Flamin’ Hot Cheetos jambalaya balls at this Michigan eatery will satisfy your munchies

FLINT, MI — No matter what time you have a craving, there’s one restaurant in Michigan to satisfy your palate.

And it is tasty.

Tha Munchies, which opened its doors in January 2025, is bussin with 85 delectable menu items and house-made lemonade or Kool-Aid to wash it down.

Janay Pitts, founder and owner, said her goal in opening the fast-casual comfort food joint was to bring something back to the community that raised her.

A 2013 Beecher High School graduate, Pitts grew up in the neighborhood where she established Tha Munchies.

As years passed, strains have hit the area.

Where many restaurants once stood, they’ve faded away over the last two decades, Pitts said.

“We didn’t have that comfort place anymore, so it was important for us, and we wanted to bring that back here,” Pitts, 31, said. “We have everything. We have tacos, burgers, loaded Cajun Alfredo, fries. Our menu isn’t that expensive, and that’s the exact reason why we’re here — to feed hungry people.

“For our customers, you know, when you get hungry and just got a taste for something, you can come in here and we have six large menus on the wall with such a wide variety. There’s something for everybody and every craving. There’s a lot to choose from. … Sometimes you want something to eat in the middle of the night and there’s nowhere to go. We want to be here for that. You can always come here and you’ll be fed.”

The menu includes a variety of comfort foods and filling entrees, including fried ribs, fried turkey chops, a crispy chicken mashed potato bowl, oxtails and southern Cajun fried catfish.

For some quick bites, Tha Munchies packs flavor in every mouthful.

The Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Jambalaya Balls are one of the most popular items on the menu.

The dish includes two crispy, deep-fried balls made with Cajun rice, ground turkey, Rotel and pepper jack cheese. It is then coated in crunchy hot Cheetos breading and served with Rotel cheese sauce.

“Customers love that. It’s a top seller,” Pitts said. “We love it. Food says so much, and we connect through food.

“Small as I am, I love to eat, and I love to try different things. It’s something that we need every single day. Something that does not get old. We survive off of food, so why not make it taste good?”

Tha Munchies lists 15 different styles of hamburgers, including the 810 Munchie Burger which comes complete with eight half-pound ground sirloin beef smash burgers topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard and onion.

The burger even has its own eating challenge on site that has seen three winners since opening.

Other comfort food must-orders are the “chicken wangz,” birria tacos and loaded fries with your choice of chili cheese, turkey, buffalo chicken, birria or Philly cheesesteak toppings.

The menu also includes some local specialties like Woodlez — the city’s specialty egg roll— and Flint-style tacos with fried shells.

There’s also two sandwiches on the board named for locals that have made an impact — The Mrs. Quanda Catfish Sandwich and the Honey Rose burger.

“You get a lot of food, it’s going to be loaded. Especially as some of our grocery stores have, you know, gone away, we do make sure we keep our dollar in the community wherever we can,” Pitts said. “We do stay away from the big suppliers. We shop locally. So we see thousands of dollars are circulating in our community from our local grocery stores every single week. That’s big for Flint.”

Have a sweet tooth? Tha Munchies has you covered with deep-fried versions of Oreos, Twinkies and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

“We love new people to come in and try. We love first time customers because they always come back,” Pitts said. “It’s going to be a great experience from the moment you walk into those doors, get your food, leave. And I can’t tell you how many times someone has called back and says, ‘I just gotta let you guys know, the food was amazing.’ You know, I love that.

“Flint means everything to me. You know, we’ve had so many opportunities where we could move away, but we just can’t. Flint, it doesn’t let you go. You know, if you have the opportunity to want to bring something to Flint and I stay true to that. Growing up in this community, you get so much from everyone around you. So I want to give back when I can. Everything about me is Flint and this restaurant is for Flint.”

Tha Munchies, located at 3208 S. Dort Highway, is open noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

You can find their Facebook page here.