Hop’s Chicken

Meh, this isn’t the answer to Chick-​fil-​A that everybody says it is. I’m glad that it’s there serving the hot new PCM, but still… my chicken sandwich was nothing to write home about. I wouldn’t even send a postcard about it.
The bun was too tough and the seasoning on the breast needed a lot of work. The one bright spot was the lemonade, which I thought was overly sweet but extremely tasty. Hopefully they’ll keep working on their formula because they moved us through pretty quickly.

Dry chicken biscuit, needs better customer service.
I tried Hops City Chicken and it left me completely unsatisfied and hungry — I literally purchased a second meal from the Chinese place in PCM.
My biscuit was dry and so was the chicken which probably would have tasted ok otherwise.
Many patrons were confused by the concept of ordering from a la carter from the menu on the wall. The cashier had no opinion on the food which also held up the line as patrons asked for recommendations.
I think this establishment would go a long way by having someone to greet customers, explain the concept and provide meal suggestions. Given the popularity of PonceCityMatket this is probably viewed as not necessary as they do a lot of business. :-/

Thought the chicken would come coated in sauce but it didn’t. Still tastes great. The chicken are hot (temperature) and very crispy. A bit greasy but that’s why it’s fried chicken right?! Got the FF sauce and the black pepper. Not quite sure which is which but like the orange colored looking sauce (picture for reference). Staff is nice. Lack napkins tho…

Today is a day of Firsts… This is my first negative review and my first and last time patronizing Hop’s Chicken at Ponce City Market (Beltline). The food tastes good (kudos to the cooks), but the value is not good at all and the service is even worse. I stood at the counter and awkwardly kept silent while ignored by the cashier for nearly five minutes. After placing my order, I was surprised at how expensive their small servings are. They literally measure every ounce of food you are served and when asked why 4oz of Mac & Cheese for $ 3, I’m told the owner established the portions and refuses to consider the voice of the customer.
I do not recommend Hop’s Chicken.

I have tried to understand what makes this place so likeable by others. I read an article before I ever ventured here and my anticipation was high. I finally made it and I thought to myself good things come in small packages. I opted to order the 3pc wings and a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was tasty, but the wings were bland. I doused them in hot sauce and that made them a little better. I met up with some friends and they went to Hop’s as well and ordered the chicken sandwich. I told them of my experience and once they tasted their sandwich, we were all in agreement. The chicken is bland. Needless to say, this will be my only visit to Hop’s.

I recently went there to explore and to visit since is never been before. It’d look very cute, loved the setup and design of the shop.
I ordered a lemonade and a chicken biscuit equaling about 7.50. The lemonade was absolutely incredible, I finished the majority of it before I could eat my biscuit. On the other hand the chicken biscuit was absolutely not good. I’m definitely thinking it was an older one that may have been sitting out, which is something that appeals to a fast food joint & not what I would expect from Ponce City Market which finds to be quite expensive. The biscuit was so hard along with the chicken. The entire thing was so hard it crumbled the moment I opened it. It seemed well beyond overcooked and was a task to eat.
I’ll definitely visit again and try something else, but eh, not again soon.

Initially I had a strong aversion to the food I was served here. I opened up a familiar white paper and aluminum lined wrapper to see a simple chicken sandwich (fried chicken breast on a white bun with 3 pickels). Anyone who has eaten a Chick-​fil-​A sandwich knows it’s the same formula, except with 2 pickels.
It’s impossible not to make a direct comparison to CFA since the products here are so similar… even down to the side of coleslaw. With that said, this is a basic imitation and it’s just okay. LaShonda H. said it best when she said comparing this to Chick-​fil-​A was offensive to the quality of Chick-​fil-​A.
Kudos to the overall idea and I think if they’d left the sandwich off their menu they’d have a higher score.

