7 hot chicken rooms in Nashville we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Nashville | Hot Chicken across every city.
Hot chicken is Nashville's signature dish: fried chicken painted with a cayenne-and-lard paste that ranges from mild to brutal, served on white bread with pickles. Prince's Hot Chicken in South Nashville is where the dish was born, the Jeffries family running the canonical version. Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish in East Nashville and Pepperfire in North Nashville hold the local standard, while Hattie B's in Hillsboro Village is the tourist-friendly gateway.
Hattie B's Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
hillsboro-village · 112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
The Bishop family's Midtown hot chicken counter in Nashville opened in 2012 and is the tourist-friendliest gateway to the dish. Located in Hillsboro Village.
Prince's Hot Chicken ★ 4.7
south-nashville · 5814 Nolensville Rd, Ste 110, Nashville, TN 37211
Andre Prince Jeffries's family invented hot chicken in Nashville in the 1930s. The Nolensville shop runs the canonical version. James Beard America's Classic.
Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish ★ 4.6
east-nashville · 624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206
Bolton Polk's Main Street hot chicken shop in East Nashville is the editor's pick on the hot-chicken map: smaller, cheaper and darker-fried than Hattie.
Pepperfire Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
north-nashville · 5104 C Centennial Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209
Isaac Beard's hot chicken shop in Nashville moved to Centennial Boulevard in 2024. The Tender Royale, a sandwich on grilled cheese, is the cult order.
Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish ★ 4.6
east-nashville · 624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206
Bolton Polk's Main Street hot chicken shop in East Nashville cuts a smaller, darker-fried hot chicken than Hattie B's at half the price. At 624 Main St.
Pepperfire Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
north-nashville · 5104 C Centennial Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209
Isaac Beard's Centennial Boulevard hot chicken shop in Nashville pioneered the Tender Royale, a chicken tender sandwich on grilled cheese. Family-friendly.
Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish ★ 4.6
east-nashville · 624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206
Bolton's on Main Street in East Nashville plates a hot chicken thigh sandwich and slaw for under $12. The cheapest serious hot chicken option in Nashville.