I don't eat chicken but was really curious to try the "not chicken" cauliflower - I missed it the first time they offered it, but since they brought it back a few months ago I've gotten it a few times in different forms. It's really good! People who don't like imitation meats will appreciate this because it's not trying to be chicken at all - you can clearly tell it's breaded cauliflower. Great texture when you bite into the crispy breading and get the perfectly cooked flaky cauliflower inside. The seasoning is intense and delicious. The hot is legit hot, but even the milder spice levels are still flavorful. I tried the cauli bites, tenders, and slider. The tenders are huge! The cauli bites and chicken bites are the same price, but the cauli tenders cost $2 more per tender compared to the chicken, so meals with the tenders are $2-4 more to the equivalent chicken entrees, which is kind of ridiculous because cauliflower has to be cheaper than chicken. If you are interested in the cauliflower, be aware that the batter contains dairy and egg, and it's fried in the same oil as the chicken. So it's unfortunately not suitable for vegans or vegetarians who are strict about cross-contamination. Did not have great experiences with drinks either time I tried to get something. I tried to get a Powerade slush, but was told the Powerade machine wasn't working, so I could choose another flavor if I wanted. The fruit punch was also apparently not working (although I saw the worker pour some out and it looked fine from what I could see), so I ended up with orange which didn't really do anything for me. I tried to get iced tea on another visit. I attempted to mix the unsweetened and raspberry but I think the machine may have been not working or just out of tea because I got what tasted like straight raspberry syrup and was undrinkable. I will give the tea another go if I confirm that the machine is fixed, because I like the Gold Peak tea. I think the food is fried to order, so you have to wait for the stuff to be made, but considering that, the service is timely. The place has been clean when I'm there. The indoor seating feels very industrial but there's lots of outside seating which looks nice. read more

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I'm on a roll so here's another review of what I ate in Bloomington. Okay so I lived in LA and never made it to Dave's Hot Chicken and somehow still haven't tried it, but this trip when a lot of the restaurants were closed (turning into bar scene) I stumbled upon Dave's and then after doing a loop and failing to find something else of interest, I circled back to Dave's and ordered a sandwich and the BEST FRIES ever!! The cashier was very sweet too. Popular hangout for the college kids...there was so many of them. read more

I can't complain about this place! Every location I've been to, the foods been great and this particular location is very sanitary. Sadly, I don't think someone is drying off the tables, so they get sticky. But other than that, I loved eating here and would do it again. read more

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First time getting to try this chicken spot out. Have been wanting to try this for a few years but rarely in the area at a convenient time. Ordering at the desk was smooth and the worker was very polite and friendly. Upon getting our food, the chicken was super crispy and flavorful. Loved the Mac and cheese as well. Will definitely be back if I'm ever there at the right time! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - 2 strips and Mac & Cheese Dave's #1 2 Tenders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

It's kind of weird getting ready to give a very middling review on a place that people seem to either not like or fall all over themselves to praise. That's what I'm about to do! For our Mother's Day lunch treat this year, I thought I'd try Dave's. I kept hearing all of these great things about it, and people loved that it was here. I felt like I must be missing out on something really good! Was I? No. We got 3 meals at a time when it was not at all busy. The chicken was..... fine. That might be a little generous as it all looked overcooked and was dry. Based on how hard it was to cut into, I'm going to say it was definitely overcooked and dry. It's a simple menu for a simple dish that they somehow couldn't get right. Adding insult to injury was the tip option when I paid, that started at a VERY generous tip. Fries, chicken, and whatever that topper shake thing is. The fries were fine. The sauce tasted EXACTLY like Freddy's sauce, and the chicken was overcooked and dry. Joella's was the last best place we had. This one doesn't even come close. If you're near the library and want a bite, go to any other place nearby and have a good meal. If you're drunk and stumble in here by mistake, you only have yourself to blame. If you really want good chicken, just go to Chick Fil A. read more

Very average chicken, similar to raising canes but more expensive and with the option to add spice. We got the no spice, mild, and hot. Nothing to write home about taste wise, the fries were the best part. Very overpriced, it was just under $20 per person after adding a drink and before tip, not worth the price. P.S. I have a hard time trusting any Midwest restaurant that thinks they are too good to serve ranch lol. read more

Food was hot, fresh, and perfectly crispy--full of flavor and absolutely delicious! The chicken had an amazing crunch, and the seasoning was spot-on. The staff was incredibly friendly, attentive, and quick to answer all my questions. Service was fast and efficient. The restaurant was clean and had a great vibe--definitely a place I'd come back to. Highly recommend! read more

Just ok. Fast food chicken. The no sauce is dry and not good. Liked the loaded fries best. No parking but street and walk. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken tender with lite mild seasoning. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I generally dont try a place within the first month of it opening. They really need more time to get the team acclimated and to figure out all of the aspects of the business but after stopping by Dave's Hot Chicken in Bloomington, Illinois id say they seem to have it all figured out. They had a young man directing drive thru traffic then I approached another young man taking orders. He asked for my name, I explained that I had never been to a Dave's before so he quickly explained the menu. I got the two sliders, lite mild, fries & drink. A nice young lady gave me my food and thanked me. The food was excellent! Fries came with a dipping sauce & they were wonderfully seasoned. The chicken was the perfect amount of spice & truthfully, 1 slider was plenty. Excellent experience! I will definitely return. Keep up the great work!​ read more

Exceptional and fun service, the GM Katie was amazing! Everytime i walk into this store I am greeted by the nicest people!

