Native Nashvillian Aqui Hines grew up eating Prince’s Hot Chicken — and loved the fiery fowl so much she opened up her own restaurant with her own personal take. Hines’ hot chicken recipe calls for deep-fried rather than skillet-fried chicken, a chief distinction between 400 degrees and most other restaurants. Hines has also recently added a food truck to her repertoire and has a new location inside BNA. 400 Degrees’ hot chicken seasoning, tee shirts, and gift cards are all available for purchase.

With locations in Franklin, Goodlettsville, and in Huntsville, Alabama, Big Shake’s offers heat seekers outside of Nashville proper the opportunity to get in on the fiery action. Live out of state and missing real Nashville hot chicken? Big Shake’s ships hot chicken nationwide in two days, and sells merch (free shipping with two items purchased) — including hot chicken seasoning to try making the city’s signature dish at home.

The Hattie B’s that many spend hours waiting in line for is actually the brainchild of the owners of Franklin’s own Bishop’s Meat-and-Three. The Bishop family experimented with serving hot chicken on their cafeteria line and found it soon became one of their best sellers. Today hot chicken is served at Bishop’s every day of the week, now including hot chicken meals for four for takeout or delivery via delivery dudes.

Hattie B’s first opened in the summer of 2012 and since has become of the first names associated with Nashville hot chicken since expanding its heat nationwide. In addition to hot chicken, Hattie B’s doles out great sides and banana pudding. The original Midtown and Fifth and Broadway locations are always booming, so head out west to their Charlotte Ave. spot, or visit 8th Ave. South for a shorter, socially distanced wait and patio dining. (Or just call in ahead and prepare for dirty looks.) It’s also available for takeout and delivery via Uber Eats, or shipping nationwide via Goldbelly. For each Goldbelly kit, chicken is brined, hand-breaded, and fried. All you need to do at home is crisp it up in your oven, give it a dip, and sprinkle on their signature hot seasonings.

Offering more of a full-service restaurant experience than most other hot chicken purveyors, Party Fowl’s menu has a little bit of everything, including its signature hot chicken dishes, with heat levels ranging from traditional Southern fried to ‘Poultrygeist,’ the restaurant’s hottest. Party Fowl has locations in downtown Nashville, Murfreesboro, plus a massive new one in Donelson and one in Cool Springs (and one coming soon to BNA). Not in the mood for traditional hot chicken? Try the Nashville hot deconstructed Cobb salad or the hot chicken Cuban sandwich for a change.

Slow Burn Hot Chicken lives up to its name, offering several different heat levels from “sprinkle heat” (just a hint of spice) to “the end” (triple hot). The restaurant’s menu also includes hot fish, seafood, pork chops, and a selection of $5 specials. The Madison location is now closed, but they moved to a new, larger location in Hendersonville, alongside serving cult-favorite chicken closer to the city center via a walk-up window in East Nashville.

Get a hot chicken fix with a side of waffles, or even in ramen or taco form at one of the city’s most underrated spots found south of town. Fiery fowl here ranges from “not hot” to “stupid hot” —which packs a pleasant, flavorful amount of heat. Order online for curbside pick-up or hit up Postmates for delivery.

The grandaddy of them all — Prince’s is the original ‘Hot Chicken Shack,’ serving legendary fiery fowl for over 70 years, and even snagging a James Beard Award along the way. André Prince Jeffries continues the decades-old tradition on the south side of town and in limited menu formats at 6th and Peabody Assembly Food Hall at 5th and Broadway, both downtown. Order online from the South location for takeout every day except Sunday.

Hurt’s Hot Chicken is a roving hot chicken source, (usually parked at 3288 S Mt Juliet Rd). Yes, it can be complicated to find a food truck when craving hot chicken. However, seeking out this one is worth it — as they’re doling out some of the best hot chicken (try it in a gyro, too) and fish in the city. Usually found in a Dollar General parking lot in Hermitage, follow along with Lamont Hurt’s (yep, that’s his real last name) business’ Facebook page for exact location info and times.