To date, this is the best fried chicken I've ever had. The hot chicken packs just about the right amount of heat and once you pair it with the housemade ranch and mac and cheese, you can hear angels sing! To add the icing on the cake, there's free sweet iced tea!! read more

I really want to love Hot Chicken Takeover, but I just don't. Yet, anyway. I think the Cajun flavoring in the chicken is just way too overpowering (strikes me as Cajun, not "hot" chicken) and the sweet tea is just way too sweet. I'm going to try a different flavor next time and maybe I'll be a convert. read more

Unfortunately, I was unimpressed by this establishment. The cole slaw was rancid, and the chicken was possibly a different animal fried up-sorry, I couldn't eat it and threw it away. I understand the concept, however I would not eat here again. It's been a tough go for the North Market and I do hope it can change its image--has recently become a less than appetizing food court (malls have better options) rather than an actual thriving market with vendors and not a mishmash of food stalls. North Market really needs to step it up in order to survive--there's way too much competition out there and many enjoy cooking at home. I'd much rather put the time and effort into a beautifully homemade meal than regretfully eat and pay for something that was egregiously, poorly executed. I have a handful of "go to" places in Columbus that are magnificent (a few that are even food trucks) but that number is dwindling sadly. read more

Okay so, here's the deal. You walk up to the window, dairy queen style. Place your order and they can explain what they have. I got the boneless, cold chicken, which means it's not spicy but it's cooked and fresh out the grease. There is self serve unlimited sweet tea, which is bomb, and water. They print out a ticket with your name and order number on it. If you eat there, have a seat under the canopy at the picnic tables and they will call your name and bring it to you. The chicken had nice flavor and was not dry. You get two sides and bread. The mac n cheese had plenty of cheese and was pretty good. I sat near a couple who there for the first time as well because of the great reviews on Yelp. I didn't catch their names but they were pleased with the meal as well. They got the hot and said yeah, this IS hot. They guy was sweating and it cleared his sinuses and opend them right up. Overall it was a good experience and something different for the neighborhood. I hope it stays around for awhile. read more

Hot Chicken Takeover - Ticket for my order. - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Could not be better. Plenty of seating, always a long line but it moves very quickly. Food could not be better. The free sweet tea puts it over the top. Don't go too hot on the chicken though - the medium is plenty spicy for most people. The holy was too hot to finish. And the banana pudding was very modern, and just a touch salty - amazing. read more

This place is cool. It was definitely hyped up wayyyyy too much and, quite frankly it's just overrated. Had the four legs meal and it was pretty good, but I don't really understand where the hype comes from. read more

This is an up and coming thing in Columbus. It is great already and has nowhere to go but up. The food is a weekend-only thing for now, and I think they're trying to make it into a "brick and mortar" business. What they have is spicy chicken, mac & cheese, slaw, etc. Give it a try! read more

There are not enough words for me to talk about the amazing place that is Hot Chicken Takeover!!! The food is phenomenal, the service is exceptional, but the MISSION is what keeps me coming back over and over again! Kudos to Joe DeLoss and his inspirational vision on changing social conversations through great food! read more

I decided to stop by HCT, it was okay food but not quite what I was expecting. I do have to say the staff there is great! Everyone was really nice and helpful, they came by a few times to make sure everything was good as well. For the food, I got the hot chicken breast. I really enjoyed the spice, it is pretty hot but tolerable as I like hot food. I might even give the Holy a shot next time. The chicken is moist throughout but all of the flavor seemed to only be in the skin and not throughout. I got double mac and cheese as I don't like cole slaw. It was decent but nothing going to write home about. If the rating were just one the food I would give 4 stars but I have to drop off early because of the seating. I knew it was outside, but the bugs were crazy. There were a ton of little things flying around which made it quite annoying. A number of people were constantly swatting around at them. To wrap up, the food is good enough that I would try it again but I would definitely get it to go and eat away from the building. read more

