Fat Belly Jack’s heats up Petrie Terrace with its Nashville-style hot chicken
We’ve barely had time to breathe after the frenzy that was the Lobster Shack pop-up, but the Hashtag Burgers crew has already struck again with the culinary goods. If your nose flares favourably at the scent of spice, get ready to flip – Fat Belly Jack’s has opened on Petrie Terrace, promising sizzling serves of Nashville hot chicken with beer, boilermakers and bourbon to boot.
Petrie Terrace was a hotbed of activity in September as crustacean lovers jostled to sample the choice morsels of Lobster Shack. Amidst the rush to avoid squandering their chance to chow down on lobster, crowds were oblivious to the plans that organisers Hashtag Burgers had in store for the space post pop-up. After searching for an ideal location to install their heralded burger chain Down N’ Out, the crew instead decided to jump on the Petrie Terrace location (formerly Sandy’s Good Time Bar) to host Lobster Shack before introducing a new permanent concept – Fat Belly Jack’s. Opening this week, Fat Belly Jack’s is a lively bar that specialises in American sips and spicy Nashville-style fried chicken. After ripping out existing bulkheads, removing the VJ panelling and scrubbing down the space, the team has implemented a fun and minimal USA-themed aesthetic with a playlist of all-American jams to suit the mood.
Creative director Ben Kagan’s travels across America inspired Fat Belly Jack’s culinary lean, after cultivating a healthy obsession with Nashville’s famed hot chicken and thriving bourbon scene. These two aspects formed the basis of the Petrie Terrace bar’s offering – a simple but delicious menu of fried chicken bolstered by an evolving drinks selection. After weeks of experimentation and refinement, the kitchen team has engineered a chicken recipe that is as authentic as possible. Chicken is cooked by the quarter on the bone and served with sauce that escalates in heat for a zingy kick. Select from southern-fried chicken burgers, breasts, thighs, wings or tenders, then ratchet up the spice from mild, to medium, red hot and ‘really f$!king hot’. If you’re truly insane, we hear there’s an off-menu heat level you can try, but don’t come crying to us if you scorch your insides afterwards. Crinkle-cut fries with spicy salt, bacon-fried greens, Memphis slaw, buttery creamed corn and mac’n’cheese are available as sides, but the perfect accompaniment is a drink to help ease the heat. Fat Belly Jack’s offers a stellar selection of boilermaker pairings, American whisky and bourbon, supported by tap and bottled beer, wine, spirits, and a forthcoming list of classic American cocktails.
Fat Belly Jack’s is now cooking. For opening hours and contact details, click over to the Stumble Guide.
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