Photo: Yelp
If you were lucky enough to sample the new Popeyes chicken sandwich, or are simply just a lover of Southern food and fried chicken, your next food destination should be Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Their fried chicken sandwich was voted one of the best sandwiches in the country by Food Magazine, and the regular fried chicken is critically acclaimed as well.
The franchise originated in Nashville before slowly expanding by opening up restaurants in surrounding states, including one in Atlanta at 299 Moreland Ave.
The restaurant is located just south of Little Five Points in Inman Park. When you get there, you will almost always be greeted by a line out the door. However, don’t be discouraged – the food is worth the wait. When ordering, you can choose from many different types of chicken, including white meat as well as dark meat. You can also choose to get wings or tenders if you are in the mood for a more traditional meal.
However, the fixture of their menu, and the meal I purchased, is their fried chicken sandwich. You can add a spiciness level to your sandwich with sauces of either Southern (plain), mild, medium, hot, or Shut the Cluck Up!, which is their original extremely hot sauce. I would only suggest Shut the Cluck Up for the most daring of diners. After selecting a spice (I chose medium), you can choose to leave or take off the coleslaw and their signature sauce, Nashville Comeback Sauce. These ingredients are put between two buttered brioche buns.
Beyond the main meal, sides are also a must. They range from French fries and pimento mac and cheese to potato salad and coleslaw. I chose the crinkly French fries and the pimento mac and cheese.
When the food finally came, it smelled delectable, the epitome of what Southern cooking is supposed to be. The food didn’t disappoint either, with the blend of spices and chicken melding together to make me understand why their sandwich is considered one of the best in the country. The fries were perfectly fried and seasoned, and, surprisingly to me, the mac and cheese was excellent as well. All in all, Hattie B’s was exactly as advertised: one of the best authentic Southern restaurants in the country. It definitely lived up to the hype.