Prince's Hot Chicken Shack

Nashville is a destination for many who come for a concert, sports event, or to visit the well-known bars on Lower Broadway. But there is one thing that tourists and residents alike love to eat, and that is Nashville’s Hot Chicken. Ironically, the creation of hot chicken was an accident, but the story is even more entertaining. Almost a hundred years ago, there was a wild and adventurous man named James Thornton Prince. He loved Nashville’s nightlife and had quite the reputation of being a ladies’ man. His significant other was especially upset after he came home after a late night out. The saying goes, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Prince’s wife decided to go in a different direction.

When Prince woke up the next morning, he could smell fried chicken—one of the South’s most famous food traditions. But what he did not know was that she had loaded it with peppers and spices in an attempt to punish him. To her dismay, Prince bit into the hot chicken, and exclaimed that he loved it. In fact, he asked for more!

James Prince decided to fine-tune the recipe, and Nashville’s famous hot chicken was born. In 1945, he opened a restaurant called the BBQ Chicken Shack on the corner of 28th and Jefferson. It was a hit with the locals, but it would take decades for the rest of the world to catch on. Prince’s great-niece, Ms. Andrée Prince Jeffries took the keys in August 1980, and the first thing she did was change the name of the restaurant. According to the Nashville Scene, Ms. Andrée said: “It wasn’t a BBQ chicken shack. It was a hot chicken shack, and I wanted it to have the family name. My goal was to keep something in the family.”

After the long time location on Ewing Drive was destroyed, Jeffries moved the restaurant here to Nolensville Pike and continues to serve the original Prince’s Hot Chicken to people from around the world. Although Ms. André can still be found at the restaurant, her daughters handle the majority of the business, which has now expanded to multiple locations. Today’s Nashville features many hot chicken chains from Hattie B’s to Bolton’s Hot Chicken and Fish. But there will only be one hot chicken restaurant that did it first (and arguably best), and that is Prince’s Hot Chicken.

Congratulations! You have competed the Food and Social Justice Driving Tour on Nashville Sites. We’ve talked a lot about the past and the present, but food and social justice is an ongoing issue. Scholar Enise Kaya Urcan defines the current movement: “Food justice is social justice. . . . Though we may target different issues to work on, all share the same final goal, overcoming injustice and inequity.” We hope that this tour has literally given you “food for thought,” and we invite you to join us here in Nashville as we work to ensure that food remains an intersectional piece in the fight for social justice. Be sure to follow @NashvilleSites on social media and consider clicking the “Donate” button at the top to make a small donation. Spread the word and visit us again soon. This is José Gonzales, signing off!