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crispy fried chicken, pickles, sauce on a fried chicken sandwich

16 Fantastic Fried Chicken Sandwiches in Nashville

Grab traditional crispy Southern and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches all over the city

by Delia Jo Ramsey@EaterNashville Updated May 25, 2021, 12:20pm CDT

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by Delia Jo Ramsey@EaterNashville Updated May 25, 2021, 12:20pm CDT

Hugh Baby’s / Official Photo

Food journalists and passionate chicken chain fanatics worldwide have flooded the internet in years past, in a battle debating the greatness of// fast food crispy chicken sandwiches.

But surely, there’s no place better than Nashville to really settle the score with one of the things the south does best — fried chicken. Enough of Chick-Fil-A and Popeye’s crispy chicken sandwiches’ heydays — let’s get hyper local and shine a light on something Nashville truly excels at.

The city has plenty of non-mass-produced sandwiches topped with traditional crispy fried chicken, some (of course) Nashville hot, and some looser interpretations. Some are available only at weekend brunch, and some you might spend some time in (a socially distanced) line for.

Without further ado — a list of 15 fantastic crispy fried chicken sandwiches to seek out in Nashville. All items on this map are available for takeout or delivery.

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Slow Burn Hot Chicken

The Madison hot chicken specialist is a favorite among locals — and there’s now a second East Nashville outpost with a walk-up window. Here, a hot chicken sandwich runs $7.50 a la carte, or $9 with one of their standout sides. Diners choose spiciness levels ranging from Southern (zero heat) to increasingly fiery “inferno”, “purgatory”, and “the end”. Hot chicken fans can also choose to get their fried fiery fowl sandwiched on a doughnut.

Place orders online from home then head in for even less of a wait.

Open in Google Maps

495 Myatt Dr, Madison, TN 37115

Visit Website

Hot chicken doughnut sandwich

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Nadeen's Hermitage Haven

At the Hermitage Philly cheesesteak and breakfast destination, there’s also a worthy chicken contender in Tyrone’s hot chicken sandwich. The crispy hand-dredged Nashville hot chicken lies on a toasted potato roll, dressed in lettuce, tomato, and creamy house blue cheese dressing. This chicken sandwich rings in a la carte at $10.50.

3410 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, TN 37076

Visit Website

BokBox

Head into Lakeside Lounge for one of the better solid fried chicken sandwich deals in town, available for takeaway and dine-in service Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Namesake ‘BokWiches’ run $5 a la carte or $8 with a side of fries.

Online ordering is available for pick-up and delivery is available via Postmates.

604 Gallatin Ave #203, Nashville, TN 37206

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Also featured in:

Where to Eat Crispy, Saucy Chicken Wings in Nashville

Mother's Ruin

Germantown’s late night cocktail spot also makes a case for itself with its way better than average bar food. The spicy chicken sandwich here is more than a hand full — buttermilk fried chicken with shredded slaw and pickles, served with waffle fries and spicy ketchup. All in at $16, this massive sandwich is perhaps best eaten with a fork and knife.

Order online for takeout and delivery.

1239 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208

Visit Website

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Waldo's Chicken and Beer

Fast-casual chicken-centric Waldo’s offers one fried chicken sandwich for heat seekers and one for traditionalists. The “fowl mouth” is spicy habanero fried chicken thigh slapped on a toasted potato bun with cheddar, jalapeño slaw, herb mayo, and namesake Waldo’s sauce (8.49). The $7.49 O.G. is a classic pickle-brined fried chicken thigh with pickles, lettuce, and herb mayo.

Order online for takeout or delivery in Germantown or in Franklin.

1120 4th Ave N Suite 103, Nashville, TN 37208

Visit Website

on the left, a chicken sandwich layered with slaw, on the right, a white bowl of macaroni and cheese. sitting on a red and white checkered paper tray. — The spicy ‘fowl mouth’ chicken sandwich at Waldo’s

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Joyland Restaurant

Place orders online for carryout or walk on in for Sean Brock’s standout fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and biscuits. The $11 fried chicken sandwich here comes served on a potato roll with pickle slaw and Brock’s signature joy sauce. A really good gluten-free version is also available.

