The Hot Chick from Exit Zero Filling Station did a nice job kicking up the spice factor, while still being all about flavor.
For a hungry foodie, Cape May in the winter is a tough spot. Many of the old standbys are closed for the season or offer extremely spotty hours, and — more often than not — the places that are open leave much to be desired.
Such was the conundrum I found myself in around lunchtime a few weeks back. I had a hankering for a chicken sandwich, but I was stumped on where to go. I was about to give up when it dawned on me that I couldn’t call myself much of a reporter if I didn’t overturn every stone to find my story. So, with a bit of Googling, a few phone calls, three or four dead ends and one glowing personal recommendation, I found myself at Exit Zero Filling Station.
Though it’s a fairly well-known restaurant, I am embarrassed to admit that I had never been to Exit Zero before. I was instantly smitten upon arrival as I pulled up and parked next to a superb collection of vintage trailers that have been repurposed as heavily themed individual dining spaces for the restaurant (Thanks COVID!). They sit on the property of the repurposed gas station just out front, and the kitschy charm is off the charts.
I poked around and admired each one before heading inside to order what is easily their most famous sandwich: The Hot Chick. It’s a spicy, fried-chicken sandwich topped with pepper Jack cheese, Cajun slaw, sweet and spicy pickles and sriracha aioli on a brioche bun served with a pile of waffle fries. Here’s what I thought of it:
The Bread: Brioche buns are trendy, but in the case of a sandwich that leans heavily on spice, it’s not only the trendy choice, it’s the logical one as well. Soft and sweet, it played the role of a cozy pillow to the more aggressive ingredients, and a nice bit of char on the edges added flavor and a hint of toasty crunch.
The Meat: Fried chicken marinated in buttermilk and sriracha — the very idea had me at hello. The thick, Southern-style breading made for some serious crunch, and the chicken was juicy and tender. Although the sriracha marinade was a nice idea, it was hard to detect if I could actually taste it, or if I was just tasting the aioli, which was also sriracha-based. I guess it didn’t really matter in the end. Double sriracha may be as unnecessary as a parachute on a penguin, but it still delivered the goods.
The Cheese: Pepper jack piled on another layer of heat, in a lightly melted format. A nice touch.
The Veggies: Here’s a fact: Cole slaw should find its way onto more sandwiches. It’s a vast improvement over any type of lettuce you might find, and the version at Exit Zero was crunchy, creamy and Cajun-spiced. The sweet and spicy pickles were indeed sweet and spicy, fitting nicely with the growingly obvious theme of this sandwich.
The Condiments: My old friend sriracha made its second appearance of the meal here, this time in aioli form. Its mayo-y goodness took care of any dry bits that the slaw may have missed.
The Side: As french fries go, waffle fries are the elite of the elite. These were the seasoned variety, which can be hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed them and they made for a nice starchy sidekick to The Hot Chick.
The Bottom Line: If you are a fan of fried chicken dressed to the nines in both heat and sweet, The Hot Chick is a no-brainer. It’s spicy, but it’s also approachable. It’s not going to scorch your mouth or anything, but it’ll definitely light it up a bit with flavor and leave you feeling warm. And on a cold winter day, that’s all anyone can ask for.
The Score: 8.6
Exit Zero Filling Station is located at 110 Sunset Blvd. in Cape May. Go to ExitZero.com.
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