Hot Sauce Williams Barbecue Restaurant

Hotsauce Williams is a small little BBQ joint located on Carnegie in Cleveland, Ohio.
The food: Absolutely delicious. I have never had a single item I did not love from Hotsauce Williams. While the quality of some of the food isn’t top notch, it TASTES amazing. The fries seem like they’re frozen, but when they’re drenched in the house BBQ sauce they taste great. The slaw is absolutely delicious, and I don’t even like coleslaw. All the meats are delicious as well. What it really comes down to is the fact that everything is smothered in their BBQ sauce, which is delicious. I give the food itself a 4 out of 5.
The service: the staff is sometimes very apathetic and slightly rude. There’s a lot of young people working there, maybe relatives of the owner, I can’t say, that don’t really seem to care about their job or whether or not they’re giving you good service. I have heard many people complain about the staff there, though I’ve never personally had a problem with them. The demeanor of some of the younger workers is a little off-​putting. I understand it’s probably just a part time gig for them while they attend school or something, but it’s good to have at least a decently positive attitude at work, especially when dealing with customers. This is balanced only by the owners friendly and happy personality. Every time I’ve seen him there he always asks me how I’m doing and makes a point to come over to my table and ask how the food is. I give the service a 3 out of 5.
The atmosphere: honestly this is not the cleanest place around, by any means. The place looks a little old and run down, which gives it a sort of mom and pop shop feel I suppose, but you would think they would put a little money into updating the building/​décor a little bit. The place is sometimes packed, sometimes completely empty. They give you enough space for seating and the lighting is sufficient so that’s a good thing. I give the atmosphere a 3 out of 5.
Overall I rate Hotsauce Williams at a 3.3 out of 5. This is not the place you go when you expect a five star meal where someone is gonna car park your car for you and give you a foot rub after you finish your slaw and fries. Not at all. This place is more about the food and for that reason I’ll definitely be back again. I would recommend this restaurant to someone who really enjoys BBQ food and isn’t too picky about service or atmosphere. Needless to say whether you’re a native to Cleveland or the Greater Cleveland area, or whether you’re just visiting from out of town you definitely have to check this place out at least once!

The food was okay. The wings and fries were not that fresh and very little chicken came on the bone. The sauce was ok. I like Open Pit Bar B Que’s (Cleveland, OH) sauce better because it’s sweeter. I tried this because it was on the travel channel. It really wasn’t that good. I like Harold’s Chicken Shack in Atlanta and Chicago way better when it comes to chicken and sauce.

All I can say is that both the food and the restaurant were completely disgusting. The pork shoulder tasted like it was two weeks old and reheated in a microwave. Their fries were cold and mushy. The cole slaw was the only edible thing they gave me. The whole meal was so bad I threw it in garbage after two bites. To go along with the terrible food the inside of the restaurant was dirty and had a strange smell. It’s probably not necessary to say, but I will never set foot in Hot Sauce Williams again.

My fiancé and her friend got food poisoning last night. They ordered the beef ribs… Not fun and not good. I got the fried chicken which was great and i feel ok. Service is kind of shitty like other reviews have said, some people are just not positive. I guess i wouldn’t be working at a BBQ place till 1:30 in the morning. I will NOT be going back. Food poisoning is a really bad thing, which means they aren’t doing proper food handling.

I’m not sure what to do with this place… A couple of my friends took me here; they said they come here every now and then and enjoy it. But…
when they took my friend and I, I was a little less than underwhelmed. We were the only four people in the place (except for one guy who came in and tried to sell us pirated DVDs) and I was the last to order, but by the time my catfish dinner arrived everyone else had already finished their food. It took them almost 25 minutes to make my food. So for 25 minutes I had a good long look at their heat lamps. I watched several flies and fruit flies land, fly around, and then re-​land on the coleslaw and fries. Needlessness when my food actually did come up, I was in no hurry to eat either of those two sides I had gotten. I will admit that the catfish itself was tasty, but the atmosphere completely took my appetite away. The one garbage can in the dining area was overflowing with food bits and dozens of fruit flies, so when we decided to leave (about 5 minutes after my food came), I had to take mine to go, but then my friends had to just set their garbage next to the overflowing trashcan because there were no employees in sight. Also, the parking lot and surrounding area was super sketchy. If the catfish hadn’t have tasted alright, this place would have only gotten one star.

Sauce spicy and blan absolutely no flavor the décor screams dont eat here plus the entire staff is moody not to mention chicken wings are 1.50 a piece a true rip off!

