What is the Absolute Hottest Nashville Hot Chicken in Nashville?

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by WakeMed

Pepperfire is far and away the hottest I have had. Hands down.

I just did Hattie B's Shut the Cluck Up and that hurt pretty bad. I did have it on an empty stomach (big no-no). It was as hot if not hotter than Prince's XX without a doubt and hit a lot faster and harder..

I've only had the spicy at Pepperfire and it tasted pretty mild to me.. But, what I have found at some hot chicken places as soon as you go up to X-Spicy or XX-Spicy or try their Death level hot chickens it becomes like 100 times hotter.

I just went to Big Shake's last night in Franklin and the chicken was great, but their Rambo was so mild I couldn't figure out if they even put any hot pepper in there. However, I am told their Death Row (just two levels up) is so hot that they actually make you sign some legal waiver before eating it. The guy there told me he thought Shut the Cluck up was mild and said he couldn't handle Death Row . I will try their Executioner level next time.. But, I wish these hot chicken places would scale accordingly, rather than just make their highest or next to highest level 100 times spicier than the level below. Hattie B's, I feel does a good job scaling their heat levels and many other hot chicken places claim they are hotter than Hattie B's, but I think they are misled.

As well, I have heard Prince's and Hattie B's have recently upped their spice levels in their new recipes. Had, a hot chicken zealot who tried all of them tell me that the new XXX at Prince's is as spicy as most of the other heavy hitters.

I will say I found Big Shakes to be very tender and delicious flavor, but it didn't have the red color to it and was missing a few of the typical spices I noticed at other hot chicken places. I could go as far to say it wasn't authentic Nashville Hot Chicken, but it's own entity entirely, which is not a bad thing. But, Pepperfire really has great flavor and I will attempt their X-Spicy and XX-Spicy..


I have found I am quite a weak child in the Nashville Hot Chicken world. I will never attempt XXX at Prince's for a year and Shut the Cluck Up will require some time as well. The 800 and 900 Degrees at 400 Degrees could literally put me in the grave or at least keep me glued to the toilet seat for weeks.

I also will need to stop making the same mistake of eating this stuff on an empty stomach like I always do.. I tend to not eat much earlier in the day. Helps to have a full glass of milk before eating.