Dave's has the best chicken around. There are many restaurants that try to imitate them but none compare to their chicken. Flavor is on point. Don't let the name fool you. You don't have to get spicy chicken. They have multiple spice levels, including no spice. Perfect for anyone. Also, the people that work there are always very friendly and have great customer service. read more

Came here to try the chicken that everyone is talking about. This location was in Columbia in the same shopping plaza as Bob's Discount Furniture. Upon entering, we were met with graffiti inspired artwork on the walls, which was cool. We perused the menu and decided to order. They have different levels of spice for your chicken and decided on an order that was mild (2 sandwich meal) , medium, (2 sandwich meal) and extra hot (I was warned by my daughter to rethink this option, but, alas, I did not heed her warning; 1 tender 1 sandwich meal). They had the spiciest level, reaper, which you have to sign a waiver to purchase, I wasn't that crazy y'all... Food delivery service was available and they had an LED board with which ones each order was under. The service was great with the associates very pleasant at the counter. We also ordered a fruit punch slushy, but it was TOO sweet for me and I couldn't finish it. If you love sweet drinks, this would be the one for you! We were given a buzzer and we didn't wait long for our order to be ready. The orders were accompanied by crinkle cut fries (we got cheese on ours for an extra cost) along with a small container of coleslaw, pickle slices, and Dave's Sauce. The fries were good with that cheese sauce: fresh, crispy, not greasy and the sauce tasting like real cheese. Now....I pride myself on enjoying a good hot spiced item from time to time... but my extra hot tender was not to be played with. I bit into that crispy tender and instantly knew I indeed "bit off more than I could chew!" It was as if that hot spiced item shot through my whole body and I was heated on the inside for about a couple of minutes. I say that to say, if you are not into spicy SPICY, don't go above medium. So glad I chose a medium spice sandwich (yes, you can get different spice levels in your order) because that saved me. The chicken was fresh, with a crispy coating on a fresh bun with Dave's sauce. The pickles were fresh and crisp (my go-to to put out that heat from that extra hot chicken tender!), the coleslaw was fresh and ok. I really don't like sauces like the Dave's sauce on my food, so the next time I will get my sandwich without it. All in all, a nice place for a good chicken sandwich, especially with the cheese fries! Epilogue: I saved the rest of that extra hot tender to eat the next day hoping the spice level had dissipated...but no...it seems as if it intensified...but I still ate it...maybe I'm used to that spice level now... read more

See all

Busy location here. You can order on a kiosk or with a team member. The food did take probably 15-20 to come out at peak dinner time. The sandwiches were pretty great and they give you extra sauce with it. Fries had some spice mixture on them too (maybe Cajun?) but that was great as well. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #2 2 Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Order online. Pick up at the store. Easy process. Food is delicious. Slider served on a small bun. Tender in a piece of bread. Fries are ok. Not my favorite. Chicken well seasoned and good quality. Daves special sauce - pretty good but too creamy for my taste. Ambiance is that of the pick up food place. Good stuff. If in the area will repeat. read more

See all

This place met the hype for good delicious chicken. The tenders were crispy, big, and very juicy. Most importantly it was seasoned well. The location has plenty of parking and seating. It's open so it can get a bit loud when crowded but just like any other fast casual spot. Ordering is easy with plenty of app/online options and walk up ordering. The prices are reasonable for how much food you get. The service here was fast and friendly. Food was cooked fresh to order so it has a small wait but totally worth it for the quality. Tenders were good, definitely would be back. read more

See all

Wow! Food was so great! I got the chicken bites meal that comes with fries. They have nugget ice and fountain drinks, slushies, shakes, bottled drinks. Indoor and outdoor seating. Bathrooms inside. Lots of seating inside. A special area for food pick up if you order through and app or online. The fries were seasoned and so crunchy. The chicken I got was medium heat and super flavorful. Their special sauce was great also. You can order at the counter, you get a little buzzer thing and have a seat and wait, then when it goes off go up front to get it. I liked how the cashier asked if I have ever been there before to help me order. read more

