Helen's Hot Chicken

The Hot Chicken Sandwich was excellent, plenty of heat and flavor. Made to order, so good there. Not very busy on a holiday, but the food was worth the trip.

I'm back in Nashville and of course I'm going back to where I enjoyed my food. I love spicy food so of course I got hot. I don't think it's hot enough so maybe next time I will get the next level up. The service is cool as ordered and the atmosphere is friendly environment. I will be back but please tell the cook don't be messy on my to go plate next time.

They barely answer the phone and if you call a second time, the phone gets cut off. The workers always have an attitude, the lady was literally on the phone yesterday going off on someone that she knows while taking our order but the food is delicious. The prices are also higher than the other locations. They're especially higher on delivery apps such as UberEats and DoorDash. Catfish sandwich was $11 at the time of me making this review but $14 on the app. Don't expect the service to be great but you won't be disappointed about your food.

I was in Nashville, looking for some hot chicken. I have already been to the other place that starts with an H so I wanted to give Helen's a try.I arrived to the shop, which was a the location that was right by Fisk University. I got there right before opening and there were already a few people waiting outside- a promising sign.There was a great jovial vibe as we all walked in, a couple of regulars were happily chatting up the woman at the register.Now for the food:Tenders (Mild): So juicy! I was looking for a little bit more crunch from the breading/coating but the heat was on par for my palate. Served up with two slices of bread.Catfish Sandwich (Mild): Very hot and fresh! Loved the cornmeal breading that was crunchy but not too thick like beer batter. Portions were two large fillets with two slices of white bread and fixings. I enjoyed it open faced. The mild seasoning offered good heat for my palate.I was very happy with my lunch choices, and finding another solid chain of hot chicken restaurants in Nashville.

I love Helen's, and this location is one of my favorites. I usually go for the Fried Fish (hot) or the Chicken Tenders (also hot!). I recently tried the Chicken & Waffles (hot) and really enjoyed it! The waffle came separately and was soooooo fluffy. Their chicken is juicy and well-seasoned. The fish is AMAZING and I strongly suggest y'all try it. It is most definitely my favorite menu item, and my favorite hot fish in Nashville. I also tried the potato salad and the coleslaw during my last visit, and was really pleased with both. They are both sweet, and a good source of relief from the heat. I have gotten the fried okra in the past and did not like it, personally, so I will probably stick to these two sides from now on.

I was a little disappointed by this spot. I was in Nashville and since I'm never not craving hot chicken I thought I'd check out a new place I hadn't tried before that was close to where I was at. They have parking right outside the building where they reside, which I greatly appreciate and is not to be taken for granted!I ordered the four piece tender meal with spice level set to "hot" and got fried okra as a side. The chicken was really dry and tough, it was hard to chew. It wasn't also wasn't really coated in the hot oil anywhere near as much as I was hoping, and the bread underneath the chicken was dry because of that. The okra was alright. To make matters worse, the order took around 45 minutes to come out. I understand everyone is understaffed, but this was a turn off in addition to the food. The staff was very sweet though, and even though it took an excessively long time I appreciated their kindness.Overall, not the best experience. I'm glad I checked them out.

Ya ever go into a Chinese restaurant--just for a few minutes--to pick up a takeout order and come out noticeably smelling like the food? Couple that with a noticeably rundown establishment and you generally know what you're walking into at the Jefferson Street location. Outside of the visible milage on the property, I enjoyed the food and appreciated the friendly employees. My 3 wing portion came out hot and crispy while the leg quarter combo meal came out hot and greasy. After being burned (literally) from the "damn hot" level at Hattie B's I decided to stick with hot at Helen's only to realize there's nothing really hot about it. I almost asked for a side of the "hella hot" sauce as other Yelpers suggested; will remember that next visit. While my fried chicken tour of Nashville is only getting started, Helen's is not high on the list. Flavor was forgettable, sides felt prepackaged, and sauce packets were standard issue gas station variety. Despite other Yelper's complaints, I will note, one can expect to wait at least :10 to :15 minutes per order as the cooks are frying your chicken fresh. I also wish to tip my hat to the employees who openly served a beverage or offered bathroom facilities to at least two patrons who did not purchase anything and appeared to be without regular lodging. To that end, I would gladly give my patronage to Helen's Hot on Jefferson. Good people work here.

Three stars for mediocre effort, less than mediocre hot sauce, but a fair size portion of whiting.I began this lunch trip by trying to order ahead on the app. Everything was fine until I paid and my card was charged. That's when I got a message that there was a problem with the order. (It was just a simple hot chicken sandwich, so what's the big deal?)Since I was close to the restaurant, I decided to go inside to see what the issue was. Inside I found a large, clean open dining area with tables widely spaced. Not crowded, just 2 other customers. I stepped up to the cashier and asked about my Apple order. She said it did not go through because they do not have any chicken... They're out of chicken?. Uh???? I asked, "what do you have". She replied that they had fish. I said fine I'll take that. But just a sandwich. The cashier was polite but curt. My order was prepared very quickly and I took it to my car rather than eating inside.Needless to say it was disappointing. Two large pieces of fish, fried ok, lying on top of a piece of white bread, and some generic hot sauce sprinkled near it. Oh, and a couple of pickle chips next to a pile of raw onion. Simply not impressive for nine dollars -- although that said, the portion was decent (see photo).Bottom line: no class, no character or ambience, no style, no flavor - other than fried. Three stars is probably generous, but today they'll get the benefit of the doubt. So, it's called Helen's Hot Chicken but sometimes they only have fish. Timing is everything I guess. ((I did get a refund the following day.))

Helens is the only restaurant we have to eat at on a Friday night when in Nashville. We love the hot fish. The wait is long the majority of the time but we don't complain. It's pretty much carryout but there are tables and chairs if you want to eat in. The staff are pleasant and working to get the orders out. The koolaid is delicious but you can't get it with a combo. Fountain beverages come with the combo's.

Whiting fish sandwich. Food not good. Fish was hard and tough like it had been sitting then dropped back in the grease. Cashier was friendly. Fast service. Hard to chew fish is no good. I thought it was fresh because the boxes were piping hot - not true.