Four friends find the finest fowl in Music City through a blind taste test

by Mitch Pollock

Let’s start with a story. It’s 1945, and a tall, handsome man stumbles home through the streets of Nashville after a long night. He’s a man with large appetites for food, drink, and women, and his philandering ways are about to come back to bite him. His fuming girlfriend wakes him to a fried chicken breakfast with a surprise ingredient: a near-lethal amount of hot pepper. His mouth burns, his eyes leak, and by the end of the ordeal, he’s in love. Not with his mistreated woman; with his meal. That man was James Thornton Prince, the womanizing grandfather of Nashville hot chicken.

Now, how about another story? It’s 2019, and a tall, funny-looking man is longing to get back to Nashville and its signature dish. He decides to round up a few friends for a hot chicken feast: a blind taste test to determine the best of the best. The results are successful but painful: his mouth burns, his eyes leak, and he spends a good part of the night in gastrointestinal agony. Then he wakes up the next morning and has the leftovers for breakfast. That man was me, and I spent the plane ride back to D.C. daydreaming about hot chicken and plotting my next visit.

For the uninitiated, I’ll try to describe the food behind the craze. The classic dish is fried chicken pasted with a mix of hot oil and heavy spices (primarily cayenne), served on a bed of white bread and topped with pickle chips and a toothpick. For years there was only one place on Earth to get it: Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in north Nashville. After decades as a hidden gem, the dish was popularized by Hattie B’s, a Nashville chain and tourist hotspot, and it spread like a virus across the city. Recently, the bird’s gone national, appearing on menus from coast to coast. Even KFC tried to rip it off.

I was, I’m ashamed to say, late to the game. I’d lived in Nashville for years before trying hot chicken, scared off by stories of burned taste buds. I’ve never been particularly drawn to spicy foods, let alone dishes that are advertised as dangerous. Eventually, I relented to the Nashville rite of passage and went to Prince’s. Two years later, I can comfortably say it’s my favorite food. My mouth is watering even writing this, yet I have trouble describing, much less explaining, the unique craving. Then again, maybe I don’t have to. There’s plenty of evidence that I’m not alone. Just drive by Prince’s or Hattie B’s during lunch hour and wave at the two hundred people waiting restlessly in line. It’s more than a dish; it’s an obsession.

If you think that’s taking it too far, consider that this chicken inspired a highly-organized blind taste test, complete with a thorough rubric, coordinated carry-out orders across the city, and a 1,500-word blog post. If you’ve never tried it, consider this your primer on Nashville’s best and most popular options, and give one of them a try during a future trip. If you’re a seasoned local, our conclusions might be controversial. I hope the results aren’t too spicy for you. (Sorry.)

The Contenders: Bolton’s, Hattie B’s, Prince’s, and Pepperfire. If your favorite got left out, I’ve included a few honorable mentions.

The Set-Up: A half-tender with Medium spice, per-person, per establishment, tasted one at a time. No side dishes, no pickles, no bread. This was all about the chicken.

The Scoring: Each participant provided a 1-to-5 score in three categories: Spice, Flavor, and Mouthfeel (which none of us could clearly define, but we rolled with it). 4 scores out of 15 amounted to a total score out of 60 for each restaurant.

That should be enough of a preamble. Without further ado…

The Results

4. Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish

Score: 40 / 60

Like Prince’s, Bolton’s an older establishment with deep Nashville roots. It fills a similar niche: an old-school, hole-in-the-wall joint that serves authentic hot chicken with the kind of melt-your-face-off heat you won’t find at tourist spots like Hattie B’s. Its main departures from Prince’s menu are the popular fried fish options: whiting, catfish, grouper, or tilapia.

Bolton’s definitely brings the spice. It was unanimously regarded as the hottest of the four. But overall, we were underwhelmed. The spice blend wasn’t saucy or uniformly coated on the tenders, and the chicken itself was dry. Could be we got a bad batch, but Bolton’s couldn’t quite measure up to its sister chicken shack Prince’s or the other two options.

3. Prince’s Hot Chicken

Score: 45 / 60

This is the classic, and my personal favorite. The north Nashville spot dates back to World War II. The spice levels go up to XXXtra Hot, which the cooks will famously refuse to serve to all but the most insistent of customers. Its owners and patrons have been nationally profiled, and it was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. It’s nothing less than an iconic American restaurant.

That anointed status makes this low ranking somewhat disappointing. The group felt that Prince’s, like Bolton’s, was a bit dry and lacked the unique, interesting flavor of the other two. Personally, I thought the heat emphasized the flavors, but that much spice can definitely be overpowering. It had the heat and the perfect amount of crispiness but was narrowly surpassed by its modern cousins. Still, this would probably be the place I’d most recommend, if only for its legendary status.

2. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

Score: 47 / 60

Since its founding in 2012, Hattie B’s has exploded. No restaurant has done more to accelerate the hot chicken boom of recent years. With three Nashville locations and lines consistently wrapped around the block, it’s arguably the most popular and well-known spot, and it tops the list of food destinations for Nashville’s tourists.

But I don’t want to dismiss Hattie’s as a mere tourist trap; they make some damn good chicken. While the spice levels are considerably weaker than the other contenders, it makes up for it in texture, consistency, and flavor. You know what you’re going to get with Hattie’s: smooth, lightly-sauced chicken with enough spice to keep you coming back, but not enough to kill you. Just make sure you order ahead and skip the line. It’s good eating, but probably isn’t worth an hour wait.

Also, even though this wasn’t factored in: they have by far the best side options. The mac and cheese is a must-order.

1. Pepperfire Hot Chicken

Score: 48 / 60

This East Nashville restaurant is the newest on the scene, and the least-known. In fact, none of the four of us had tried it before. Nashville chef Isaac Beard founded Pepperfire after reportedly perfecting his unique take on hot chicken for a decade. It’s quickly becoming a staple, and if these results are any indication, there’s a good reason for that.

Everyone agreed: Pepperfire was fire. The spice profile was different than the other three, which gave it a unique peppery flavor. It also wasn’t tame. While not at the level of the classics, Pepperfire’s spice level had us gulping plenty of water. It also gets bonus points for the bold, flame-red color of the spice. The different flavor helped it stand out from the pack. Judging by both the scores and how quickly the leftovers were gone, it was the surprise favorite.

Honorable Mentions: Due to limited time and thin wallets, our goal of a fully-comprehensive survey was impossible. In recent years, the city’s become flush with new and interesting takes on the classic recipe. Here are a few I’ve had that are worth a mention:

Edley’s Bar-B-Que: A college haunt of mine that’s primarily known for its fantastic barbecue (duh). But the hot chicken sandwich is great, too, and at Edley’s you can pair it with a sweet tea that’ll make your teeth fall out.

The Row: Right around the block from Hattie B’s, this restaurant replaces the classic white bread base with a spicy cornbread pancake and a healthy heap of slaw. Great live music, too!

Party Fowl: A personal favorite of mine. They have the greatest variety of options (everything from tacos and nachos to a hot chicken Cuban sandwich), and their spice blend includes brown sugar, resulting in a unique sweetness.

Next time you’re in Nashville, take your pick from this list and experience the city’s signature dish. I promise it’s worth the pain. Just make sure you’ve got a glass of water and some tissues close by. Your first time can be a bit of a trial by fire.

Thanks to Austin Bianco, Kyle Grandillo, and Jordan Lindley for participating, Emmy Wehberg for helping with set-up, and Nick Johnson for making fun of our teary eyes and running noses.