See all

First time ever trying this chain. I've seen them around and there's a new one that opened closer to me. Since I was in this area, I decided to give them a try. They're located in the busy Columbia Crossing shopping center near Honey Grow. It was a Saturday evening so it was pretty busy at the time. My food came out quickly. I was in and out in under 10 minutes. I got a to go order - a slider and tender with fries. I did hot for my spice level. It was not hot at all. I could have done extra hot. The fries were super salty - didn't care to finish them. The chicken had no flavor. I'm not sure if it was the seasoning they use. It was just so bland that I didn't enjoy this meal. I tried adding the Dave's sauce but sadly it didn't make much of a difference. The service here was great but I just didn't enjoy my meal and I was left feeling hungry and disappointed. Can't say I'd return! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The sliders are huge! One meal can feed two people. The medium and hot were good levels for me. Really liked the fries, the sauce, the pickles, and the slaw in the slider with the delicious bun. Can't wait to go back! read more

I have been wanting to try them since i saw my coworker ate them a few days ago. Now my whole fambam went here tonight and it was amazing. First of all they don't mess around with their spices, I chose the HOT version instead of the extra hot or reaper. I once heard someone said that you can't get the spiciest one on the menu on your first try. You gotta ease up to it. Second their prices are affordable. Third i like how the whole restaurant is decorated very colorful. It was busy when we came so many people eating and enjoying the delicious food. I loved all of the things we ordered. I liked the chicken bites. They had a variety of drinks too from slushy, shakes and regular drinks. I enjoyed our food so much. Would definitely go back for more! read more

See all

Dave's Hot Chicken Summary: new hot chicken spot (these seem to be popping up all over the Columbia area) in the Columbia Crossing shopping center. It offers a fast-food style dining experience with a straightforward menu of fried hot chicken options and sides. Columbia residents will be able to tell you that the area has had a bit of an influx of hot chicken dining spots in the last couple of years (which I'm not opposed to). They all start to feel pretty similar, but I was pleasantly surprised with Dave's Hot Chicken. The flavoring on the chicken is very good. They have kind of a wet/dry situation going on in the marinade, but it has a lot of good, balanced flavor. I opted for the medium spice and it felt like an accurate spice level. The pickles are sweet and pair very well with the chicken. The sides were also great and didn't feel like random add-ons. The kale slaw had a good pop and crisp to each bite and the fries were crispy (crinkle cut fries are often 50/50 for me, but these were good!). The ambiance feels very similar to a typical fast food restaurant and there is only a cashier as far as service interaction goes. They give you a buzzer and you go to the counter to pick up the food when it's ready. conclusion: a solid spot. I don't know that I would necessarily call it "fast food," but it has the vibe of one and the food itself is tasty. Check it out if you haven't been! read more

See all

10.25.24 Today was the grand opening and it was bustling. Lots of eager patrons waiting to get their hands on chicken tenders, bites, or sliders and it did not disappoint! There were people at the counter at each register placing their order which took forever. We were next in line so thought it would be fast, but that was not the case. It would help if people looked online to see what they wanted prior getting in line to keep it moving. Helpful hint: online ordering is available so please use if you have a large party! We received a buzzer to let us know when our order was ready. Fortunately the food was prepared quickly! Hubby ordered 2 tenders (medium heat) with fries and I ordered a slider (mild) with fries. Chicken was crispy and well-seasoned. Their fries are lightly seasoned as well which I liked. Dave's sauce is yummy too. There is not a lot of seating, but fortunately there is patio seating which only helps when the weather is nice. They also have pick up shelves for third party and online orders. What I don't like is that the order board lists patrons' full name. I hope they will consider only using last initials. We loved the food. Additionally the friendly and quick service! A staff member stopped by and asked how our food was. We are overjoyed that this restaurant opened because they are literally across the street from us so we don't have far to go to get tasty chicken! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Grand opening! #4: 1 slider with fries, mild. (10.25.24) - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The service is fast and super friendly. Love that they give you a buzzer to buzz you when it's ready, very organized. The chicken is crispy and juicy! The medium is the perfect level of spice in my opinion before it's too dominant/unenjoyable. The sauce reminds me a lot of other chicken spots sauce, but can't complain. The pickles are a nice touch too. I wasn't crazy about the fries but maybe if I tried the cheese fries I'd prefer those. Overall, yummy, fast and a solid price for the portion. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I put in an online order for lunch pickup. I ordered the slider (medium) and chicken tender (mild) meal with fries. I went in and there was a lady standing by the online order shelf to ensure I got my order. The place was nice, spacey and bright and was pretty busy. As for the food...omg, it was sooo delicious! Honestly I went in expecting to be disappointed, similar to Raising Cane's was for me but I was pleasantly surprised. The outside was still crunchy and the inside was juicy and flavorful. With their special sauce on the sandwich and tenders, they were so much more flavorful. This definitely will be one of my favorite chicken place and will be back for more! But next time, I will be cranking up the spice level to either hot or extra hot. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Not bad. The fries that we got were really delicious. Hot, has a nice seasoning spice, and crispy. The chicken tenders and the chicken tenders in the sliders were thick, crisy, and juicy. I really like the kale slaw and pickles as well. unfortunately, our order of Dave's bites (small chicken bites/nuggets) were not so great. They were seasoned well, but were dry and stringy. We had a few orders of these, and they were all like that unfortunately. It was tough to eat all of them, so we ended up taking it home. Service was ok. The person at the counter taking our order was not overly welcoming, but wasn't bad either. It could be improved some. read more

