A formal Columbus Underground Hot Chicken Takeover Review: it’s about cluckin’ time.
Sure, HCT has been around for a while, but in a most disconcerting, unstable way. When it made its debut in 2014, prospective guests had to follow news briefs that detailed the weekend location and time of the chicken joint’s operation.
Then, there was the scarcity, HCT operated only as long as supplies lasted. So there was an element of urgent competition just to get a piece of fried chicken.
Sure, that’s how pop-up businesses work, but that sort of elite scene isn’t for every diner. For some, it’s too much pressure, and that leads to angst-filled emotional eating. Some eaters just want drama-free chicken without having to beat out hundreds of other poor chumps.
And so, for the beta crowd, HCT now operates out of the North Market. It’s taken over the kitchen space upstairs with red-checked tablecloths on long bench tables, a counter ordering system, and a magical server who pops out from behind stage-like curtains with styrofoam boxes of chicken. He hollers out the names of customers who come running for their orders.
For the alpha crowd, there’s still a long line at the counter. And HCT still runs out of its food — so drama addicts have scarcity to look forward to. During the January visit, the joint was staffed with a line host who helped those who were waiting with small talk. The host was invested in the customers, displaying a crushing depression as the kitchen crew ran out of an item and crossed WINGS off the chalkboard menu. If you want wings, plan on arriving within the first hour of operation.
But, there were other chickens in the yard. The options are streamlined. You can score chicken, dark or white, in four flavors: Cold, Medium, Hot and Holy. From the perspective of simplicity the Cold is a terrific starting point: it makes it easier to appreciate all the things HCT does so very well: it uses excellent quality chicken. While most commercial chicken has exactly zero flavor (and worse, takes on the mushy texture of tenderizers), HCT’s poultry pieces have a distinct, old fashioned, country-fried flavor. Each piece is breaded in pure crispies. Nothing greasy, just perfect.
The Medium adds a little kick to the mix, and the Hot is pretty aggressive. The Holy version went untried.
In the Southern style, the chicken comes with a couple slices of white bread. That said, it’s more fun to upgrade with a waffle. Even if you’re not a fan of a chicken and waffle combo, the opportunity to soak the big spongy wedges in the house syrup is a steal for a couple bucks.
There are sides too: a fresh, tangy coleslaw (Ma’s Slaw) and also a mac and cheese (Ma’s Mac) that is insanely popular. Like the chicken, it’s homespun; with soft noodles caked together with cheese. It’s a milky mild starch that provides a good foil for the spicier chicken options.
Guests rave about the macaroni, but if there is something worth saving superlatives for, it is the banana pudding (Miss B’s). I don’t love bananas, I don’t love pudding: but I’d make the trip back and fight the line for few more parfait cups of the HCT stuff. On top of a natural, smooth banana-y pudding base, the kitchen piles whipped cream and vanilla wafers that are at once sweeter and crunchier than your average wafer. Or maybe the concoction’s contrasts make it just seem that way. Whatever the case, the effect was life-changing.
Plan your visit on a weekend. Right now, HCT is open Fridays through Sundays only.
For more information, visit www.hotchickentakeover.com.
