It's gotta be crispy, it's gotta be flavorful, and it's gotta be hot.
And yeah, it'll probably come with white bread and a pickle.
Keep watching for our picks for hot chicken chains from worst to best.
Close enough to Nashville to satisfy purists, Louisville, Kentucky's Joella's boasts more
than fifteen locations across the South and Midwest.
So what's its secret?
As their VP of operations once said,
"Hot chicken isn't just about heat — it's about flavor."
"They're not kiddin' when they say it's got a little bit of pep to it."
That unique taste finds its way into Joella's tenders, wings, and even vegan chicken.
And sides range from creamy mac & cheese to parm garlic fries.
Ardent fans even gave the chain a Best of Louisville Reader's Choice Award for Best
Fried Chicken Restaurant.
On the flip side, Joella's is very much a corporate creation designed to capitalize
on a trend.
And it lacks the homegrown backstory of some of the other chains on our list.
That said, the spot has garnered community goodwill with free meal promos for teachers,
nurses, and children.
Bottom line: Joella's only if you have to.
Those who insist that a true hot chicken joint must be a hole in the wall with a limited
menu would never be seen at Party Fowl.
This Nashville-original doubles down on millennial hipster mainstays like craft cocktails, draft
beer from local micro-breweries, and even — gasp!
— brunch.
Ultimately, it's too branded an experience to rank well on our list.
But owners Austin Smith and Nick Jacobson wanted to bring their city's signature dish
to the full-service-restaurant world.
And that's exactly what Party Fowl delivers.
"Time to get crazy.
Time to go extreme!"
There aren't too many other places in Tennessee where you can scorch your mouth on hot chicken
while watching the Titans on a large-screen TV.
As for the chicken, Party Fowl boasts at least one huge corporate fan.
Frito-Lay chose the chain as the inspiration for its Nashville Hot Chicken chips.
And lastly, an obligatory feature of any decent hot chicken chain is a creative name for its
highest spice level.
And with "Poultrygeist," Party Fowl totally nails it.
Foodies can get a little touchy about regional authenticity.
And the idea of a Los Angeles-based hot chicken joint might cause a little ruckus.
Flashy celebrity investors like Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maria Shriver certainly didn't
help with the Tinseltown image.
But chef and co-founder Dave Kopushyan did his homework, visiting several hot chicken
joints in Nashville before developing his own.
Dave's popularity was earned honestly.
It grew via word-of-mouth from a humble stand in a parking lot in 2017, to a chain that
boasts more than forty locations — with three in Toronto.
Some say the chicken lives up to the hype, with Cheap Eats calling it,
"A delicious gut buster on multiple levels."
"[Coughs] It's crankin' up a lot.
Ugh."
But Angelenos who really want the best certainly have more memorable options to choose from.
We're not gonna lie: This SoCal chain gets points for its cheeky name.
According to SF Gate, Bangin' Buns was started by four friends in the San Fernando Valley,
and it distinguishes itself by serving its chicken on French rolls rather than sliced
bread or hamburger buns.
Spice level ranges from the innocuous "Country" to the hottest with "Bangin'."
And you can fill out your plate with heaps of well-seasoned fries.
According to QSR Magazine,
"Bangin’ Buns grew to be a beloved Nashville hot chicken brand, a phenomenon on social
media and a favorite of Los Angeles food press."
Yelpers rave about the generous portion sizes and memorable flavors.
But while the lack of a track record puts Bangin' Buns lower on our list for now, they
might not be sitting there for long.
The chain already has plans to add 17 more locations, stretching into Arizona and Northern California.
Another contender in the fast-growing SoCal hot chicken scene, Nashville Hot Chicken set
up shop in Los Angeles and Pacoima.
And the two brothers who launched it claim to have visited more than 900 fast food restaurants
as artery-busting research before refining their own recipes.
There are a few aspects of the menu that sets this place apart from the pack.
There's a shrimp sandwich, for example, and their chicken is halal.
But most controversial is the love-it-or-hate-it "pink sauce" — a proprietary concoction
that is slathered on seemingly everything.
That includes the Chicken Sandwich, Nashville Slider Plate, and Chicken Tenders.
Creatively named spice levels range from "Mildly Cyrus" to "Hail Mary."
But as far as the pink sauce goes, you'll have to drop by Nashville Hot Chicken and
decide for yourself.
Hot Chicken Takeover currently only serves hungry diners within the state of Ohio.
But that hasn't stopped the almost-decade-old chain from getting national attention.
24/7 Wall Street named it one of the 30 Best Fried Chicken Places in America.
Standout items include the vegan "Not Chicken," and spice level that ranges from "Cold" to
"Holy #&@*%?!"
But one of the more laudable aspects of the chain has nothing to do with what's on the
menu.
Hot Chicken Takeover focuses on hiring former inmates, who often have trouble securing steady
employment.