Better than the average chicken place but the medium is not very spicy at all. IMHO Hangry Joes is better

The service at this location was good. We were able to get our food in a short amount of time. The food itself was flavorful and the fries were crispy. One star knocked down because the medium chicken sandwiches we ordered were not spicy at all. We expected them to be a little spicy. Next time we will be ordering the hot spice level to see if it is any spicier. Otherwise, a great experience our first time read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

We ordered the 2 tender meal (medium) with an extra tender (mild). When you look at the menu, it may seem a bit expensive for a meal, but the tenders are big! The medium flavor did have more kick than the mild, but it was manageable and not mouth watering spicy. The chicken is well seasoned on the outside, but the seasoning is more dry and peppery, while the inside is more white and juicy. The service was pretty quick and they do give you a buzzer for when your food is ready. They have some frozen slushee drinks that you can order too. We did ask about ranch dressing, but they were only able to provide packets of the Dave's sauce. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Medium Two tender meal - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Omg each time it gets a little better. I ordered the meal with a hot slider, and an additional hot tender and an order of fries. I came home slid the slider and fries in the oven. It was so yummy. I typically get the medium, I tried hot tonight and I believe medium is more my speed. I like having an additional tender to put atop a salad, that'll be my lunch tomorrow The customer service, coupled with the quality of the food will keep me coming back! read more

This was my first time going to a restaurant that serves hot chicken. I really wasn't too impressed but to each their own. I would like to try it again. Maybe I just didn't have a good experience with the food the first time around. I won't count them out yet. read more

I'm a huge fan of fried chicken tenders and was excited to see what Dave's might offer. My wife and I decided to try it. Never again. I ordered the 2 tenders with fries, added cheese for $11.99. My wife the sliders and fries for $13.99. Very expensive. By the way, this is one of the establishments when you pay the default is to add a tip. Really? In my opinion this is very offensive. We tried several spice levels between the two of us and neither of us like what we ordered. The spices have a chili powder flavor to them, including the fries. It just didn't do it for me or my wife. Service was fine, they had those annoying metal chairs which are not comfortable, likely to encourage you not to hang around. I'd rather go back to Raising Canes, Royal Farms or even Chick Fil A. Can't recommend. If you like chili powder with your chicken, then maybe this is for you, but not me. read more

This was ordinary for us. Portions were large and I would definitely say start out with a one piece, because the chicken was a large slice. The fries were ok, the chicken was just meh for us. My husband and I both remarked that it had a taste like the batter wasn't quite done. I had the extra hot and he had the medium and both of us felt the same way. We may give it another chance in time, but it won't be anytime soon. The music was so loud at this location that you couldn't hear yourself think. The music that was on was fine, it just was way too loud. Sorry I didn't take pictures. The staff was nice, the food just didn't work for us. read more

Wonderful location, Christian had EXCELLENT customer service! The food was hot & fresh.

