Hot chicken + hot fishEast Nashville$$$$
Bolton's Famous Hot Chicken & Fish
A Main Street counter where locals come for the hot fish as much as the chicken.
#7 in Hot chicken
What to get
- Hot fish (catfish or whiting) on white bread with pickles: the dish locals say beats the chicken
- Dark leg quarter, Mild (seriously)
- Potato salad or baked beans to cool things down
When to go
Shortest wait: Mon, Tue noon–2 pm. Busiest: Fri around 2 pm. From Google's popular times.
Weekday late lunch (1–4 pm) to dodge the lunch and dinner rush at a tiny walk-up counter; open until 10:30 pm Fri–Sat for a late bite. No sourced line data beyond its small size; the lead's Google popular-times will confirm.
Insider tip
Order at the window and expect a no-frills room with chicken paintings on the walls. Founder Dollye Graham-Matthews' own warning: 'Our mild is hot; our hot is over-the-top!' (Scene, 2023).
Heads up
Consistency has wobbled since founder Bolton Matthews died in 2021 (Infatuation dropped it from #1 to #4 in 2025). Very small dining room.
Find it
- Phone
- (615) 254-8015
- Website
- boltonsfamous.com
- Reservations
- walk-in only
Recognition
- Eater Nashville 38 Best Restaurants (2026): the only hot chicken shop on the list, 'consistently rises to the top over and over again'
- The Infatuation Nashville Hot Chicken Power Rankings: #4 (8.1); 'the iconic hot fish is still the best in town'
- Nashville Scene City Guide: loyal customers consider it 'the equal of Prince's'
- Eater Nashville: Best Places to Eat Nashville Hot Chicken map
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 Something out of date?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.
-
#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.
-
#6Hot chicken counter · North 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.
-
#8Hot chicken counter · The Nations
Pepperfire Hot Chicken
A 2010-era hot chicken original, now in The Nations with room to sit down. Get a tender on a pepper-jack grilled cheese.
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.