chicken is good employees are good smells like chicken all the time this place is good read more

Had the hot sandwich and it was delicious. Pretty hot, but not crazy hot. Recommend ordering number three with different spice levels read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Great location awesome service. We got help by RAFA and he was amazing. Recommend 100% everybody's gonna try. This will be back soon.

Finally came down to try Dave's Hot Chicken after getting over my worry of the words Hot Chicken in the name of the restaurant. Move over Raisin Canes and Chik Fil A, Dave's is making them run for their money in the fried chicken game. All within the same proximity of their biggest chicken competitors, I would probably return back to Dave's over the other two for quality of food and customer service, The customer service received by the two employees that evening were so polite and patient. The gentleman that helped me make the perfect meal choices for my husband and I was outstanding in all his explanations of the different spice levels. He was extremely patient and courteous with my indecisive thoughts. And the lady who delivered my meal who was patient when I couldn't hear her over the noise of the restaurant was so nice! More importantly the food. Piping hot, made fresh, and a TON of pickles for the pickle fiend I am! The meals were filling, the seasoning was flavorful, and the spice level for mild was exactly as I was described it to be. The chicken had a solid crispy exterior and was not dry at all. The Dave's sauce was so good for chicken and fries alike! Dave's is easily replacing a lot of fast food chicken options for my household! read more

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Staff are always wonderful :). The chicken size though are smaller than other Dave's location. Taste and flavor spot on and juicy too. It's hit and miss. Today was a miss because of portion. read more

Picked up my order and food is missing. Waited for 20 mins and my order was missing my fries. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken 10 pc. Dave's Bites w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

We walked in and we attended by Jonathan to check our order correctly. Provided us with everything that we needed and check to see our food came out good we ordered a not chicken, which was amazing. read more

it's a good place and has good food I would love to come here agin and good service and read more

Loving the Dave's NOT chicken options! And the cheese fries. So good! Food and customer service is always on point. Brian was super nice/attentive to me and the other guests, which is what makes us keep coming back. read more

My wife won't like this review update, but I need to stand by my rating of Dave's Hot Chicken. Though how I feel about this place now, in comparison to similar hot chicken spots around the county, may feel like a bit of a slight. Simply stated, Dave's Hot Chicken is the second best chicken sandwich place I've reviewed here on Yelp. It is far superior to the bulk of spots I've dined at over the last few years, but itself falls far behind my number one favorite (Red Chickz in Carlsbad - Crack Shack is in its own category ). The chicken here is a good size, very flavorful, brined well for a juicy bird that tastes great in every bite. There's a nice spice level, a fair crunch, and when put into their sliders with those pickles, sauce, and that slaw, it's a pretty damn good meal. For me, it's a solid three stars that's pushed up to four simply because it stands on the heap of below average imitators that keep popping up all over the place. Now, where Dave's Hot Chicken is outshined by Red Chickz is a long and nit-picky list: More Menu Options: Honey Butter Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken and Waffles, French Toast Chicken Sandwiches, and Veggie Cauliflower Sandwiches to name a few of the entrees. Better Sides: Hand cut potato wedges (instead of frozen out of a bag), Cheese Curds, Cauliflower Bites, and even Shrimp tossed in that brine and breading. Keep those pickles and slaw, though ... those are fantastic Dave! Thicker and Crunchier Breading: Dave's is alright, but on reheat it becomes soggy and thin, losing what little crunch it originally had. Better Bread: The bun on the slider is great, but the bread that comes with the strips is like a thin piece of wonder bread. Get a thicker cut bread and maybe grill it before hand. Again, Dave's is fine how it is. For me, it will do if it's nearby and I'm in the mood. But, for my wife, she would rather go much further out of her way to get the superior chicken sandwich instead of settling for eating here. And it's not some place I could come to a few times a week, as it would get stale pretty quick as opposed to being able to get something somewhat new every time. Regardless, for what they serve, Dave's Hot Chicken is very good and worth trying if you're in the area. read more

It's so good. Try the cauliflower too. Amazing. Yummy. Delicious. I also like the one in the Mira Mesa area.

Stopped by for an early dinner, and despite the crowd, ordering was fast and efficient. The food arrived shortly after. I went with the chicken sandwich (reaper spice level), fries, and mac and cheese. Everything was hot and fresh. The fries had a satisfying crunch with tasty seasoning, and the mac and cheese was creamy. The sandwich featured a thick, juicy piece of chicken, a soft bun, and plenty of pickles. The reaper spice brought a strong, enjoyable heat throughout the meal. Overall, the service was quick, seating was ample, and the food was fantastic. I'll definitely be back! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Sliders with a side of fries and Mac & cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

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Johnny was very friendly and hooked me up with me a free shake. Also very fun and clean environment. The best!

