KFC Tests Popular Regional Sauce for Potential Menu Expansion

KFC is giving fast-food lovers a new sauce to dip their chicken and fries in. The beloved fast-food chain, renowned for its finger linkin’ good fried chicken, is bringing Sweet Hot Capital City mambo sauce to the menu, though the “unique sweet, spicy and tangy” dipping sauce is currently only rolling out as a test menu item in a handful of Washington, D.C. locations.

A kitchen staple that has been around since the 1950s, mambo sauce was made famous by Black-owned D.C. area chicken wing restaurants and boasts a “sweet and hot flavor profile.” The sauce was adopted by Chinese and Korean carryout restaurants in the ’70s and ’80s and has transformed over the years. KFC’s Sweet Hot Capital City mambo sauce hails from Capital City, a celebrated Black woman-owned business operated by Arsha Jones, who developed her own mambo sauce recipe after moving to the D.C. suburbs, where she found it difficult to find the staple pantry item. Capital City’s mission “is to ensure that mambo sauce’s true legacy and taste are preserved for years to come.”

“KFC has given Capital City a huge opportunity to highlight a culture that many don’t get a chance to experience,” Jones said in a press release. “When visitors think of Washington, D.C., they envision museums, government and politics, but there’s a huge community just beyond those few blocks that has a rich history filled with styles, music, lingo and food all our own. We are proud to be able to partner with KFC to share our culture with more people.” 

Kevin Hochman, president, KFC U.S., dubbed the sauce “ridiculously delicious” and said customers “have to try Capital City mambo sauce to understand how amazing it tastes.” Hochman added that Sweet Hot Capital City mambo sauce is a “terrific match with our world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken!”  

Currently, the Sweet Hot Capital City mambo sauce is only being tested at select restaurants in the D.C. area, Dallas, and Atlanta. KFC lovers in those locations can try the sauce via several different meal options – KFC Chicken Sandwich Combo Meal, 4-piece Extra Crispy Tenders Combo Meal, and 2-piece Extra Crispy Breast & Wing Combo Meal. Customers also have the option to add a side of Sweet Hot Capital City mambo sauce to any menu item for an additional cost. It is unclear if the sauce will roll out nationwide in the future.