Restaurants may not be the focal point of the Nashville entertainment scene. Nonetheless, they stock a variety of meats, with hot chicken being a rite of passage and a staple on many Southern tables. Discover your favorite at one of the following:
Restaurants may not be the focal point of the Nashville entertainment scene. Nonetheless, they stock a variety of meats, with hot chicken being a rite of passage and a staple on many Southern tables. Discover your favorite at one of the following:
This permanently parked food truck is great for a beverage and hot chicken. Only the stoutest palate would consider the maximum spice level of 400 degrees, but the 200 degrees order also has a kick.
Dino's is the hot chicken king. It wears its dingy mantle, and smoking is allowed in the backyard. It's where you can end the day after a busy 9-5. The food is typical student fare: burgers, Velveeta Frito pies topped with an egg, and Joe's hot chicken.
This permanently parked food truck is great for a beverage and hot chicken. Only the stoutest palate would consider the maximum spice level of 400 degrees, but the 200 degrees order also has a kick.
Dino's is the hot chicken king. It wears its dingy mantle, and smoking is allowed in the backyard. It's where you can end the day after a busy 9-5. The food is typical student fare: burgers, Velveeta Frito pies topped with an egg, and Joe's hot chicken.
Food critics rave about this place where ambiance comes second to good southern cooking. Have some hot chicken with baked beans, pork chops, and fried fish. Bolton's Spicy Chicken is a lunch spot for many blue-collar workers with their quick-service policy. It is a place to pick up picnic dinner, impress an out-of-towner, or tuck into the down-home cooking yourself.
Party Fowl pushes Nashville's heat to another level. The hottest chicken is the Poultrygeist. It hits 2.2 million on the Scoville Heat Scale. Rest assured, Southern Fried with no heat is also an option. They offer nine hot chicken sides, like the foul balls lacquered lollipops (roasted chicken skewers smothered with whiskey BBQ sauce). This establishment is a haven for college students searching for calories and football fanatics on Sundays. With the NFL Sunday Ticket, you get to watch any exclusive games.
This Nashville icon has a location a few blocks from the Vanderbilt campus. Hattie B's is one of the restaurants that put Nashville Hot Chicken on the map. Locals and tourists form lines that wrap around the building to taste the spicy, savory goodness. They offer signature bone-in wings, tenders, chicken sandwiches, or even 1/2 of a chicken. They offer six levels of heat, from the "Southern" no heat to the "Shut The Cluck Up," their spiciest. For first-timers, ordering one level lower than desired is best because the chicken is spicy already.
It is a modest place with colorful tablecloths and shelves stocked with iconic grocery items. The owner, "Big Al," adores his customers. This is reminiscent of the service. A secret marinade keeps the jerk chicken moist and spicy. Hot chicken and grits prevail here, paired with the chicken wings.
As Nashville's hot chicken has become a national trend, many folks visiting the Music City are curious about where this phenomenon started. The answer is at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. The hilarious origin story began as an act of revenge when peppers and spices found their way into a batch of fried chicken. The plan backfired, and the legend of hot chicken was born. Nearly 100 years later, it's a menu staple at all southern restaurants. But while everyone else gets in on the hot chicken business, Prince’s remains home to the gold standard original.
The mild and medium is where most diners dabble. Grab a seat at a long table in the dining hall and try the chicken tenders. Dinner is served with two sides with heat ranging from none, medium, and high.
A Nashville classic draped in American flags where the milkshakes spike with everyone-families, dog owners, and college kids on dates who visit for the hot chicken. If you feel ambitious, get a few slices of smoked briskets, pork, chicken, and turkey.
Native Red's 615 kitchens are known for their fried chicken sandwiches. He begins with 36-hour buttermilk and hot sauce brine, then breads it and lets it rest for two hours before frying it for your order. It is then doused with the secret Nashville seasoning. A hot chicken sandwich slathered with comeback sauce and crowned with slaw balances the heat well.
Hellen's started as a food truck in Germantown. It became so popular that she opened a few others in the greater Nashville area and Texas. The sauce spice levels range from plain to "Hella hot," which can be ordered on either chicken or fish. As the Nashville food scene grows, hot chicken has been re-invented more than once. The easiest way to know if a trend has taken off is if food chains adopt it. The hot chicken had the most successful product testing in the history of music city.
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