Nestled behind No Quarter in East Nashville, Brave Idiot Food Truck serves up some of the city's best hot chicken and innovative burgers, all with a side of fun and friendly vibes.
"There are a ton of hot chicken names you might recognize—Prince's, Bolton's, Hattie B's—but our top pick in the city right now comes from this permanently parked food truck. What exactly makes Brave Idiot the best, though? It could be the high-quality pieces of chicken it uses, or the ridiculously crisp skin that gives way to a juicy bird. Or, maybe it’s the fact that you can taste every individual spice without feeling like your face is melting off like Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. (It’s only, like, 65% melted.) But truthfully, it’s probably a mix of all of that—and that fact that the owner is just so damn nice, and the operation itself is really fun. Case in point: If you show them a picture of your cat, you get a discount." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak, adam sloan
"Brave Idiot is a permanently parked food truck behind No Quarters in East Nashville that makes some of the best hot chicken in the city. They use high-quality pieces of chicken, which yield a ridiculously crisp skin that gives way to a juicy bird. And you can really taste every individual spice without feeling like your face is melting off like Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. (It’s only, like, 65% melted.) All of this makes them hot chicken royalty. Yet, they still serve incredible burgers like smashpatty behemoths loaded with gooey cheese and served in all kinds of brain-twisting variations—they'll use tortilla wraps or potato/cheese pierogis instead of a traditional bun. Not to mention that the owner is just so damn nice, and the whole operation is really fun. Not to mention that the owner is just so damn nice, and the whole operation is really fun. Case in point: If you show them a picture of your cat, you get a discount. Food Rundown photo credit: Casey Irwin Chicken Tenders For hot chicken purists, the chicken tenders are the best way to really appreciate what Brave Idiot is doing in terms of its blend of smoked pepper spice. Three tenders come with an order, and you have 10 spice levels from which to choose. Level four is a sweet spot, just enough heat to keep things interesting but not enough to singe the taste buds on your palate. photo credit: Casey Irwin Hot Chicken Sandwich The sandwich takes a great thing (the tenders) and makes it even better with tangy pickles, a cooling schmear of pimento cheese, and hit of sweet pepper relish. Loaded into a Chapier’s bun, it sets off a lot of different taste receptors in a glorious way. photo credit: Casey Irwin Picksey Chick The premise is a simple: a chicken tender loaded into a dill pickle boat. It may not sound like much, but the acid in the pickle makes the spices on the tender pop in an unexpectedly delightful way. Crunchsmash This is burger innovation at its finest. Brave Idiot’s take a play from the Taco Bell playbook and wraps a smash burger, griddled onions, american and pimento cheese, salt and vinegar chips, and ranch sauce in a jumbo size tortilla wrap. The tortilla is large and sturdy enough to hold all of the fillings until your very last bite. Which means, no sad “burger salads” at the bottom of the plate." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
"There are a ton of hot chicken names you might recognize—Prince's, Bolton's, Hattie B's—but our top pick in the city right now comes from this permanently parked food truck in East Nashville. What exactly makes Brave Idiot the best, though? It could be the high-quality pieces of chicken it uses, or the ridiculously crisp skin that gives way to a juicy bird. Or, maybe it’s the fact that you can taste every individual spice without feeling like your face is melting off like Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. (It’s only, like, 65% melted.) But truthfully, it’s probably a mix of all of that—and the fact that the owner is just so damn nice, and the operation itself is really fun. Case in point: If you show them a picture of your cat, you get a discount." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, carlo mantuano, ann walczak
"There are a ton of hot chicken names you might recognize—Prince's, Bolton's, Hattie B's—but our top pick in the city right now comes from this permanently parked food truck in East Nashville. What exactly makes Brave Idiot the best, though? It could be the high-quality pieces of chicken it uses, or the ridiculously crisp skin that gives way to a juicy bird. Or, maybe it’s the fact that you can taste every individual spice without feeling like your face is melting off like Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. (It’s only, like, 65% melted.) But truthfully, it’s probably a mix of all of that—and that fact that the owner is just so damn nice, and the operation itself is really fun. Case in point: If you show them a picture of your cat, you get a discount." - jackie gutierrez jones 2
"What started out as a pop-up at Subculture Cafe has turned into its own operation parked behind No Quarter and Hubba Hubba. And while the mammoth burgers are the real juicy deal here, their rendition of the hot chicken sandwich and the pimento grilled cheese put an addictively delicious new spin on Southern classics. There’s no shortage of burger joints in Nashville, but the patties coming out of the Brave Idiot food truck are some of the finest around town." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Eater Staff
