When I asked a few friends what's the one place I should go to if I had only 24 hours in Nashville, almost everyone said Hattie B's. So I guess that settles it. Nashville is legendary for its hot chicken and this is really the only place anyone ever talks about. Yes, it's a tourist trap but there were also plenty of locals there too.
I stupidly thought there would be no line when I went at 2pm on a random Thursday but it was about a 30-40 mins wait in the blistering hot sun. According to my driver, there is always a wait. You order at the counter and they give you a number to put on your table. The menu is really quite simple - hot chicken in either a plate or sandwich format and you pick your spice level (no heat to shut the cluck up). They also have a yummy line up of Southern side dishes and if you get a plate, you get a choice of 2 sides. Since it was just me, I opted for the small dark meat plate ($8.50) hot (which is the 3rd hottest level) with collard greens and pimento mac and cheese along with a banana pudding ($3) and a large ice tea ($2.25). God damn, I love the prices here.
I was ready to sweat my face off with the heat of the spice but either I've gotten better with my spice tolerance or it wasn't really as spicy as everyone made it out to be. It definitely had heat to it but I didn't feel like my face was going to fall off or anything like that. But the chicken was juicy and tender and not greasy or oily on the outside. It was also the right amount of crispiness on the outside. The mac and cheese was gooey in the most unhealthiest of ways but that's what makes it so good. It's not some fancy pants mac and cheese made with gouda or gruyere but it's good old fashion yellow oozey cheese. I got the collard greens to be "healthy" but in all honesty I think it had pork in it as well but that's what gives it its salty, smokey flavor. By this point, I was stuffed and had to run to the airport but I took my banana pudding with me and you know what? It was just as good in the cab too. It was probably even better since the wafers were soft and melted into the pudding. Banana pudding is one of my favorite unsung dessert heroes and this one at $3, really hit the spot.
It would have been sacrilege if I visited Nashville and didn't try out this place. It was worth the wait even with the slightly annoying tourist population but the staff is super sweet, the food at it's Southern best and cheap as hell - what more could a girl ask for? Total bill: $17 with tax and tip
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