10 Best Places for Hot Chicken in Nashville
Hot chicken isn't just a passing trend in Nashville. It's a way of life, a rite of passage if you're coming to Music City, whether for your first time or your tenth. And from the original chicken shack Prince's to down-home deli Big Al's, to the trendy tourist favorite Hattie B's (which now boasts three locations in Nashville alone), there are plenty of spots to get your fix. Just a word to the wise: Now is not the time to impress your friends with your resilient taste buds—know what you're getting yourself into before you go whole hog and order shut-the-cluck-up level of heat. But when you're ready, let our list of the best hot chicken in Nashville be your guide.
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Courtesy 400 Degreesrestaurant400 Degrees
$When the family's hungry for dinner, roll up to this permanently parked food truck out on Clarksville Pike for sweet tea and hot chicken. 400 Degrees' levels of heat range from plain to pain: Only the stoutest palate would consider the maximum spice level of 400, but the 200 also has an incredible kick. Basic and delicious, the plates here are crispy, perfectly cooked, and served up quick.
Andrea BehrendsrestaurantDino's
$East Nashville's self-described "oldest dive bar" proudly wears its dingy mantle, with a busted brick storefront, dimly lit interior, sticky floors, and cigs smoked in the backyard. It’s packed with cool kids—wannabe musicians who hang out with big dreams and small wallets—and can get loud inside. See, this is the kind of place where you end your night. Order a Colt 45 and the kind of food you'd make in your first apartment: burgers, Velveeta Frito Pies topped with an egg, egg-in-a-hole, and, of course, Joe's Hot Chicken.
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restaurantBolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish
$Food critics rave about this hot chicken shack, where ambience comes second to really good Southern cooking: sides like turnip greens, baked beans, mac and cheese, potato salad, and corn on the cob, all paired with the hot chicken, BBQ, pork chops, or fried fish. A lunch spot for blue-collar workers and hipsters alike, the crowd is serious about the food and fairly quick to clear a space for newcomers. This is a place to pick up a picnic, impress an out-of-towner, or simply tuck in to the down-home cooking.
Tara ThompsonrestaurantParty Fowl
$$It's easy to recognize that Party Fowl is a haven for college students in search of calories. With nine different versions of hot chicken (Cuban, po'boy, poutine, etc.), sides like the Fowl Balls (deep-fried dirty rice) or the Lacquered Lollipops (roasted chicken sticks smothered in whiskey BBQ sauce), you'll need to be rolled out—particularly if you have the fudge pies or beignets to top it all off. Because even dessert is fried.
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Diane KangrestaurantHattie B's Hot Chicken
$This no-frills establishment helped put hot chicken on the global list of finger-licking good food. Everyone has their own heat tolerance—unless you're a spicy-food fiend, beware the "Shut the Cluck Up." Sides are all the usual suspects: green beans, mac and cheese, French fries. Unless you order in advance, lunch is an undertaking. Come when you have an hour or two to kill with friends.
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Big Al's Deli
$Big Al's Deli, a modest, mom-and-pop-type place, has colorful tablecloths and shelving with some grocery items. But the most obvious feature when you walk in is Alfonso Anderson’s smile. “Big Al,” as he's known, loves his customers—and people in general—and lights up when anyone walks in the door. He's cultivated a loyal following in the restaurant industry thanks to his mastery of Southern classics. A secret marinade keeps the jerk chicken moist and spicy. Hot chicken, shrimp and grits, fried catfish: All the hits are here, made to order.
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Courtesy Prince's Hot ChickenrestaurantPrince’s Hot Chicken Shack
$Prince's is Nashville's OG hot chicken, and of all the places frying up spicy birds, it's the one to take your big-city friends to. There are six levels of heat to choose from—and they all have a kick—but it’s best to start in the middle if you've never eaten here before; they're more moods than precise levels of heat. Meals are made to order, and good food can't be rushed. This is the mantra you'll want to repeat as you wait... and wait. The staff is friendly and sweet, but really not in a hurry, so sit back and snap up a chair along the wall until it’s done, if you can find one.
Courtesy PepperfirerestaurantPepperfire Hot Chicken
$$Consistently mentioned by friends as all-caps HOT and with explicit warnings about its heat levels, this food is best approached like you’re handling a wild snake: Don't get cocky or you'll get bit. The mild and medium is where most diners dabble. Grab a seat at a long table—we’re all friends here—and try the basic chicken tenders, the deep-fried grilled cheese, Applefire (waffles, tenders, and apples), or go all out and buy a whole damn chicken. Each dinner is served up with two sides and ranges from no heat to "these will jump on you and won't let you go." You've been warned.
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Tenn Sixteen Food & Drink Co.
$$When you're looking for an art gallery, sports bar, and Southern-Cajun restaurant with a killer Tennessee beer list, this is your place. Eclectic in all the right aways, Tenn Sixteen feels a little like an adult playground, with its neon signs, funhouse mirrors, massive Dali-esque wall art, and beaded chandeliers. There's also a bank of big-screen TVs blasting sports (what, you expected the news?) and some seriously great food on the menu. The red cabbage crab cakes, Gouda cheese pretzels, fried green tomato BLT, crawfish carbonara, Nashville Hot Chicken, and chicken and waffles are all on point.
Sam FrawleyrestaurantEdley's Bar-B-Que
$Edley’s is a Nashville classic draped in American flags, where the milkshakes are spiked and everyone—families, dog owners, college kids on dates—comes out for the hot chicken. If you’re feeling ambitious, order the Tuck Special: a few slices of smoked brisket, pork, chicken, or turkey; in-house pimento cheese; an over-easy egg; red and white sauce; and pickles, slapped between sandwich bread. Just order at the counter and grab a seat. The locally grown institution has resonated enough with customers that it has three locations in town, and two elsewhere.
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