In case you haven’t heard, the Nashville Scene is running Nashville Hot Chicken Week from January 21-27. That means $5 hot chicken dishes for lunch and dinner, for the duration of the promotion, at participating restaurants. At the end of the week, you can go in and vote on your favorite dishes. Pretty cool little thing the scene has put together, not unlike their Burger Week, of which I was an exuberant participant.
Looking over the list of participants, and you’ll find some of the heavy hitters on the Nashville hot chicken scene. Restaurants like Hattie B’s, Bolton’s, Pepperfire, and Slow Burn. That Royale Mini from Pepperfire sounds mighty tempting. But, you also have some new players offering dishes, too. The Slider House has some hot chicken sliders. Taco Mamacita is offering hot chicken tacos. Top Golf is serving a….wait….Top Golf serves hot chicken? Okay. Royal Boba (wut?) is offering hot popcorn chicken. Yeah – plenty of options.
Keep the TUMS handy.
Word of advice, though – go ahead and avoid the hot chicken from Nashville Underground and Zulema’s. I had a Nashville hot chicken wrap from Zulema’s once, and it was practically regular chicken with a pound of black pepper coating it. Nashville Underground’s was just ‘bleh’ – it tasted like regular chicken. I remember borderline making a scene with my friends out of a rage that the sandwich in front of me was billed as ‘Nashville hot chicken.’ If either of those establishments want me to give them another shot, you can mail me some hot chicken at….that’s an attempt at humor. We do that from time to time on this site.
So, if you’re looking for some deep cuts beyond that, I figured I’d do my best to pass along some of my favorite non-traditional hot chicken dishes and/or deep cuts from the area.
Big Natural’s Nashville Hot Chicken Week
5. Hot Chicken Pizza @ TJ’s Pizza – As far as hot chicken pizzas go, this is the closest I’ve gotten to the real thing in the area. Some pizza spots in town need to learn that there’s a difference between ‘Nashville hot’ and ‘Buffalo.’ Nonetheless, if you’re in the Mount Juliet area, I’d recommend at least giving TJ’s a shot. It’ good stuff.
4. Hot Chicken Schnitzel @ Von Elrod’s – I didn’t see this one coming. The first time I visited Von Elrod’s, I didn’t even know this sandwich existed. Just happened to spot it on the menu, and boy – I’m glad I did. Just the right amount of heat, served simply with pickles and mayo on a buttered bun. If you ain’t lookin’ for it, you won’t find it, but it’s worth the treasure hunt.
3. Hot Chicken n’ Cheddar @ Party Fowl – No clue why Party Fowl isn’t on the marquee for this event, but you’d think they should be. I’ve gone on record saying Party Fowl’s hot chicken is “alright” (5.5/10 if I recall correctly). It’s a tad overrated when you compare it to some of the heavy hitters in town, but they have a pretty unique menu. Though it’s pricey, it ain’t a bad place to sit and drink either. The hot chicken n’ cheddar sandwich is aces if you’re looking for something different. If you’re not a sandwich guy/gal, try the hot chicken nachos or hot chicken poutine.
2. Hurt’s Hot Chicken – It’s traditional hot chicken, for sure, but it ends up on this list because it’s hard to track this food truck down in the Mount Juliet area. It’s a deep cut but you can keep up with their Facebook page and see where they’re posted up for the day. The tenders are other-worldly, cooked fresh, and whatever sauce they serve ’em with is phenomenal.
1. Nashville Hot Chicken n’ Waffles @ Nadeen’s Hermitage Haven – It’s the reigning ‘Hot Chicken Deep Cut’ award recipient from the 2018 SoBros Awards, as the readers of SoBros Network thought this dish was the best and most creative application of the hot chicken trend to a non-traditional hot chicken dish. Beware, though – it’s a whopper. You’re going to need a nap after this treat.
What are some of your favorite dishes in town, SoBros Nation? Let us know!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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