My husband and I did a head-to-head comparison with Crimson Coward. We both preferred Dave's Hot Chicken for it's flavorful chicken in the sandwich slider. The chicken patty was thicker, seasoned well, and more moist/tender. I overall just liked how the sandwich was prepared in terms of toppings and sauce. The fries were also sooooo good and beat CC by a landslide. They were crispy and seasoned well. We did not like the chicken tender so much - the seasoning seemed grainy (which could have also been the case with the sandwich but all the toppings may have disguised this). For the price/portion, it is also cheaper than CC! read more

Chicken tenders were large and seemed fresh. However regardless of the spice level, the flavor seemed off and not very appealing. Did not appreciate the slice of bread that it comes with- unless its purpose was to absorb the grease. Your hands definitely come out pretty covered in grease and red coating, so don't eat it where you don't have a sink nearby. The seats inside are not too bad, but not very comfortable. The service was friendly, but not too fast. read more

Is this a five star restaurant? No. Did I have a five star experience? Yes! I only got crinkle fries because I cannot pass them up and I needed a fun snack since I was having a bad day. These were freshly cooked, perfectly done, and well seasoned. The best part was the amazing cashier. He was so nice, efficient, and engaged! I think his name was Dani L if anyone from Dave's is reading this. Also, the place was very clean and had a fun vibe. read more

This is a great location, food is served fresh. With fast food chain you want consistency which is what you get here. My favorite is two sliders and a Diet Coke. Service is great and in a good location (near target) read more

I was SUPER excited from all the rave reviews of the crispiness and flavor to try the Not Chicken sliders and bites!! I got the app, made my acct and everything!! All to my amazement the meals are $4 MORE!!! The bites are the same price but WHY? A cauli tender is 6.69 vs 4.69 for chicken and the cauli single slider is 8.69 vs 6.69 for chicken. There's NO way to convince me I should pay that much more for CAULIFLOWER. So, I'm not. Vegans and vegetarians have been making this for YEARS. It was just cool to see it catch on. Lol and I wanted the reward slushie But nah, deleting the app, tapping down my excitement. I just can't stomach that big of an up-charge. Oh well. I'm giving 2 stars because that's how much LESS the cauliflower version should be. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cauli meals 4$ MORE - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

i went in and the service wasnt good and the food was greasy. the food was good but service was meh

Came on opening day food was really good, service was fast 10/10 recommendations.(we order on the mobile app came out in 5 minutes) read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

See all

22 minutes later I got my food. I watched at least 10 orders be filled behind me. Frankly, it felt like the staff was pointing and laughing at the old guy. I'm not going back even if it's the best f-ing chicken ever. It's not that it took a while, it's more that they KNEW it took a while and seemed to think it was funny.oh, had my food Hangry Joe's is better. Stays 1 star read more

Whoa! Freaking awesome chicken. Absolutely delicious. I love Hangry Joe's and I think this was slightly better. It's hard to say which I like better. But it was damn good chicken. read more

Solid spot. Saw this location opened up recently, and came in on weekend. While bustling since its grand opening, service was en pointe. While not the most diverse menu, they know how to do hot chicken right. read more

After going to a Dave's hot chicken in California I was so excited to see one open closer to me! Anthony helped us decide what spice level to get and the food came out in a timely member. The chicken was hot and crispy and to be honest next time we can definitely try the extra hot since the hot was not that spicy, but it was extremely flavorful. The fries were amazing as always. Would come again! read more

The food and service were exceptional. I highly recommend. The food came out fast as well which shows the great service.

Service was perfect ! A good fast restaurant with great sliders and sandwiches. If you love spicy chicken sandwiches this is where to go. Karla was great and attentive as well. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Miguel took my order there was not wait and he got the preset right and the chicken was soo good we order more. And will be coming back soon

Spicy chicken was spicy...Mild chicken was spicy ALSO (not good). Problem came with the milk shake, I ordered a chocolate shake and it was handed to me Tan in color so I took a taste and asked if the chocolate shake was supposed to "not be chocolate flavored". A staff member tried to adjust it and poured another which was exactly the same. Another guy came from the back and tells me that they have been having problems with the machine. DID NOT OFFER A REFUND BUT DID OFFER A STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE AS A REPLACEMENT.I didn't want a strawberry shake..again DID NOT OFFER A REFUND, DID NOT TAKE THE CHOCOLATE SHAKE OFF THE MENU AND WAS PERFECTLY OK WITH A DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER WALKING OUT THE DOOR. read more

Delicious food and great service! Daniel greeted us with the warmest smile and service was fast/efficient. Never misses

The food was good but the fries were burnt and had half of seasoning then they usually do

First time here but not the last. The chicken sandwiches are amazing! Service was fast and friendly.