i order the white. the bone-in chicken breast is always perfectly cooked, with invitingly crisp skin, refreshing heat, and an admirable bit of grease. my order has never been dry. truthfully, tho, to love HCT, you have to love cayenne. the flavor of cayenne powder really seeps through the chicken. the sides are excellent -- an indulgent scoop of very solid mac n cheese [no goopy brothy sauce here] and a vinegar drenched slaw. my only complaint is that the slaw is a little too sweet to cleanse the palate nicely, but let's be real, i could eat a pound of it. this place is more pricey than it ought to be, tho. i dream of $9 chicken plates. please deliver. not like delivery deliver. i mean, like, make my dreams come true. follow through. please. read more

Best hot chicken you can get in Columbus, unfortunately because there is little to no competition for hot chicken out here they can afford to slack off. Because they only have one location and limited supply but high demand their food may not always be fresh and they will never seek perfection until someone starts taking away some of their business. Still very good though. read more

I don't eat chicken in restaurants. I believe that's an at-home pursuit. However, I went with a friend to Hot Chicken Takeover and I am converted! I will eat this perfectly spiced, succulent, every-piece right bird anywhere, in front of anyone. Now, that's good Chicken! The iced tea is pretty good too and for the kind of restaurant it is, the customer service is excellent. read more

Look at all these yelp reviews, do you really need another one to convince you to go here?! Listen up, Hot spicy chicken is what you want just go early since they may sell out! I usually walk here for lunch at a fast pace knowing I need to walk through the north market with all of the other food smells around, but I'm focused on my target I must remain strong because the reward is hot spicy chicken. Btw everyone who works there is extremely nice and helpful they will take good care of you and guide you to the right menu item. read more

Attended the yelp event here. It is great chicken, Mac and Cheese and other southern staples. Just be careful of the spicy grades. My fiancée and I have pretty solid tolerances and the "hot" chicken was bit overwhelming... albeit still succulent. If you feel like your in between go Mild. read more

I think this place is a little over rated. I got the chicken breast meal. The chicken is good, but nothing special. Didn't care for the Mac and cheese either. It's not bad, but I was expecting more because of the hype. Unlimited sweet tea is a plus though, and even though the line is crazy, it actually goes pretty fast. read more

HCT is one of my favorite places in Columbus. The food is always amazing and the staff is always friendly and helpful. The Mac & Cheese is to die for and I always have a hard time choosing between just chicken (because dipping it in their ranch is AMAZING) and the chicken and waffles (which balance the savory flavor of the chicken with the sweet waffle and syrup taste). I love the friendly and casual atmosphere and the unlimited free sweet tea doesn't hurt either! No trip to the North Market is complete without a visit to Hot Chicken Takeover. Make sure you get there early though, there is nothing worse than having your heart set on this golden deliciousness and having them sell out. I can't wait to try the new location! read more

