Bite Club: Nashville Hot Chicken comes to Tempe

• It was the chain's first Arizona restaurant, on top of its 14 locations nationwide.

State of play: Nashville Hot Chicken opened in April at 1628 E Southern Ave.

• It was the first Arizona restaurant for the chain, which has 14 locations across the country.

Zoom in: Their chicken has four spice levels — Mildly Cyrus, Blazin, Punisher and Hail Mary — along with BBQ, Buffalo ranch and Plain Jane if you're looking to avoid spice.

• The guy who took my order described the Blazin as a 5 on a scale of 1-10, while the Punisher was an 8.
• Nashville Hot Chicken's goal is to give you plenty of spice, but not so much that you can't taste the flavors or enjoy the food, he explained.
• Pick from various sandwiches, tenders or wings, plus shrimp, jalapeno poppers, mac and cheese bites or other non-chicken options.

Best bites: I got the waffle sandwich plate with Punisher-level spice. I just couldn't bring myself to tempt fate with the Hail Mary.

• It was spicy, but with plenty of flavor, and the chicken was tender and juicy. When the heat got too intense, I drizzled some of the syrup that comes with the waffles.
• I also ordered the Hot Friends, a deconstructed version of the chicken sandwich and fries combo. Don't be afraid to get some spice on that chicken — the coleslaw keeps it in check.

The bottom line: Nashville Hot Chicken is a worthy addition to the Valley's hot chicken scene.