Prince's Hot Chicken Shack

On a recent visit to Nashville, one of my first stops was Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. Despite its less-than-glamorous exterior appearance, Prince's has received numerous write-ups in both electronic and traditional media.

You won't find sandwiches here, or chicken nuggets, or chicken tenders, just good, spicy fried chicken. Given the option of ordering a leg quarter or a breast quarter, both come simply served on two slices of white bread with a few pickle chips on top.

We ordered two legs and two breasts of the "mild," after being warned by previous reviews that anything else would be pain-inducing and foolhardy, and even the mild had a kick. There's quite a bit of cayenne in the breading, but it's not overpowering; the pickles actually help cut the heat.

There aren't too many side dish choices - cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans; we opted for the beans, and it was a good choice. Heavy with brown sugar and bacon, they were definitely made from scratch and tasted every bit so.

There wasn't much left once we were done, but granted, it was a late lunch. Save for a few bits of skin, bones, and remnants of white bread, the plates were picked clean.

If you're ever in Music City, bypass any and all of the national chicken chains, and make your way to Prince's.