First off I have to say I have been lusting after this place ever since they opened and Bryant M started going there (and I do believe lusting is the appropriate word here) Living outside of the city I don't often get into Columbus so unfortunately never made it to their original location and was elated when they opened in the North Market. So today was the day Greg M and I went. At first I was a little concerned that there was an incredible line and it was probably 30 minute wait to get to order. Someone handed us a menu and said we were not in danger of not having chicken. We were about 80 people in line and they had about 250 pieces of chicken. Don't think I wasn't contemplating having Greg stand in line and I was going to the front and remind people of their new year's resolutions that they didn't really need more then 3 pieces of chicken so there would be enough But I decided to let fate take it's course LOL. So the first thing I was impressed with was the atmosphere. They were hopping and staff and customers alike all seemed very happy. Everyone talked to each other and the wait time passed quickly. The folks in line behind us also liked my idea of policing the chicken orders!! So we ordered and found a place in the picnic tables and made some new friends in the process (great idea on the tables) I am a total wimp and ordered mine cold and Greg M ordered the mild. We're both not spicy people haha. So he thought the mild was going to melt his face off. "I can't feel my lips" was his response. My cold was nicely flavored. Next time I will opt for the bone in as I think they have more inherent flavor. Not their fault I chose boneless. I did the Ma's Mac n Cheese and Ma's coleslaw. WOW WOW did I say WOW? The mac n cheese was to die for!! It was obvious that it's homemade I actually got a piece that had the crust on the bottom where it caramelizes (ya'll know what I'm talking about) delish!!! The pickles were top drawer as well. I will ask for extra pickles next time LOL. OK so now for the piece de resistance or the tour de force if you prefer the coleslaw!! Oh M to the holy G!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I am beyond picky about coleslaw!!! I do try it at most places where it isn't from a can or cardboard carton. I've tasted coleslaw from every mom and pop restaurant I've ever been to and most are not eaten I just can't abide the flavor. I had an open mind and positive thoughts for HTO slaw!! It was beyond amazing! It was the perfect shred on the cabbage and the vinegar based sauce was not creamy!!! OMG so tasty perfectly balanced flavor. I can't remember the last time I had coleslaw this good. The real quandry is do I order double slaw the next time and slight my carboliious mac n cheese? Oh how cruel some choices are!! Overall I must say the joint did not disappoint!! The atmosphere was completely fun to boot. Just can't say enough good about this place!!! You must go!!! read more

Simply amazing, everything. Get it warm! Do it! Im thinking about it now and i want to drive 2 hrs to columbus just to get some.

The chicken was delicious but it is kinda greasy for me! I really like their the sweet tea, very southern style.

Great! Food was good. Great price point and wonderful staff. Love the story and mission of this business. Chicken is great! Sides aren't bad. Will definitely return! read more

What a great surprise. Here from out of town and used my favorite restaurant app to find this gem. I love me some fried chicken and this place is great, not only the chicken but the mac & cheese was better than my mom's (don't tell her). I had the "hot" chicken and the only mistake I made was not ordering it a little less spicy but the FREE ice tea (who does that anyway) made it a little less spicy. All-in-all a great place for a quick lunch!! read more

This was my 3rd time trying to eat at HCT. The first 2 times they had sold out of what we wanted. This time we arrived before noon ready to have an great meal, after all the hype we expected it to be incredible. I had the thigh and drumstick meal, warm. The chicken was average at best, I could taste some heat but no other flavors. I love slaw but this was not very good. My wife had the breast sandwich, cold which was just on double white bread. It was very dry and had very little flavor, She also had the mac and cheese, one of her favorites. It needed salt and was mushy and oily with big clumps of cheese. Very disappointing. I also had the banana pudding which was the best part of the meal by far, no complaints. From the reviews we are in the minority but I expect more from a lunch that almost cost $30.00. read more

Perhaps it was due to all the hype, but when I finally tried HCT I was left feeling very unimpressed. The chicken was cooked well, and was crispy. We tried 3 out of the 4 flavors: Cold, Warm, and Hot. The cold was literally the worst fried chicken I have ever tried. There was absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. The Warm was "ok" but it didn't blow me away it was just spicy cayenne. Anyone can add cayenne to flour and batter some chicken. The Hot was more of the same but just with MORE cayenne, no other discernible flavors. I will say that their mac&cheese was pretty bomb. I will never understand how anyone will wait in line for over an hour more than once for this. read more

Finally made it here today and it was well worth the wait! The line moved pretty fast and everything was amazing! We both had the warm chicken and double mac. The chicken was perfectly spicy and so flavorful. We also had the banana pudding and you must get this if you go there. I personally take offense to anyone giving this place less than 5 stars. The owners were awesome and their passion for their food made me love it even more. We can't wait to go back! read more

