Hattie B's West - Nashville, Fried Chicken

5209 Charlotte Ave, Nashville TN 37209
(615) 576-3900
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-4pm
www.hattieb.com

Last Visited: August 11, 2023

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

When you look up Nashville hot chicken, Hattie B's is one of the first places to pop up. While they aren't the original, it's clear why this place stands out.  During my recent trip to Nashville, I started and ended my ten day adventure at Hattie B's because what better way to understand the local vibe than to go where the locals go?

Hattie B's Nashville West also was one of the most accessible locations when it comes to waiting in line.  During both visits, I only encountered a very short line, and after reading about their other spots, I'm glad I chose this one and didn't have to worry about the line out the door and around the corner.  If you don't want to wait, pickup is also available and you can order ahead.

Nashville hot chicken is typically attributed to Thornton Prince (I'll write a review on that chain next).  Typically served on a piece of white bread and pickles, hot chicken is essentially fried chicken that has been dipped in a hot sauce that ranges from no spice (also known as 'Southern' at Hattie B's) to blow your top off (aka 'Shut the Cluck Up!!!' - which is a trademarked statement).  Hattie B's has made a name for having good chicken and excellent side dishes.  Here, you can mix and match your preferences - bones versus no bones, dark versus white meat, wings, tenders, and a sandwich.  For the latter two, you can get it fried or grilled.  What you're not going to find is a plain green salad where you add chicken.  Instead, there is an assortment of sides including pimento mac & cheese, crinkle-cut fries, southern greens, baked beans, bacon & cheddar grits, red skin potato salad, creamy cole slaw, black eyed pea salad, and desserts, including peach cobbler, ice cream, and banana pudding.  You can also get their waffles, fried pickles, or dirty fries. 

Parking was a bit packed, but there were still spaces available in their lot, and when I arrived, the line was short. Order at the counter and then you're given a number to place at your table.  Drinks are self-serve.  When your food is ready, one of the staff brings it to you and takes away the number when your order is complete and the staff frequently checks the table to see what baskets can be removed.  It's a mix between fast-food and light service.  

- Large Dark - A small dark is one leg/thigh quarter, and a large dark is comprised of two.  The one on the left is Southern and the Medium one on the right can be seen glistening a bit from the dipping into the spiced oil.  Medium has a tiny bit of kick and is completely tolerable.  They even say that Hot!, the next level up is an 'everyday' heat level.  Bite into this chicken and it's got crunch from the thicker areas of batter and the meat is incredibly juicy even to the last bite.  I wish we had this quality of chicken at home at more places.  Crunchy pickle slices top the chicken.  Even during my second visit, this was still perfect and the chicken wasn't too fatty.  Included with the meal is two sides.  $9.50 Small/ +$4 Large

In general, sides varied from $3 to $3.50

- Pimento Mac & Cheese - You have to eat this one hot so you can enjoy the creamy texture and softness of each bite.  Once it gets cold, it's lost what made it special.  While it wasn't the best mac and cheese I've ever had, it was definitely good.  However, if you like your pasta more al dente, this will not meet your tastes.

- Coleslaw - classic coleslaw with a light mayonnaise-based sauce.  Cabbage was fresh and not too sweet. Good. I ordered it during my second visit too.

- Southern greens - Their greens contain pork and is clearly labelled to indicate that it's not a vegetarian dish.  It wasn't too salty or mushy.  Just right and ordered it a second time.

- Red skin potato salad - During my second visit, I tried this for the first time - see picture below.  Large chunks of potato are covered in a lightly creamy, not runny, mayonnaise-based dressing.  Just the right balance without being too salty.

- Waffles - Two small waffles are served with whipped honey butter and breakfast syrup.  The waffles are extra crispy and topped with powdered sugar.  I liked how the texture was crispy and this would have been a fine dessert instead of a side. 

- Banana pudding - I had read reviews saying to be sure to leave room for dessert.  Banana pudding is typically vanilla pudding with sliced bananas topped with nilla wafers, but this one was kind of mushy.  The nilla wafers in the pudding had gotten soggy and the ratio of cookie to pudding seemed to be too high.  There was an abundance of banana so you definitely get a strong banana flavor, but of all the dishes I tried, this was my least favorite and I wouldn't recommend it. It's the cup with two spoons in the photo above. $4 

 

I liked the friendly staff, but learned during my second visit that you can order your chicken with sauces which was not presented as an option during my first visit.  Maybe the person at the register thought I had been there before, but during my second visit, I was clearly given the option to select a sauce.  You might not need it anyway because the chicken is so juicy, but it's still nice to have the option.  During my second visit, I opted for Southern and was still happy with my choice.  Hattie B's is consistent and their West location is less busy, at least in my recent experience.  The music blares pretty loudly, so it can be hard to hear if you're having a conversation, but overall, I was pleased with my experience and would recommend it for others to try.