Nashville gave the world hot chicken, and the city takes that legacy seriously. What started as a scorned lover’s spicy revenge in the 1930s has become a full-blown culinary movement, with everyone from old-school shacks to upscale restaurants putting their spin on the fiery bird.
The dish itself is straightforward enough: fried chicken coated in a cayenne-laden paste that delivers heat ranging from pleasantly warm to genuinely painful. Here is a list of 15 hot chicken spots in Nashville that serve everything from the original recipe to creative takes on this beloved Southern staple.
Prince’s Hot Chicken
This is where it all began, back in 1945, when Thornton Prince turned his girlfriend’s spicy punishment into a business. His great-niece, André Prince Jeffries, now runs the operation, and the James Beard Award-winning spot still uses the same closely guarded recipe that made Nashville hot chicken famous.
The chicken comes on white bread with pickles, and the heat levels run from mild to extra hot. Prince’s has multiple locations now, including one at Assembly Food Hall downtown, making it easier than ever to taste history.
Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish
Bolton’s opened in 1997 on Main Street in East Nashville, and it has earned a reputation for serving some of the spiciest chicken in town. The restaurant applies a dry rub before frying, then hits the bird with another layer of heat after it comes out of the oil…