Lifestyle -- 2 days ago
Hotbox restaurant review
Words: Holly Butler
Some say a ‘meat feast’ pizza is a blasphemous perversion of centuries of Neapolitan culture. Others ask why it only has 4 different kinds of animal on it and demand extra bacon. Sometimes you just need to put aside the #eatclean lifestyle for a multi-animal meat binge that leaves you delirious and sweaty-faced. Step up Hotbox.
Hotbox is the latest of the pop-up success stories that makes the transition to a permanent setting. After regular appearances at Street Feast, Hawker House and Battersea Power Station, the team have taken their expertise in classic ‘Deep South’ styles and set up their industrial smoker in Spitalfields to supply an array of global barbecue favourites.
At first glance the venue screams ‘hipster-by-numbers’; exposed brick furnishings, neon signage, communal bench tables and wooden serving boards. Do not shy away however as the pleasant, knowledgeable staff are by no means the flannel shirted snoots one might be expecting. Furthermore, don’t come expecting arty, Michelin-style plating. All to be had here is sweet sticky platters of trashy meat-porn.
Make the smart choice and order the HotBox smoked selection featuring beef short rib, pork rib, chicken thigh, hot link sausage and pulled pork for a highlights reel of everything on offer. All platters are served with a BBQ glaze drizzle, packed with a perfect amount of heat that left the adjacent Essex boys whimpering to the waiter to swap it for ‘some tommy k’. Whilst they argued about what ‘brioche’ is, we tucked in to some fiery chipotle beef rib tacos topped with chimichurri and crispy fried shallots along with a side of beetroot salad. More hearty sides include smoked mac & cheese, ham hock pinto beans and some amazing smoked Japanese mushrooms.
Need to let your new meat-baby settle before heading home? Head downstairs for cocktails at 46 & Mercy and collapse into their extremely low – yet comfortable – seating. Those needing meat till the very end should sip on a Blessed Thistle, marrying pork fat and thyme washed aromatised wine, whilst you succumb to the impending meat-coma.
With kind-spirited service and some of the best barbecue food around, we would highly recommend HotBox to any self-identifying carnivore.
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