EATS & DRINKS
By Case Dighero | Photos by Meredith Mashburn
Dot’s Hot Chicken
229 E. Huntsville Road, Fayetteville | (479) 995-9900 | www.dotsnashvillehotchicken.com
Nashville-style hot chicken has become a staple in Southern cooking — a not-so-new way of amending fried chicken that has garnered mass appeal. It’s widely believed hot chicken originated at Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville when owner Thornton Prince’s girlfriend, enraged after his late-night dalliances, spiked his fried chicken with an overloaded amount of cayenne pepper. Prince, much to the girlfriend’s dismay, loved the dish, and the rest is history. Regardless of the origin story, hot chicken has now become an important part of Southern food culture.
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Fayetteville is now home to one of the most highly sought-after hot chicken joints in this part of the country, and although the origin story might not be as dramatic and acrimonious as Prince’s in Nashville, it’s every bit as delicious and inspiring.
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Chef Russell Ingram opened Dot’s Hot Chicken food truck at the Yacht Club in Fayetteville in 2017 after spending a storied career working for myriad decorated restaurants throughout the South. His wife, Sarah, had family ties that brought them both to Fayetteville, and after several successful years, they opened their brick and mortar in February this year. Dot’s, named after Sarah’s nickname, is a counter demi-service concept with both inside and outdoor seating, featuring a range of local beers to help wash down the spicy fare. Heat levels range from “mild” to “the cry of mankind,” which incorporates ultra-hot ghost peppers. So, needless to say, there’s something for just about everyone.
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The menu features bone-in chicken, sandwiches, salads and side dishes — all worthy of ordering for even the most distinguished fried chicken aficionado. But my favorite is the Bone-In Half Bird, a thigh and breast ($15) with the standard slice of white bread and pickle. I encourage diners to try a different heat level with each visit, gradually working from the mildest to the hottest. My favorite is the “True Believer” … be sure to bring plenty of tissues. And because Ingram is a purist, he fries each chicken to order, so plan on about a 25-minute wait for all bone-in orders. It’s a small price to pay for this special level of fried chicken perfection.
The sandwiches are a thing of beauty — spicy, crunchy fried gems set against a couple of different breads and accoutrements, including the Dot’s Sandwich ($11) on toasted locally baked brioche, lettuce, slaw and pickles, or the Plain Sandwich ($8) sans lettuce and slaw on brioche. I’m also a big fan of the Poulet Beurre ($11) on crusty baguette with good butter and parmesan cheese, unexpected but still fabulous and worthy of a trip on its own.
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Vegetarians need not fret, the Chips Butty ($7) is an iconic sandwich unto itself. It’s fried potatoes set between warm brioche, heightened with tart malt vinegar and sweet ketchup. I’m a fan of fried chicken sammies, but I adore this interesting and utterly delicious masterwork, especially when devoured with a cold Space Suit Lager from New Province or Noodlin’ Italian Pilsner from Fossil Cove. And on these hot summer days in the High South, Dot’s Salad ($12), adorned with crispy hot chicken, mixed greens, seasonal vegetables, seeds and White River Creamery feta cheese, is as refreshing as it is satisfying. All of the sides at Dot’s are worthy of their Hot Chicken mainstage players, but be sure to order the Fried Potatoes ($4), Braised Greens ($4), and Bacon & Blue Potato Salad ($4).
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Indeed, chef Ingram has devised “the next big thing” to grace the food scene in Fayetteville, and along with his deep passion, solid sustainability practices and strong sense of place, it’s sure to give the real Nashville Hot Chicken a run for its money.
