Prince Hot Chicken Shack

if you like hot food get it hot, if you don't, you might not be able to tolerate the mild. it ain't about the service, it ain't about the atmosphere, it's about the chicken. if you're concerned about cleanliness, i recall my first night working at a major chain restaurant(and last too), learning about the 3 second rule.(if you don't know it, ask someone). but alas, it ain't about that, remember the 'hot' chicken. also, if you like carbonated beverages,,,,,,then get one. i like eating the hot chicken and chasin' it down with a coke from the coke machine,. sure it's hot, but hey, remember, it's got 'hot', in the name. Pros: really good, really hot, fried chicken, ton of soul, pardon the cliche' Cons: none, it is what it is more

Like I said, if you know what you're getting yourself into, you'll love this place. The service is very very slow. It will take you at the very least 45 minutes from when you order your food until you receive it. There is no AC and it gets hot in the summer. We asked for fries and were told they were out. 30 minutes later, while waiting for our food, they walked an order of fries out to a table. Parking is limited and the neighborhood is not very nice.\r \r WITH THAT SAID . . . . I will definitely be going back. If friends come to visit from out of town, I will take them there. The chicken is very good. Most of the flavor is due to a rub on the skin rather than a lot of sauce or soaking. I got the mild which had a kick but I think the next time I go I'll be moving up to Medium. Everybody in the world says you're crazy to try any hotter at this place. \r Pros: Very good chicken - unique atmosphere . . .poor service, long wait, shady neighborhood - all part of the charm Cons: Poor Service, Long wait, Shady neighborhood . . . more

I am giving Prince's 3 stars based on the food alone and not more because of everthing else. I got the mild hot chicken and it was perfect for me. I like spicy food but not too spicy to the point of being in pain! It was delicious and I can see how it would be addictive. My friend got the extra hot and literally had tears running down his cheeks and said his face went numb. Besides the food however, I give this place 1/2 star. The location is seedy and I didn't feel entirely safe being there, there isn't enough seating to wait or eat, and it was filthy. I was glad everything is deep fried as it probably cooks any germs or bacteria lingering around! \r Some of the best french fries I've ever had in my life and get a cup of pickles to go with it too.\r Big con -- at a hot chicken restaurant, they don't sell drinks!! You have to buy from the one vending machine there and they only have carbonated drinks and water to choose from. Get the water! Carbonation and hot chicken don't mix. \r I see this as a place I will maybe go to once a year, if that the food is good but just not worth the other problems. Pros: Great chicken, great fries Cons: Dirty restaurant, they don't sell drinks, long wait, dodgy area more

PLEASE BEWARE IF YOU PLAN TO EAT AT PRINCES THERE WAS A RO@CH IN MY FOOD MIXED IN WITH THE PICKLES. AND TOO MAKE MATTERS WORSE WHEN I CALLED THE NEXT DAY TO INFROM THE MANAGER OF THE PROBLEM SHE LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID "" I HAVEN'T SEEN A RO@CH IN HERE IN A LONG TIME!"" ""I KNOW WE DONT HAVE RO@CHES CAUSE THE MAN COMES AND SPRAYS EVERY WEEK."" HOW STUPID DOES THIS SOUND, THEY BASICALLY DID NOT TAKE THE SITUATION SERIOUS AND TRIED TO BRUSH IT OFF. i NEVER ASKED FOR MONEY BACK OR FREE FOOD BUT THE MANAGER INSTANTLY SAID IF IT IS FREE FOOD YOU WANT YOU CAN'T GET IT UNTIL I SEE THE RO@CH. FIRST OF ALL WHY WOULD I EVEN WANT TO EAT THERE AGAIN AND AS SOON AS I SAW THE RO@CH I THREW EVERYTHING IN THE TRASH. SO THE MANAGER WAS VERY RUDE AND SHE WAS LAUGHING AT ME NOT APOLOGETIC AT ALL. THIS IS SO SAD BECAUSE AT ONE POINT I REALLY ENJOYED THE FOOD. BUT NOW I WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR RO@CH PROBLEM!!!! Cons: RO@CH IN MY FOOD more

If anyone knows anything about the pledge process to join a fraternity, it can only be described as a painfull hell that no one would ever want to experience more than once. Amazingly, that is the same thing as Prince's Extra Hot chicken, the very same chicken that they made the pledges eat! To sum it up, Prince's Extra Hot sent me on a legitimate trip similar to a psychedelic substance. My face was numb, my lips were huge, and I could not feel my hands. My eyes were open but I was seeing insane colors. The taste of the chicken happened to be great until the heat of 1,000 suns set in. Think you can handle spice? Go for it. But be warned, do not attempt to show off or be a hero. This chicken is the real deal. Pros: Cheap, enjoyable, memorable Cons: Location and service more

