This question in Nashville is almost always really asking about hot chicken sandwiches. The city that invented the format has built an entire sandwich culture around the cayenne-heavy preparation that began at Prince’s, and the best fried chicken sandwiches in Nashville are generally the hot ones. If you want the non-spicy version, that’s a reasonable preference and there are good options, but you’re opting out of the specific thing Nashville does better than anywhere else.
The Hot Chicken Sandwich Case
Hattie B’s is the most practical answer for a first-time visitor specifically seeking a hot chicken sandwich. The sandwich format is available across Hattie B’s heat levels, which range from Southern (no heat) through Medium, Hot, Damn Hot, and Shut the Cluck Up. The consistency across locations makes Hattie B’s the most reliable result: you know what you’re getting, and the ratio of heat to flavor is calibrated for people who want the experience without the punishment. Multiple Nashville locations remove the logistics problem.
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is the original and the serious answer if you’re treating the sandwich as a historical experience rather than just a meal. Prince’s doesn’t soften the hot chicken for newcomers the way the newer operations do. The sandwich is the traditional format: thigh or breast, white bread, pickles. The heat at Prince’s Hot is a different level than Hot at Hattie B’s. Plan accordingly.
Party Fowl operates as a hot chicken specialist with a wider sandwich menu. The operation handles groups and walkups more smoothly than Prince’s and has a sit-down restaurant format with full table service. The chicken holds up against the better-known names.
The Non-Hot Argument
Biscuit Love’s Princess is technically a hot chicken sandwich on a biscuit rather than bread, but it belongs in this conversation. The Princess uses hot chicken as the protein in Biscuit Love’s biscuit format, which means the sandwich experience includes the structural contrast of a layered biscuit against the spiced chicken. Different from a traditional sandwich, and it works.
Joyland in East Nashville (Sean Brock’s fast-casual) is known primarily for the crustburger but also runs fried chicken on a stick as a menu item. The chicken itself is executed at the level you’d expect from a kitchen with Brock’s background, though the sandwich format is less central to Joyland’s identity than the burger.
The Honest Summary
If you want the best fried chicken sandwich in Nashville and you’re not eating hot chicken, you’re having a good meal in a city that has excellent fried chicken. If you’re eating hot chicken, you’re having the specific thing Nashville built its reputation on. Prince’s for the original experience. Hattie B’s for the consistent, approachable version. Biscuit Love’s Princess for the hybrid approach that makes the biscuit as important as the chicken.
Sources
- Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, hattieb.com; multiple Nashville location addresses
- Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack via Nashville Scene and Nashville Post coverage
- Party Fowl Nashville via restaurant website
- Biscuit Love, biscuitlovebrand.com; Princess sandwich menu item
- Joyland East Nashville via Eater Nashville