Hot Birds @ Marble City Market — Restaurant in Knoxville

I work in the Old City so let me set the scene. Many restaurants down here don't have competitive pricing, except Good Golly Tamale. Some restaurants have deals only on specific days like Kaizen and Sweet Ps. Also, the Nashville Hot Chicken (NHC) scene has come and gone with Cafe 4 occasionally offering a fantastic NHC experience to failed spots like Wicked Chicken that had passable sandwiches.

I think Hot Birds has a competitive offering with a $12 sandwich and fries. I ordered the sandwich, fries, and tender at $14 so I could try their spicy and extra spicy. The sandwich is a pretty classic NHC and tasted great. The fries are lightly seasoned and have an excellent crispiness. I think there was a mistake with the sandwich because I got a tender instead of a breast which made for an odd sandwich so I dock a point for that on food and value. The "standalone" tender's dry rub was just a little too thick, seems extra spicy may just mean extra dry rub. While the sauce was good, I still felt like the texture of the dry rub was more prominent than it should be but not overwhelming to make it inedible. I would compare the spiciness levels to store bought salsa as it makes for an easy comparison. Spicy is like medium salsa and extra spicy is comparable to hot salsa.

I was able to order from Toast which is always a plus, it took less than 10 minutes, and was ready as soon as I came to pick it up. If the price stays where it's at, Hot Birds may have me coming back to Marble City Market because they have had a bad run of overpriced, cafeteria-quality food truck businesses.

If you like NHC, give Hot Birds a try, you will have a hard time finding a better price for that...

If you're a fan of hot chicken, Hot Birds in Knoxville is definitely worth checking out! On our visit, we tried the number 3 combo, which included a sandwich, a tender, and fries. We opted for mild spice on the sandwich and habanero spice on the tender, and both were exactly the heat levels we were hoping for--not too overwhelming, but still packed with flavor. The balance of spice was perfect, allowing the chicken's juicy texture to shine through without burning your taste buds off.

For those who are familiar with Dave's Hot Chicken, Hot Birds offers a similar vibe but with its own distinct flavor profile. The heat levels and crunch are comparable, but Hot Birds' seasoning feels more authentic to what I expect from Nashville-style hot chicken--less gimmicky, more flavorful. And a huge bonus? It's Halal, which adds an extra layer of appeal for those who prefer Halal options.

The fries were a great side, crispy and well-seasoned, though the chicken was clearly the star of the show. If we ever pass through Knoxville again, Hot Birds will be a must-stop for some of the best hot chicken around. Highly recommended for anyone who loves spicy, flavorful fried chicken with a...

The best hot chicken sandwich in Knoxville and as good as I’ve had in Nashville. All the ingredients from the bun to the pickles to the coleslaw taste fresh and flavorful.

The chicken itself is super flavorful and you can choose No Spice, Mild, Spicy, and Extra Spicy. No spice is perfect for those who don’t like a kick, Mild has the same heat as a spicy chicken from a fast food place, Spicy has a good kick but still very enjoyable, and Very Spicy will wake you up at the first bite.

The chicken is very flavorful, juicy, and well prepared. Sandwiches are cooked to order so very crispy. The cole slaw is perfect with the heat. The sauce is great on the sandwich or with the fries. Fries are crispy and fresh, well seasoned. And it’s halal so the meat is slaughtered humanely.

The Mac n cheese is gooey, cheesy, and delicious. Even great on the sandwich.

Pick up only. The spot is on Magnolia and you park/go to the back of the building for pick up.

Just an awesome sandwich and sides....