Prince's Hot Chicken Shack

No visit to Nashville would be complete without sampling one of the city’s most prominent food specialties, hot chicken. This dish originated in Music City and has since become one of the most popular food items for local citizens and visitors to the area. Read on for a brief overview of the best places to sample hot chicken in the city responsible for creating the dish, and decide for yourself where your loyalties lie.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that when you peel back the layers of the hot chicken community in Nashville, connections are not uncommon. In fact, Bolton Mathews – the owner of Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish – was mentored by an uncle, Bolton Polk, who once cooked hot chicken at Prince’s. Polk eventually left Prince’s and passed his own unique recipe down to his nephew, and the establishment of this highly popular local joint was set in motion. Unlike Prince’s, where the chicken is often as hot as you can handle (and then some), the heat at Bolton’s tends to be a bit more manageable. This East Nashville joint may be tiny, but its following is huge and loyal, and its chicken is some of the best in Nashville.
Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish, 624 Main St, Nashville, TN, USA, +1 615 254 8015
Even visitors to Nashville in search of hot chicken are likely familiar with Prince’s and Bolton’s. Pepperfire, however, tends to get slightly less local buzz – but that doesn’t mean that the joint isn’t churning out quality food. In fact, Pepperfire was recently featured on The Food Network’s ‘Top 5 Restaurants’ for its signature dish, the ‘Tender Royale.’ Order this and you’ll enjoy a ‘peppercheese’ (in other words, a pepperjack grilled cheese sandwich) topped with three hot chicken tenders. Founder and owner Isaac Beard is so dedicated to hot chicken that for ten years before opening Pepperfire, he frequented hot chicken joints across the city and carefully cultivated his own unique recipe in his kitchen. Diners can now reap the benefits of Beard’s hard work, as Pepperfire consistently churns out some of the best hot chicken in the city. Like Hattie B’s, heat levels start at ‘Southernfied’ (no heat), so even heat-averse chicken fans can enjoy the diverse fare. In addition to the notorious ‘Tender Royale,’ Pepperfire also offers its own twist on chicken and waffles. And if you’re feeling especially daring, you can try the ‘X Hot’ or the ‘XX Hot’ chicken – just be prepared for a little burn.
Pepperfire Hot Chicken, 1000 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN, USA, +1 615 582 4824
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