More homemade & ho-hum than heavenly & harmonious.
After a few too many beverages the previous night, my body requested salt and fat and carbs. And as if by algorithmically-induced magic, Hen & Hops (12 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EN) popped on my Instagram feed. Sometimes, right time, right place wins, so we gave it a go.
It’s been open since peak lockdown and I’ve never really hankered it. Pretty simple offering… though I do feel like Newcastle still needs a casual chicken shop. It’s just never looked like it was top tier here. But gasping for craggly fried bits and juicy bird, we went in search of chicken-based satisfaction.
It’s only a dozen or so seats, and for those who remember, formerly home to short-lived-but-good seafood specialist Nova. Hen & Hops has been open a couple of years now so has at least outlasted its predecessor.
The Original Fried Chicken (£11.95) goes right back to basics. Though the chicken itself stays plenty juicy, the breading is thick and floury in places and to be honest I just didn’t really like the taste of it. The large menu reads like the focus is on wings, and they were definitely the pick of the three things we had today.
Chips are chunkier than I probably would have wanted but well fried, managing to just about be crisp without having dried out. You get loads too. But the lack of a home made coleslaw? Like hoisting up your own red flag, IMO. It’s really not that hard 🚩
Tenders are like a first aid kit when I’m hungover but here they’re on the dry side, and a bit tough 😞. The ranch sauce is alright, and we got some chicken gravy which manages to be pretty dirty in the best way. Sauces are a strong point — generally coming from Mr. Vikki’s which is a canny little supplier in Carlisle, particularly known for the spicier variety.
Several of the wings (20+ options) feature Mr. Vikki’s sauces and should be a good foundation for your first visit. If I was coming back, I’d get a pile of wings (or even a keg), some chips and call it a day. They’re (top) by far best of the bunch. Fat, both wingettes and flats with a juicy slide-out bone, and bit of crunch to them. The Korean BBQ managed to not be too sweet, if a little lacking in complexity. Left me wanting more… and if sitting here smashing in wings and pints is your motive, you’ll be alreet.
BBQ beans however, are just a tin of beans with some BBQ-ish sauce in. To be honest I haven’t had any real beans in Newcastle for a while, certainly not since Chris Finnigan was at Lane 7 doing these beauties. That’s how you do beans.
Hops are scarce and mostly from macro brews, but there are some strong picks from local breweries; McColls, Firebrick, Tyne Bank. Canned wines by Nice offer something a bit more interesting than the norm for those looking for grapes.
Hen & Hops proudly declare themselves the ‘best chicken in toon’ and while better fried chicken and tenders certainly exist elsewhere, you could do a lot worse when it comes to wings. For tenders and on the bone, try FEDs in the Grainger Market, but that said, you can only get to FEDs between 9-5.
So… there’s still a big gap in the Newcastle market for some Chick’n’Sours-style top-tier fried chicken… anyone? 🍗
Contact: henandhops.co.uk
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