Hot Sauce Williams

Hot Sauce Williams is a family-run local dive located on Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. Known for serving up great "Polish Boys" (the signature item of Cleveland), Hot Sauce Williams was also featured on the Cleveland episode of "Man v. Food."

Adam Richman!

I walked in just after 11 a.m. on a Friday. The lunch rush hadn't happened yet, and the place had a sprinkling of customers. I wasted little time in ordering their Polish Boy ($3.99): a deep-fried spicy kielbasa is placed on a bun, topped with cole slaw, french fries, and their house-made sauce.

Menu (side 1; November 2011)

Menu (side 2; November 2011)

Polish Boy...messy indeed! (Hot Sauce Williams)

Deep fryers do such awesome things to food. I enjoyed the snap of the kielbasa here. The sauce and the creamy slaw packed great flavor -- and made this Polish Boy a bit messy. I don't think I had crinkle fries since my elementary school days, so a bit of nostalgia there. I ate my food in the car, so I felt compelled to bring out my "namby-pamby" side and eat it with a fork. The bun could have used some toasting, but that's my personal preference.

I didn't get many smiles from the staff when ordering. Not sure if it was just too early for the crew, or if they were just too busy getting everything ready for later, but I feel that a lack of flashing pearly whites must be mentioned here.

I'm also certain that Adam Richman tried the "Polish Girl" instead, as that one, at $5.99, includes the pork shoulder. I'm unsure whether I'll be back in Cleveland, but I wouldn't mind trying that next time. Hot Sauce Williams also offers various sandwiches (the catfish and the whiting call my name). Various side dishes include mac and cheese, black eyed peas, collard greens, baked beans, and stuffing.

Want to feed a family? Consider the Family Meal ($32), a full slab of ribs, eight pieces of chicken (legs and thighs), and two large side dishes. If you're more of a seafood lover, consider the Seafood Platter ($15.99): a (normally) two-person feast consisting of two pieces of whiting or perch, eight fried scallops, six jumbo shrimp, fries, and slaw.

Craving dessert? The peach cobbler ($3.95) and the banana pudding ($4.50) both sound awesome.

Hot Sauce Williams has a multitude of delectable offerings. It's too bad I only had a short time to enjoy this experience. Hopefully I'll be back for more. 7/10