Bottom Line: Dave’s Hot Chicken takes tenders to that next level while also amping up the heat.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is a new chicken-focused chain that has been taking the country by storm, and if you have one near you I highly recommend trying it out. Two locations have opened in San Antonio, but neither are very convenient to me, so I had not gotten around to sampling their poultry offerings. But I happened to be on the south side of town the other day and knew that the newest location was there, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to stop in for lunch.
Dave’s menu is pretty simple. They have tenders and sliders with fries on the side (also slaw and mac & cheese) and that is pretty much it. You order up one or the other or a combination of both and you let the nice server know what heat level you want. The options are No Spice, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot, and Reaper. Now I have heard warnings of the Reaper-level heat from others who have tried it, so I decided to not go that hot the first time around. I ordered two tenders and went with the Hot and Extra Hot seasoning.
To start off with, let’s talk about those tenders. As the name suggests, they are quite tender and well-cooked and the meat is thick and very flavorful throughout. They have a nice breading that does not dominate the tender but it delivers a good crunch and that holds the flavor of the seasoning applied on the outside. Basically, these are some of the best tenders I have tasted from a chicken establishment and if this place was serving those with nothing more than the seasoning salt that goes on the fries, it would still be a go-to destination (though I would visit with a bottle of hot sauce in my pocket). But heat is Dave’s game (thus the “Hot Chicken” in the name) and they definitely deliver on that.
The first tender I tried had the Hot seasoning and I rather enjoyed it. These do not have a wing sauce but more of a dry rub, and that delivers an immediate sweetness that is followed by a nice, peppery kick. There is little in the way of tang from the spices, but the added pickles take up that job. The Dave’s sauce has a nice sweetness along with a bit of tang and some savoriness as well. I would say it is sort of like Thousand Island Dressing meets honey mustard, and it goes well with the tender but is not essential. The heat level on this one was definitely noticeable, getting close to Hot on my scale and lingering for a while.
Next was the Extra Hot, and it definitely kicked things up. It tasted similar to the Hot, but with more of that peppery flavor. And the heat comes quick with this one, going beyond Hot on my scale and approaching Fiery. It had my nose running and my lips were still tingling for some time after I finished eating it. But it didn’t get to the point where the heat overwhelmed the flavor (which is what I have heard about their Reaper seasoning) as these two tenders instead delivered that perfect balance I look for where Fire meets Flavor. With all the chicken offerings out there, it is hard to stand out, but Dave’s definitely rises above the pack based on my first experience.
Update: I made a return trip and tried the Reaper tender (I had to sign a waiver first), and I can tell you that it is for serious heat lovers only. The first bite was similar to the Extra Hot tender with a rich peppery kick, but very quickly that heat took over. I would put it at the Insane level on my scale and I can’t say that I really recommend this one as it is just hot for hot’s sake. If you want heat and you want to enjoy taste of the chicken, stick with the Extra Hot. By the second bite of the Reaper tender, I only felt the heat as my mouth was starting to numb. I did finish it, but I would not order it again. (Unless somebody dared me, got to keep up my reputation for spice tolerance.) Also, the after-effects of eating that tender were definitely not pleasant!
The combo that I got included two tenders, fries, pickles, and sliced bread. The fries are well-seasoned and not greasy at all, and they don’t need ketchup. The slices of bread help temper the heat from the tenders, though they do soak up some of that seasoning. The cost was just under twelve bucks in my area (a drink is extra), but this is a pretty big meal and worth the money. You can also get a combo with two sliders or a tender and slider and that runs just under fourteen bucks (that one also includes slaw). This is definitely more than you would shell out at your typical fast food joint, but certainly worth it.
Dave’s got started as a small street food stand with a portable fryer and a few tables in Los Angeles back in 2017. Their simple approach to Nashville-style chicken and focus on quality caught on and they have quickly grown to over one hundred locations across the country. You can check to see if there is a location near you at their website, and if there is anything within fifty miles, I say it is worth the trip. I will definitely be back and my plan is to try the Reaper tender next. So stay tuned for a report on that.