Prince's Hot Chicken Shack South
Chicken restaurant · Nashville ·
Original Nashville hot chicken, family-run for 70+ years
.jpg "Prince's Hot Chicken Shack South by Courtesy Prince's Hot Chicken")
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Original Nashville hot chicken, family-run for 70+ years
"The original Nashville hot chicken operation and still the benchmark: deep-fried, cayenne-coated bird that delivers soulful, intense heat and historic roots." - Stephanie Gravalese
"Credited as the birthplace of Nashville hot chicken, this original operation traces its origin to Thornton Prince, who — legend has it — after being served fried chicken seasoned with hot pepper spices as revenge by a girlfriend in the 1940s, liked the dish so much he started the first hot chicken restaurant in Nashville. The Ewing Drive location is noted as permanently closed, but other locations continue to serve the signature fiery fowl, and the dish has spawned countless variations across the city (bao buns, tacos, pizza, etc.). Anthony Bourdain highlighted the city’s burgeoning hot chicken scene during his 2016 visit to film Parts Unknown." - Missy Frederick
"As the OG Nashville hot chicken spot, Prince’s hardly needs an introduction. While their original location was on the north side of the city, this Nolensville Pike location became their main operation a couple of years ago, and it still delivers. Whether you’re testing your spice tolerance or playing it safe, you’ll get a mouthful of tingling cayenne and spices in every bite. Let that white bread soak up all that flavor, and don’t forget to give your hands a good scrubbing before touching your face." - anas saba
"All great heroes have an epic origin story. So it only makes sense that Nashville hot chicken has one, too. Prince’s is at the heart of that tale, and the family that created the spicily seasoned bird still runs it today. And for hot chicken enthusiasts, that’s worth the visit alone. The OG spot just off Dickerson Pike did have a certain magic about it, but after it burned down years ago, there hasn’t been a location that’s been able to really recreate that environment. But the Nolensville Pike one comes close. The bird here is nicely seasoned, crunchy, and still moist for the most part, but they’ve definitely had some inconsistency issues over the years. The Andre Chicken Sandwich is hands down the best thing on the menu and the reason we come back again and again. It’s so good that we placed it in our pantheon of the best sandwiches in America." - bailey freeman, jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak
"The original owner of Prince’s in Nashville basically invented hot chicken, and there’s a lengthy origin story that involves an angry girlfriend and a tub of cayenne. But for the purpose of this guide, we’re more concerned with their extremely delicious Andre sandwich. It’s a messy one, thanks to the combo of creamy coleslaw and sweet heat sauce that’s reminiscent of Frank’s Red Hot, but the perfectly seasoned fried breast soaks up everything flawlessly. There are newer, better hot chicken spots that have captured our attention, but the sandwich here is a classic that we keep returning to." - team infatuation, carlo mantuano, anne cruz