901 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206

Visit Website

right side of photo - close up of fried chicken sandwich

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Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish

Named for the late Bolton Polk and now owned by the hot chicken mentor’s nephew Bolton Matthews, the famous restaurant’s hot chicken sandwiches start at $5.50, in spice levels that somehow seem hotter than all of the other hot chicken competitors around town. So take care when choosing how fiery that fowl should come out.

Online ordering is available for takeout from the Antioch location only.

624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Liberty Common

Downtown’s Southern brasserie has a solid fried chicken sandwich on offer — priced at $13 and served with choice of crispy fries or salad. The liberty chicken sandwich comes Southern fried, Nashville hot, or grilled. The traditional Southern fried variation comes topped with with cabbage slaw, heirloom tomato, a fried pickle, and smoked aioli. Pair appropriately with a glass of bubbly on their patio or at home.

Place orders online for takeout.

207 1st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Hugh-Baby's

Well known pitmaster Pat Martin’s crispy hand-breaded, golden fried chicken sandwich comes crowned with pickles and comeback sauce. And, priced at just 4.79, it’s the most affordable sandwich on the list.

Place orders online for pickup and delivery via Doordash. Or, just drive on thru the line at the Charlotte Avenue location.

4816 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209

Visit Website

crispy fried chicken, pickles, sauce on a fried chicken sandwich

Also featured in:

Tennessee Brew Works

At the Pie Town spot best known for its beer and burgers, there’s also a solid fried chicken sandwich. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich comes with farm egg gribiche, cheese, ,and pickles, priced at $14 with fries and Basil Ryeman ketchup.

Order online for curbside pick-up or get it delivered via Postmates.

809 Ewing Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Red's 615 Kitchen

Open just over a year near the Parthenon, Red’s serves up a duo of noteworthy hot chicken sandwiches. The Southern dirty bird sandwich ($12, served with fries) comes layered with two jumbo tenders, house pimento cheese, hot sauce, and comeback sauce.

115 27th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Nashville Hot Chicken in its Hometown

Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Melrose Nashville, TN

One of the most well-known fried fowl sandwiches in Music City is Hattie B’s hot chicken variation. Served with one side, it’s a (choose-your-own-heat) crisp fried chicken breast with coleslaw, pickle, and Nashville comeback sauce.

Pro Hattie B’s aficionados skip the lines and order ahead online for takeout or get it delivered via Uber Eats.

2222 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Visit Website

Josephine

Available only during weekend brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), chef Andy Little’s fried chicken sandwich is a fan favorite. Layered with lettuce, pickles, and spicy ranch, his sandwich is worth both dodging the ice cream line at neighboring Jeni’s and fighting the weekend bachelorettes cruising the 12 South mural scene for.

Luckily now the crowds are thinner, but you can still stay socially distant with takeout (call 615-292-7766) or delivery via Postmates. A 20-percent service charge is added to each to-go order.

2316 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Visit Website

Josephine’s brunch-only fried chicken sandwich

Also featured in:

Emmy Squared – Green Hills

The Brooklyn-born Detroit-style pizza restaurant opened its second Nashville location in Green Hills in 2019, and a third in Germantown in 2021 (just open for takeout and delivery). While typically the name conjures up dreams of one of the city’s most beloved burgers or a cheese-crusted rectangular pizza, there’s also a solid case to be made for its two fried chicken sandwich offerings. Both $13.65 and served on a pretzel bun, the Nashville hot katsu sandwich joins greens, pickles, and radishes with Alabama white sauce — while a worthy classic chicken parm features tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.

Order online for curbside takeout from the Gulch or Green Hills, or get it delivered.

3821 Green Hills Village Dr, Nashville, TN 37215

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Subculture Urban Cuisine And Cafe

The South Nashville restaurant’s SC hot chicken sandwich is available in not hot, mild, medium, hot, and stupid hot spice levels. Served with sesame slaw, avocado, and aioli, it’s a top pick among locals (alongside the hot chicken ramen and hot chicken tacos).

Order online for pick-up or delivery.

5737 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack South

Available from basic plain to tear-inducing xxx hot, a case could be made that perhaps the city’s best crispy chicken sandwich wasn’t even a sandwich at all. Until very recently there was no sandwich on the menu, but the open-faced white bread topped with the OG bone-in Nashville hot chicken and pierced with a pickle-packed toothpick surely fit the bill.

