Cheap Eats: Hot Sauce Williams

The restaurant may draw foodie TV show hosts, but we’ve been feasting on the modest mainstay’s down-home cooking since before the city became cool again. And while the ribs, fried chicken and pulled pork all cost a fraction of our cable bill, the polish boy ($5.75) steals the show. Legend has it the Cleveland-created sandwich — which consists of a Polish sausage on a bun, topped with crinkle-cut french fries, coleslaw and barbecue sauce — dates back to the 1940s. But we’re all over Hot Sauce’s version because it also comes doused in the spot’s tangy, not-too-spicy house-made hot sauce. Act like you’ve been here before and get the sausage steamed and fried for an extra crispy pop every time you sink your teeth into it. Also Try: The rib snack ($8.59) comes with two ribs, two juicy chicken wings and a side. Or get crispy with the three-piece fried chicken dinner ($8.79) with a heaping scoop of crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw and bread. 7815 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, 216-391-2230