Manager, please delete this review after owner of Unilocal has read. .. Thank you.
Well, let me tell you. I love he food here! However, I had a costly-​to-​owner and manager, and a terrible experience today (well, the 12^th a Wednesday), and they need to know if they want to keep customers!!! Who knows how many people just walk out because of the rude and slow staff — I’m sure they do it all the time and just don’t tell the boss. Here is what I am trying to communicate, and I can find no other way. Website non-​existent.
My would-​be communiqué:
You lost 3 customers in a row today, August 12, at about 4:30, including the 2 ahead of me and then me. I would have spent around $ 20. The two were mother and son, and who knows what a growing boy eats?!
The 2 in front of me (no one else in line or the restaurant) waited and waited even to be acknowledged let alone waited on. There were 3 employees — a man and 2 women –who saw clearly we were there. The customers and I chatted pleasantly for a good 5 minutes. They got tired of waiting — for anything. They left. I was now the only customer. One would think that their seeing 2 walkouts would have prompted them to action!
The 3 of them stood directly in front of me at the register! They did everything to pretend I wasn’t there. Could they not have said «we’ll be right with you»? Totally ignored me and instead counted tickets and chit-​chatted about. There was plenty of food, so they were in no crunch. I’d have spent $ 20 — LOSS. Mother and son, who knows? — LOSS. I go to your place because it’s usually great and I am a frequent Clinic visitor.
Frankly, I would fire all three of these employees if I were you. You’ve got a great business, but who knows how many customers walk out. RUDE EMPLOYEES might be chasing away more than you know.
Susan Bednar

My son and I stopped here on our way home from vacation. I wanted a polish boy, but Seti’s is closed on weekends. This place had a good rep for theirs. I had the polish girl (polish boy with pork shoulder). It was tasty, but didn’t think its size justified its price. Paid over $ 9 for something noticeably smaller than a regular hot dog. Yeah, it had fries and a can of soda, but still… The sauce was good, but don’t expect it to be hot. We waited a long time in an empty restaurant for anyone to come up to the counter to take our order. She saw us, but kept wandering around not really doing anything. Seemed like they were out of everything. No chicken sandwich, no corn fritters, no fried chicken breasts, and a few other things the people behind us ordered. The woman taking our order acted like we were bothering her and that she was doing us a huge favor by doing her job. There was a cheap boom box blaring awful music you coudn’t get away from no matter where you sat. I don’t care one way or the other about décor, but if you do, don’t go here. Table cloths look like cheap shower curtains a 4yr old picked out, and there is a cheap entertainment center in the dinning room. Who puts an entertainment center in the middle of a restaurant, lol? All in all, the food tasted good, but wasn’t the best value, the service was crap, and the décor was laughable.

I am a Cleveland resident. I have been to Hot Sauce Williams many times and I would normally describe it as being just okay. It is a decent rib and chicken joint but I’ve been to many that are better. I only go there because I don’t have a car and it is right near a city bus stop.
I visited on Friday and I must say I was extremely disappointed. When I arrived there a woman was standing in line. I sat down because it was very hot and I wanted to rest for a second before I ordered. I asked my boyfriend to go find us a menu. The woman who was in line suddenly became angry. She yelled «I guess no one’s gonna help me. I’ve been standing here for 10 minutes. I’ll take my money elsewhere». She stormed out angrily. My boyfriend then came back stating that he could only find the second page of a menu (which only showed family meal deals). We looked over it but found that none of the items were good for just two people so we took the menu back to the front counter. We stood there for about 10 minutes when finally a worker walked up to the counter and rudely said «What?». We asked could we get the other page of the menu to which he replied. «Nah. That’s all we got» and walked away. During our time there we witnessed 2 other customers treated the same both of which left.
We remembered Über existed and we caught an Über to another restaurant.

Hot Sauce Williams has some pretty poor BBQ, mediocre fried chicken, and an odd sauce that they’ll put on either one. Of course then there’s the polish boy. I’ll explain.
This place has become a Cleveland landmark, probably more from visits of Anthony Bourdain and ManVFood than anything else. There are a number of similar spots in Cleveland and you have to respect it for what it is. It’s not the kind of place that’s trying to win competitions here. It’s more of a fast-​food style cheap BBQ.
On our most recent visit we got a polish boy and some fried chicken. A polish boy is a kielbasa, fries, coleslaw, and sauce on a bun. It’s an unrefined mess and it’s pretty tasty. In my opinion their chicken is so-​so.
The service seems to be down to business. I wouldn’t describe my experiences as overly friendly.
If you’re an out-​of towner I suggest trying it for what it is. The polish boy is uniquely Cleveland. The neighborhood is characteristic for much of the east side of the city. It may not be pretty but it is what it is.

