Haha love it. More plz
Somebody needs to design a Sarcasm Alert emoji.
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Has anyone actually tried the Holtville chicken ?
Not me. But think I read someone on FTC reporting that they had it and it was a disaster.
And now Kim is opening up a B&M location…
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Thanks @WesSabi. I saw that article.
It’s kinda sad that Eater still keeps harping about “Nashville hot chicken royalty” and trying to flash her name around to try and give legitimacy to Hotville Chicken. When even Prince’s directly states that she is not a branch of Prince’s Hot Chicken, nor is her recipe the same, (and it was mediocre at best) she and Eater seemingly are trying to drum up whatever clickbait / hype / marketing they can on this.
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“Hot Chicken Royalty”? Eater Please!
Lawd have mercy!
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That just sucks. Credibility be dammed.
Speaking of hot chicken, is Dave’s Hot Chicken any good?
To be fair, when I ate there and had a chance to talk to the niece she was VERY clear that Hotville was not synonymous with Prince’s. I can’t put too much stock in a memory from one and a half years ago but she seemed like she was trying to establish Hotville as its own entity, not just leech off the prestige of her famous family.
EDIT: On looking through Hotville’s instagram I don’t know for sure if I talked to the owner/nice but I’m almost positive we were speaking with a family member during our fairly long conversation (30 minutes or so). I know that’s not verifiable evidence, sorry if that renders my memory not worth much
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I like it! It’s not as good or as consistent as Howlin’ Ray’s, and the sides and general cooking skill is a tier below HR at least, but it’s open late and lines are usually shorter and it scratches the itch for sure.
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I tried a few of these Post Howlin Rays Hot Chicken places I just never cared to give them any attention on here…
The fry on their chicken is nowhere close to the perfection of Howlin Rays fry. I been to Howlin Rays probably about 5 times now and every single time the fry is perfect on the chicken.
Other places while it is tasty from the seasoning perspective their chicken is not as juicy as Howlin Rays. So I’ll give them that and in some ways the dry seasoning is more authentic than Howlin Rays. Howlin Rays is not meant to be 100% authentic though (Howlin Rays is missing the lard and sweetness in the dry seasonings).
Service. Probably some of the best in LA. The staff at Howlin Rays is very energetic, friendly, funny, charismatic, and very hospitable. Every damn time.
Freebies every time. “Here try this”. “Yo try this on the house” etc etc etc. None of these other places come even close to Howlin Rays in service.
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Hi @WireMonkey,
Not really. Almost every single article about Hotville from back in the day mentioned she was the niece of the matriarch behind Prince’s Hot Chicken.
From their own website: "Today, Kim Prince, the owner of LA’s Hotville Chicken™, has been carrying the torch, bringing her family’s deeply rooted hot chicken creations to Los Angeles.
Reaching as far back as the 1930s, Prince said it was her great-great Uncle Thornton Prince who, along with his brothers, started the hot chicken tradition in Nashville… "
Another article in Tasting Table:
“Kim Prince, the niece of André Prince Jeffries, who operates Prince’s back in Nashville, is running a hot chicken pop-up called Hotville in Chinatown on Saturdays, serving her family recipe, Eater LA reports. “We decided to call it Hotville because people in L.A. don’t know the Prince name, but the chicken is exactly the same,” she says.”
Another article in LA Downtown News.
It’s just disingenuous. When the actual family that runs Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville distance themselves and clearly state that their niece is not using their recipe, and that she’s doing her own thing, and Hotville is not Prince’s Hot Chicken, and you see articles like this and mentions on multiple websites, it’s not being honest with your customers (and suckering tons of people to line up to try out her food thinking it was the actual Prince’s OG recipe & chicken.). 
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Totally agree, Dave’s is a solid option! Two caveats - 1) they only serve tenders, 2) parking even on weeknights is tricky! Unless you get lucky and snag a spot in the cramped lot, it’s pretty hard to find street parking unless you go a couple blocks south on Western.
Overall, I don’t have a problem with people mentioning that she’s related to the people behind Prince’s. I mean, if someone worked at a Michelin starred restaurant you better believe that comes up if they open their own brick and mortar. However,
Hmmm, I didn’t see that quote before, thanks for pointing it out. When we spoke with them while we were eating the woman we talked to specifically said it wasn’t the same and seemed a little tired of having to explain it but if they were quoted saying the exact opposite that is a problem, yeah.
They have opened a second place on the southeast corner of Lankershim and Magnolia. Haven’t tried it yet, and parking in that neighborhood can be tough, but it has opened. Maybe @Ns1 can check it out as I believe he works in the area, and his opinions are trustworthy.
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Okay reposting it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet; the definitive video in regards to Prince’s, Prince’s Hot Chicken | Southern Foodways Alliance - Southern Foodways Alliance
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Is it open yet?
You’re hilarious.