Make it Hot: Nashville Hot Chicken and the One Place You Should Visit to Try It

Nashville is known for many things like being the home to country music legends and The Grand Ole Opry. The city's other local hero: hot chicken. Not to be confused with buffalo wings, hot chicken is fried, then marinated in a paste made of lard and cayenne pepper, then served on top of a slice of white bread and topped off with pickles.  Healthy? Absolutely not. Delicious. Absolutely.

The chicken is a signature dish in Nashville and has been a staple in African-American communites since the 1970s. In recent years, others have caught on to the spicy goodness, so you can find hot chicken restaurants popping up all over the U.S. these days. None compare to the place where it all started, Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. If you're visiting Nashville and want to give the iconic bird a try, Prince's is the go-to spot. Flavors range from plain (no spice at all) to XXXHot, which is known to cause watery eyes and snotty noses. 

Whoever came up with the saying  "Good things come to those who wait" clearly said that after a visit to Prince's.  An unassuming hole-in-the-wall, the main drawback of dining here is the wait. Since each and every dish is cooked to order, diners typically find themselves waiting in line for a while. Unless you arrive before the restaurant opens, be prepared to wait an hour or more.  Your best bet:  arrive 20-30 minutes before it opens, stand outside the door and wait for them to let you in. It may sound extreme, but it's worth the wait to experience hot chicken at this legendary instituion.

Side note: Prince's Hot Chicken Shack only takes cash, so make a stop to the ATM before you arrive. 

Address: 123 Ewing Dr, #3, Nashville, TN 37207

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