From authentic classics to innovative takes, Nashville’s hot chicken comes in all shapes and sizes
Hot chicken has a long (maybe true) history. In the 1930s, a woman revenged her partner for stepping out on her (as they say in the South) by giving him blow-your-head-off spicy chicken, but it backfired when he – shock horror – loved it. He and the rest of the Prince family made Prince’s hot chicken.
And though you’ll find it all over the place now, it’s a fact that nowhere does hot chicken like Nashville. Getting your hands on fluffy white bread, bone-in chicken, a pickle to cut through the spice is pretty much a right of passage when you’re here, and nowadays it comes in every form you can imagine. Traditional. Extra spicy. Even vegan (you heard us). Here are the best spots for hot chicken in Nashville – just remember your glass of milk on the side.
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Margaret Littman is a writer based in Nashville. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
After Prince’s, Bolton’s is the next OG hot chicken purveyor, frying it up from Main Street in East Nashville. Bolton’s was opened in the 1980s, shuttered in the 1990s, and reopened in 1997. The authentic, multi-spice options are created with a dry rub. Bolton’s also fries up hot fish, catfish, and sells ribs and wings. There’s also a nice patio to sit and wait for your bird.
There’s probably a line outside of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken right now. Purists bemoan the fact that this isn’t the authentic hot chicken experience, but the recipes are delicious—the Shut the Cluck Up spice level is legit—and having a selection of sides, beers, and air conditioning while you wait does not suck.
Maneet Chauhan came to Nashville to start her restaurant empire after her celebrity turn on TV’s Chopped, bringing her take on Indian cooking to Music City (she now owns four restaurants and is designing jewelry, too). So, it’s no surprise that her flagship eatery Chauhan Ale & Masala House serves hot chicken pakoras, a combination of both traditions, seasoned with chat masala, orange peel, cayenne and more.
Located in Music Valley near the Gaylord Opryland resort, Scoreboard has a big menu, live music, late-night hours, and a casual, tourist-friendly vibe. In addition to the traditional white-bread-with-a-pickle-prep, options include a hot chicken salad, nuggets, wings, and hot chicken-and-waffles, all available with varying spice levels. While Music Valley isn’t a neighborhood where you tend to see locals hang out, they make an exception for the hot chicken at Scoreboard Bar & Grill.
The name pretty much says it all. It’s a good time here, where your hot chicken can be served with a beer or a frozen alcohol concoction. If you want to mix it up, you can try hot chicken poutine, nachos, po’ boy, or even a hot chicken Cuban sandwich (with chimichurri and buttered bread). Party Fowl is a full service restaurant and bar with the game on big TVs and patios for lazy day drinking.
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