Hot Chicken Takeover - Warm chicken! - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I had originally tried HCT at its first location in OTE. I was immediately hooked. When they moved to the North Market I was afraid their quality might go down. I have yet to be disappointed. If you're afraid of spicy food they have a cold or warm version. I always get the warm and it has just the right amount of heat. I either get the thigh/leg meal with double Mac and cheese or the drumsticks. Their cole slaw is vinegar based instead of creamy so it's not my favorite. Your meal is completed with a simple piece of white bread and pickles. Price is in the mid range. I usually can't finish a meal for myself so I have leftovers. Make sure you smother everything, including your Mac in their homemade ranch dressing. They also have sweet tea which is included and it's quite yummy. Also don't forget their banana pudding. I never thought I'd ever say those words but theirs is a must. Parking at the North Market can be difficult but don't let that keep you away!!!! read more

Well it lives up to its name!!! First of all - what a fun experience waiting in line watching all the customers get their food and then fanning their mouths over the heat. It made me drool waiting. I got the hot white bone-in and hubby got the hot white boneless. One thing to know is that the boneless hot is hotter than the bone in because there is just more skin/breaking with spices. It was amazing! But don't under estimate the heat - my nose was running and my husband had tears coming out his eyes and claims his hearing was impacted as well! But even with all the heat, there was such incredible moistness and flavor. We will be back!!! read more

I got the opportunity to try HCT today at lunch. Initially I was incredibly impressed by the simplicity of the place. Obviously a great business tactic to sell only a few items and keep the decor and items used simple. I figured it was similar to Cane's approach of doing one thing and doing it right..... We (my husband and I) ordered our food right away at 11:05am. The line was not too long and everyone was very friendly. We ordered our meals, both chicken sandwiches with no special instructions. We were both on our lunch breaks from work and had only short time to order and eat, which by the recommendations is why we got there promptly when it opened. It took OVER 30 minutes to get served. When we got our meals one had no slaw or pickles. I wasn't impressed by the 4 slices of regular ole Schwebel's bread. Don't get me wrong, from a business stand point, you are on point serving up inexpensive items to go along with decently good chicken, but as a consumer I would have really appreciated it at least being toasted so it didn't get soggy... as it did. Since I had to head back to work, I wasn't able to enjoy the food at it's hottest prime moment, but it was okay, maybe even mediocre...at best. I likely won't return for lunch at all since that won't go over well at work more than one time. Also, budget wise, maybe others have more money to spend on a meal like this, but to spend almost 30 dollars for two people for LUNCH... seems ABSURD to me. read more

Chicken was juicy! The medium didn't have much spice for me. The hot was pretty good. They do allow you to mix and much some prices to try different spice levels. If you want a little kick, I would definitely go with the hot. Mac and cheese was good. Banana pudding was the bomb. I did not expect the hint of salt on the topping. That had me... I will be back. read more

Am I the only one in Columbus that isn't impressed with this place? On a good note the chicken isn't dry & I loved the ranch. The mac & cheese didn't have much flavor, it was just a starchy blob. The slaw was ok, I did like the vinegar base. I was just at Hattie B's in Nashville & realized how much this place is really lacking. I guess if you never make it to Nashville for the original experience, this place is 2nd best. read more

Pretty tasty, I had the boneless breast. Great lightly dressed cole slaw Mac and cheese heaven read more

Chicken is tasty, warm is delicious if you like just a little spice also not a fan of banana pudding but it was good if you are in Ohio I definitely recommend this joint read more

Love the energy and food. Been to the food truck, north market and the new location.The food is consistent and just as good no matter which location you go to. I always get the cold because I'm a chicken but I have heard good things about all their different heats and options. If you like fried chicken, this is the place to go! read more

