For a couple of years, I’d heard talk about Hattie B’s Hot Chicken restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. My sister had dined there a few years ago and said it was pretty good. She even said that she’d run into a country music celebrity while there! Atlanta was recently blessed with a location so, I had to go see for myself what all the talk was about!
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, 299 Moreland Avenue, NE in Atlanta, GA 30307
Owners: Nick Bishop, Sr. and Nick Bishop, Jr.
Price: $$
When driving through Little 5 Points, one can’t help but notice the bright, red and white, mid-century modern building with people lined up outside. My first thought was, “Wow! This must REALLY be some good stuff!” I got super excited! Luckily, we were able to quickly secure a parking spot in the adjacent lot (at $5 for 2 hours) fairly easily. We made our way over to stand with the others who were eagerly awaiting the chance to experience this novelty.
The Ambiance
What was once a Philips 66 gas station, turned into a coin laundry and dry cleaners, is now the home of Hattie B’s in Atlanta. Bright green artificial grass, picnic tables, overhead heaters and fans create a nice atmosphere for those waiting or dining outside. Inside, the soothing combination of rustic wood and stainless steel invited the many patrons onsite to relax in one of the two dining areas. The decor also brought to mind a modern BBQ restaurant or sports bar as there were several televisions available allowing patrons to keep up with the latest sports scores. Even with the garage doors still visible, it’s hard to believe this was once a gas station!
The Food
Hattie B’s offers chicken with traditional Southern sides, and desserts. There is also a good selection of locally-brewed beer to choose from. The chicken can be prepared at varying heat levels of spice from Southern, which doesn’t have much heat, to “Shut The Cluck Up” which sounds as if it’s close to nuclear reactor hot! I typically tolerate spicy foods well, but thought I’d better play it safe and stick with the medium heat this time. The Pimento Mac & Cheese immediately caught my attention, and what better accompaniment for mac n cheese is there than collard greens? They were sold out of the banana pudding, I grabbed the peach cobbler for dessert.
Overall Experience
After a brief 20-minute wait for our food, came the moment of truth! The server brought our food and we were ready to dig in! My medium-hot seasoned chicken was pretty tasty! The seasoning was slightly sweet, but also much hotter than expected. In fact, it was so hot that I almost had a hard time eating it (almost). I took a forkful of the creamy mac and cheese with the hope of cooling my tongue a bit. As a mac and cheese lover, I thought this was average at best. It was not as exciting as it sounded. Though tender, the collard greens didn’t knock my socks off either.
I took a bite of my daughter’s mild chicken tender to compare heat levels. To me, this was closer to a medium-level heat. My nephew, who dang near eats fire, opted for the hot seasoning. He tried his best to eat it. I’m sure he had bad dreams later because it was REALLY hot! So, tell me: Who dares to eat the “Shut The Cluck Up” seasoning?
What I did enjoy though was the peach cobbler! It remained piping hot while we ate our dinner and had the right amount of fruit to crust ratio. There was even enough for us to share.
The Final Verdict
On a scale of 1 to 10, my experience with Hattie B’s was a 7. Although the food and service were good, I don’t see myself making the 30-minute drive to return anytime soon. If I’m in the area, I may stop to try a medium-hot chicken sandwich and fries. But honestly, there are other restaurants in the area that I’d probably choose first. That’s just me. Still, it should be noted that after four months of being open, people are still willing to stand in line for the experience. So Hattie B’s Hotlanta must be doing something right!
