Hattie B's, with several locations across the city, is the modern reinvention of hot chicken — the same Nashville-spiced fried chicken as the originator, served in a faster, lighter, more visitor-friendly setting. The Midtown branch (19th and Charlotte) is the original; later openings in West End, the Gulch, and at the airport have spread the model around.
The heat scale runs from Southern (mild) to Shut the Cluck Up (truly serious, eyes-water territory). Order it with one of the classic sides — pimento mac and cheese, black-eyed pea salad, banana pudding — and a frosted Mason jar of lemonade. Queues at peak hours are normal; service is quick once you're at the counter.