My good friend, a native Clevelander, described this spot as a Cleveland staple. In town for a Cavs game & we gave it a try!
My BF & friend had the pork shoulder & it looked great. They loved it, I tried it & wished I ordered it. It’s on white bread & looks a little mysterious but it’s delish. I ordered the chicken… I waited…& waited for this stupid chicken. My friends & BF were done eating by the time I got my chicken *sigh* not cool. Luckily I got my sides first which were mac n cheese (dry and tasteless) and greens (ok). I was so excited for this place & what a bummer. The chicken was juicy but had no flavor. I am a white girl that grew up in Pittsburgh, I’m not asking for much in terms of flavor but my God this was tasteless.
Let’s touch on the location, def off the beaten path. I felt as if I were at a fire hall. The décor reminded me of a low budget bridal shower. It’s positively outdated which is fine, it’s a dive. I wish the food made up for the detoured drive, long wait & weird set up.

Hot Sauce Williams is a Cleveland institution… Put in other words– you have to try this place at least once.
The sauce isn’t for everyone. It’s a vinegar based sauce with a little heat to it. I absolutely LOVE it but I know others who prefer a thicker sauce. I normally go with the 2 piece all white dinner with the sauce on everything. The fried chicken is some of the best in Cleveland. The fries, slaw and bread are all solid and for what you pay ($ 6.99 for my meal) you get a ton of food. The inside of the restaurant is very old school– definitely not a place for suits and ties. It has a drive thru which is super convenient, especially considering the area it is in.

I genuinely love this place.
My one request is that this place should start a delivery service. The neighborhood isn’t the best, and since all my friends in Cleveland are Case students, no one is really inclined to answer my fried chicken hankering at 10pm because to them, the fear of getting shot is too damn high (but I think i could die happy with some HSW in my hands).

I found the ribs here underwhelming, they tasted a little overcooked and tough.
However, fried chicken is really good here. Not overly breaded, perfectly fried, and the chicken itself is warm and tender. Get the sauce on the side, since I’d imagine you are getting takeout and the last thing you want is the chicken to turn into a sloppy mess by the time you get home.
Wait times have been surprisingly long (on the order of 20 — 30 minutes) despite how there is almost no line. If you come here hungry and stare at the food while waiting, this will be torture. At least they give you so much food that it still amazes me to this day how they actually manage to fit it in the takeout box.
Eating here regularly is ill-​advised, if nothing else because I would prefer to not require the services of the world famous (and strategically close) Cleveland Clinic cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.

Came to Cleveland and just had to try a Polish boy– but it was Saturday so Seti’s wasn’t open. Decided Hot Sauce Williams would be a decent alternative given the circumstances. All I ordered was one Polish boy for $ 5.25 from a not too friendly set of workers and was given my order in 2 – 3 minutes.
The first thing I noticed was that this could not be eaten by hand. I picked up the dog and the bun immediately fell apart from being drenched in sauce. I managed to get a bite of all the flavors and they mixed fairly well but nothing special. The hot dog had good beef flavor but tasted like it had been sitting around for awhile. The fries were regular crinkle fries like you get in an Ore-​Ida bag and the coleslaw had a strong mayonnaise taste, but I really liked the hot barbecue sauce put on the dog. Overall despite not being assembled of the greatest ingredients I think the polish boy was better than the sum of its parts and actually tasted pretty good when you were able to get a bite of all the elements.

Don’t believe the hype!
After seeing this location on Man vs Food I had to check it out for myself. I have given this location two back to back chances and it was a disappointment on both occasions.
The place is defiantly a dive and not the cleanest. One our first visit on a Saturday night we ordered two 4 piece chicken dinners for my wife and I and one 2 piece chicken dinner for our daughter. We finally received our food after a 45 minute wait and the place was completely dead! The four piece chicken dinner comes with a breast, wing, thigh and drumstick, coleslaw, fries and BBQ sauce on the chicken & fries. Talk about a party in my mouth! The chicken was hot and juicy and cooked just right and seasoned to perfection! The fries and slaw were good also.
The employee’s attitudes and customer service skills are in need of as much of a makeover as the dining space needs. The second time we went was the next day as we were on our way back home from Cleveland and got a 20 piece chicken to go. The girl at the cash register was on her phone the whole time I placed the order. I understand that it’s a slow Sunday afternoon but, really?! She had a really foul attitude and just couldn’t be bothered with taking orders. She was acting like actually pausing her phone conversation to take my order was a major inconvenience to her.
It took about 25 minutes to get our chicken the second time which is weird as I ordered a lot more chicken the second time. I would defiantly call ahead to place your order because if you wait on your food it WILL be a while.
The chicken is very good but, not worth the wait and dealing with the employee’s bad attitudes. I’d much rather go to Zanzibar for their delicious honey fried chicken. Hell, I’ll eeven take Church’s Chicken instead!

