Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish

Passable for chicken. Spiciest one out of the bunch (mild will.get you). Their rub is apllied lightly, but flavor isn't all there compared to the other big boys. Catfish was stupendous , would go back strictly for the fried fish. Old neighborhood joint, kinda run down , but can see why it's a neighborhood staple.

This was a big deal for me. My first experience with truly authentic Nashville Hot Chicken. And it did not disappoint. Be ready for a wait as it's a busy and popular place. However it's completely worthwhile as the chicken was spectacular. Perfectly crispy batter and cooked to perfection. You can get varying levels of heat and they all run fairly spicy. I went with the extra spicy for full effect and it was painfully delicious. Loved the pride and enthusiasm from the staff as well. It's quite apparent this is a labor of love for them.

Everybody says you have to try Hot Chicken around Nashville. Well, we did. It was pretty good! However, I don’t know if I’d need to go back. The chicken breading was some of the best I’ve had on chicken tenders. The fries were fine, the Mac n cheese was ok, and the slaw was average for a restaurant. There are six spice levels — nothing, extra mild, mild, medium, hot, and fire (or something like that). I’m ok at spice, but I thought I’d try extra mild just so that I didn’t regret it. Oh boy. My mouth was on FIRE. It was a good kick, but boy oh boy did it HURT. If you’re like me and like some kick to your food but aren’t spice crazy, be warned: don’t be brave. The chicken is delicious; but I’m not sure if I’d come back for $15+ a plate. It’s worth the stop to say you’ve had hot chicken.

Y’all…please take the name of this place literally…the chicken is HOT!!! Hahaha, aside from the heat, the chicken is legitimately so well seasoned & delicious. I simply got 3 hot tenders & as someone who prides themselves on being able to handle quite a a bit of heat, I could only manage to eat 2 of 3 & it was a task. I was sweating, snotting & crying all at once. But again, it’s hot chicken, that’s what’s supposed to happen & again, it was so flavorful & delicious. I’d highly recommend this place!

I decided to eat at Bolton's because I seen it on a show with Anthony Bourdain. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. The chicken was crispy, tender, and juicy. If it's your first time eating here the spice level is a little misleading but delivers. This is truly a Nashville institution and is what all other Nashville hot chicken places should aspire to be. It's the standard by which all others should be judged. My wife got the light mild which gave her a good mouth burn and I got the hot. Let it be known that I am a spice junkie and this did not disappoint and I ended up needing some ranch dressing to cool it down a bit. They use a dry rub which keeps the chicken crunchy which makes it so much better than the other wet sauce based places and the sides were amazing. I had the mac and potato salad and my wife had the coleslaw and green beans and they all hit the spot. The only negative I had was the drinks were not cold enough but that could have been because of the heat from the spice. I will leave you with this... if you really want to experience Nashville hot chicken at it's finest... you need to try Bolton's.