I placed a late-night order for the two-slider combo because clearly my self-control flew out the window. honestly, zero regrets. Perfectly seasoned, crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside basically everything you want in life. I probably should've taken a pic but I didn't so you'll have to take my word for it. This location hasn't disappointed me and I hope it never does. I'll definitely be back! read more

I have not been to this restaurant personally, but my son swears by this place. He brought some Dave's Hot Chicken home, and indeed the hot Chicken sandwich was delicious. Correction, my apologies. I ate two. read more

This location is close to work so decided to try it out. To be honest, wasn't really my cup of tea. I did mobile order so I would have way pick up. There was a pair of men ordering in front of me and a little indecisive. Since there was only 1 person up front it took a bit to get my order. The cashier told me to mix the sauce and honey together and I didn't like it. The fries were cold but just chalked that up to how long it took, not from the kitchen but drive time, people in front of me etc. The chicken was tender but it was a bit spicy for me which is not any fault of the company. It was my first time so I just randomly tried things. The cashier was very nice. Over all seemed friendly and the location was busy. read more

Love Dave's! The chicken is so good, a little on the spicy side. Very friendly staff and the restaurant is generally clean. Convenient location read more

First time here. Easy to get to, easy parking and not a lot of people. The menu is pretty self explanatory. Pick your combo and spice level. The lady who helped us at the register was super nice and took care of our order. Food was hot and ready in a few minutes. This location had a cool interior set up. Lots of tables with ample space and the music was good too! Outside had a patio area which was nice. We all picked the mild spice level. Nothing crazy. Good amounts of chicken. The buns are yummy, the coleslaw was basic but not bad. The sauce is yummy and the fries were good too! Not shabby, I can see why people like it. My daughter loves her chicken sandwiches. Nice to switch it up to this place when she wants a change from Canes and Chic-Fil-A. read more

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I always see this place with people in line and always curious if its any good. Ordered the 10 pcs dave bite and fries ( medium spice) and it didnt disappoint, the chicken is tender and juicy and perfect to dip on the sauce, fries are flavored too.. ill try the sliders nxt time! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave 10 pc. Dave's Bites w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Love the place. The food is so delicious and good value for the price. Fast service, spacious and chill vibe. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Mural on wall - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

It was good but quite overpriced for what you get. I took my son for lunch and we each had a 2 slider combo and the bill was over $40 with tip. Plus the air conditioning was broken so we were sweltering and sweating the entire time. In instances like that, the least they could do is offer free drinks. "We know it's hot and the store is uncomfortable so please enjoy a drink on us". Nope. Today it was Dave's hot ripoff. read more

foods mediocre and the service was rude as shit, didn't say please thank you, or just any kind of decent customer service at all. maybe the guy whom was at the front was just having a bad day or attitude, period, the list goes on. although he was being butt buddies with the guy in the back the whole time.. read more

I ordered the 10 piece chicken bites with fries and the fruit punch frozen drink. The chicken bites were really flavorful and juicy. Really good deal at $9.99. The frozen fruit punch is really sugary. Tastes good but just too much sugar. Overall pretty good place to grab a quick bite read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Great food and seating area I enjoyed the hot chicken here and Outdoor seating Thank you for the great service and food read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Great seating area - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

We got one tender as we had in n out earlier for dinner. The tender was a decent size and also came with what looks like chipotle mayo sauce, pickles and a piece of bread. He liked the flavoring as it came with a bit of kick. Temperature wise it was hot, as it was fresh out. My other half said the medium was not bad at all, and he would classify as a mild medium. He was pleasantly surprised by the value portion of it, and thought it was worth it. With the combo meals, it sounded liked a good deal for the tenders with fries/sliders. Possibly next time! They played a lot of old school hits in the background and it was pretty spacious. The area was decently clean and had a nice ambiance to it. They had one unisex/all genders bathroom. Parking was shared with others in the stor There were a decent stack of takeout orders waiting to get picked up when we placed our orders. But their service was fast, and it looked like anyone that ordered didn't wait longer than 5 minutes. We most likely will drop by again. read more

This location has more tables than the one on Miras Mesa blvd. Their chicken tenders are top notch. I tried their nuggets for the kid and it was very juicy and tender despite it being a small chunks which was surprisingly. I upgraded my fries to cheese fries because I'm sucker for cheese fries. I prob still prefer Shake Shack cheese fries over theirs. I still don't fully get the need of white bread slices with my chicken. I didn't order the slider so I'm content just eating chicken and fries. They need to work on controlling the flies though, was little annoying to have to fight with flies while eating my food inside. read more