The food was delicious my fiancé and I have never been but wanted to give it a shot and we were pleasantly surprised! The vibes of the restaurant are super fun and clean and the staff is super friendly and helpful! read more

I think Dave's has the best chicken in Bloomington. The taste and quality of the chicken here is top tier and you really can't find anywhere better for chicken. Unfortunately, literally everything else on the menu isn't all that great. Fries are routinely soggy, slaw is eh and everything is just overpriced if I'm being real. I will always go to bat for Dave's chicken but as a restaurant I don't think it's the best choice. read more

This place is a major major go‼ The chicken is the best in Bloomington, especially when it comes to their seasoning. If you do not like seasoning do not eat here. I loved it The fries were AMAZING‼‼‼ Great seasoning. My type of lunch. Plus they have packages of honey . bruh...I fell in love. Every time I come here it's packed and I see why. They just opened as well. Side note: they have at least 6 different levels of spicy. Low to very spicy. The cashier and staff were great and knew the menu. They were able to help me as it was my first time here. Great hospitality. Thank you The environment was very clean despite the potential of being messy due towards the food. Tables were clean and even the restroom THIS PLACE IS A MAJOR...MAJOR... GO, especially for a college town read more

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Super fast delicious food highly recommend. Hot food cooked to order ice cold slushy and drinks Dave's is a must for any age!!!!

I added an extra star to offset for these poor reviews! My son was craving some of this so I was game...then I read all of the crappy reviews and was anticipating a disappointment. However, I really loved everything...I got the medium hot chicken sliders and I absolutely loved them. The "Dave's sauce" was really tasty and the sandwiches were great. I'm a pretty good eater .. and I could only eat one slider. They're not really sliders, like you'd think (really small sandwiches) they were 80% of a full blown sandwich. The fries were really good to and I added the Kale Slaw and both of those were really good. Anyway -- this place is fast food- so expect that type of setting. The people working the very large crowds did a great job. I might be going back today cuz my son took my leftovers read more

I would rate it below raising canes and Chick-fil-A. We tried the sliders and tenders. They were huge and priced accordingly but very mediocre chicken. We planned to dine in but changed to to-go because the music was so loud. I wish they had a blue cheese or ranch option for the dipping sauce. Seasoning on the fries was good and service was also good. We will not be returning. read more

Great chicken and service and even on the delivery services they deliver fast because the restaurant is well managed and clean

The service was amazing! Very friendly people! The chicken was good. I got the medium spice and it wasn't very spicy. The fries are delicious! Very fresh! The seating was nice outside. I liked that Dave's offers wet towel napkins because it can get messy! The small strawberry shake is pretty filling! It was delicious. Mine was overflowing but instead of pouring some out I was given the option to just drink from the cup and then put the lid on. No waste and I got an extra sip! :) read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #4 1 Slider with Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Good service and quality chicken! We will be going back. Ambiance was comfortable and home-like.

The food was delicious and the service was great. Will be back! P.S. You can order different levels of spice for the chicken which is perfect for families of all spice tolerances lol read more

the service was amazing! i come here very often especially before my sports competitions and i have never had a bad experience. staff is amazing and friendly read more

I've eaten here twice, once during the extremely busy opening week and once when it was practically empty in the summer. Both times it was as good as I heard it was from people familiar with the west coast locations. This is the only place around here that has good Nashville hot chicken. read more

The manager was super nice but the employees have been consistently rude and it makes me feel awkward about coming back just because I don't want to talk to them but the food is really good read more

Grabbed the tender and sandwich combo in hot and extra hot to go. It was perfect and can't wait till next time I'm in Bloomington to go back! Don't forget the honey and extra Dave's sauce. So worth it! read more

Great tender chicken and super seasoned fries. Cool restaurant on a hot summer Sunday.

Great portion sizes and the juiciest chicken I have had in bloomington. I am not a fan of spicy but our friend really wanted to go. I ordered the 2 sliders no spice with fries and each slider was a full size sandwich so I had lots of left overs. My husband got medium and it was pretty spicy already I can only imagine how spicy the hottest would be. We waited in line for about 20 minutes but it was also the Tuesday right after they opened. We received our food within 5-10 minutes after getting to the counter. They will give you as much ketchup, Dave's sauce, and honey as you want when you pickup your food from the counter. We will be back for sure! read more

The chicken was very good! You can add a little spice or a lot or try them naked. Staff was friendly and helpful. It was a little noisy, would be a great area to sit outside when weather is nicer. read more

What's up ! Btown ... finally got a chance to check out Daves Hot Chicken and it was killer Good !!! Place was clean staff was friendly and helpful . And the Chicken and fry's Witt that seasson soooo good . Now my only complaint the portions were a little small so double up on that chicken man!!!!! read more

Mediocre at best. Chicken is meh, spice/hotness is subdued, sides are tasteless, overall expensive, the place is crowded and loud, has no real sweet tea like any true hot chicken place. If you want to get some hot chicken I would recommend other places you can find in Bloomington. Basically it's so average it hurts read more

STEP ASIDE RAISIN CANTs! THE NEW CHICKEN KING IS IN TOWN, AND HIS NAME IS DAVE!!! Great chicken, excellent service, shoutout fisher! I hope they put these other lame chicken joints out of business!! read more

This place is yum yum yummy. Knocks Canes out of the park. The sauce is amazing the service is even better. Gonna be tough to walk place this place everyday and not get a slider. read more

I didn't know if it was the hot chicken making my eyes water, or the price of the meal? With that said, the chicken was legit and the service was good. It's a little pricey, but what isn't at this point. read more

really upset about my experience. I went in and ordered spice level hot and it tasted like sand paper. zero flavor at all and not a touch of heat. service was fine but felt very rushed. I had felt a lot of anxiety just standing in there with the music so loud. read more

Great food for a reasonable price and good service. The music is also very good inside!

Said they were closed at like 10 pm even though the internet said 2:30 am. like at least say you're closed. this business should lose money.

Great service with friendly staff..not to mention great food. Will most definitely be back again.