Top 10 Fried Chicken Spots in the South

Direct Answer

The Best Overall fried chicken spot in the South is Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, the original birthplace of hot chicken, where the family-run kitchen still fries the cayenne-lacquered bird that started a global craze — order the medium quarter-leg on white bread with pickles and you taste the dish at its source.

The Best Value pick is Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken out of Memphis, where a spicy, peppery, ultra-crisp piece in a no-frills room delivers the most flavor per dollar of anyone on this list. This guide is built for road-tripping visitors and hungry locals who want the genuinely famous, currently-operating institutions across Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and beyond — not tourist traps.

Every spot below is a real, well-known establishment you can walk into today.

How We Ranked the Top 10

We weighted each restaurant against what fried-chicken pilgrims actually care about — crust, juiciness, heat control, consistency, and the room you eat it in. We leaned on James Beard recognition, Eater and The Infatuation coverage, Yelp and Google Reviews volume, and decades of local "Best Of" wins. The weighting:

• Food quality (crust, juiciness, seasoning) — 30%
• Consistency and service — 20%
• Value — 15%
• Atmosphere and history — 15%
• Menu range (sides, sandwiches, plates) — 10%
• Local reputation and awards — 10%

A spot with great chicken but sloppy execution drops fast. The winners nail the bird every single visit.

1. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Cuisine: Nashville hot chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: Tasting the original at its source

Tucked into a strip on Nashville's Ewing Drive (with an Olive Branch location too), Prince's is the undisputed birthplace of hot chicken — the dish the Prince family invented and the city later built a festival around. The legend holds that an angry girlfriend tried to punish Thornton Prince with a fiery pepper paste; he loved it, and a dynasty was born.

Today André Prince Jeffries runs the kitchen, frying each order to scorching crisp and serving it the canonical way: bone-in pieces over white bread with dill pickle chips, the bread soaking up the cayenne-stained grease. Heat runs from mild to "XXX hot," and newcomers should respect the medium.

The room is humble, the wait can be long, and that is exactly the point — this is 2013 James Beard America's Classics territory, a true pilgrimage stop.

Pros:

• The original, dynasty-run birthplace of Nashville hot chicken
• James Beard America's Classics honoree
• Heat scale from mild to genuinely brutal XXX
• Served the canonical way — white bread and pickles

Cons:

• Waits can stretch long on weekends
• The "hot" levels are no joke for first-timers

Verdict: The source itself — no hot-chicken trip is complete without the bird that started it all.

2. Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Cuisine: Nashville hot chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: First-timers and crowd-pleasing heat

If Prince's is the temple, Hattie B's is the place that took Nashville hot chicken to the masses. From its flagship on 19th Avenue South in Midtown, Hattie B's perfected an approachable, consistently excellent version with a heat ladder running from "Southern" (no heat) up to "Shut the Cluck Up!" The crust shatters, the meat stays juicy, and the pimento mac and cheese, black-eyed pea salad, and red-skin potato salad sides are genuinely worth the tray.

Expect a line snaking out the door at lunch — it moves fast, and the energy is part of the fun. With locations now across the South, Hattie B's is the easiest on-ramp to the dish without sacrificing quality.

Pros:

• Approachable heat ladder for every tolerance level
• Standout sides like pimento mac and pea salad
• Reliably crisp crust and juicy meat every visit
• Multiple locations across the South

Cons:

• Lunch lines can be very long
• More polished and less raw than Prince's

Verdict: The best gateway to Nashville hot chicken — consistent, crowd-friendly, and seriously good.

3. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken 💎 BEST VALUE

Cuisine: Memphis-style spicy fried chicken | Price: $ | Best for: Maximum flavor per dollar

Born in tiny Mason, Tennessee and now headquartered with a beloved location on Front Street in downtown Memphis, Gus's fries a peppery, lightly spicy, almost translucent-crisp bird that has earned a national cult following. The batter is thin and shatteringly crunchy, the meat juicy, and a three-piece plate with beans, slaw, and white bread runs cheap enough to make this the value champion of the South.

The cinder-block rooms are unpretentious — checkered tablecloths, cold beer, gospel on the radio. Eater and countless travel writers rank it among America's best, and the price-to-pleasure ratio is unbeatable.

Pros:

• Thin, shatteringly crisp batter with gentle pepper heat
• Cheapest great chicken plate on this list
• National cult following and constant best-of nods
• Unpretentious, beer-and-gospel atmosphere

Cons:

• Original Mason location is a drive from Memphis proper
• Limited menu beyond the chicken

Verdict: The value king — peppery, crisp perfection at a price nobody else here can touch.

4. Willie Mae's Scotch House

Cuisine: New Orleans Creole fried chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: History buffs and the crispiest crust in NOLA

In the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, Willie Mae's Scotch House fries what many call the best chicken in America — a wet-battered, golden, almost lacquered crust over impossibly juicy meat. Founded by Willie Mae Seaton, the restaurant won the James Beard America's Classics award in 2005, then was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina before volunteers rebuilt it.