Hop’s Chicken is my new go to place for delicious soul food, particularly fried chicken!
The fried chicken is always hot, tasty and properly seasoned. Each bite is packed with flavor. The macaroni is also spot-​on and has a unique, powerful flavor, different form any other soul food restaurant I’ve been to.
The only 3 con’s about this place is that the line can be extremely long, which of course is not the restaurants fault. However, one particular day when the line was long, they ran out of drumsticks and I was forced to substitute that for 4 wings. When I received the wings, however, there were only three, which is unacceptable.
Furthermore, when I visited the restaurant days after its opening, I saw a gentleman (employee)
without gloves or a hair net handling the chicken. I was not too angry at this because the chicken is so delicious (lol), even though that is a MAJOR sanitation problem.
All in all, Hop’s Chicken is a MUST for soul food, just make sure you check that all of your food is present!

You can find Hop’s Chicken at 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta 30 308 in the Ponce City Market in the «food court» (that may be a bit of a stretch as all the restaurants in this court are of higher-​quality than what you would typically find at a regular shopping mall). Parking is for PCM is in the lot to the right of the building when facing it from Ponce, in the internal courtyard (good luck there) or in the underground deck. Parking is fairly expensive and really unwarranted — my biggest complaint of PCM — with a very tight and messed-​up parking deck to boot. You may be better off parking somewhere it’s free to park and walking to the market.
I met some of my Unilocaler friend’s at Ponce City Market to sample some of the restaurants’ offerings — this was hosted by Tuong Vi P (
) — the idea is that we would all order a few items and meat to dine together. I went with Praveen R and Miles and hit Hop’s Chicken — this is a «bucket of chicken» place that offers up homemade sides and «Nashville style Hot Chicken.» We also sampled the double-​burger from H&F and a few other items and sat together at one of the long-​tall tables upstairs.
Hop’s Chicken is a fast-​casual chicken stand where you order at the counter and when your food is ready they call out. The primary menu is a board to the right of the ordering window — they have a simple menu that’s pretty much chicken cut-​up into pieces, biscuits, a few sides and sauces. They also serve some local craft beer which always makes things better. I enjoyed a can of Terrapin Hi-​5 while waiting for my food to arrive.
The food is served in paper containers bagged in a cute Hop’s Chicken bag. We wanted to try the Nashville style Hot Chicken so ordered a whole chicken — and were told it would be about 20 minutes. It was actually more like 30 – 45 — it took quite a long time to get our bucket and yes, served in a white bucket much like the classic KFC. For sides we ordered the Mac&Cheese, Cole Slaw and Limas&Corn (some type of succotash wantabee).
The verdict — the chicken was a bit soggy from the «hot» application and I must say that it wasn’t quite what you would get in one of the classic Nashville locations. That being said, it was still quite tasty if a bit greasy. Just good spicy fried chicken (a bit more like a hot chicken wing with breading). The sides were all so-​so and could use some pumping up, but the star of this show is the chicken. While I didn’t think it was true «Nashville Hot» it was still good in it’s own right — I give it 4 stars. I think it will taste terrific on a biscuit and I hope they offer it up that way (wasn’t offered at this date). I do think that the wait was unreasonable, the price a bit expensive and the sides mediocre so cranking down my rating to ³⁄₅ stars.
(also posted to my food blog)

This review is only for the chicken biscuit and mac & cheese as these are the only items I’ve tried, but based on these two items alone, I likely won’t order from Hop’s Chicken again.
You’re better off going to Chick Fil A. You’ll get a fluffy, buttery biscuit instead of something dry and tasteless. You’ll also get a decently sized piece of chicken instead of what’s the equivalent of a chicken tender strip off a kids menu. The mac & cheese was also very bland.
The highlight of the meal were the condiments; their ranch sauce was pretty good as was the packet of Sriracha. I did like that they have several hot sauces to choose from, because what is fried chicken without some hot sauce, am I right?
I hate that I spent close to $ 8 for this meal. If they’re giving away free food or someone else pays, sure, give Hop’s a try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you that you’ll be underwhelmed.