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Amazing service here at this location! Super friendly and the food is amazing ! Ordered the tender and slider with Mac n cheese on the side with a strawberry lucky charms milkshake! Yummmmmskiee! Thanks so much Kev the cashier who was very friendly! Will definitely come back for sure! Highly recommended! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Menu - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

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Dave's hot chicken is one of my favorite cheat meals. I had never been to this particular location before. I love the colorful decor outside. Walked inside and it had a funk. Smelled dirty, sort of sewer-ish. I was greeting promptly and ordered my two sliders. I sat on the side of the restaurant. My table was dirty. Only one other person in there at that time. Meal came out promptly and hot. It was great food and good quality. Customer service was on point. Just wish it didn't smell and tables were cleaned. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Music a little too loud? Cashier wearing baggy pants? Did you only receive 5 napkins instead of 6? Most businesses hate Yelp because of how petty people can be in their reviews. Just check out the reviews for this location. This is a fast food restaurant that serves really good hot chicken. It's not the French Laundry, dingbats. The "slider" is bigger than a normal slider and, with fries, is PLENTY of food for a meal. I have a high tolerance for heat and thought the "hot" level was perfect. The slider/sandwich comes with slaw inside, a ton of pickles, and Dave's sauce (sort of like a thousand island dressing). The slider is very satisfying. The fries were crinkle-cut and nicely-seasoned. They could have been a tad crispier but I still ate every last one of them. Throw caution and your diet to the wind and add both the sauce and honey to your slider. They are very generous with dishing out the sauces here and the fries taste great dipped in the sauce, too. The decor inside is on the pretend gritty/edgy side with graffiti and murals. It's colorful and funky. They've got a large outdoor patio, too. And yes, the music is a tad loud. I thought it was perfect for this business. Very good hot chicken sandwiches are sold here. That's what they sell and that's what they deliver. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #4 1 Slider with Fries. It's really good. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

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I really liked the food, even if it was a little expensive. I ordered the 2-slider basket, not realizing that the sliders were pretty big. I ended up taking 1 of the sliders home for later, because they came with crinkle fries. I disassembled it at home, so it wouldn't get soggy, and reheated the bun & chicken in the air fryer, which worked pretty well! I got a chocolate shake to drink. It wasn't an overly strong chocolaty taste, but you could tell that it was made from good ice cream. You can choose your spice level, and they have the special sauce packets and honey packets if you want them. Service was pretty fast, and the line wasn't too long. It was also easy to get a table. This is a busy part of the Target center, so parking can be a challenge. And try not to get run over, because it's right next to a main driveway. A good choice for something like restaurant food, without the hassle of the wait. read more

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Super clean, excellent customer service. The guy at the register was super friendly and helpful when I asked for suggestions. I got the hot but it was just the right amount of spice. The sliders are more like full size sandwiches so I could only eat one! Super filling read more

Are you kidding? You're asking for tips at self checkout? So I do what you used to in order for you to employ less people...and essentially work at the restaurant and you ask for tips? For what? That's insane. I have an idea, pay livable wages, IE charge what you need to in order to do it, and stop asking the general gym chewing public to pay the wages of YOUR employees that's your responsability "Dave". Plus the food is mediocre at the very best. I only tried the "hot" level. It's barely hot and lacking in any flavor. Just a mild heat. read more

Food was really tasty, it was my first time trying the 10 Dave's bites! So good! Kevin the cashier was friendly and helped us out with trying new things off the menu. Space was super clean and the ambiance as always was very cool! Thank you guys for letting us eat inside so late read more

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Still a work in progress. I remember how excited I was after attending their grand opening (ribbon cutting) ceremony. The glitter cannons were exploding, and local VIPs were in attendance But here we are well over a month later and there still major issues with this location. It took thirty minutes (I was third in line) for my order to be ready which gave me a long time to observe how broken this location is. Lack of supervision (supervisors or managers). There was only one cashier on a busy day who had to take orders, deal with food delivery and online orders, messed up orders, angry customers, having to give the crowd the bad news that they temporarily ran out of Dave's sauce?!?, random people with some form of mental illness making ordering difficult for the cashier, etc etc). When the entire staff is in the weeds and there's nobody to help, both staff and customers lose. Is the food any good?? Seeing Chick-fil-A and Cane's are within walking distance and there are TWO epic wings and things locations within 2 miles, Dave's really has to separate themselves. I think they've accomplished that. Their chicken was moist and spicy. I really liked their fries too. Overall the food was good and unique enough to try at least once. - Apparently using a Dave's gift card breaks their POS system. My entire order had to be canceled and re-entered simply because I paid with a gift card. When the cashier rang me up again she missed one of the items from my original order. My bad for not double checking the second order but their gift card process is dumb. - Check your food orders before you leave. Make sure they actually put chicken in your slider!. - As Alex D stated, this place is loud like a bar or club.. read more

