Dave’s Hot Chicken: Can you Handle the Heat?
Over Spring Break, I traveled to Midtown to see how good Dave’s Hot Chicken really is. As a massive chicken fan, I enjoy Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, and I wanted to see how the relatively new Chicken sandwich chain, Dave’s Hot Chicken, compares. The chain has gained a lot of positive attention on major social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, so I had to try it for myself.
The chain is known for serving chicken with a variety of spice levels, including No Spice, Little Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, and Reaper. I ordered two “Dave’s #3” meals that come with a chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, and fries. My first meal was at the “Medium” spice level, and my second was a step up at the “Hot” level. Each order was $16.69.
The service was quick, and I got my food within 5 minutes of ordering. I was happy to finally see a “fast food” place serve my food fast! Upon receiving my meal, I got a big, fat chicken sandwich with a fried chicken piece that was way too big for the bun. I love to see places that give a substantial amount of food. The chicken was seasoned to perfection, and the “Medium” is the way to go for a person who prefers no spice. The “Hot” definitely had a kick, and according to other Dave’s Hot Chicken customers, it could be felt “boiling in their stomachs.” I found it to be quite spicy, and I am shocked that there are still two higher levels of spice. Both the chicken sandwiches and tenders were cooked to perfection. The chicken was so crispy on the outside and extremely moist and juicy inside. Then it was complemented with a nice bun and coleslaw. Coleslaw is controversial. Some people love it, while others hate it. I like coleslaw, especially with my “Hot” sandwich. The well-known side dish helped regulate the spiciness.
Other accessories of the sandwich included pickles, honey, and their signature sauce. All three components added levels of sour, sweet, and savory flavors to the spicy sandwich. The entire experience was a blast of all different flavors. Dave’s Hot Chicken serves pieces of white bread to go along with their chicken tenders. The bread nicely offset the lethal spice of the chicken tenders.
The fries were served in plentiful amounts and seasoned with a similar seasoning to the sandwiches. Crinkle cut, in my opinion, is the best way to go for fries as the ridges maximize the surface area of the crunchy parts. As a result, there was less soft, mushy potato. Their fries paired perfectly with Dave’s Hot Chicken’s signature sauce.
In Conclusion, Dave’s Hot Chicken makes Popeyes and Chick-fil-a seem like school cafeteria food. The difference is night and day. Everything about Dave’s Hot Chicken lived up to the “hype”. The service, speed, and taste were the best I have seen in a fast food restaurant while still being completely affordable. Nowadays, places like Shake Shack will charge over $11 for a measly 4-oz patty. A large meal was $16.69 in total and left me stuffed. I would recommend Dave’s Hot Chicken to anyone craving fried chicken. I would definitely give this sandwich a 10/10. A+.