I love Hot Sauce Wiliams. Well, I love their food. Their service is very hit or miss.
Though HSW is a bbq joint, I don’t think it’s necessarily their strongest point. The bbq sauce is really fantastic. The ribs and pulled pork are really good, but not really great. Granted, that’s really comparing to at-​home bbq using a smoker. When it comes to restaurants, you will be hard pressed to find better bbq in NE Ohio. And it’s definitely better than other Ohio bbq chains like Carolina BBQ and City BBQ.
Where HSW really shines is their fried chicken and Po Boy and Po Girl. The fried chicken is easily some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had — crisp skin, cooked to perfect doneness. But if you go to HSW, be sure to get a Po Boy or Po Girl. What’s the exact difference? I don’t remember. The better one is the one with a hot sausage in a bun topped with pork shoulder, french fries, coleslaw, and french fries (I think that’s the po girl). I cannot eat it with my hands, because it falls apart. If you can eat it without utensils, then give yourself 100 extra Man Points ©. Unfortunately, I dont get to make it to HSW very often, so I’ve not been able to try their fried fish or several other foods.
For drinks, they have soda machines and HUGs (kool aid in a tiny barel). Last time I was there, they didn’t have a soda machine, so no free refills, which is a bummer
Though I love the food and their pink & blue color scheme outside, I think they only hire terrible people to work the registers. I’ve literally never eaten there and experienced a cashier that wasn’t rude. They not only seemed to hate me on a personal level, but were offended by my audacity of ordering food there. With that being said, the cooks and individuals handing out the food have always been very sweet and friendly. Also, there was an employee my first visit there who helped me open a stuck bathroom door, and he was really great. I’m confused as to why the cashiers have been awful. Granted, I haven’t been to HSW in well over a year since I moved out of state, so perhaps their cashiers are less butthurt now.
If I remember correctly, all locations are not places you want to be late and night by yourself with obvious fistfuls of cash (if ya catch my drift), so if you’re an easily scared white person, go for lunch. Also, they used to only accept cash — not sure if that’s changed.
If you’re looking for a local restaurant and would like some soul food or bbq, I very highly recommend HSW. Also, the Carnegie location is right down the road from the Cleveland Clinic main campus. So, if you have an appointment with your cardiologist or nutritionist or whatever, you may as well stop by for some lunchtime fried perch and peach cobbler after your appointment.

Impromptu trip to Cleveland that my boyfriend planned himself. First place he surprised me with was stopping here :). We had the polish boy hot dog– that was featured on man vs food. First let me point out that the polish girl is the hot dog featured on man vs food– although they call it a polish boy. ANYWAY… It was amazingggg. One all beef hog topped with coleslaw, their own tangy hot sauce with some BBQ flavors as well, fresh cut fries and pulled pork… I didn’t think I could eat the entire thing when I saw it– it was huge! But I loved it so much I engulfed it entirely! The sauce is the best. I had to actually go back in and get more sauce to go.
Their fried chicken looked incredible so I HAD to try it– I just ordered three wings in order to see how it was. The breading on the outside of the wings was incredible– they weren’t too crunchy and almost tasted beer battered. Amazing.
We had awesome customer service– everyone was helpful and friendly.
I read some reviews and saw that some people were afraid to eat here and suggested drive thru… I guess that depends on when you go. I went on a Sunday afternoon, it was packed so we couldn’t eat in the restaurant– but I would have gladly. There weren’t any sketchy characters at all, everyone was friendly. There are sketchy people no matter where you go, so don’t let any negative reviews like that turn you away from this place! I loved everything about it!

The chicken and po boy was amazing. Possibly the best I ever had. Get it with the sauce loaded on the chicken and fries. Staff was super friendly.
I will come back next time I am in the neighborhood I visited because it wAs a nice walk from the Cleveland clinic. Probably not the best idea at night but during the day it was great.

Highly recommend ordering the chicken separate to avoid having that amazing batter smothered in sauce. So, so, so good.
Everything else was mediocre. I really liked the sauce, but the ribs were tough and chewy and my mac and cheese left much to be desired. The overall experience was meh.