Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Prince's Hot Chicken

I've talked about Nashville hot chicken before on my blog...  I've been to our annual Hot Chicken Festival, and I enjoy Hattie B's and Rooster's.  But until recently, I hadn't ventured north to the origin of this Nashville signature dish: Prince's.  If you read this amazing, in-depth history of hot chicken, you'll know it's the original.

In August, I finally made the pilgrimage, about three years later than I thought I would!



There's not much I can say about Prince's that hasn't been written.   Tips: it's cash-only, drinks are from the vending machine, and if you bring an extra $3, invest it in a slice of cake or pie that the lady up front is selling.  Then you stand, and wait.  On a hot day, it's even hotter in this tiny spot.  There's only 5-6 tables for you to eat.  You just need to wait your turn, don't complain, get about your business.




It's awesome.  Once I was there, I realized how much better this hot chicken was than anything I'd had before.  I chose Medium (because I'm a wimp) and it was easily as spicy as Hot at other restaurants.  And the fries?  Excellent.  Perfectly crispy and wonderful.





We had to wait over an hour for our chicken, most of it standing.  We watched as people from all walks of life came in...  church ladies in pearls and heels, tourists with carry-on baggage who Uber-ed straight from the airport, local neighborhood regulars who called their orders in, you name it.  It's not in the nicest part of town; I probably wouldn't go there after dark.  But it was a true pilgrimage, and it was good.



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