Granddaddy’s Famous Hot Chicken — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

We came to eat after seeing rave reviews on social media, and reading the great Google reviews. Maybe a takeout experience would be different, but for a dine in experience be prepared for being charged $2.00 for a cup of water, and a 15% gratuity - for walk up/counter service. And honestly, not the friendliest service. We added a decent tip anyways, before we knew we’d already been charged one. Most of the food was good. The Mac and cheese was interesting. The chicken fingers were great. The fries probably would have been if they weren’t cold. But nothing was good enough to warrant a return trip after being nickel-and-dimed to death, with sub par customer service. It would have changed the entire experience to have someone say ‘we charge $2.00 for a cup of water. We charge $2.50 for a side of sauce’ etc. Is it on a sign somewhere? I think so. Our friends saw the water charge on a sign but we didn’t - and paid $10 for everyone to have a small styrofoam cup of water. But when it’s obvious a customer has never been in before, thoughtful customer service would verbally acknowledge these things to the customers. I hate leaving a small business a less than stellar review - in fact I never do - but this warrants it. If only to warn other customers ahead of time so they can have a better experience. Because bottom line - if we’d been warned about being charged over $15 for 5 cups of water and 3 sides of sauce, it would have changed the entire tone of the experience right off the bat.

Editing my review to add a response to their response: we told the kids to settle down after they tried to play hide and seek. (They were eating in shifts as we were provided with about 3 forks for a party of 11. At that point we didn’t want to be charged for extra forks insert eye roll here) I appreciate that there are signs (or maybe one sign) up about charges - but it’s a messy and disjointed restaurant and atmosphere. Things are easy to miss. As a 15+ year veteran of the service industry I personally would make sure everyone who seems like a new customer knew about those charges while they were ordering to avoid situations like this. We tipped 15% for counter a service, which I think is generous considering that the counter service wasn’t very helpful. To find out we were charged an ADDITIONAL 15% gratuity on top of the tip we added was frustrating. My husband was then told it was a ‘dine in fee’ and not gratuity. So it’s either one or the other,...

UPDATED Review July 2023: So I decided to give Grandaddy’s Hot Chicken another try. I pass by this place daily and decided I’d stop in for lunch. I called in my order before arrival to the restaurant and was only told over the phone how long until it would be ready. I ordered 3 tenders, fries, and a large fountain drink. I got to the restaurant and went up to the register to pay and I was told $24.23 for what I ordered!!! This is only what I ordered plus tax, NO TIP included!! To say I was shocked was a understatement!! Had I not ordered in advance and for them to have it already cooked, I would have just laughed and walked out. $24 for a 3-piece tender meal is absolutely absurd!! This place is going to out-price anyone from eating there! Needless to say, I’ll be eating from the other Hot Chicken places going forward for way less cost!!

ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM 2022: ————————————————— Used to love this place when it was reasonably priced. My wife, 1.5yr old, and I ate there recently and spent $48 for lunch. I didn't receive any ranch for my hot tenders and they said they are $1 each. I paid for two and they weren't even a large size that they used to have. Now they are prepackaged GFS ranch dipping sauces (normal condiment size you receive from McDonalds, Wendy's, Sonic, etc..). Never have I been to a place that won’t even give you some dipping sauces included with your food. I could understand charging for extras. So $50 for lunch counting the two ranches. The food is good, but for $50, I'll go elsewhere. Definitely isn't worth spending that much. Needless to say this left a "bad taste" in my mouth so to speak. Definitely can't recommend it any longer and...

Let’s start with the high. The chicken tenders were sizable, juicy, and very hot temperature wise. It went downhill from there. The seasoning is absolutely loaded with so much salt you need to drink a gallon of water just to dilute it. Every other flavor was muted by the load of salt. Whatever they use in the seasoning stains your fingers yellow, never had that happen before. Fries were nothing special. Either the food has gone down substantially or the reviews are from family, friends, or bought as the food no way comes close to getting a mid rating.

Let’s talk about the restaurant itself. They charge a 15% service charge if you eat in. What that service fee is for is beyond me, as there is only one table that seats 2 in the restaurant. All the other tables and chairs are stacked up on top of each other and pushed against the wall. I guess the service fee is to dissuade you from staying and to get your food to go. There is no table service other than dropping off the food.

You get your own drinks in a styrofoam cup from a DIRTY soda fountain that clearly has mold growing on the dried up soda syrup which is all over it.

To say the rest of the restaurant is dirty is an understatement, floors looks old and especially filthy with the food all along the walls. The front doors you can barely see out of due to the dirt and grime.

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