HotBox

I am a vegetarian so this place specialising in BBQ and smoked meats does not seem like a great choice, however on weekends they cater for us veggies too with their brunch menu.
Initailly i had reservations about trying Hotbox only because of the meat heavy menu but the swanky dark exterior made me think it was aimed at the city boy crowd, which is not really my scene but inside all that preconception was lifted with the rustic décor and super friendly staff.
There were 12 of us sat along the long wooden table and though we all arrived at separate times food arrived all at once so that we could enjoy eating together.
I had the Huevos Rancheros which is one of my absolute favourite breakfasts and this one did not disappoint with a rich spicy tomato base, runny fried eggs, creamy guacamole and densely delicious masa taco on the side. The portion was so generous I couldn’t actually finish my bubbling cast iron bowl, but as always my friends were there to lend a hand.
Most of the dishes were served on plain plates, or wooden boards tying together perfectly the simple yet stylish industrial feel.
This place is well thought out serving up quality food I only wish I wasn’t limited to visiting at weekends.

Death by meat in this incredible barbecue spot just off Brick Lane. For a second I thought I was back in Nashville, Tennessee. Their meat is tender, their mac and cheese cheesy as it should be and their cocktails are fun and zingy. Wash all that grease down with great craft… And walk it all off. You’ll need to!

Went for Sunday brunch last weekend, and, full disclosure, did not order the bottomless drinks, although we did sit near the bar and saw some solid looking cocktails come out.
I ordered hash plate, and my wife ordered the avocado toast. Both orders were reallllly good. Mine had lots of different meats, spices, and potatoes. My only complaint was that the potatoes were too large and not fried enough. The wife’s avocado toast was flavored well and on sourdough bread.
Our friend ordered the pancakes which also looked good.
For our two dishes, the total was £14. Not a bad deal for a sit down brunch with such high quality food.

Having pored over all these other reviews for this place, I decided that ribs would be a good option to go for.
There is currently a new menu so you can’t go all in with the smoked selection anymore. They have pork ribs (4 fat pieces at £16) or beef ribs (3 pieces for £22) both of which are excellent, with just a little devilish fat stuck onto it to make the pork ribs juicy, and a very soft and tender beef rib which sort of melts in your mouth. Tap water came without prompt. I didn’t like the chicken wings they felt a bit too salty. Sweet potato fries were yummy and not too greasy.
The place is very chic and would be a good place for a date! Coat hangers abound all over the place (woohoo!), toilets are downstairs after you walk past a really pretty looking bar and bar seating area with comfy sofas and everything! There is even a DJ deck space in the corner!
Service was slightly weird. The waitress came at the correct times to ask whether we needed help, if the food was good, or alternatively giving us a few minutes to decide on what to eat, but her face told a different story. It just looked like she didn’t want to be there rather than the smiley happy waitress we would all love to have!
All in all, it’s a good place to eat ribs, but the price is slightly eye watering for a few ribs. (Take note though you will end up super full!)

Top quality food. I was between the smoked selection and the tacos, I’m so glad I went for the latter as they were incredible. The pulled pork side was pretty special, and the Mac n cheese was lush. Great looking place too with good service. Decent prices (for London). Good choices on drinks as well. Highly recommended!

Came in for brunch — hash with fried egg was good as was the pork patty burger.
Service was friendly and quick. Not a fan of sharing tables but will return for the evening menu, which I think will hit the spot.

Hotbox is a casual restaurant serving BBQ smoked meat. The menu is not massive but if you find you can’t choose which meat to order, then consider the smoked selection consisting beef short ribs, pork ribs, chicken thigh, hot link sausage and pulled pork.
Overall each meat was nice but the ribs had to be the best. The pulled pork doesn’t compare to other places in London.
None of the smoked comes with sides and only served with some house pickles. My favourite would had to be the sweet potato fries.
It was not cheap to dine at Hotbox after adding sides with the smoked meat and drinks.

OMGWTFBBQ!
I’ve been here a few times now and the food has always been excellent. The first time I went for the smoked selection — ribs, pulled pork, a sausage and a chicken thigh. The highlight was definitely the ribs, but the rest was great too. On my second visit I opted the Smokey Bandit, a burger topped with more beef in the form of slow cooked short rib and some cheese. This was also excellent. I’m yet to try the beef rib, which looks huge, so will be next on my list. They do a pretty good selection of beer as well.