Don't be thwarted by the bad reviews, this place is classic! Many nights spent sweating off the beers laughing at my friends who think they can handle the hottest chicken. As far as salt and grease, yes there is a lot, that's what southern fried chicken is, it tastes GREAT! If your looking for healty food, quick fast-food service, or the same old same old do not go to Prince's, this place is for locals who enjoy the mom and pop atmosphere. I moved away from Nashville 10 years ago and make it a point to go to Prince's every time I am in town. Pros: Unique Atmosphere, Hot Chicken Cons: If you can't handle it you will be on the toilet for hours:) more

Please don't compare Prince's to Popeye's - there is nothing similar other than the fact that they both serve chicken. Prince?s hot chicken is really, REALLY hot. It?s hot enough to send you home crying if you order the ?hot? instead of ?medium?. \r \r For the record, the service is horrible ? but everybody knows that! If you go to Prince?s, you go for HOT chicken and BAD service, and if you get those two things, you?ve had a good trip to Prince?s.\r Pros: Unique, Hot, Tasty Cons: Poor Service, Long Wait more

I'm not going to waste time trying to convince the reader I like spicy food. You can either believe me when I tell you I like *very* spicy food, or not. I am not from Nashville, and I made a point of stopping by for lunch, based on many recommendations. The other writers are absolutely correct about the chicken *meat* having *NO* flavor. I *love* biting into some *seriously* hot food (indo/pakistani, thai, mexican, cajun/creole,) and having that intense heat backed up with some *flavor*. Yes, I figure it's pan-fried chicken, but that's no excuse for the chicken meat being so dry, and dull-tasting. Put the lid on the skillet while the chicken's cooking, and soak the chicken in saltwater for 24 hours. Also, I think the other reviewers got all the salt in their chicken. My order had no salt at all. Stroud's in KC is better than this, and so is Babe's in Dallas/Fort Worth. Pros: Plenty of atmosphere. Good prices, if the chicken tasted ok Cons: The chicken just isn't good. more

I grew up in Nashville and ever since I became an adult I've always partied all night or worked overnights. Let me tell you, if you like hot chicken and don't mind the wait, this place is the BEST I've ever had! My coworkers always called in our orders on Friday and Saturday nights, because they were the busiest -- they're also one of the few places in Nashville open after the clubs close -- be warned, the extra hot will sober up any drunk and wake up any sleepyhead!! For all the bougie folks from Brentwood that want to knock the place, you can have your commercialized Popeye's, but give me Prince's\r \r I've moved to Atlanta and Memphis within the past year, and I have to tell you, I miss Prince's more than anything! When I come back home, I will not mind waiting in Atlanta-like traffic for a medium sandwich, and I plan on taking several sandwiches back to Memphis with me! Never had a problem with the service, and hey -- if it's good enough for the Mayor and the Governor both (who are regular patrons, by the way), then it's good for me!\r \r Maybe you ought to open up a branch in Memphis, just like the Neely brothers have done with their Memphis barbecue in Nashville? Pros: THE CHICKEN!!!, celebrity-spotting if you're lucky, late weekend hours Cons: no parking, Atlanta-traffic-like waiting for the food more

I went once and will not return. I enjoy spicy food and tried the medium spicy chicken. It was so salty (the heat itself was tolerable) as to be inedible. Moreover, the service was not friendly, it was hard to find a table, and I would not go there after dark. My friends, who are Asian and Indian, complained that people were staring at them. Pros: Unique Cons: Food, Atmosphere, Service, Location more

I have been eating Prince?s chicken for years and can confirm much of what has already been said. The service is not that good. The wait is often long. And the location is not in one of the nicer parts of town (I?ll let you decide whether or not you should be packing when you go). That said, I would not listen to reviews that wrongly analyze the ingredients or complain because the chicken is messy. Prince?s makes a very unique type of fried chicken. While this bird is definitely not for everybody, it is, in my opinion, the best ?hot chicken? around. This place did not develop its almost cult-like following and reputation by serving bad food. I would simply recommend giving it try and seeing for yourself whether it agrees with your tastes. Personally, I love it.\r \r Here are a couple of tips for those who haven?t tried it: (1) When they say ?hot?, they mean it. This is not like ordering a spicy chicken sandwich or some spicy chicken at Popeye?s. The ?mild? at Prince?s is hotter than what many restaurants serve as ?spicy?. So if you are unsure of your tolerance for heat, consider starting out with the mild or medium. I have seen plenty of people, who thought they had a high tolerance for hot food, whipped by the hot and extra hot. If you can handle the medium with ease, then step up to the hot. (2) Have plenty of water. The saltiness of this bird will make you thirsty. And water is much better than soda at extinguishing the fire in your mouth. Pros: Very unique and tasty chicken Cons: Service, location, long wait more

