The Best Menu Item At Dave's Hot Chicken Perfects Its Original Tenders

When it comes to chain restaurants, Dave's Hot Chicken has been a huge success with its menu stacked with takes on Nashville hot chicken. Founded in 2017 as a pop-up in a parking lot, it has already grown to roughly 300 restaurants, including locations in Canada and the Middle East. But that rapid success doesn't mean that it's the perfect restaurant, as Chowhound found when we ranked 16 Dave's Hot Chicken menu items from best to worst.

The menu item that came out on top was a classic: chicken tender bites, which the chain refers to as Dave's Bites. Not quite a full-sized chicken tender but perhaps a little bigger than popcorn chicken (which Dave's doesn't serve), the size of these bites works to their advantage, as they can be fried a bit more thoroughly as compared to the larger tender (which also feature in other items like the chicken slider). They're crispy, with perfectly cooked chicken, checking all three boxes for taste, texture, and appearance. As a bonus, you'll get them served with a soft slice of white bread and Dave's sauce, which (while there are no official recipes published) seems to be a mayo-based dipping sauce with tangy ketchup and either pickle brine or vinegar, a little sweetness, and spices like garlic, cayenne, and paprika. A box of 10 bites will cost you around $9, or you can order it Costco-style and get a bulk box of 40 bites for $30.

As our Chowhound reviewer admitted, taste is subjective, so inevitably, some people have other thoughts about Dave's Chicken Bites. Both the bites and tenders are often highly recommended menu items, on account of their balance of crispiness and tenderness. A lot of reviewers consider the two items more or less the same, except for the obvious size difference. The quality of chicken usually gets a thumbs-up, and it's particularly evident if you order them without any extra heat (although some detractors find the meat a little chewy).

It's worth noting that the Chowhound ranking was based on menu items ordered at the lowest level of heat on Dave's menu, and the heat levels are fairly customizable. The spice level has a clear impact on some reviewers' thoughts: For example, it's been noted that Dave's accommodates the spice-curious well by introducing a spice level between "mild" and no spice. On the other hand, some have pointed out that at Dave's spiciest level, the heat can be intense to the point of unpleasantness on items like the bites and tenders. If you're overwhelmed with the heat, there's plenty of shakes and slushies (called "Slushers") to cool you down — but just avoid the Minute Maid Strawberry Lemon Slusher, as we ranked it the worst menu item.