In celebration of forty yeas of ownership, the fiery fried fowl’s founder just added a new lunch sandwich dubbed “the Andre special” after Ms. Andre’ herself. It’s a boneless chicken breast sandwich with choice of heat level (plus spicy ranch or sweet heat sauce), topped with slaw and of course, pickles.

Place orders online for pick-up from the South location, or just walk up to order at the downtown food truck.

6539, 5814 Nolensville Pike #110, Nashville, TN 37211

Visit Website

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Slow Burn Hot Chicken

495 Myatt Dr, Madison, TN 37115

The Madison hot chicken specialist is a favorite among locals — and there’s now a second East Nashville outpost with a walk-up window. Here, a hot chicken sandwich runs $7.50 a la carte, or $9 with one of their standout sides. Diners choose spiciness levels ranging from Southern (zero heat) to increasingly fiery “inferno”, “purgatory”, and “the end”. Hot chicken fans can also choose to get their fried fiery fowl sandwiched on a doughnut.

Place orders online from home then head in for even less of a wait.

Open in Google Maps

495 Myatt Dr, Madison, TN 37115

Visit Website

Hot chicken doughnut sandwich

Nadeen's Hermitage Haven

3410 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, TN 37076

At the Hermitage Philly cheesesteak and breakfast destination, there’s also a worthy chicken contender in Tyrone’s hot chicken sandwich. The crispy hand-dredged Nashville hot chicken lies on a toasted potato roll, dressed in lettuce, tomato, and creamy house blue cheese dressing. This chicken sandwich rings in a la carte at $10.50.

3410 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, TN 37076

Visit Website

BokBox

604 Gallatin Ave #203, Nashville, TN 37206

Head into Lakeside Lounge for one of the better solid fried chicken sandwich deals in town, available for takeaway and dine-in service Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Namesake ‘BokWiches’ run $5 a la carte or $8 with a side of fries.

Online ordering is available for pick-up and delivery is available via Postmates.

604 Gallatin Ave #203, Nashville, TN 37206

Visit Website

Mother's Ruin

1239 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208

Germantown’s late night cocktail spot also makes a case for itself with its way better than average bar food. The spicy chicken sandwich here is more than a hand full — buttermilk fried chicken with shredded slaw and pickles, served with waffle fries and spicy ketchup. All in at $16, this massive sandwich is perhaps best eaten with a fork and knife.

Order online for takeout and delivery.

1239 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208

Visit Website

Waldo's Chicken and Beer

1120 4th Ave N Suite 103, Nashville, TN 37208

Fast-casual chicken-centric Waldo’s offers one fried chicken sandwich for heat seekers and one for traditionalists. The “fowl mouth” is spicy habanero fried chicken thigh slapped on a toasted potato bun with cheddar, jalapeño slaw, herb mayo, and namesake Waldo’s sauce (8.49). The $7.49 O.G. is a classic pickle-brined fried chicken thigh with pickles, lettuce, and herb mayo.

Order online for takeout or delivery in Germantown or in Franklin.

1120 4th Ave N Suite 103, Nashville, TN 37208

Visit Website

on the left, a chicken sandwich layered with slaw, on the right, a white bowl of macaroni and cheese. sitting on a red and white checkered paper tray. — The spicy ‘fowl mouth’ chicken sandwich at Waldo’s

Joyland Restaurant

901 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206

Place orders online for carryout or walk on in for Sean Brock’s standout fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and biscuits. The $11 fried chicken sandwich here comes served on a potato roll with pickle slaw and Brock’s signature joy sauce. A really good gluten-free version is also available.

901 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206

Visit Website

right side of photo - close up of fried chicken sandwich

Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish

624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206

Named for the late Bolton Polk and now owned by the hot chicken mentor’s nephew Bolton Matthews, the famous restaurant’s hot chicken sandwiches start at $5.50, in spice levels that somehow seem hotter than all of the other hot chicken competitors around town. So take care when choosing how fiery that fowl should come out.

Online ordering is available for takeout from the Antioch location only.

624 Main St, Nashville, TN 37206

Visit Website

Liberty Common

207 1st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

Downtown’s Southern brasserie has a solid fried chicken sandwich on offer — priced at $13 and served with choice of crispy fries or salad. The liberty chicken sandwich comes Southern fried, Nashville hot, or grilled. The traditional Southern fried variation comes topped with with cabbage slaw, heirloom tomato, a fried pickle, and smoked aioli. Pair appropriately with a glass of bubbly on their patio or at home.

