Bone-in fried chicken painted with a cayenne paste, served on white bread with pickles. The lacquered red crust hides serious heat; bread soaks the oil.
Thornton Prince, in the 1930s in Nashville, was given a too-spicy plate by his girlfriend as punishment for staying out late. He liked it. The Prince family opened a hot chicken shack in North Nashville and the rest of the city followed. Bolton's, Pepperfire, Hattie B's and others built on the template. Today the dish is on menus from KFC to Carla Hall's New York shop; the original Prince's location on Ewing Drive closed in 2018 but the family expanded.
4 editor picks for Nashville hot chicken in Nashville, ranked by editorial score. All Nashville signature dishes · Nashville hot chicken across every city.
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 B's.
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. Six heat levels, pickles included.
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.