Had been anxiously awaiting a time to stop by the North Market for HCT. Called ahead and order was waiting. All staff were friendly, courteous and professional. The chicken was only average (got the hot with mac and slaw) and just don't get all the great reviews regarding, as the slaw was only average and the mac and cheese sub-par along with the very weak sweet tea. Worth a try and just glad I got this one out of my system. Will not be returning. read more

I'm from Kentucky the chicken capital of the world and I've never had chicken so darn good. Everything was superb from the service to the meal I'd recommend anyone who visits go to this place you will not be disappointed read more

I had the cold at the food truck festival and it was good, the chicken itself was flavorful but the seasoning didn't seem to be much to write home about. I have since been to the North Market location and got the warm and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Again, the meat of the chicken was juicy and delicious, but the rub...rubbed me the wrong way. It was a great spice level, but SO dry. It was like eating bark. I ended up peeling the skin off and not eating it. I'm hoping this was a rare occurrence and plan to give it another shot. read more

Wow! I was shocked at how fantastic the chicken was! I got the hottest spice level and it didn't disappoint! I got the sandwich but it's just white bread so I could do with just the chicken. The cold slaw is solid but the Mac n cheese is AMAZING!!! Make sure to make it one of your sides. read more

BEST CHICKEN EVER!! I didn't know what good chicken was until I came here. Oh also the Mac and cheese is like momma made it at home. The staff is friendly, price good, line always out the door...go here. I mean seriously, don't wait. read more

What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's fantastic. I wish I could eat there everyday. I need the ranch recipe.

I saw all the hype on Yelp so I wanted to give it a try. I got there at 10:45am and I had to wait in line so I was thinking this place has to be awesome. I ordered the chicken sandwich holy style. It was just fried chicken and holy wasn't even spicy at all. The Mac and cheese was dry and Disgusting. Kraft powder from the box is better I hate to say. You are better off going to KFC for your fried chicken plus you will save your money too. I would recommend buying a bottle of hot sauce from roosters because sadly that is spicier then there "holy" read more

Fried chicken is second only to tacos in my heart, so I was super excited to try the new hometown favorite, HCT. My group and I headed out to meet the food truck during the summer neighborhood tour and finally tracked them down in Clintonville. I got the Hot Boneless with Double Mac, WHOO! The heat is not to be underestimated but the flavor is out of this world! The kind of hot that makes you take a break after a couple bites and then the flavor pulls you back in for more. The mac was okay, pretty good flavor but the texture is very soft, which is a little off-putting. Pickles were amazing! Next time I will get no sides and down extra sweet tea and banana pudding to fill the space. read more

The food is so good and you get a lot of it. Atmosphere is relaxed and almost like a big picnic. One suggestion if you are going at lunch, we called in our order ahead so when we got there it was ready to go. Only so much chicken so you don't have to stress if you will get shut out. Another tip the mild is still pretty hot. Start there if it is your first time. read more

I've really enjoyed HCT over the years, but their lunch was already pretty expensive. They've recently "updated" their menu, and the lunch which used to cost $12.75 now cost me $15.75. (Sandwich with double Mac.) Despite the fact that the food is indeed delicious, I can no longer recommend spending almost $16 (plus tip!) for lunch here. It's not a fancy sit-down restaurant, they don't offer soft drinks. (Water and tea only, unless you want to spend another $3 on a bottled soda.) It's noisy, and the seating is just picnic tables, which I wouldn't mind so much if the cost weren't so high. read more

4.5 stars out of 5 Wow... after a lfe of eating kfc and other various forms of fast food fried chicken, I was curious to see what all the hype was about. Me and my friends waited outside the doors before the opening time to guarantee ourselves chicken (we were warned about the limited chicken available). After what seemed forever, their friendly staff finally opened the doors, we ordered, and sat down, where our food came out piping hot, and visually stunning. The fried chicken, covered in spices around the crispy skin, was sat upon two slices of clean white wonderbread. The sides included impecably cheesy mac, and a simple acidic coleslaw to cut through the richness of the mac and chicken. I ordered the hot dark combo, which gave me a drumstick and thigh. The first bite was heavenly. impossibly crispy skin gave way to some of the juciest chicken Ive ever had. The spices are balanced to a pinpoint degree. Not too spicy, not too salty, yet definitely not underseasoned. Although Ive never had nashville hot chicken, this place exceeds all my fried chicken needs, and I plan to become a frequent visitor. Mabye someday ill have the balls to try their holy @#!?&% read more

There is no other place in Ohio you should get fried chicken from. I am blown away being that I just moved from the south. Damn is all I can say about the ranch. I have found my new place to stand in line an wait for the most satisfying meal you will have in Columbus. read more

It's the best Mac and cheese I've ever had! The ranch and weekend waffles are top notch as well! Though the syrup for them must be just a simple syrup because it doesn't actually taste like maple. The free tea is really nice though! And finally, the actual chicken is amazing too! The seasonings in the breading are way better than kfc! read more

Not really worth it in my opinion. It's okay but there are better food places for the money you will spend.

