Hot take: Hotbirds isn’t quite worth the hype

With a particular weakness for chicken tenders and fries, I was eager to see whether Hotbirds could become my new go-to spot. Hotbirds, which opened  a Princeton location on Aug. 15, serves Nashville-style hot chicken, offering tenders, sliders, and fries all customizable by heat level. 

I was excited to give Hotbirds a try, but to earn a spot on my rotation, it had to beat an unlikely competitor: Frist Campus Center late meal. Frist may not serve the best food on campus, but its convenience, low cost (technically $11.50, or free if you have a meal swipe), and indulgently greasy charm keeps me coming back. So I walked into Hotbirds with those same three categories in mind: convenience, cost, and, most importantly, craveability. 

Convenience: 4/5 

Situated next to Alfalfa, Hotbirds is roughly the same distance from Firestone as Frist Campus Center.

The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, with bar seating and a number of two- to four-person tables. The interior has the feel of a casual retro diner, and upon walking in, you can order at either the kiosk or at the counter. My only complaint about the layout was how closely the tables were packed together, resulting in an already small space feeling even more cramped. 

Hotbirds is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. all week, making the closing time later than Tacoria, Alfafa, and other student favorites on Nassau. 

Cost: 3/5

I ordered a one slider and one tender combo, loaded fries, chicken and waffles, and a milkshake. The damage? Nearly $50 — and the size of the dishes simply did not justify it.

For that price, I expected a little bit more abundance. The first thing I noticed when my food arrived was how small the slider — and the serving of coleslaw inside it — looked. Hotbirds’ website advertises “crispy tenders, stacked sliders, and golden fries piled high.” My meal was certainly crispy, but I’m not sure I would describe them as “stacked” and “piled high.”

Price-wise, Hotbirds will set you back around the same amount as Dave’s Hot Chicken, a popular Nashville-style hot chicken chain with a similar menu of tenders, sliders, and fries. By comparison, Dave’s, with the nearest location a 15 minute drive away, tends to have larger portions, making it the better value. However, once delivery fees enter the equation, the proximity of Hotbirds might seem more appealing. 

Of course, if saving money is your ultimate goal, late meal undoubtedly remains undefeated for students on a dining plan. 

Craveability: 2/5

And now for the category that matters most: Would I willingly spend my own money on Hotbirds again?

The short answer: maybe. The long answer requires reflecting on my first order at Hotbirds.

Starting with the presentation, my tender and slider combo looked a little lonely. The coleslaw had been haphazardly piled onto the slider and quickly began escaping onto the parchment paper-covered plate, while the singular tender rested on a piece of white toast alongside one equally lonesome pickle. I wasn’t expecting fine dining from a hot chicken restaurant, but nothing about the presentation made me feel particularly excited to dig in.

Despite the lapsed presentation, my first bite proved that it tasted much better than it looked. The brioche bun was soft — although it got soggy from the coleslaw as I ate it — and I was pleasantly surprised by the tender itself. The batter was freshly fried without being overly greasy, remained crispy with each bite, and each piece of chicken was evenly coated in seasoning. Most importantly, the chicken itself was juicy, not dry, contrasting nicely with the exterior’s crunchiness. Beyond the breading, the chicken’s meat was tender and flavorful on its own, without any need to be drowned in sauce. 

I did have one major problem with the slider: the coleslaw. Watery, underseasoned, without enough crunch or acidity to cut through the richness of the fried chicken, the coleslaw essentially made everything wetter and more bland.

I had swapped the combo’s side of fries for the mac and cheese, a decision I soon regretted. The noodles were overcooked to the point of grainy mushiness, and the cheese sauce lacked enough salt or seasoning to compensate for the texture. Worst of all, it was lukewarm. Of everything I tried at Hotbirds, this is the one dish to avoid.

Next was the tender at medium heat. Hotbirds’ five spice levels range from “Naked” to “On Fire.” The jump from mild to medium was noticeable, accompanied by a numbing spice that built up with every bite. Traditional Nashville hot chicken derives much of its distinctive flavor from a spice-heavy coating that includes cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and garlic, among other spices. At Hotbirds, I found myself wishing that their spice had a little bit more depth behind it.

At this point, the heat was building up, so I reached for the cookies and cream shake. While it did help, I was once again disappointed. I was expecting a thick shake heavy on milk and Oreo flavor. Instead, it was thin, overbearingly sweet, and deceivingly light on the actual cookies and cream flavor. Given how many good things I had heard about Hotbirds’ milkshakes, I wondered if I had ordered the wrong flavor or received a dud.

Thankfully, the meal ended with two of the best items: the loaded fries and chicken and waffle.

The loaded fries were easily one of my favorites. They are topped with tenders, mac and cheese, and Hotbirds sauce — an interesting combination that actually added a satisfying textural contrast and worked surprisingly well. While the mac and cheese was bland as a stand-alone side, the Hotbirds sauce gave it more flavor on the loaded fries. The fries reminded me of Frist late-meal fries but if they were fresher, crispier, and less oily. Taking a bite with the chopped tender, pasta, fries, and Hotbirds sauce was thoroughly satisfying. The flavors worked together, the portion was substantial, and I kept reaching for more.

The chicken and waffle was another surprise. Unlike Dave’s and some other fried-chicken spots, Hotbirds didn’t have any honey available to drizzle over the chicken, so I ordered the dish at the last minute to satisfy my sweet and salty craving.

The toasted sugar waffle surprised me because it was moist and rich without being overwhelmingly sweet, and the sugar crystals added a satisfying crunch to each bite. Paired with the spicy chicken and maple syrup, it had the balance and bold flavor I had been looking for throughout the meal.

Final Verdict

After extensive tastebud-focused research, Hotbirds did not dethrone Frist late meal as my chicken-tender spot. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t eat it again, though. If a campus event catered Hotbirds, I’d happily eat it. If I needed an escape from the dining halls, I might consider it as an option. But for a restaurant centered around Nashville hot chicken, I wanted a taste distinctive enough to make me crave Hotbirds specifically.

From the recent addition of 7th Street Burger to the longstanding domination of Tacoria, I can see Hotbirds getting lost in the shuffle. While Hotbirds is not bad by any means, I’m not sure it has enough draw to become a regular stop.

So this week, instead of making another trip to Nassau, I’ll be returning to my tried-and-true chicken tender spot: Frist late meal, where the opening bell rings exactly at 8:30 p.m.

Kate Chun is a writer for The Prospect and part of the Class of 2029. She can be reached at kc6370@princeton.edu.