Hot Chicken at Hattie B’s Nashville

Before heading to Nashville, we knew that we wanted to try Nashville hot chicken.  After talking to several locals, it certainly seemed like like Hattie B’s was the go to place.

Hattie B’s hasn’t been around very long since the first location only opened in 2012. Now, there are several locations across 5 states, several of which are in Nashville. 

Our Uber driver suggested going to the 8th Avenue South location because it tends to be the shortest lines.  We got there around 11:30 am and there was already a lineup, but it wasn’t too long. From the time we arrived, to the time we got our food, it was about 35 minutes. So, not too long of a wait.   

The Hot Chicken

Hattie B’s chicken is available various heat levels.  They range from no heat at all or “Southern” to “Shut the cluck up”. For simplicity, we’ll use a rating of 0 to 5. In case you have never seen Nashville hot chicken before, it has a distinct dark reddish color that gets darker the hotter it is.

At Hattie B’s, you can get your chicken as wings, or bone-in quarter chicken pieces or tenders served on white bread with pickles.  Hot chicken pieces come in a variety of ways: small and large orders of white or dark pieces, or if you are really hungry, you can get a half chicken. Want a sandwich instead? They have you covered.  Their hot chicken sandwich, a big de-boned breast breaded, fried, served as spicy as you want, with coleslaw, pickle and “comeback sauce,” a mix of mayo, honey and spices.

After much debate, we ordered an order of mild (1) large white and a hot (3) large white. The chicken is perfectly cooked and most noteworthy the crunchiest, crispiest coating. Even the big bone-in breasts were juicy all the way through.  The hot (3) chicken was very hot so, I can’t even imagine how hot the “Shut the cluck up” would be.  The medium (2) would probably be the most enjoyable for me.  Keep in mind that not just a surface heat like Buffalo wings.  It permeates the chicken, but the breading is the hottest part.  For sides, we ordered fries, baked beans and coleslaw.  The baked beans were very good.  A little sweet, but it paired well with the spiciness of the chicken. As for the other two, they were good, but nothing really special.

The Atmosphere

The restaurant certainly isn’t fancy. The food is served in plastic baskets lined with red and white checkered paper. The chicken comes with a choice of dipping sauces: blue cheese, ranch or honey mustard. 

Prior to our trip, I read a recommendation suggesting going with one level below whatever instinct tells you to order.

Not sure what to order? The most popular order is chicken tenders with the two most popular sides, fries and mac and cheese. Most chicken sold is either medium (2) or hot (3).  And, rumor has it that that the peach cobbler is exceptional. Unfortunately, we ate to much chicken so we didn’t have any room left. 

Wary Travelers Tips: 

Thinking of heading there on a Sunday? Lucky you, since the special is hot chicken over waffles. It’s very popular and only available for Sunday brunch.

If you are wondering if Hattie B’s is worthy of the hype, yes it is!  It’s certainly the best fried chicken that we’ve ever had.  And, if it’s your first time visiting Nashville, Hattie B’s should definitely be on your must do list! 

Also, to avoid the lineup completely, order your food online for pick up. It will be ready for you in about 20 minutes and you get to skip the line. 

If you are interested in more Nashville content, below are some links that might interest you.

• Nashville Weekend Itinerary
• Pinewood Social Nashville
• LA Jackson Rooftop Bar Nashville

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.