I struggle on how I want to write this review. I don’t want to offend my southern folk. Lol
Fried Chicken… It’s just chicken that is fried.
Which isn’t properly executed correctly by most, which isn’t an issue here. Skin nice and light, seasoned well and juicy inside. Got it? Good!
I guess I should have started by saying I could care less for fried chicken. It doesn’t impress me. But, based on reviews I figured this was a god send and then standing in a line with 25 people ahead of me, I just knew it had to be magical. *shrugs*
I don’t normally stand in long lines for food or pretty much anything unless it’s the DMV or court.
So they ran out of wings like 3 people ahead of me, I was ready to leave but I am asking for patience, so I stayed. I ordered a thigh and Mac and cheese. The mac was moist and creamy but not seasoned at all. I love lots of pepper in my mac.
Staff was efficient.
I won’t be hopping back in a hurry but I am sure when I bring my bf to try it, he would love it. So hope this was helpful. If you can’t tell me and fried chicken are just associates.

I don’t get it. Had several folks say I had to try this place for their hot chicken. I was excited. When I asked for the hot chicken, the server pointed to several jars on the side and said the sauce is a side. She seemed very annoyed.
The chicken was very «KFC original recipe.» So it was good, but I mean, very suspiciously the same. The rolls tasted like the very same Hawaiian mini rolls you can get from Kroger. The coleslaw was a perfect match to KFC’s coleslaw. Like, almost too perfect.