Finally got to try Hot Chicken Takeover this weekend! Definitely worth the wait! I've tried to come here 2 previous times only for them to be OUT OF CHICKEN! Well now I see why it goes so fast and what all the hubbub is about. Spicy, hot, succulent chicken paired with FREE sweet tea is the perfect combo. There was definitely a line, but it went quickly. The woman who took our order was super friendly and we were able to jump right in at a community table and wait like 2 minutes for our order to come out. We tried the wings - you can get a combination of sauces so we tried the medium and hot. Medium is on par with other places' hot wings, while hot is not so spicy on the front end, but leaves a fiery, slow burning aftertaste. I happened to prefer the hot, but if you can barely handle hot wings, go with the medium sauce. read more

Hot Chicken Takeover - Wings - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Does anyone have anything bad to say about this joint? They shouldn't...You will expect me to complain about the long line (yeah, it sucks) or about them running out of chicken (yeah, that sucks worse) but I am so passionate about their sweet tea, I ain't even mad. I lived in TN for 7yrs and their sweet tea is almost comparable :) Really, I don't let all the craziness bother me because I am passionate about their mission. They have such a good reputation without even trying. The owner has a heart for serving and giving back. I think I would still send people their to get their chicken even if it wasn't as good as it is. I am a Community Plates food runner and we pick up their leftover chicken (when they have it) and take it to the Faith Mission and other soup kitchens around town. I almost didn't give them 5 stars because they don't have any gluten-free options but they still deserve the 5th star despite my food intolerance. This is an amazing Columbus staple. Go get some NOW! *PS- check their twitter/FB before you go to see how many pieces of chicken they have left. read more

I have only had Hot Chicken Takeover once and it was pretty darn good. I think if it was more convenient I would definitely eat there more often and probably gain 100 lbs. Overall a great addition to the North Market! read more

First of all, THANK YOU HCT for creating a vegetarian main dish for your menu!! As a vegetarian, eating here was something I felt like I had been missing out on until now! I really enjoyed the "not chicken" sandwich and the mac and cheese has an amazing almost Stouffer's quality to it. What really surprised me was how incredible the banana pudding is! The crumb topping on the pudding was the perfect mix and sweet and salty. I wanted to eat the entire portion and I wasn't even the one who wanted dessert. I must say, the only thing I would change would be to get the slaw on the side instead of on the sandwich because it made the bread soggy very fast. Otherwise I had a great experience and I am sure I will be back. read more

Wow. Just WOW! I LOVE this place! I've been so many times since it opened. I absolutely love everything about it. The fried chicken is delish, the ranch is amazing, the tea is awesome, and the sides are pretty damn good! I'm anxious to see how things will go once they move to an indoor location for the winter. Right now they are just down the street from my home, so I may just do call ahead for the cold months. I do hope that their hot streak continues and that it continues to grow and can accommodate the demand! read more

Service was friendly. Sweet tea was delicious and free. Got food fast and Mac and cheese and slaw included in the meal paired nicely with the well-prepared and seasoned chicken. I tried the warm, which is the equivalent of many medium spiced chicken but hotter and a colder options are available. read more

I'm a vegetarian and didn't try the main event, but this place deserves four stars just because of the banana pudding. Oh my GOODNESS, I could eat it every day. Pro tip: check in on Yelp and get one for free! And then proceed to buy as many as you can carry because believe me, you'll want more. The mac and cheese here is delicious- creamy and flavorful. My dining partner raved about the chicken, and she noted the "hot" flavor was the perfect amount of spice and kick. All of this plus free ranch and sweet tea?! Sign me up! Can't wait for the store in Clintonville! The only thing I'd like to see change is the hours- it's only open until 3, and the line can get pretty long, so if you're craving it, I'd recommend getting in line no later than 2ish. read more

Wowwww this place is so good. I've had nashville hot chicken before and this place competes with te best of them. Only problem is be prepared to wait about an hour for your food. Do not worry te long line is a show of solidArity and it is great to go S a group and sit on the benches. The hot has the best flavor, and I've heard warnings about the holy. slaw and Mac cheese are real good too. and always appreciate free iced tea to cool the mouth. Hopefully they expAnd read more