If you’re headed to Nashville, eating hot chicken in its birthplace is pretty much mandatory. So we did just that! We did your homework for you, friends. Here are 4 incredible vegan hot chicken spots in Nashville.
Nashville is the country music capital of the world. But you’ll need fuel for all that honky-tonking you’re going to do up and down Broadway. Lucky for you, there is no shortage of delectable vegan eats in Nashville. We ate our weight in vegan Nashville hot chicken but learned there was so much more to Nashville’s vegan scene. So bust out those cowboy boots, and let’s get to eating!
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๐ฅ WHAT IS NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN?
Hot chicken is a local delicacy that originated in Nashville’s Black community in the 1930s. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce. Then it’s battered in a flour mixture whose primary ingredients include cayenne and paprika. Lastly, the chicken is fried to perfection.
The dish has exploded in popularity in recent years, and hot chicken restaurants have cropped up all over the United States and beyond. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) gotten in on the action. In 2016, they began selling hot chicken sandwiches and tenders.
During our stay in Nashville, we literally tried all manner of hot chicken made from almost every conceivable vegan protein! It was truly a sight to behold. From seitan to soy curls to tempeh to tofu, vegan restaurants in Nashville have perfected the art of hot chicken. Without further ado, let’s get into the food!
If you’re travel junkies like us, check out our other vegan travel guides:
- 4 Vegan Restaurants in Memphis
- 4 Vegan Restaurants in Kansas City
- 6 Vegan Restaurants in NYC
- 5 Vegan Breakfast Taco Joints in Austin
๐ธ THE SOUTHERN V
- Address: 1200 Buchanan St, Nashville, TN 37208
- Hours: Monday-Tuesday (closed). Thursday-Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Notes: This restaurant is 100% vegan and black-owned.
The Southern V is an elegant fast-casual restaurant specializing is Southern comfort food with a vegan twist. The service was quick and friendly. Our rating: 9/10.
WHAT WE ATE
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. The Southern V is famous for this sandwich, and now we know why! Their seasoned seitan patty was double battered and fried, then piled high with lettuce, tomato, vegan mayonnaise, and red onion. The potato bun was soft and fluffy. The sauce had a nice, spicy kick. We could taste paprika and a touch of vinegar.
- Turnip Greens. Tangy and mega flavorful. They were somewhere between spinach and collards greens in texture.
- BBQ Jackfruit Nachos. Only the freshest ingredients were used. There were lots of great textures going on between the black beans, tomatoes, and red onions. The jackfruit was meaty, while the BBQ sauce was equal parts tangy and sweet.
๐ The BE Hive
- Address: 2414 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
- Hours: Monday-Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Notes: This restaurant is 100% vegan. They also have a small vegan market and sell their house-made seitan! Limited seating indoors.
The BE Hive is an awesome vegan deli and market. They make their seitan-based deli meats in-house, which are popping up in stores nationwide. And believe us, you need to pick up a couple of packages on your way out! They are some of the best vegan analogues we’ve ever tasted. Our rating: 8/10.
WHAT WE ATE
- Nashville Hot Chicken Kale Caesar Salad. Nashville hot soy chicken on a bed of kale, dressed in a creamy Caesar dressing. What’s not to love? It was our first time trying sunflower-based parmesan, which was both savory and nutty. The soy curls could have used more of that Nashville hot, fiery goodness, though.
- Steak & Cheese Sandwich. This sandwich was outrageous, y’all ๐คค The house-made vegan roast beef was a work sorcery. A non-vegan would be hard-pressed trying to tell the difference from the real thing. The onions and peppers were crisp, the vegan cheese melty, and the horseradish mayonnaise was the pungent-yet-gourmet cherry on top.
๐ฅ VEGELICIOUS
- Address: 513B Fisk St, Nashville, TN 37203
- Hours: Sunday-Monday (closed). Wednesday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Notes: This restaurant is 100% vegan and black-owned. There are two locations. We visited the Nashville location, but there is another restaurant in Antioch.
Vegelicious is a cozy, family-run eatery that serves up vegan soul food sure to satisfy “even the most skeptical omnivore.” The staff made us feel so welcome, and the food was stick-to-your-ribs scrumptious. Our rating: 10/10.
WHAT WE ATE
- Soul Chick Hot Plate. The soy curls were battered, fried, and crispy. We loved the tang and slow burn of the hot chicken seasoning. The greens were flavorful and the mac & cheese creamy. Seasoned fries and a side of vegan ranch dressing rounded out the plate.
- BBQ Chick Sandwich. Meaty seitan chicken was packed into a pillowy soft potato bun. The BBQ sauce was well balanced and not overly thick.
๐ฟ GRAZE
- Address: 1888 Eastland Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
- Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Notes: This restaurant is 100% vegan.
Let’s cut to the chase: Graze was our favorite vegan hot chicken spot in Nashville. Run, don’t walk, people! This casual bistro delivers big time on vegan comfort food. Guy Fieri of The Food Network even filmed an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives there! Our rating: 10/10.
WHAT WE ATE
- Hot Chk’n Biscuit: This sandwich was utter perfection. It (and the Hot Tempeh Biscuit below) were a study in simple ingredients done right. The tofu was expertly pressed, breaded, and fried. And do you see how red the batter is? That’s what we’re looking for in hot chicken. The red hue should scream: “Caution, spicy goodness ahead!” In addition, the sauce was a delicious balance of cayenne-laced heat and sweetness from the brown sugar. The pickles added hint of brininess, while the homemade biscuit was buttery and delightful.
- Hot Tempeh Biscuit. We also loved this open-faced sandwich. Unlike the hot chk’n tofu biscuit above, it was served with vegan ranch and a red cabbage coleslaw. The creaminess of the ranch and crunch from the slaw leveled up this sandwich. But if you had to make us choose, we’d say we preferred the simplicity of the Hot Chk’N Biscuit.
๐จ KOKOS ICE CREAM
- Address: 1200 Buchanan St, Nashville, TN 37208
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday-Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Notes: This eatery is 100% vegan. You can buy pints to take home as well.
Okay, don’t wig out. No, we did not have Nashville hot chicken-flavored vegan ice cream for dessert. ๐ We figured we needed to cool down after sampling Nashville’s best vegan hot chicken, so enter Kokos Ice Cream. Kokos is housed in the most adorable blush pink shipping container.
WHAT WE ATE
- Peach / Cookies & Cream flavors. This was seriously some of the best vegan ice cream we’ve ever had. As advertised, their ice cream is definitely European gelato meets American hard ice cream. Both of our orders were bursting with flavor. Look out for a rotating lineup of seasonal flavors like peppermint and key lime pie. Really inventive stuff.
Thank you for joining us on our virtual tour of Nashville’s vegan hot chicken scene. Hot chicken is a must when you’re traveling through its birthplace. And you can rest assured that vegan purveyors have hot chicken down, pat. Please give these restaurants a try, because supporting small local business rocks!
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