Well cult following or not its awful. And I think I do know what Hot is. Its called a Scoville scale and yes my friend I can easily handle Scotch Bonnets and Habeneros which are 350,000-500,000 units of heat. BTW the american Jalapeno is a mere 8000 units. Which I also found suprising that they didnt sell Jalapenos with the chicken. The popeyes comment of course was a pundle in which I was stating that I was looking for a mom and pop shop not a national chain and the irony is that we ended up there in the end. You can say the ingredients arent paprika and seasonall and cayenne but I can tell you it is. It certainly isnt chinese red pepper which would make a vast improvement. As for the messy part. Umm duh. Messy shouldnt mean a greasy driping slathered on suspension of any red ingredient you can find in the pantry. And I could have tolerated the atmospere IF it was really good chicken. Hell Ive had Tamales in a back alley in Mexico city where if you saw the patrons you wouldnt dare sit on the stools. But the food was good. Maybe I was lashing out because the food was bad? If you like it more power to you But im telling you a true food critic would give it a big thumbs down. I am not trying to hurt your citys ego I was just looking for some good fried chicken and I ended up at POPEYES PEOPLE! I travel this country every week I am now based here in Nashville. I have had the finest chops money could buy. But the down home side of me craves some good old fashion good cooking some good fried chicken and this is just not it. Since I live in an apartment in Brentwood and the restrictions dont allow me to fire up my cajun fryer I would make some and invite you over but alas I wouldnt dare trash my kitchen with a big fried mess so I guess I am stuck going to the T/A gas station (20 min from me) for some POPEYES. If its so great? How come the other 3 knockoff restaurants except for 1 has failed? . If it was good id pay an ex employee off and start a chain nationwide! Pros: Warm Inside Cons: Bad food more

Not only does it beat all the other ""hot"" chicken places, they simply have the BEST chicken in town! I get the mild and I love it. Try it out, but be prepared to wait f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It is worth the wait. Also, here is a tip, take some coinage, because you will need it to get a beverage out of the machines...yep, self service coke machines! Pros: fantastic chicken Cons: messy, usually have to share tables more

It's the best Hot Chicken in town...maybe in the US! I love it, but it doesn't like me. I can't eat the ""Hot"" any more. I usually get the Medium or the Mild. If you like Hot food, you must try this. Pros: HOT CHICKEN Cons: If you call it in... you still have to wait. more

Moved from Nashville in April. Miss Prince's real bad. The chicken is awesome. Medium is all I could tolerate. I love to see Prince's virgins blindly order the extra hot (what fools!) The long wait is half the fun. Prince's is a fantastic place to people watch. Listen to hip-hop patrons swapping hot chicken tales with folks in country music spangles. The fries are the bomb, as is the potato salad. Pros: Fantastic chicken Cons: The wait is sometimes long, but the people watching is great more

I've been going to Prince's for about 15 years, and they're always consistent. The food is always good, the service is always bad. They supposedly open at noon, but don't count on that either. Best to call ahead to order, or more importantly, to see if they're open. Pros: good chicken, reasonable price Cons: inconsistent hours, slow service more

So the atmosphere and service are not all that great. And the wait can sometimes be over an hour when the place is busy. Still, if you like spicy fried chicken, Prince's is the absolute best. There are a few other 'Hot Chicken' places in town. But they are not even in the same league as Prince's when it comes to taste. Prince's serves it up five different ways; plain (no heat), mild (some heat), medium (quite a bit of heat), hot (a lot of heat), extra hot (more heat than most can handle). I visit this place on a regular basis and generally get the mild or sometimes the medium. Both are a great combination of flavor and just the right amount of heat. The hot and extra hot are good also (especially if you like intense heat) but, for my taste, they are a bit too peppery. Pros: The best of its kind, Freshly prepared, Fairly inexpensive Cons: Long wait (sometimes), Inconsistent service more

I first became aware of Prince's about 15 years ago when I worked on a State Project in Nashville. Once I started going there, I could not stop. Once I left town, I found myself passing through every couple of years on driving trips to and from Florida. I always make sure to time my trip with Prince's hours. I am a ""chilihead"" who loves hot food, and Prince's chicken is the hottest thing I have ever tasted. I get such a rush as soon as I walk into this place. The chicken is always piping hot since they cook it to order, and it's a great deal for the price. Call ahead and order if you can, to avoid a long and boring wait. Pros: value, accessibility, consistency Cons: unpleasant service, side-order variety more

So I love this place right? Right. HOWEVER. It helps when they are OPEN FOR BUSINESS. I find it extremely difficult to sweat to my chicken while looking through the window at a closed store. If and when they do open, go. It's worth it.....just don't throw chicken on the Mayor if he's in there. more

I was expecting the actual chicken meat to be spicey hot, but instead only the skin was hot. We ordered the extra-hot to see what it was like and it was as if the cooks had dumped an entire spice cabinet in the skilit with the chicken. The homecooked atmosphere was definitely there though, you can that see the food is made from scratch while you're ordering. Unfortunately, the flavor doesn't match the reputation. The staff was friendly, they even came to our table to ask us how the extra-hot was. Pros: good location, friendly staff Cons: , inconvenient hours more