself,” she says. "But I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted to own a business.”
“What really makes our chicken unique is that we sous vide it,” shares Lovett, going on to explain that Chicken Rebel's all-natural, locally sourced birds are brined, then vacuum-sealed and cooked in a low-temperature water bath for a lengthy period of time. By par-cooking, time in the fryer is reduced to just three minutes. The result is chicken that’s “perfectly juicy, moist and tender,” she notes.
Lovett’s following started in San Diego at a time when craft chicken sandwiches weren’t part of the food scene. Prior to Chicken Rebel, she managed several restaurants and worked eighty-hour weeks. “I started to realize I could do this for myself,” she says. "But I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted to own a business.”
So she put an array of ideas in a hat and committed to building a business based on whatever slip of paper she pulled. Two weeks later, after rapidly creating recipes (which are now her top-sellers), Lovett set up a food stand at a nearby farmers' market. “We only sold about four sandwiches,” she admits, laughing. “It was humble beginnings.”
But after realizing that her savory sandwiches pair perfectly with beer, she began running the San Diego brewery circuit. Unfortunately (though fortunate for Denverites), changes in health department regulations required Lovett to convert from food stand to food truck. In June 2017, she moved to Denver with hopes of finding a vehicle at a cheaper cost.
“I had $300 in my pocket," Lovett remembers. "I booked a bunch of gigs at breweries right before I got out here." Not knowing anyone in the city, she called several local publications, including Westword. When she spoke to former food editor Mark Antonation in June 2017, Lovett shared her “traveling chicken truck” plans and noted that she’d be around “for the month of July.”
To Lovett’s surprise, she says, “we had lines wrapped around the block. The people of Colorado really showed up, and it helped me be able to get the food truck, which kind of propelled things.” A permanent spot at Finn's Manor followed, then a space in Avanti Food & Beverage. Her first brick-and-mortar location, in LoHi, opened in 2019, and now she's up to three.
But after realizing that her savory sandwiches pair perfectly with beer, she began running the San Diego brewery circuit. Unfortunately (though fortunate for Denverites), changes in health department regulations required Lovett to convert from food stand to food truck. In June 2017, she moved to Denver with hopes of finding a vehicle at a cheaper cost.
“I had $300 in my pocket," Lovett remembers. "I booked a bunch of gigs at breweries right before I got out here." Not knowing anyone in the city, she called several local publications, including Westword. When she spoke to former food editor Mark Antonation in June 2017, Lovett shared her “traveling chicken truck” plans and noted that she’d be around “for the month of July.”
To Lovett’s surprise, she says, “we had lines wrapped around the block. The people of Colorado really showed up, and it helped me be able to get the food truck, which kind of propelled things.” A permanent spot at Finn's Manor followed, then a space in Avanti Food & Beverage. Her first brick-and-mortar location, in LoHi, opened in 2019, and now she's up to three.
“There’s a lot of luck that went into the success of my business,” remarks Lovett, “but also a great deal of hard work. I’m definitely an owner who’s still in the trenches, because it’s so important to me that we’re making the best fried chicken that anyone has ever had.”
Lovett checks that box for many, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start the day with syrup-drizzled chicken and waffles or a flock favorite, the original Nashville Hot Chicken Breakfast Burrito. Other crowd-pleasers include the Rancher, stacked high with crispy chicken, bacon, avocado and buttermilk ranch. A new menu item, the Flamin’ Bird, features Nashville hot chicken, pickles, housemade rebel sauce and melted cheddar cheese. All sandwiches can be made with grilled chicken instead of fried, and can even be made vegan. By popular demand, gluten-free nuggets are also available.
Round out your meal with pickle fries or loaded tater tots (think roasted green chile and cheddar, and honey hot sauce with Cajun spice), along with handspun shakes in flavors like Churro Horchata, Cake Batter and Salted Caramel Oreo Blast. Even sweeter: 10 percent of all milkshake proceeds go to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that supports LGBTQ youth.
Lovett checks that box for many, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start the day with syrup-drizzled chicken and waffles or a flock favorite, the original Nashville Hot Chicken Breakfast Burrito. Other crowd-pleasers include the Rancher, stacked high with crispy chicken, bacon, avocado and buttermilk ranch. A new menu item, the Flamin’ Bird, features Nashville hot chicken, pickles, housemade rebel sauce and melted cheddar cheese. All sandwiches can be made with grilled chicken instead of fried, and can even be made vegan. By popular demand, gluten-free nuggets are also available.
Round out your meal with pickle fries or loaded tater tots (think roasted green chile and cheddar, and honey hot sauce with Cajun spice), along with handspun shakes in flavors like Churro Horchata, Cake Batter and Salted Caramel Oreo Blast. Even sweeter: 10 percent of all milkshake proceeds go to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that supports LGBTQ youth.
From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, orders can be delivered via Doordash, Uber Eats and Grubhub. Catered platters and boxed lunches are also available through Chicken Rebel’s website and Easy Cater. But while to-go meals are convenient, you’ll want to pay an in-person visit to the new Littleton location, too. The atmosphere includes an open kitchen, high-top seating and ’80s arcade games like Ms. Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat.
The new outlet is located near Columbine High School, and many early visitors are students on their lunch breaks, as well as families. Most are unfamiliar with Chicken Rebel, and in building her brand, Lovett notes, “it’s fun to have that conversation. I feel like I’m back on a food truck.”
Perhaps those food truck days aren’t too far off. When it comes to future expansion plans, Lovett shares, “I think we do better in a smaller kind of footprint. There’s a part of me that wants to revamp the food truck and go back to our roots. Part of our appeal is that you can get this amazing chicken sandwich off a food truck. It’s unexpected, and in a way, it’s also very rebellious.”
The new outlet is located near Columbine High School, and many early visitors are students on their lunch breaks, as well as families. Most are unfamiliar with Chicken Rebel, and in building her brand, Lovett notes, “it’s fun to have that conversation. I feel like I’m back on a food truck.”
Perhaps those food truck days aren’t too far off. When it comes to future expansion plans, Lovett shares, “I think we do better in a smaller kind of footprint. There’s a part of me that wants to revamp the food truck and go back to our roots. Part of our appeal is that you can get this amazing chicken sandwich off a food truck. It’s unexpected, and in a way, it’s also very rebellious.”