I’ve read mixed reviews and heard differing opinions about Hop’s Chicken. I enjoyed my meal from here. I thought my chicken biscuit and fried chicken (drumstick and thigh) were delicious. The sides were OK. I’d come back.
Hop’s Chicken opened inside the Central Food Hall at Ponce City Market in September 2015. It’s presumably named after Linton and Gina Hopkins, the husband and wife team behind Holeman & Finch and Restaurant Eugene (two superb Atlanta restaurants). They opened Hop’s Chicken and H&F Burger at PCM at the same time. The two stalls are located next to each other.
Like other food stalls at PCM, there’s no dedicated seating for Hop’s. However, there are several tables spread throughout the lower and upper levels of the food hall. Hop’s amounts to a corner counter with window service. Order at one window, pick up at the other.
The menu is simple.
Fried chicken:
* Chicken biscuit — $ 4
* Chicken sandwich — $ 6
* Chicken wing — $ 1
* Chicken drumstick — $ 2
* Chicken thigh — $ 3
* Chicken breast — $ 4
* Half chicken with 2 rolls — $ 9
* Whole chicken with 4 rolls — $ 17
Sides ($ 3 each):
* Coleslaw
* Mac & cheese
* Succotash
* Buttermilk rolls (4 rolls)
Sauces (complimentary, though limited):
* Honey mustard
* Hot sauce
* Frim fram
* Aunt Julia’s BBQ
* Buttermilk ranch
* Black pepper gravy
That’s it.
Beverages include Coke products, sweet tea, lemonade, water (bottled and tap), and beer (poured).
Most of the times I’ve been to PCM, there seems to be a line at Hop’s. I think there’s only one register.
I ordered a chicken biscuit, drumstick, thigh, mac & cheese, and collard greens. After tax and tip, my meal cost nearly $ 20, not including the PCM parking fee ($ 1 for every 30 minutes). Not cheap for a fried chicken lunch, especially when compared to a mom and pop restaurant in the country (or ‘burbs) or a popular chicken fast food joint like Chick-​fil-​A or Popeye’s.
I admit I ordered a pretty sizable lunch for myself. However, the price you pay here is definitely more than you’d pay elsewhere. Is the difference worth it? Well, if you’re at Ponce City Market, you’re going to pay a bit of a premium for your food anyway so there’s that. You’re supporting local by patronizing Hop’s. And, of course, the business sources its all-​natural chicken from — where else? — Springer Mountain Farms. Springer Mountain chicken seems like it’s in every Atlanta restaurant that serves regional, sustainable cuisine.
My chicken biscuit was terrific, near perfect. The biscuit was fluffy, flaky, and buttery. The piece of chicken was thick, mouth-​wateringly seasoned, lean, and moist. It tasted fine without any sauce. In hindsight, I regret not having it with black pepper gravy. I’ll do that if I return and get a chicken biscuit again.
One of my tablemates checked out my chicken biscuit and commented on how much better it looked than the disappointing chicken biscuit he had from Hop’s earlier. Also, he commented he had both the best fried chicken and the worst fried chicken in his life from Hop’s. Perhaps they’ve had consistency issues? I respect his opinion.
The drumstick and thigh were fantastic. So good, especially the drumstick. It’s pretty much what you’d expect of good fried chicken — nicely flavored and crispy on the outside, hot and juicy on the inside. These pieces were hot and fresh out of the deep-​fryer. I’d say the thigh was slightly too greasy, but nothing out of the ordinary from any other chicken place.
People have asked me to compare Hop’s fried chicken to Gus’s fried chicken. I think Hop’s fried chicken is less crispy and less flavorful than Gus’s fried chicken, but it is meatier and juicier. Gus’s fried chicken has their signature spicy seasoning. Hop’s fried chicken has a simpler, more traditional seasoning. Ultimately, I think both Hop’s and Gus’s fried chicken are good, but I give Hop’s the edge. I just think Hop’s has better quality fried chicken based upon my experiences up to this point.
I asked for one of each sauce, but was told I was limited to three, so I told the lady behind the counter to just give me their three most popular sauces. She threw in the bag: honey mustard, frim fram, and buttermilk ranch. I liked all of the sauces. The mustard has a noticeable zing to it, the frim fram is a yummy tomato-​based sauce, and the ranch is light and creamy.
The kitchen was out of succotash the day I went, so customers were offered collard greens instead. They were alright, a little too salty. The mac and cheese was A-​OK. In general, no complaints, yet nothing exceptional as far as the sides go.
Service is friendly, but you may have to wait a while for your order. My friends ordered at El Super Pan the same time I ordered at Hop’s and they were well into eating their Cuban sandwiches and pork belly buns before my name was even called at the pick-​up counter at Hop’s.
In the end, deliciousness supersedes price and wait time in this instance. Therefore, I give Hop’s Chicken 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I searched long and hard during my time in ATL to find some southern fried chicken that wasnt Gladys Knight or JJ’s. I have a JJ’s at home in Milwaukee so that wasnt gonna cut it. So I grabbed a Atlanta magazine and I was directed to Hop’s.
The chicken was ok. I myself dont like chicken that isnt crispy, crunchy. The skin was a little soggy. However, the meat itself was seasoned which doesnt happen often in dining or fast food when it comes to chicken. The lemonade was on point.
I was kind of disappointed in the size of the chicken sandwich and chicken biscuit. I would go back because it wasnt all bad and the space that Hop’s is in is amazing and im sure you can find something to do and or eat while there.

This review is just for breakfast. We came on a Friday morning so PCM wasn’t very crowded. We got chicken biscuits and Gerry Evans biscuits. The chicken biscuit was fantastic. It was seasoned well and very crispy. The biscuit is crunchy on top and soft in the middle. The Gerry Evans biscuit had bacon chives and cheese. It was good but the chicken biscuit was better IMO. The service was great and the staff very friendly.

A few quick tidbits, since we all don’t have the luxury to read a wiki article.
Parking — location — seating I would refer to the listing for Ponce City Market. Hops doesn’t have it’s own section for customers. Though upstairs seemed less busy and more available tables for two. The portion built for entering /​exiting via the beltline does not have much chairs and tables, it’s a very high traffic flow area.
Food:
The real reason why you’re still reading.
Chicken Biscuit — Not humongous like Flying biscuit’s or a whole meaty portion of chicken like a diner would serve. Not good if you are starving and/​or hangry portion wise. But looking to sample from a variety of other shops, split this with a friend and dig in on your other food finds. Taste wise, it’s probably better with some of their sauce /​gravy options. The chicken breading is good on the seasoning, but the biscuit leaves you desiring for more. My decision on saving on the calories and eating it dry was not the most tasteful.
Mac & cheese — ehhhh… Something was off today if compared to what the other Unilocalers thought. That or the person who usually makes this was off of work on my visit and subbed with someone lactose intolerant. I added a little bit more salt for flavor, though I was missing that ooey gooey cheese sauce that the macaroni should be drowning in. Not impressed this round. Maybe next time if I decide to see if they are worth it on the next visit to PCM.
So far it’s eh, ok. I’ll give them one more visit just to see if my day of visit was an off day.

