For weeks, I drove through the Providence area out here in Mount Juliet seeing the ‘BJ Hot Chicken’ sign above what was previously PDK Kitchen. I was stoked to have another option for hot chicken out here in MJ, and couldn’t wait to give it a shot. Finally, on a fateful Tuesday several weeks ago, I had the time to swing by and pick up a couple of boxes of chicken tenders to give this place a shot. What follows is my super official review of the experience.
Pics
Ratings
Flavor: 5.00/10 – It was a good, straightforward hot chicken flavor – right down the middle. I didn’t pick up on anything particularly unique to the dish. But, from a profile standpoint, it is exactly what you’re looking for in a traditional hot chicken.
Texture: 8.43/10 – The quality of the chicken was undoubtedly the strength of the meal. It was impeccable – hot, fresh, juicy…thick cuts…not some baby tenders. It was a healthy chunk of meat that was hot enough that it stayed warm ’til I got home to eat it. You can’t beat that – it’s the one thing that can ruin even the best of flavors, but you don’t have to worry about dry, tough chicken here.
Heat: 3.79/10 – It was the only part of the meal that I was a little disappointed in, frankly. But, that might be more my fault. I always start at medium for these evaluations because I still want to get a good sense of the flavor of the chicken without all of the heat. So, medium it was. But, it didn’t have much heat to it at all. It was little more than an extra kick. I definitely thought I could go up a notch to hot, and I reserve the right to change this rating once I give it a shot!
Fixins: 7.59/10 – Fixins are critical to go with hot chicken, and they do the classics well here. I’m a huge fan of coleslaw with hot chicken (I swear it dulls the heat), and BJ’s clears with a creamy consistency. I tried a bit of the mac and cheese for the sake of thorough journalism, of course. It’s rich and hearty. The fries were solid too. They all combined to complement the chicken well.
Overall: 6.2/10 – BJ Hot Chicken definitely provides a quality all-around meal. To get two big boxes of tenders, fries, mac and cheese, and coleslaw for what we did feels like a steal in this day and age. I mean, shit…I don’t remember exactly how much it was and I lost the receipt (which I usually keep for these pieces). But, it was a good values – somewhere between $22 and $30 for two full meals. The flavor and heat didn’t knock me off my feet, but the quality of the chicken and fixins was so good that I’m already planning my trip back to try an up tick in heat.
CURRENT NASHVILLE RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- Audrey (8.82/10)
- Hathorne (8.62/10) (R.I.P.)
- Butcher & Bee (8.5/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (8.44/10)
- The 404 Kitchen (8.41/10)
You can check out our full Nashville restaurant rankings here. I’m always looking for new spots to try – don’t be afraid to hit the comments with suggestions!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, third on Football & Other F Words, co-host of The Hot Read Podcast, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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