Hesperia couple Michael, 45, and Kori Gates, 34, spent a year perfecting their Nashville chicken recipe. Between traveling to Nashville to sample from some of the greats, studying online and reworking the recipe countless times, the Gates have found near perfection with their Nashville spice ratio.
So much so that the Daily Press feels confident calling That Mother Clucker the best new Nashville chicken shop in the High Desert. Even a vegetarian can experience the bold blend that is Nashville spice with an order of the Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks.
Most items are made from scratch at That Mother Clucker, including all sauces, spices and sides like mac-and-cheese and coleslaw. A large customer base at the new restaurant is made up of regulars from when the Gates owned and operated a barbecue food truck, but the owners say new customers find them every day and come back because the food “tastes like home.”
Opening their own restaurant has been a lifelong dream for the Hesperia couple, who have been together for 10 years. However, the road from food truck to storefront hasn’t been easy.
“Money isn’t the end goal, success is,” Michael said. “If the business can get to a point where it can pay for itself, I would be completely happy because we would be able to do what we love stress-free. Feeding people is what it’s all about,” he added emotionally, carrying the weight of the sacrifices it took to open shop in the quiver of his voice.
That Mother Clucker is located at 13188 Main Street, Hesperia, in the Chevron center next to Mama Loli’s Mexican Food. Owners say customers who mention the Victorville Daily Press will receive a free banana pudding with their next order, an $8 value.
A series of serendipitous events
Michael says getting let go from a High Desert pawn shop wasn’t exactly the setback a father of four would expect. Instead, it enabled him to critically assess the trajectory of his life and scrutinize what it was he really wanted. He took the risk of leaving behind the comfort of steady 9-to-5 jobs to pursue his passion for feeding others.
“In the food business, it doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to, your politics or religion, eating brings us together,” he said. “Feeding people is my love language.”
The Gates clung to their fledgling business, refusing to let go even after their first food truck, Phantom Pig BBQ, went up in flames and had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Between rebuilding the food truck and figuring out what to do in the meantime, “things just fell into place after a series of serendipitous events.” One such event involved a bad car accident Kori got into right before a Cody Jinks concert, which resulted in a seizure and the discovery of a brain tumor that dislodged when she was hit.
The couple was planning their honeymoon when the accident happened, but postponed plans for Kori’s surgery. Upon her recovery, they learned Jinks was playing a show in Nashville and decided to honeymoon in the “Music City.”
It was in a moment of unexpected discovery that they were introduced to Nashville hot chicken, an experience that would kindle their vision for a future restaurant career.
With the backing of their loyal customers, the Gates transformed their barbecue food truck into That Mother Clucker. Eight years later, they opened their first brick-and-mortar at the very site of Kori’s accident.
“The restaurant was just a hunger for us, we wanted more,” said Kori, whose full-time job as a police dispatcher is keeping That Mother Clucker afloat for now.
‘The best chicken in the High Desert’
Trevor Davies has worked as That Mother Clucker’s chicken costume sign-waver since the grand opening. He says the chicken is “the best in the High Desert,” and loves the Cluckin’ Tacos – Nashville hot chicken in a pita bread taco. A man with adventurous taste buds, Davies orders his meal “Holy Cluck,” the third spiciest.
That Mother Clucker employee Jessica Leonard has worked at the chicken shop for three weeks. Her favorite part of the job is eating all the homemade food, of which the chicken sandwich is her go-to.
High Desert resident Thomas Frye was there for the grand opening. He says the BAC (Big Ass Chicken) was “out of this cluckin’ world.”
Another new fan, Vicki Scott Howell Kadlec, commented on the restaurant’s social media page that she is heading back to Hesperia to care for her dad at the end of the month and can’t wait to try That Mother Clucker. “[I’ve] been drooling from CO since you guys started with your trucks!”
On the menu
The chicken isn’t just spicy, it’s flavorful too. There are five spice levels at That Mother Clucker, including “Oh Cluck” and “Holy Cluck,” with “That Mother Clucker” at the extreme tip of the heat scale. Customers can also opt for a non-spicy option.
Average prices at That Mother Clucker are $18-20, with value meals ranging from $11-12 per meal. The regular portions are big enough to feed two people, and the value meals are the most competitive among other mom-and-pop chicken restaurants in the High Desert.
The most popular menu items include:
McKenna Mobley is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Holy Cluck: The best new Nashville chicken shop is now open in Hesperia
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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