I waited thirty minutes in line for chicken. And I would do it again 10 more times. Yep, it's that good!!! My life is forever changed :-) thank you North Market HCT! read more

I fear I'm going to get "hated on" for this. It was good, not great. I would go back, but I'm not on the hype-bus for this place. Not too bad of a wait either. It took 15 minutes to order, but then only 10 more to get our food, so not really all that much worse than a regular restaraunt. I think it's the whole "open until sold out" thing that's getting everyone so hyped up. I almost wish I hadn't heard so much about it because I probably would have been genuinely impressed. Again, it was good. You should go. It wasn't life-changing is all. Oh, and get the banana pudding... that's pretty good too. read more

This is my first ever yelp review despite using it frequently for years, and that should say something in and of itself. This place is GREAT. Period. Everything about it is wonderful, including the fantastic customer service. Do yourself a favor and check it out - you won't be disappointed! read more

Best fried chicken in Columbus, hands down. Mac & cheese, waffles, and the banana pudding are all excellent as well.

A fun, novel concept. I like it. The chicken is delicious. My favorite is the boneless breast. The sides are very tasty. The banana pudding will knock your socks off. The signature sweet tea is very sweet, so I usually mix it with half unsweetened. I love that you can sub the bread for a waffle, if you're feeling "brunchy". read more

HOT DIARRHEA TAKEOVER Ah, at last.. we finally made it to HCT. We waited in the line with much anticipation. I kept it safe and got the Cold Chicken. Sat down at the neat, yet awkward, picnic tables and immediately scarfed down my mac-and cheese. Now, you might call me a bit of a mac and cheese connoisseur. And this was about a 3.5/5 for me, which is still pretty good. And I loved that the ranch dressing came in big ol' pump dispensers, because we are in Ohio afterall. And for that, I give it 2 stars. We finished our food and got on our way - we were heading to the Zoo on this lovely summer day! I only made it as far as the GetGo station down High Street (near Hounddogs) before we had to pull over so I could sprint in to blow up that poor unexpecting bathroom. We never did make it to the zoo that day. read more

HCT is fantastic. The mac & cheese is delicious. Not a big fan of the cole slaw. Don't forget the banana pudding!

Having had hot chicken in Nashville, I was stoked to have an option right here in town! Our first experience was at their pop up in Old Town and what a great experience it was! People were lined up eager to get their first taste! I loved the picnic tables and how it encourages community dining. We've tried a few times to get our hot chicken but since their move to the North Market, it's been impossible to get through the long lines. They are located on the second floor of the market. Their food truck has been touring around Columbus so it's been nice to have the opportunity to enjoy their food in a less hectic environment! Now to the food...the chicken is avail from a touch of cayenne to super HOT!! The chicken is perfectly cooked and delicious! The sides are tasty...the Mac and cheese is to die for! The sweet tea is good as any southern sweet tea I've had! And the house ranch...ohhhh there must me something in there that makes it super addictive! We haven't had the dessert yet! So even though we don't get to eat Hot Chicken as much as we would like to, it's always a nice treat when we do! read more

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I like the chicken enough, though the seasoning could use some work (hot is just hot-- like they used cayenne and nothing else). But it's very expensive for the price. read more

Absolutely delicious! I have never had a bad experience eating at HCT.

