123 Ewing Dr
Nashville, TN 37207

Tue-Thu 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri 12:00 pm – 4:00 am
Sat 2:00 pm – 4:00 am

I heard about Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack from Esquire magazine’s website for being in the running for the Most Life-Changing Fried Chicken in America. Ezell’s in Seattle ended up winning that honor but I wanted to see if the people at Esquire were right (it’s actually voted by the people not Esquire, so it’s more of a popularity contest).

As much as I enjoy Ezell’s fried chicken these guys have something very special going on here. But because of the location I can imagine people not wanting to come here. The single storefront location is located about ten minuets north of downtown Nashville in a pretty sketchy part of town. Buildings in the area are pretty decrepit (including the one that Prince’s is located in) and the people hanging around the area are characters to say least. I’ve been to worst places (like Newark, New Jersey) and was never scared for my life. You just have to mind your own business. I would however, recommend you get your food to go.

When you arrive in the restaurant you will probably see a crowd of people (normally half locals and half tourists) sitting and standing around waiting for their food. Make your way through them to the second counter where it opens up to the kitchen to place your order. Now remember your order number and find a place to stand/sit for the next 30-45 minutes. No joke. It’s going to be awhile. You maybe thinking is that worth it? Well, I would not be taking the time to write about it if it wasn’t.

So, what about the food? Well, in short it’s amazing. I got the half chicken (hot) for $11. I’ve never had anything like this fried chicken before. It was saucy like chicken wings but still had crunch like normal fried chicken. I got my chicken and it was pretty hot even for me. So if you can’t handle heat get it mild or medium spiciness. Your order also comes with some Texas toast that helps to soak up some of the oil and sauce as well as a few slices of pickles (don’t know why these are included). The half chicken would have stuffed two people easily. I would also recommend you just get the quarter chicken for $5. That will fill you up plenty.

If you can deal with horrible service, long waits, and the shady neighborhood you will be treated to one of the best fried chickens you will ever have.

Note – Call your order in ahead of time!

As of 02/04/2018
Yelp – 4/5 Stars (720 Ratings)