“We really wanted to bring some flavor to Leander,” Marketing Manager Clifton Lott III said. “We’re from California, so we wanted to bring that vibe out here.”
Before establishing the restaurant, owners Sandra Lott and Clifton Lott Jr.—the parents of Clifton III—owned Century Water Solutions, where they sold water softeners and offered water-purification services.
After realizing there were no other chicken and daiquiri spots in the city, Clifton Jr. and Sandra decided to turn the office space they already had into a restaurant. Clifton Jr., Sandra and their children live in Leander, so they wanted to start the restaurant in their own back yard first, Clifton III said.
“We wanted to bring a different experience to Leander; I mean, I can’t think of another place that offers daiquiris and wings and this vibe,” Clifton III said.
Everything at The Thirsty Chicken is made in house from scratch, Clifton III said.
Clifton III said customers particularly like the restaurant’s Bird Baths—or sauces—because they are served fresh, and the daiquiris are popular because they are strong but still sweet. A favorite order is the Dirty Bird—spicy garlic parmesan wings—and the most ordered daiquiri is the El Gallo Loco, which includes watermelon flavoring with Tajin and Chamoy.
The Thirsty Chicken is a family-oriented restaurant, offering both alcoholic and non-alcoholic daiquiris, and all of the music is clean, Clifton III said. Children can also participate in karaoke and game nights offered at the establishment.
Because The Thirsty Chicken only has patio seating, the heat during the summer months has been an ongoing challenge. The family is working to enclose the patio completely, Clifton III said. Once completed, the portion of the patio connected to the building will be fully air conditioned and covered, while a portion underneath the trees will remain open.
The Lott family looks forward to expanding The Thirsty Chicken across the Austin area in the next few years. All six of the Lott children will get their own locations, Clifton III said, and afterward they will start to franchise the restaurant. There is also discussion about food trucks so the family can do more event catering.
In the meantime, the Lott family will continue to perfect the Leander location of The Thirsty Chicken.
“We really just want to help create a more positive environment and just a fun environment for everybody,” Clifton III said. “I want to invite everybody to come out and have a good time—what we say is, ‘Come kick it with us.’”
The Thirsty Chicken
104 W. Willis St., Leander
512-528-4395
https://thethirstychicken.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
