Columbus Eats: Hot Chicken Takeover

Nick and I were in Columbus this past weekend, celebrating his cousin Michelle's wedding to her now-husband Matt. We wanted to check out some Columbus restaurants, and the minute I asked my friend Jeff for a recommendation, he threw out Hot Chicken Takeover.

For the uninitiated, Hot Chicken Takeover is Nashville-style fried chicken. And if you're wondering what that is, basically, the chicken is brined for over 18 hours, fried, tossed in spices, and fried again. It comes in four categories: Cold (mild), Warm (medium), Hot (and it is HOT) , and Holy (which I'm not brave enough to try).

Hot Chicken Takeover started as a kick-starter funded food truck, and then expanded to a restaurant at the North Market. Their hours are typically 11am - 3pm, but they only make a set number of pieces, and judging by the line at 10:50 am on a Sunday, I highly doubt they can ever stay open the whole time with running out. I had heard rumors about the high sell-out risk, and Nick and I found ourselves in the line at 10:40 am-- by some miracle, we were the second people in line!!

By 10:50 am the line was wrapped around the second floor, and when the doors opened at 11:00 am, the line was snaking all the way around the restaurant. The restaurant itself is pretty bare bones, but it fits. Fried chicken is simple food, and the simple decor makes sure the focus stays right where it should be-- on that chicken.

Nick ordered the Warm meal and I chose the Hot meal. The slaw was a delicious vinegar based mix of cabbage, carrots and onions - delicious and refreshing. The mac n cheese was creamy and cheesy, and I definitely needed it to cool off my mouth after the hot chicken. And the chicken? This is probably THE BEST fried chicken I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot of really good fried chicken. Hot Chicken Takeover uses organic chicken from local farms, and the quality and time taken to brine definitely make a difference. The hot was HOT- perfect for my palette honed on Indian spices. I had a runny nose and the BIGGEST smile on my face. So did it live up to the hype? F*** YES!!!

By the time we left around 11:20, there were plenty of people similarly enjoying their chicken. The whole restaurant smelled like comfort food -- and everyone looked really happy too!

So in closing, I highly recommend Hot Chicken Takeover the next time you're in Columbus (assuming that you're not vegan or vegetarian of course). You may have to wait in line, but I promise its worth it!!