By Olaf Growald
Even before opening on South Main Street, Hot Box Biscuit Club was already attracting throngs of gluten-craving folks who routinely made its pop-up events a sellout. In less than three years, friends and owners Matthew Mobley and Sarah Hooton went from pop-up success to a permanent address, taking up a 2,500-square-foot space in a revamped art deco building — one reminiscent of an Edward Hopper classic diner painting with its curved wall of windows.
The brick-and-mortar version of Hot Box sports a quirky interior, unfolding on two levels with an order counter on its lower level and a small bar on the upper — serving mostly local canned beers and a classy collection of affordable cocktails. It’s counter service, so grab a beeper, then pick up your order at the back kitchen window.
On a previous visit, we polished off a mound of Puff Daddies ($4.50) in no time. I found the house-fried chicharron (pork skins), which are light as air and dusted with lime and pepper, simply irresistible.
By Olaf Growald
On our most recent visit, we shared the pimento cheese hushpuppies ($6.50) and were equally impressed. Tender and rich with flecks of green onion and red pimento, the crunchy dough balls come served with a side of housemade ranch dipping sauce.
Biscuit dishes come in six varieties of “Bigs” — that is, sandwiches — or simply served with jam and whipped butter. Don’t be deceived by the size of your order. It may appear like just another biscuit sandwich at first, but each stacked creation is a hearty meal. The biscuits are really a knife-and-fork proposition.
The Paris Hilton … That’s Hot ($9) is Hot Box’s most famous creation. Fried chicken fills a dense and doughy biscuit with sea salt flakes on top. The sugar cane-brined fried chicken is worth a visit all by itself, with a super crusty coating and moist white meat. The rest of the sandwich is completed with what Hot Box calls “tasty dust” and Louisiana Hot Sauce, along with melting whipped honey butter, bringing a little heat and the ideal blend of sweet and savory to the dish.
In the sausage biscuit category, you’ll find the Mattie Melt ($9). It’s filling but not gargantuan — a lean, housemade sausage patty comes topped with caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and grape jelly. I questioned that combination too, but it really works.
The Dolly Parton ($10) had more of that wonderful chicken and “tasty dust” topped with cheddar cheese and housemade sausage gravy. The flavors on this sandwich were all there, but this one had temperature issues. The gravy was cold, and likewise, the cheddar was not melted.
By Olaf Growald
Sarah’s Buttermilk Pie ($5) is one of the dessert options. The crust is outstanding, and the custard is dense, though I was expecting more buttermilk tang. The dish is quite Instagram-friendly, served with a dollop of whipped cream and delicious macerated blackberries. Be careful not to get lost in the art while searching for just the right angle — and fumble your cell phone right into the whipped cream like I did.
Hot Box Biscuit Club
Location: 313 S. Main St.
For Info: 817.887.9019, hotboxbiscuitco.com
What We Liked: The Paris Hilton … That’s Hot is actually not too hot. You can spice it up if you like, but the tangy heat is just right for most people.
What We Didn’t: The sausage gravy was still warming up, so our Dolly Parton was not great.
Recommendations: Stop in for an early cocktail and some Puff Daddies or pimento cheese hush puppies on the weekend.