Hot Box c’est l’endroit à né PAS aller si vous êtes à la diet. Parce que tout à l’air absolument délicieux et on finit par commander bien plus qu’il né faudrait. C’est un endroit connu pour la viande et les barbecues, mais ici je le recommande aussi vivement pour le brunch !
YUMMY
Si ça né tenait qu’à moi et j’étais capable de manger bien plus que mon corps puisse le supporter, voici mon brunch menu idéal chez Hotbox:
— Huevos ranchos en entrée (avec extra guacamole si vous plait)
— Chicken Belgian waffles avec du sel à la truffe en plat
— Buttermilk pancakes (avec du bacon, berries and banana) en dessert
MONEY MONEY MONEY
Comptez de £6 à £16 pour les différents plats du brunch
Bloody Mary/​procesco/​mimosa à volonté pour £25 par personne ! un super deal !
LES PETIT +
— Le Liquid brunch option (alcool à volonté, voir au dessus)
— Les differents choix et variation du bloody mary.

I think I may have had the best ribs ever here. With the scotch bonnet glaze, I was really worried they would be ruined by being too spicy. Fortunately these fears were unfounded. The glaze had a fruity sweetness to it and a bit of kick in the end. I love it.
Pulled pork, I’ve now discovered, isn’t really my cup of tea.
I did however really enjoy the sweet potato fries. I’m normally not much of a sweet potato eater but my god these were good.
I really want to try out their brunch menu, however since I’m here for work I don’t think I’ll be able to since I’m working when they do brunch.

I haven’t been to this location yet but I did get to try the Smokey Bandit sliders at Burger Fest 2015, and wow was I impressed! I loved the combo of burger patty and delicious tender short rib, and the fresh green chimichurri sauce complimented the meat perfectly. I can’t wait to try Hot Boxes burgers in full size, and I’ve heard the ribs are amazing too!

The ribs are good. Amazingly good. That’s all I have to say. Go here and order ribs.
Pity the prices are high — £16 for ribs!!! With no sides included. That’s why my review is 4 stars instead of 5.

Came here for brunch and couldn’t find the place at first as there is no sign outside. The seats are wooden benches which gives a nice rustic feel but not very comfortable as the tables are quite low with high seating. We also tried the unlimited booze for £25. Mimosas were great and I liked that you could taste the orange pulp. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and my friends ordered the buttermilk pancakes with bacon and the egg truffle. Great tasting food and awesome music playlist ! Kudos to the dj!
Will definitely come again !

I want to write so much about this place. But that will waste both mine and your time.
So I’ve created a nice list to help you decide.
Reasons for: Amazing smoked meats, amazing marinades, amazing original hot sauce, amazing hot sauce that is slightly spicier than original hot sauce. Good staff, water constantly topped up
Reasons against: Oily tasting water? (To be fair after getting topped up the water tasted normal). You will be slightly disappointed with BBQ from other sources.
So in summary GO TO HOTBOX.
PS. I will be back to try the Brunch menu. K, Thx. Bye.

I ordered the Beef Short ribs and mac and cheese. Holy moly. That’s one delicious piece of rib. Super tender and full of flavour. But surprisingly, for someone who gives up on a burrito half way through — I was super hungry after my 20oz rib. I’m suspicious that it wasn’t actually 20oz or maybe I was just really hungry that night. Should have ordered the Smoke Selection and another side.
Still — really good food. Reminded me of the BBQ I’ve had in the States. Will be back for sure.

I’m a carnivorous sort of person. Given that, HotBox could very well become my second home.
My friend and I split the Smoked Selection, which included beef short rib, pork ribs, chicken thigh, sausage and pulled pork. Initially I was a bit disappointed as I had come for the pork ribs, but they were running low so they weren’t offering them as a main by themselves. Two things made up for this though. Firstly, the waiter was very friendly and helpful and gave useful suggestions regarding what we should choose. Secondly, the selection meant I was able to try ALL the meats, which it turns out was a Good Thing.
Particular standouts were the beef and the pulled pork, both of which were very moreish and divinely melty. The pork ribs were fine, though not actually the stars of the show. I also enjoyed the chicken, especially considering this is pretty much an afterthought for me in this kind of place.
Very importantly, though, the ham hock pinto beans were RIDICULOUSLY good. I can’t stress enough how revelatory they were. It’s rare for sides to stand out, but in this case they almost stole the show. I would happily eat these on their own, maybe with some rice, for a fantastic meal.
Also had the grilled elote (corn on the cob) — they were tasty as well.
It’s got a good vibe, great good, lovely staff and gets many thumbs up.