Place orders online for takeout.

207 1st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

Visit Website

Hugh-Baby's

4816 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209

Well known pitmaster Pat Martin’s crispy hand-breaded, golden fried chicken sandwich comes crowned with pickles and comeback sauce. And, priced at just 4.79, it’s the most affordable sandwich on the list.

Place orders online for pickup and delivery via Doordash. Or, just drive on thru the line at the Charlotte Avenue location.

4816 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209

Visit Website

crispy fried chicken, pickles, sauce on a fried chicken sandwich

Tennessee Brew Works

809 Ewing Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

At the Pie Town spot best known for its beer and burgers, there’s also a solid fried chicken sandwich. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich comes with farm egg gribiche, cheese, ,and pickles, priced at $14 with fries and Basil Ryeman ketchup.

Order online for curbside pick-up or get it delivered via Postmates.

809 Ewing Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

Visit Website

Red's 615 Kitchen

115 27th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203

Open just over a year near the Parthenon, Red’s serves up a duo of noteworthy hot chicken sandwiches. The Southern dirty bird sandwich ($12, served with fries) comes layered with two jumbo tenders, house pimento cheese, hot sauce, and comeback sauce.

115 27th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203

Visit Website

Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Melrose Nashville, TN

2222 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

One of the most well-known fried fowl sandwiches in Music City is Hattie B’s hot chicken variation. Served with one side, it’s a (choose-your-own-heat) crisp fried chicken breast with coleslaw, pickle, and Nashville comeback sauce.

Pro Hattie B’s aficionados skip the lines and order ahead online for takeout or get it delivered via Uber Eats.

2222 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Visit Website

Josephine

2316 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Available only during weekend brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), chef Andy Little’s fried chicken sandwich is a fan favorite. Layered with lettuce, pickles, and spicy ranch, his sandwich is worth both dodging the ice cream line at neighboring Jeni’s and fighting the weekend bachelorettes cruising the 12 South mural scene for.

Luckily now the crowds are thinner, but you can still stay socially distant with takeout (call 615-292-7766) or delivery via Postmates. A 20-percent service charge is added to each to-go order.

2316 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Visit Website

Josephine’s brunch-only fried chicken sandwich

Emmy Squared – Green Hills

3821 Green Hills Village Dr, Nashville, TN 37215

The Brooklyn-born Detroit-style pizza restaurant opened its second Nashville location in Green Hills in 2019, and a third in Germantown in 2021 (just open for takeout and delivery). While typically the name conjures up dreams of one of the city’s most beloved burgers or a cheese-crusted rectangular pizza, there’s also a solid case to be made for its two fried chicken sandwich offerings. Both $13.65 and served on a pretzel bun, the Nashville hot katsu sandwich joins greens, pickles, and radishes with Alabama white sauce — while a worthy classic chicken parm features tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.

Order online for curbside takeout from the Gulch or Green Hills, or get it delivered.

3821 Green Hills Village Dr, Nashville, TN 37215

Visit Website

Subculture Urban Cuisine And Cafe

5737 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

The South Nashville restaurant’s SC hot chicken sandwich is available in not hot, mild, medium, hot, and stupid hot spice levels. Served with sesame slaw, avocado, and aioli, it’s a top pick among locals (alongside the hot chicken ramen and hot chicken tacos).

Order online for pick-up or delivery.

5737 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

Visit Website

Related Maps

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack South

6539, 5814 Nolensville Pike #110, Nashville, TN 37211

Available from basic plain to tear-inducing xxx hot, a case could be made that perhaps the city’s best crispy chicken sandwich wasn’t even a sandwich at all. Until very recently there was no sandwich on the menu, but the open-faced white bread topped with the OG bone-in Nashville hot chicken and pierced with a pickle-packed toothpick surely fit the bill.

In celebration of forty yeas of ownership, the fiery fried fowl’s founder just added a new lunch sandwich dubbed “the Andre special” after Ms. Andre’ herself. It’s a boneless chicken breast sandwich with choice of heat level (plus spicy ranch or sweet heat sauce), topped with slaw and of course, pickles.

Place orders online for pick-up from the South location, or just walk up to order at the downtown food truck.

6539, 5814 Nolensville Pike #110, Nashville, TN 37211

Visit Website

Related Maps