My husband and I recently spent a long weekend in Nashville. One of our favorite things to do while traveling is eat. Nashville is famous for its hot chicken, so we knew we wanted to experience this dish during our visit.

After doing research and talking with friends who’ve visited Nashville, we decided to try Hattie B’s for hot chicken. When we arrived, the line wrapped around the block, unsurprisingly. We decided to skip the popular spot and hit up a different hot chicken restaurant on our list. Prince’s Hot Chicken, a favorite among tourists and locals, serves up the signature dish from its unassuming location in a strip mall. We ordered quickly but still had to wait, as Prince’s makes each dish to order. We went with medium heat and still felt the burn of the spicy chicken. It was a fun experience, though I would recommend ordering mild spice unless you’re a true heat-seeker.

In addition to the hot variety, we also sampled regular fried chicken around the city. We stayed in the city’s Germantown neighborhood and enjoyed fried chicken at two of its restaurants. For dinner we stopped at 5^th & Taylor. The popular spot serves refined American fare. I ordered the fried chicken coated in a chile honey sauce with okra and pickled onions on the side. It was flavorful and just the right amount of spicy. For breakfast we ate at Monell’s. The restaurant and caterer operates out of a home built in 1898. We went for the famous Southern country breakfast. Served family style, staff brings out plate after plate of incredible, rich, Southern dishes. While I hadn’t planned on eating fried chicken for breakfast, I was glad I did. It was probably my favorite bite of food during our entire stay and definitely the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

Though hot chicken is famous in Nashville, don’t overlook the original fried version on your next visit.

— Katie Skrzek, digital director/vice president