According to Columbus Business First,
"They have created a culture of accountability and engagement that has lowered employee turnover
to 50% compared to the rest of the industry that is over 100 percent."
"Hustle is my favorite value."
But with all that popularity comes the inevitable selling-out.
Literally.
Some fans say the spot frequently runs out of drumsticks and wings, which lands it in
the lower half of our list.
Technically, this L.A.-based restaurant still has only one location.
The opening of a second in early 2022 was reportedly delayed by the COVID pandemic.
But given this chain's rabid fanbase, more joints are surely on the way.
Started as a food truck in 2014 by husband-and-wife team Johnny Ray Zone and Amanda Chapman — and
moving to a brick-and-mortar Chinatown location a year later — Howlin' Ray's is known for
being worth the long wait to order.
Ray's feels so authentic, you might be fooled into thinking it's actually from Tennessee.
And it's our top-rated chain outside of the Volunteer State.
The signature dish is "The Sando"; a boneless breast served on a butter bun, topped with
"comeback sauce."
Meanwhile, sides like Mario-style fries have loyal customers howlin' for more.
"The hottest chicken in the world right here at Big Shake's Hot Chicken."
If you like a little surf with your turf, this chain pays almost as much attention to
its hot fish as its chicken.
Chef Shawn Davis originally debuted his shrimp burger to a national audience on Shark Tank.
And he didn't forget his roots when he opened his first hot chicken joint in Franklin, Tennessee
in 2013.
Big Shake's most popular item even caters to those of us who want it all.
The Chicken & Fish Combo Plate lets you choose from chicken tenders, wings, or a breast/leg
quarter; catfish or whiting fish; and two southern-style sides.
Superfans from anywhere can also snag some swag, ranging from t-shirts and mugs to baby
bibs and sneakers.
Davis is even sharing his ingredients — for a price, of course.
Everything from house fry flour, to hot sauce, to seasoning is available to order online.
Big Shake's unique pescatarian angle and authentic Southern roots are enough for it to crack
our top five.
Hattie B's was started in Nashville by the father-son team of Nick Bishop Sr. and Jr.
And they've been serving up hot chicken since 2012.
The Bishops aren't out to re-invent the Nashville hot chicken wheel, but rather to make the
best standard fare of sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, Southern-inspired sides, and desserts.
And at that they've been quite successful.
While Hattie's outposts are still mostly found in the South, they recently took a gamble
with a Las Vegas spot.
"First and foremost, the secret to great fried chicken is love."
The chain fares well in the hottest-spice-level naming sweepstakes with "Shut the Cluck Up."
And when it comes to a sudden Hattie's craving, fans can order from anywhere in the country,
with Goldbelly.
The fact that Hattie's has even entered the "best hot chicken in Nashville" conversation,
along with the two homegrown icons that top our list, is a testament to its quality.
Some locals might even secretly admit that Hattie B's is number one.
Even though it's not classic Nashville-style hot chicken, Gus's does make chicken, and
it is hot and spicy, and therefore, it's eligible for this list.
Vernon "Gus" Bonner and his wife Gertrude opened their first location in 1984 in Mason,
Tennessee.
And the chain now boasts a whopping 34 locations.
Claimed by some outlets — like GQ — to be the best fried chicken in the world, a
secret family recipe remains the key to their success.
Not even the most industrious of home chefs has been able to match the signature flavor.
And Gus and Gertrude extend the same level of care to their side dishes.
As is highlighted on their website,
"Note the slightly sweet beans and slaw served with every meal.
Gus and Gertrude perfected these recipes, allowing their slight sweetness to offset
the spiciness of the fried chicken."
Bolton's boasts an impressive pedigree.
According to the Nashville Scene, owner Bolton Mathews is the nephew of the late Bolton Polk,
who used to work in the original — and highly acclaimed — Nashville hot chicken joint,
Prince's.
Bolton's was even featured in a Season 1 episode of "Ugly Delicious."
"We sort of are the ones that put it on the map."
Honoring "one of the oldest Black-owned businesses" in town, in May 2021, the city of Nashville
passed a resolution that formally recognized…
"[Mathews'] contributions to the culture, economy, development, and panache of the City
of Nashville."
"Well, welcome to Nashville.
There ya go."
Prince's is the first Nashville hot chicken restaurant.
The one that started it all.
And while many have attempted to dethrone him, Prince remains king.
The OG chain takes the top spot thanks to a combination of unbeatable taste, reasonable
prices, and a truly classic origin story.
"Of course it started with a woman.
Of course."
According to legend, founder Thornton Prince was inspired by a former lover's attempted
revenge.
When the woman doused his usual fried chicken in an excess of spice, Thornton actually found
the result to be especially delicious.
And with that, a beloved Nashville icon was born.
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