Nashville’s most sublime food experience is not to be found in a fine restaurant or even at a standard meat-and-three cafeteria. The food that you’ll still be dreaming about when you get home is found at
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Dr., 615/226-9442, Tues.–Thurs. noon–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 2 p.m.–1 a.m., $4–6) in North Nashville. Hot chicken is skillet-fried chicken that is also spicy, and you can find hot chicken outlets in Nashville, Memphis, and a few other Southern cities.

But no hot chicken shop does it quite as well as Prince’s, where the hot chicken comes in three varieties: mild, hot, and extra-hot. Most uninitiated will find the mild variety pretty darn spicy, so beware. It is served with slices of white bread—perfect for soaking up that spicy chicken juice—and pickles. You can add a cup of creamy potato salad, coleslaw, or baked beans if you like.

When you walk into Prince’s, head to the back where you’ll place your order at the window, pay, and be given a number. Then take a seat—if you can find one—while you wait for your food. You can order to go or eat in. Your food is made to order, and Prince’s is very popular, so the wait often exceeds 30 minutes. Have heart though—Prince’s chicken is worth the wait.