Today her descendants keep the recipe alive. Pair the chicken with red beans and rice and cornbread, and understand the line out front is a daily ritual. This is as much a New Orleans institution as a meal.

Pros:

• James Beard America's Classics winner
• Famously crisp wet-battered crust over juicy meat
• Rebuilt by volunteers after Katrina — a survival story
• Classic Creole sides like red beans and rice

Cons:

• Lines form well before opening
• Small room with limited seating

Verdict: A New Orleans pilgrimage — historic, emotional, and home to a contender for America's best crust.

5. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

Cuisine: Alabama barbecue with standout fried chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: Pitmaster country and white-sauce fans

A Decatur, Alabama legend since 1925, Big Bob Gibson is world-famous for its white barbecue sauce — a tangy, mayo-and-vinegar creation invented here — but the kitchen also turns out terrific Southern fried chicken alongside championship-grade smoked meats. The crew has won multiple Memphis in May and World Championship barbecue titles, and the rambling, wood-smoke-scented dining room is the real deal.

Order a half chicken with the white sauce on the side, plus smoked pork and a slice of pie, for the full pitmaster-country experience.

Pros:

• Birthplace of Alabama white barbecue sauce
• Multiple world-championship barbecue titles
• Solid Southern fried chicken alongside the smoke
• Authentic, century-old Decatur institution

Cons:

• Best known for barbecue, so chicken plays a supporting role
• Off the beaten path in north Alabama

Verdict: A barbecue temple where the fried chicken holds its own — go for the legend and the white sauce.

6. Husk

Cuisine: Refined Southern (chef-driven) | Price: $$$ | Best for: A sit-down, ingredient-driven take on the South

With its flagship in a restored mansion in Nashville (and a sibling in Charleston), Husk is the chef-driven, white-tablecloth counterpoint to the shacks on this list. Founded under James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock's vision, Husk celebrates heirloom Southern ingredients, and its fried chicken — when on the menu — is a meticulous, brined-and-buttermilk masterpiece served with seasonal sides.

The cornbread, pickles, and rotating vegetable plates are reasons to linger. This is the spot for a proper dinner with cocktails when you want the South refined rather than served on butcher paper.

Pros:

• Chef-driven, James Beard-pedigree kitchen
• Heirloom Southern ingredients and seasonal menus
• Beautiful restored-mansion dining room
• Excellent cocktails and rotating vegetable plates

Cons:

• Priciest pick and chicken is not always on the menu
• Reservations strongly recommended

Verdict: The refined option — Southern cooking elevated for a real sit-down dinner.

7. Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

Cuisine: West Tennessee whole-hog barbecue with fried chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: Whole-hog fans who also want a crispy bird

Pat Martin's namesake joints across Nashville and beyond built their fame on whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue, but the kitchens also fry a crackling, well-seasoned chicken that fits right into the spread. The vibe is festive — picnic tables, live-fire pits, cold beer, and the "Redneck Taco" (a cornbread hoecake piled with meat) as a signature.

Order the fried chicken plate with white beans and cornbread, and you get genuine pit-country flavor without standing in a hot-chicken line. Martin's has earned national recognition from Eater and beyond as one of the South's best.

Pros:

• Genuine whole-hog barbecue pedigree
• Crackling, well-seasoned fried chicken
• Festive picnic-table atmosphere with live fire
• Signature Redneck Taco worth adding on

Cons:

• Chicken shares the spotlight with the barbecue
• Can get rowdy and crowded on weekends

Verdict: A pit-country crowd-pleaser — great chicken with no hot-chicken wait.

8. Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish

Cuisine: Nashville hot chicken | Price: $ | Best for: Hardcore heat-seekers and hot-chicken purists

For purists who want the raw, neighborhood version of Nashville hot chicken, Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish — with locations on Main Street in East Nashville and Hermitage — is the no-frills favorite. Run by the Bolton family, it serves a fierce, deeply cayenne-crusted bird that many locals swear rivals Prince's, plus spicy fried catfish for the table.

The rooms are tiny and cash-friendly, the heat is uncompromising, and the prices are low. This is where Nashvillians who want it hot and cheap actually go.

Pros:

• Fierce, uncompromising cayenne heat
• Local-favorite alternative to the famous names
• Spicy fried catfish on the menu too
• Low prices and genuine neighborhood feel

Cons:

• Tiny rooms with limited seating
• The heat can overwhelm casual eaters

Verdict: The heat-seeker's pick — raw, fiery, and beloved by Nashville locals.

9. Monell's Dining & Catering

Cuisine: Southern family-style | Price: $$ | Best for: All-you-can-eat, pass-the-platter Southern comfort

In a historic brick house in Germantown, Nashville, Monell's serves Southern food the old-fashioned way: family-style at shared tables, where strangers pass platters and you eat all you want. The skillet-fried chicken is the centerpiece, surrounded by mashed potatoes, biscuits, fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, and pitchers of sweet tea.