First off, even the "warm" is spicy compared to other wing places, but it is at the right level for enjoyment! A nice little kick to your day if you get it is as your lunch. Owner is there as well walking around, working and greeting new people. Staff is great as well. Make sure you check what you get just in case you get someone else's. I am def looking forward to their new spot in the North Market! read more

I have coworkers in Nashville who've long bragged about how great Nashville hot chicken was, so it was understandable how excited I was to finally make it down to Hot Chicken Takeover when it finally moved into North Market. After a couple missed opportunities and not knowing the hours I finally made it today. The result: 100% worth it and I'm already planning a return. Showing up late was a blessing and a curse, as I missed the usual line, but a few chicken options were out. I was already dark meat inclined, so I ordered that, with a "warm" spiciness (as opposed to cold, hot, or holy). That was it. Sides included, a drink included, and I picked up a dessert of banana pudding just to get the whole experience. I like limited options. I easily found a seat at the long communal picnic tables, which gave the whole thing a very fun, jovial feel. A few minutes later my name was called, I grabbed my box, and dove in. The chicken was killer, and was hot (although I'd go hotter next time) but in a very flavorful way, not simply the burn of capsaicin. Warm, moist (extra dark meat style moist), sweet, and even a little bit cinnamon-y I got all the notes I'd heard about good Nashville hot chicken having. The sides more than met the same standard, a nice cooling cole slaw and a rich and creamy mac and cheese. I even scarfed up the traditional white bread underneath the chicken, soaked in delicious spicy chicken juice. Even a traditional sweet tea to wash it all down. The dessert I got on a whim, banana pudding not being a usual favorite of mine, but wow was I wrong. Rich banana flavor, a super dense cream, and just the right amount of texture from crumbled cookies (I think the traditional Nilla Wafers) really rounded out the meal. Look I want to tell you to go, for your own good, but for mine I want you to stay away. I can only hope Hot Chicken Takeover settles down in the Short North area, I will be a solid regular. read more

All I have to say is, GO HERE. If you need more details, please read the rest of the reviews because there's not much more to say. Well maybe there is...f-ing delicious! read more

Flat-out amazing chicken. Spicy and flavorful. Not that much to say, really. It's simple and sweet. Eat it, and eat it all the time.

Got to this location at 2 and they were out of all food except boneless white meat. Didn't even have sides. I understand that it closes at 3, but if you are only open for 4 hours, you can't run out of everything an hour before closing. read more

One of the best places to eat in Columbus. The wings, the mac and cheese, the banana pudding, the slaw, the homemade ranch... everything is absolutely fantastic. read more

Fantastic food and experience! Can't wait to go back and try the wings along with the sauce options. This place only has just a couple things on the menu and they are experts at each one of them. Comfort food meets perfection, will be a great loss if you don't try this place. The sweet tea was the neatest solution for the long line. I noticed every amazing place has a reward even before you get to the gold. For example in London , a bombay themed parsi cafe called Dishoom serves the most incredible hot masala chai to those waiting in the queue, quietly braving the cold. The food in there- mind blowing. And this place the food is eaten outdoors- mind blasting. read more

The chicken is good, I'll admit it. I just don't like the business model of "open until 2pm but only wings are left by 12:45". Seriously, it's like lining up for the new iPhone here to try and get white meat. I'm also not fond of the whole picnic table/cafeteria motif, but that's just aesthetics. That being said, if you're okay with lining up for chicken that will sell out at least 40 minutes before they close, this is very delicious fried chicken. Looking forward to trying the new Clintonville location which I believe is open later. With my job it's a little hard to be lined up for the chicken I want by 11am. read more

Love this place. At first it was a little secret but it quickly spread like wildfire. Love seeing the success they've had and watching them grow. You won't regret stopping here. Just make sure you get there early. read more

I had the hot and my wife had the warm drumsticks. Excellent flavor and moistness. The mac and cheese was pretty good as was the slaw. The sweet tea was great. We will be back. read more

Amazing! Only in town for a couple days at a conference and now plan to eat here each day!!

Erin is the best ever, gave me a hard time while waiting on my order. Thanks!!! I will be back.

All I can say is, well worth the wait! I ordered a medium flavored chicken breast and it came with the coleslaw and mac and cheese. Both sides were delicious and the chicken was moist and amazing. Only thing I would mention- the medium heat is spicy!! I have a decent heat tolerance, but I thought it was too spicy. If you dont have a big heat tolerance, order the cold chicken. I would return any day. read more

Long wait for great chicken. Get there early. Joe has done a fantastic job. Everyone is very friendly and the Chicken is way good!! See you soon. read more

very cool concept. warning - the medium is fckn hot! lol read more

Hot Chicken Takeover - It's a busy place! - Southern Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I tried making my own fried chicken. Alas, I must leave it to the professionals at HCT. I do not know how you always make the perfect crispy chicken or why I keep choosing the HOLY! level of heat, but I love every sweat induced, sweet tea gulping bite that your chicken brings. read more