HotBox’s unlimited boozy brunch is absolutely fantastic. I was incredibly blown away at how wonderful the food and the staff are at this place.
My boyfriend and I planned a massive brunch to catch up with all of our friends. The six of us in total found Hotbox’s boozy brunch and we were ecstatic to come and try it. The menu is modestly priced and was absolutely divine.
I ordered the chicken and waffles and was highly impressed by this dish. The chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection on a crunchy and soft belgian waffle. I highly recommend trying this dish.
I also had shared the mexican corn dish with my friend. I thought it was tasty and a yummy veggie treat after a heavy main.
Most importantly, the unlimited booze deal is great! You would think that the waiters and waitresses here would hold back on giving out alcohol, but if anything, it seemed like they promoted our alcoholic behaviour! Drinks would be refilled and poured constantly for us and and our friends. You can choose between various recipes of Bloody Mary’s, Prosecco or Mimosas. I ended up quite cheerful at the end of my experience. I can’t wait to overindulge again at Hotbox!

Oh dear Lordy this place is good — great food, Cool vibe and top staff, serving the fate with a smile and a spot of random French!
My beef taco was a delicate treat, hints of spice and Chipotle flavours working well with the tender beef, complimented by the kimchi on the side. Sides of greens and sweet potato fries were top notch. Good beer selection — Yakima Red makes me happy.
My dear companion hit the pork roll which was far more bbq-​y in contrast. Again the pork was tender and the bbq flavours were excellent, less of a delicate dish and more of a taste explosion!

So I’ve had hot box twice before going to their newish restaurant at pop ups in Dalston Yard & Battersea last year
Both times it was amazing!
Bbq done well and reasonably priced
Bf and I were planning on going out for dinner in Shoreditch and had a few options but the deep fried Oreos swayed me!
The food was good! Bf had the selection which looked amazing (I’d shared similar with him before at a pop up) and I had the beef tacos which were tasty!
What let it down was 1) the price and 2) the hyped up Oreos
They were really greasy and not all that tasty :(real shame!
We also had to wait for ages for a table
I would have rated 3* however you just can’t knock the meat they serve!

I’m not even sure I have the ability to write this review, as I lay here, covered in meat sweats, my fingers possibly have turned into giant sausages, slumped back in my chair with a little drool pooling around the edge of my mouth.
Also, I’m making this noise, «Uggghggghaahghghghghghhahhahahurranghgghghahgh.»
Yes, I went to Hot Box.
I’ve been a fan ever since I tried them at the street feast events in Dalston. Their BBQ is top notch, highly smoked, lightly covered with sauce and well chosen meat. So when I found they were opening up a spot, I was psyched. And I was not to be disappointed.
The space is classic BBQ style shared long tables. Sit down and someone will explain the menu. I’m not sure if it’s because they were new, but the waiter sat with us and walked us through everything. It was a little intense, but also kind of nice.
Between the two of us, we shared the Smoked Sampler (which was epic and contained all the meats) and a pulled pork sandwich. We also tried a side of the coleslaw (awesome), the sweet potato fries (awesome) and the grilled elote, which turned out to be grilled corn on the cob. Also awesome.
As I said before, they do BBQ well. And it was meat on top of meat to the point where I am now laying here, making the noise I made above.
When my girlfriend found out where I went for my meeting, she got piiiiiised. She keeps saying I «hotboxed» her. And you know what, I kind of did.

Yay a new restaurant in Shoreditch! This place just opened and it will surely be a welcome addition to the local rotation. The communal wooden picnic tables give the place a nice relaxed ambiance, though they’re a slightly uncomfortable seating option.
Service was great, friendly and attentive, but they’re clearly working the bugs out: the servers were running around refilling the tables’ teeeenie tiny water glasses. With hot BBQ and really good pickles, probably a good idea to leave a pitcher or get bigger water glasses… but I’ll cut them some slack.
Food was solid, 3.5−4 stars. Really good baby back ribs, delicious pickles, and sweet potato fries.