Lost Boys Chicken at The Joker Brighton
The Joker pub has long been a bright and lively venue that sits in a prominent position at the busy crossroads of Preston Circus. The pub was reborn as The Joker in 2014. Lost Boys Chicken runs the kitchen at The Joker, headed up by Tom, who started his operation with a street food van in Shoreditch.
Taryn tries takeout
It’s difficult to talk about Lost Boys Chicken without resorting to expletives – not because it’s bad but because it’s so good that in the heights of comestible ecstasy all sentences become profanity laden. Unfortunately, none of it can be repeated in writing but I can recommend trying a wing or six to see for yourself.
Lost Boys are a bit of an establishment in Brighton and if you visit their usual premises at the Joker on Preston Circus, you’ll be hard pushed to find an empty table. Luckily for us, Lost Boys also do takeaway. Yes, that’s right, you can get those saucy, spicy, messy, addictive morsels delivered straight to your house.
The thing that has warmed (pun intended – try the Rufio, Thudbutt or Mango Habanero sauces) Lost Boys to the Brighton gastronomic imagination is their dedication to flavour, perfectly-cooked chicken and their preferential use of curly fries. I usually go straight for the Wendy wings if I have Lost Boys but this time we went for the Chicken Shop burger and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with a side of Korean wings, Lost Boys dunkers and of course, curly fries.
It was a decadent adventure through spice and flavour with the Korean wings being the favourite as they hit the umami notes exactly right without scrimping on the spice elements. The simple but never understated Chicken Shop also came up trumps – it is crunchy in all the right places and not overtly spiced even though it uses Rufio mayo (this mayo is amazing!)
The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich doesn’t disappoint either, it’s a monster in size and flavour for those who are looking for a smoky BBQ finish on the classic Chicken Shop.
We were also treated to taster pots of 5 sauces which we used for dipping the dunkers (delicious and moreish, as in give me more, now please Lost Boys) and fries (who doesn’t love curly fries). This was a nice touch because by the end of the meal I was eating even the spiciest offering with gusto and delighted in mixing different sauces together just for fun.
One of the things I love about Lost Boys is that – it’s fun. It’s good food that dares you to get messy, keep the napkins handy and dig in. There’s no coming up for air until you’re done.
Lost Boys Chicken have recently added new items to their menu, make sure you head over to Deliveroo to order yours now!
Sharing is caring
Tom wanted to make food that was fun and for sharing, the sort of good mood food he remembered eating with his family as a child.
Having earned a top-three spot in the Brighton Restaurant Awards in 2018 and 2019, and claiming the first place spot for Brighton’s Best Takeaway, we think it’s time The Lost Boys changed their name to The Winner Boys, but perhaps that is immodest?
Buffalo wings and beastly burgers
Any first time visitor to Lost Boys Chicken should orientate themselves about the chicken wings served with celery sticks, blue cheese sauce and add on a portion of the classic Wendy sauce. Burgers come under the guise as ‘sandwiches’, the Chicken Shop sandwich is a pimped up version of the high street chicken burger which somehow retains all the dirty pleasure while improving on the quality.
Special Sauces
Their wings baskets come with a variety of sauces all made in small batches to unique recipes. Sauces escalate in intensity, play it safe with the original sauce, or ramp things up to ridiculous with the insanely spicy and tear-inducing shadow sauce. Fancy playing with your food? Why not order the roulette and share with your mates; just pray you don’t pick the hidden spicy shadow wing.
Something for everybody
And it’s not just wings, signature sandwiches include meat and veggie and vegan options that taste great washed down with a craft beer. Lost Boys have come up with their own take on vegan nuggets, with six pieces of spiced and breaded aubergine in a basket, so vegans can have the sticky messy fun of chicken wings without the chicken. There’s also a wide selection of sides and extras available to bolster your meal, including four types of chips.
Eat, drink, dance
Home to the Lost Boys Chicken kitchen is The Joker, a great pub for any time of day with midweek food deals from Lost Boys Chicken making it ideal for a chilled catch up with friends over lunch. Always looking to inspire social eating Lost Boys have vowed to permanently run their Wing Wednesday, 3-4-2 on wings every Wednesday, forever.
To wash all that down, The Joker serves everything from cocktail creations through to craft beers and a good selection of wines, there is something for every taste here. From the comforting and cool interior to the friendly and knowledgeable staff, everything at The Joker has been designed for maximum enjoyment. Brighton’s best spot for those in the know.
Make a reservation
- Book a table at Lost Boys Chicken by calling 01273 675769 (Please mention us when you do 🙏)
- Check out their menu
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