I like PCM. I just hate you have to pay for parking. Restaurants should validate, I think. Now that I’ve said that, let’s move forward.
Rock’s Chicken is a restaurant in PCM that’s just a window, and you can eat in the main hall at one of the tables there. I had the nashville style chicken, and it was HOT. Like, it was so hot. I was glad I had ordered cole slaw for my side (the small chopped kind — a little sweet, not too creamy. Nice.) just for a cooling element between bites. I had the chicken sandwich, and it was definitely a large step up from Chick Fil A. Next time, though, I’ll try the biscuit.

I’m pretty sure fried chicken was sent from hell. Devilishly delicious but killer on the diet.
Hop’s Chicken inside the Ponce City Market food hall is probably one of your most affordable options. The menu and prices are on the wall next to the register for all to see. I had a hard time deciding how much exactly I wanted to eat… So I ended up ordering a la carte: I got a chicken breast (Nashville style) and a chicken thigh. Note if you want them both Nashville style outside of a combo, it will cost extra. I also splurged with an order of Mac and cheese.
I was so freaking excited. My food came out relatively quickly — it took me a while in the line, so it took about the same time to get my order. It ended up coming out in two bags, thus making me appear to be a fatty. There are some hot sauces at the pick up counter for your fried chicken dining convenience.
Seating is somewhat plentiful in the PCM if you’re not scared of communal dining — aka sharing a table with strangers. We were lucky enough to get a table for ourselves.
The chicken breast was BORDERLINE dry. Because it was warm, it seemed tender enough to swallow. It was bathed in the Nashville style spice, which was definitely very spicy. I decided to take this to go and eat later. Why did I decide to take it to go? Because I ended up with THREE pieces of chicken instead of two. Why? They got confused as to whether I wanted a spicy chicken breast or regular breast. So I ended up with one hot AND one regular, along with my original thigh order. It was so awkward hearing them call to the back «Tiffany’s breast is HOT! Tiffany’s breast is hot!» I was the only one who seemed to notice, though…
The thigh was just juicy enough. I love when the juices of the dark meat dribble down my chin or fingers. It wasn’t quite that, but it had just enough to satisfy my fried chicken craving.
The Mac and cheese was just ok. Might not be worth the splurge.
Overall, my fried chicken craving was satiated by my meal at Hop’s Chicken. It helped that they gave me an extra chicken breast, but in general, the chicken wasn’t bad. I just can’t give them a three star after their free accidental chicken breast and not only that, but calling my breast «hot.» Not the best fried chicken by far, but enough to give their fried chicken a try.

Atmosphere: It is in PCM Food Court, so it is crowded, loud and you will most likely be in line for your order.
Service: nothing special here. I walk up order place. The order did take a little while to finish but they put in plenty of different sauces to enjoy our chicken biscuits with.
Chicken biscuit: I don’t know what people are talking about, these biscuits are made fresh and are amazingly delicious! The chicken was a perfect fried crunchy breast. I loved the variety of the sauces that you can mix and match with at Hops. This is definitely worth a stop if you’re in PCM. $ 4
Misc.: This place does run out of biscuits occasionally which can be annoying. i did wait in line to find out that there would not be biscuits for 25 minutes and that i would have to return and wait in line all over again to order two chicken biscuits. I was annoyed by this, but the chicken biscuits were worth the double line wait.

Excellent biscuit. Served with honey. Yum!
Succotash was served cold, but it worked. However, it didn’t have tomatoes in it. What’s up with that?
That’s all I had.