Hot chicken counterNorth Nashville$$$$
400 Degrees
Owner Aqui Hines deep-fries her hot chicken instead of pan-frying it, for an extra-crunchy crust. A small counter on Clarksville Pike.
#6 in Hot chicken
What to get
- Leg quarter with fries, 'no exceptions' (Infatuation)
- Go 200 or 400 heat; 800 is for thrill-seekers
When to go
Lunch on a weekday; it's a small owner-run counter on Clarksville Pike, so call ahead if you're in a hurry. No sourced line data.
Insider tip
Owner Aqui Hines deep-fries her chicken instead of pan-frying it, which gives an extra-crunchy crust (Eater; Infatuation).
Heads up
Out of the way for visitors (North Nashville). Hours not published on the website.
Find it
- Phone
- (615) 244-4467
- Website
- 400degreeshotchicken.com
- Reservations
- walk-in only
Recognition
- The Infatuation Hot Chicken Power Rankings: #3 (8.3); 'it didn't take long for the chicken here to eclipse the original'
- Nashville Scene City Guide: the 'glorious deep-fried bird rivals the mighty Prince's'
- Nashville Scene Best of Nashville 2023, Writers' Choice: (Second-)Best Hot Chicken
- Eater Nashville: Best Places to Eat Nashville Hot Chicken
Checked Oct. 1, 2026. Ratings are a snapshot from Google and Yelp; ranks are ours (how we rank). Something out of date? Tell us.
Eat & Drink
More in Hot chicken
-
#1Hot chicken · Midtown
Hattie B's Hot Chicken
The hot chicken most visitors try first: a clear heat scale, good sides and a line that keeps moving.
-
#2Hot chicken + bar · East Nashville
Party Fowl
Hot chicken for a crowd: big tables, boozy slushies, and an East Nashville location open until 1 AM on weekends.
-
#3Hot chicken · South Nashville
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
The family that started Nashville hot chicken, still frying it on Nolensville Pike. A plain room and serious heat.
-
#4Hot chicken · Midtown
Red's 615 Chicken
A walk-up window a block from Centennial Park, doing hot chicken and a hot chicken crunchwrap with its own following.
-
#5Hot chicken · East Nashville
Brave Idiot
A Main Street truck that critics rate for both its hot chicken and its Crispy Boi smashburger. Carry your order into a neighboring bar.
-
#7Hot chicken + hot fish · East Nashville
Bolton's Famous Hot Chicken & Fish
A Main Street counter where locals come for the hot fish as much as the chicken.
The NashvilleTN Insider · 10K+ readers
The best of Nashville, in your inbox.
The shows worth buying tickets for, what just opened, where happy hour is good right now, the weekend plan, and a heads-up before we go live.

