EAT | Hottie, Lisbon

American junk food ... You know what it is? Of course you do... Of course you've all seen in every single american movie all these wonderful things like Mac'n'Cheese, Ribs, Chicken Wings, Nachos... Yeah, but what about actually trying out one of these calorie bombs? Have you ever had the opportunity to tasted it any of it? No?! Well, but now you can try all these and more at Hottie!

On Rua de Santa Marta, Hottie is the most American restaurant in Lisbon! Forget those fake diners out there. That's not American food. Hottie is American food.

This space is very small - emphasis on the small! - but very interesting. It only has place for 15 people, divided among two tables and 3 seats over the counter. The decoration is very simple and it is clear that they tried to maintain the original architecture of the space that used to be an old style bakery - the counter, the window, the marble walls are all very charismatic ! But what really draws your attention is the red neon sign with the name of the restaurant, casting a reddish light at the door, as if we were entering a super naughty place.

I called in advance, trying to book a table, but when we arrived there was no table for us. Let's face it, with only 15 seats, I do not blame them for trying to serve as many people as possible. The guy who greeted us was super super friendly and invited us to sit at the counter, where we waited about 10 minutes for our table. These 10 minutes gave us opportunity to explore the menu and really choose what we wanted to eat. The menu is totally 'MURICA, and although the descriptions are in Portuguese, the names of the dishes are in English. It's just junk food. It's not too big but it has something for everyone. As a starter, we had some Cheesy Nachos, we also asked for Chicken & Waffles and BBQ Ribs. As side dishes we opted for  Mac & Cheese and French Fries. And of course, no meal is completed without dessert, so we ordered a Lemon Meringue Pie - my usual favorite dessert. Despite being junk food, all dishes come with carefully plated on little tin plate with the restaurant logo. Super adorable and what a nice touch.

Cheesy Nachos. Tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese and guacamole. This dish is not necessarily American, but has been adopted by American culture and is much appreciated as snack. The chips were crispy and had lots of cheese. I liked it. I also liked that the chips did not have that typical triangular shape - they were kind of rounded - which makes me think they home-made and not store-bought!

Chicken & Waffles. Fried Chicken. Yes, chicken fried on top of a sweet waffle, with maple syrup to drizzle on top. This is a typical dish from the southern states, and is included in the so-called Soul Food. I was crying for more! The chicken was super well fried, super juicy and full of flavor. And the waffle, OMG,  was super tasty, crispy, well cooked. Really Delicious!

BBQ Ribs. Two ribs, topped with handmade barbecue sauce, perfectly well cooked. The flesh was falling from the bone and it was just delicious. And I'm not even the biggest fan of BBQ sauce! But this one was divine, it was not too sweet nor too acid.

Mac & Cheese. It was very good.  VERY GOOD. The dough was al dente and you could taste the cheese but the flavor was not overwhelming. It was very good. Guys, it's noodles with cheese. You can never go wrong with noodles and cheese. 

French Fries. These were so good. Just out of the fryer, sprinkled with salt and rosemary. Really simple but perfectly done. And the perfect side dish for the BBQ Ribs, to  help you clean out that yummy BBQ sauce from your dish!

Lemon Meringue Pie. I love lemon meringue pie! It's my favorite dessert. And this one was so good that I'm considering going back there and just to have a coffee and a slice of this pie! The center of this tart was creamy, with an intense lemon flavor, perfectly balanced by the base which was slightly sweet. And on top,  slightly chard meringue, gooey and lovely. It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

I absolutely loved Hottie and I'm dying to go back there.! Loved the space, loved the simple but modern decor, and absolutely loved the food. It's cheap, it's good, the staff is friendly and you will leave feeling like a ball.

I'm going to make Hottie my new canteen!