Prince's Hot Chicken
Best Hot Chicken in Nashville · TN
The family that started Nashville hot chicken
Prince's Hot Chicken is the birthplace of Nashville hot chicken. The dish traces to the Prince family around the 1930s and '40s — as the story goes, Thornton Prince's fiery, cayenne-doused chicken was a prank that backfired into a signature — and the restaurant has been run for decades by his great-niece, André Prince Jeffries.
Fried to order and painted with a lard-based cayenne paste that ranges from mild to the notorious 'XXX hot,' Prince's chicken is served the traditional way: on white bread with pickle chips. The style Prince's invented has since spread worldwide, but this is the original.
Customers said it first.
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Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Prince's Hot Chicken met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Nashville since 1945 — 80 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Nashville.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Nashville has kept Prince's Hot Chicken busy for 80 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Nashville regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best hot chicken in Nashville for 2025 for four generations of the Prince family setting the standard every other hot chicken spot chases.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Hot Chicken in Nashville Nashville, TN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Prince's Hot Chicken
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Prince's Hot Chicken.
- Legal / trading name
- Prince's Hot Chicken
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1945, Nashville, TN
- Location
- Nashville, TN
- Centurion Award
- Best Hot Chicken in Nashville — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Prince's Hot Chicken against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Prince's Hot Chicken?
The Prince family has been frying cayenne-laced hot chicken since the 1940s. The dish Nashville is famous for started here.
Is Prince's Hot Chicken award-winning?
Yes — Prince's Hot Chicken is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Hot Chicken in Nashville, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best hot chicken in Nashville for 2025 for four generations of the Prince family setting the standard every other hot chicken spot chases.
Where is Prince's Hot Chicken?
Prince's Hot Chicken is in Nashville, TN.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.