It is an experience as much as a meal — convivial, abundant, and quintessentially Southern. For groups, road-trippers, or anyone craving comfort-food overload, Monell's is hard to beat.

Pros:

• All-you-can-eat, pass-the-platter family-style service
• Skillet-fried chicken plus a huge spread of sides
• Communal tables make it a fun group experience
• Charming historic Germantown setting

Cons:

• No menu choice — you eat what comes out
• Communal seating isn't for everyone

Verdict: The comfort-food feast — go hungry and leave very, very full.

10. Joella's Hot Chicken

Cuisine: Nashville-style hot chicken | Price: $$ | Best for: Family-friendly heat with a full bar

Originally from Louisville and now spread across the South, Joella's Hot Chicken brings Nashville-style hot chicken into a bright, family-friendly, full-bar setting. The heat ladder runs from "Southern Plain" to "Fire-in-the-Hole," the buttermilk-brined tenders and bone-in pieces are consistently crisp, and the made-from-scratch sides — including fried pickles and Southern green beans — round out a tray nicely.

It's the most kid-and-cocktail-friendly entry here, ideal when the group's heat tolerances and ages vary widely. Polished, reliable, and welcoming.

Pros:

• Heat ladder from plain to Fire-in-the-Hole
• Bright, family-friendly room with a full bar
• Made-from-scratch sides like fried pickles
• Buttermilk-brined tenders and bone-in pieces

Cons:

• More chain-polished than the historic shacks
• Less raw character than Prince's or Bolton's

Verdict: The family-and-cocktail pick — welcoming hot chicken for mixed crowds.

Where Should You Eat?

What to Look For When Choosing a Fried Chicken Spot in the South

• Crust integrity — The best Southern chicken has a crust that shatters and stays crisp even under a cayenne paste; sogginess is the cardinal sin.
• Juiciness from a real brine — Buttermilk or seasoned-brine soaking keeps the meat moist; the great spots never serve dry breast meat.
• Honest heat control — A proper hot-chicken menu has a true ladder; respect the medium before you chase "XXX" or "Fire-in-the-Hole."
• The bread-and-pickle ritual — Nashville hot chicken belongs on white bread with pickles, which catch the grease and cut the heat — a sign the kitchen knows the tradition.
• Sides that earn their place — Pimento mac, red beans and rice, slaw, and cornbread should taste house-made, not reheated.
• A line that moves — A daily line at the best spots is a feature, not a bug, but the kitchen should keep it flowing.

What matters less than marketing implies: viral merch, celebrity shout-outs, and franchise polish. The bird, the brine, and the heat are what separate a landmark from a logo.

FAQ

Where did Nashville hot chicken originate? At Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, where the Prince family invented the cayenne-paste-lacquered fried chicken that the city — and now the world — adopted. André Prince Jeffries still runs it today.

Which Southern fried chicken is the best value? Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken out of Memphis. Its thin, shatteringly crisp, lightly spicy bird and cheap plates deliver more flavor per dollar than anyone else on this list.

What's the difference between Nashville hot chicken and regular fried chicken? Nashville hot chicken is fried, then coated in a cayenne-and-spice paste (often cut with the frying oil) and served on white bread with pickles. Regular Southern fried chicken skips the fiery paste.

Which spot has the most famous crust? Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans is famous for a wet-battered, golden, lacquered crust that many critics rank among the best in America. It won the James Beard America's Classics award.

Where should first-timers start with hot chicken? Hattie B's is the friendliest on-ramp, with an approachable heat ladder and standout sides, while Joella's is the most family- and cocktail-friendly. Both keep the crust crisp and the meat juicy.

Are these restaurants still open and operating? Yes — every spot on this list is a real, currently-operating Southern institution, from Prince's and Bolton's in Nashville to Gus's in Memphis, Willie Mae's in New Orleans, and Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama.

Bottom Line

For Southern fried chicken, Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville is our Best Overall — the dynasty-run birthplace of hot chicken and a true James Beard-honored pilgrimage. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken out of Memphis is our Best Value, serving a peppery, ultra-crisp bird at prices nobody here can match.

If you want brutal heat go to Bolton's, a refined dinner go to Husk, a family-style feast go to Monell's, and the best New Orleans crust go to Willie Mae's. Use the decision tree above to route yourself by heat, budget, and occasion — and come hungry.

Sources

• The Infatuation — Nashville hot chicken guide
• Eater — best Southern fried chicken
• Yelp — Prince's Hot Chicken Shack reviews
• TripAdvisor — Memphis & Nashville dining
• OpenTable — Nashville restaurant reservations
• Google Reviews — Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
• James Beard Foundation — America's Classics awards
• Prince's Hot Chicken official site
• Hattie B's Hot Chicken official site
• Willie Mae's Scotch House official site

*best fried chicken in the South review — where to eat hot chicken in Nashville and Memphis, top Southern fried chicken, ratings, and a review of the best places to eat.*