Hart’s Fried Chicken
2951 Springhill Ave.
Mobile, 36607
251-473-3139
Every year during Mardi Gras I try to feature a restaurant that could be considered a Mobile icon. It’s sort of my way of presenting the reader with something I think is an important contribution to the Azalea City’s dining scene, should a visiting tourist pick up one of these papers in search of something to eat.
Of course, what little Mardi Gras-ing we did was without the help of any out-of-state visitors, so there was no need to feature a Mobile classic just for the sake of spreading the love. But guess what? (“What?”) I missed doing that. It was another routine put on the back burner, but this time, needlessly. So on a recent brisk and chilly Thursday, I had just enough time to grab Lucas in between classes and headed out to Hart’s Fried Chicken for lunch.
There are a few locations of this Mobile institution, but the closest to us is the Springhill Avenue restaurant. They offer dine-in at this spot, roping off every other table, but with seating limited in the already small dining room, it’s best to get it on wheels.
I was super excited to see the sign that read “Pan Dressing” on the parking lot marquee, but was immediately informed dressing was only available for the holidays. With a tear in my eye and disappointment in my voice, I still managed to order about half of the menu and took it home to feast.
Lucas and I tried in vain to wait until Katie’s lunch hour. The smell and the hunger overtook us. We kept all of the bags closed, except for one. The most important one. I’m certainly proud my 15-year-old inherited my appreciation for chicken livers ($4.99). We dug in prematurely, and I was reminded Hart’s does this better than anyone. The perfect texture for a liver is soft but sturdy, quickly fried so as to not be too greasy, and barely battered with the surface of the organ fairly visible. I love them. Sprinkled among the livers was a generous amount of tater tots, which also were not neglected.
Ketchup with black pepper and Louisiana “red dot” hot sauce is the preferred liver dip at the MacDonald household, and we took great pleasure in the preparation. It was the only way to make the livers any better, and our organ appetizer sustained us until the wife got home.
I should also add I once stole a gizzard from David Rasp’s Hart’s bag, and they are one of the only places that make gizzards tolerable for me. If you can make a gizzard good, then you’re doing something. Rasp is a gizzard man, and I’m lucky to have not lost a finger that day.
Once Katie joined the party, we broke into the five-piece mixed ($7.99). Two legs and a breast, a wing and a thigh, we smartly chose spicy over regular. It isn’t an overbearing heat, but it may be a little much for a smaller child. Katie took the breast while Lucas and I nibbled on the rest. Of all the spectacular fried chicken in Mobile, this ranks high.
Lucas decided it would be OK to sneak a piece from the chicken tender snack ($5.29). These were intended to be Baby Henry’s dinner that evening, but there were three more. With tater tots and a roll, I’m sure Henry didn’t lack for sustenance when suppertime fell upon us. I was told the tenders were good. Selfish kids didn’t even share.
It wouldn’t be a fried chicken meal without a large fried okra ($3.69), now would it? This is a tray full of it, coming from the appetizer section of the menu. Breaded with flour, but not overly so, the three of us popped a few here and there in between chunks of chicken and the occasional return to the liver basket. We still had plenty left over.
Getting away from the fried foods and organ meat, the large mashed potatoes ($3.99) was a must. Served with a small side of gravy, this is exactly what you think it is. It reminded me of my high school cafeteria, and that’s a good thing. Kind of trashy potatoes, but delicious.
Somehow we ended up with two small coleslaws ($1.69 each). There is nothing trashy about the slaw. The finely cut, perhaps grated, cabbage is my favorite style with a little bit of mayonnaise and a slightly sweet finish. I swear I could eat a quart of it. This is the kind of slaw you’d find in a classic Mississippi catfish house located somewhere not on your way home. Put it on a sliced onion and call it a night.
Yes, we ordered a lot of food, and we had a lot left over. Add it up and you will see the value. It’s a cheap thrills kind of a place with everything well executed and shelled out faster than the average drive-thru. I’ve eaten at another Hart’s, on DIP, and it was just as good as this one.
When you’re talking about Mobile institutions, Hart’s should always be in the conversation, more so if you are speaking of restaurants. That red and yellow sign has been around since 1964 and doesn’t look to be disappearing anytime soon. Plus, this particular location is in good company, with Mary’s Southern Cooking and Roshell’s within spitting distance.
For longevity, flavor and value, I place this Mobile original on the list with the likes of Cammie’s Old Dutch, the Dew Drop Inn, Pollman’s, Callaghan’s, Heroes and all of the other folks out there making our town more delicious than before you came along. There are so many more to mention, but statistically, few will approach the six-decade mark. Keep on keeping on, Hart’s.
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