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I love their spicy and they give you quality and quantity. Plenty of food. I love that fact they give you a lot of pickles read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken 10 pc. Dave's Bites w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Accessibility: there is one accessible/handicap parking spot directly in front of the building, but other than that the parking situation is very hectic and busy in a parking lot shared with many other businesses. It's honestly a dangerous set up regarding parking because you have to cross a busy street inside the parking lot to get to the entrance and cars drive easy too fast. Inside, all flat ground, wheelchair accessible tables, chairs, and restroom. Only one restroom available though. Experience: food was good, wait wasn't long, but wow I would never eat inside again because the music was so blaring loud. I could not hear the person sitting next to me when they were talking. This was almost like a bar or club setting regarding the music. I asked them to turn it down and they were very nice, turning it down a few notches, but they told me that was the "vibe" of the place so they really couldn't turn it down more. I still could not hear my friend so we had to eat in silence then leave to talk outside. I recommend only getting food to go from this place. read more

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CHECK YOUR FOOD BEFORE YOU LEAVE :) We had been wanting to try the sandwhiches here for a while but it was always packed. We stopped by yesterday and thankfully it wasn't too busy. We ordered 3 meals to go. It was about a 15 minute drive away from us and we didn't check our food before leaving well once we got home a mac and cheese was missing and we had to drive back. Isaac was super kind to my sister and fixed this issue. The reason for one star was the sandwhich honestly wasn't even good it wasn't spicy but more so sweet we had to re heat our soggy food too since it was already cold :/ With the options near between canes, chick fil a and daves it's hard to pick one especially since we hadn't ate Daves before but we won't be back and the food wasn't that great either unfortunately OTHER than the pickles that were amazing! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Food, PICKLES TASTED AMAZING! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

Got the #4 meal combo. Medium spice chicken sandwich. This thing was really good. Medium is not spicy at all but the chicken was tender, crispy on the outside, and really good. The spicy sauce on it made it super tasty, almost delectable Id say. The fries and sauce were kind of dreadful, like a bad copy of Canes and In N Out. However, my partner did enjoy them a lot actually. Its too bad they dont sell just the sandwich. Its a must have! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - yum yums - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

JUICY and HOT in alllll the right ways! I've always wanted to try Dave's but never lived by one & am now so stoked that I do and they are open to serve chicken goodnesssssss. Only thing is they didn't have the milkshakes up and running which is fine because I assume this is the soft opening, but it would really help cool down the tastebuds from the spice. Love the groovy neon lights and murals of the inside although it does get loud when busy. Definitely not a great place for big groups to dine in. Even a group of 6 would feel squished. Received the food in an adequate amount of time, I mean they make it fresh and it is oh so worth it! The seasoning on the chicken is great, the portions are HUGE! When they say "slider" it really just is the size of a normal--maybe even slightly larger than--a chikfila chicken sandwich. I got the Medium spice which was perfect for me. Enough to heat me up but not have me in tears from the spice. I hear you have to sign a waiver if you order the Reaper spice level though. The fries were on point. Perfectly crispy, hot and seasoned. As well the dipping sauce they include for the fries is bomb! And of course I appreciated all the extra pickles they include in the meals, you don't even have to ask for them--that's the best part !!! Will definitely be back and can't wait to maybe try a spicier level when they start serving milkshakes! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Slider closeup (medium) - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California

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Ah yes. Dave's Hot Chicken. My experience with Dave's hot chicken has always been limited to ordering for delivery; however, they recently opened a restaurant in Escondido close by my work. First off, I love the story of how they got started and have since grown. I also like that they feature artist's work in their restaurants as opposed to commercially available generic restaurant art. The food has always been good when I've gotten it via delivery, but today I decided to order online and pick it up to take back to the office. I got the #3 which is a tender and a slider and both were good. I got a mild sandwich and a medium tender just to try the difference between the levels. The chicken was the perfect level of crispy. What I mean is that it wasn't too crispy, or overly breaded, but it wasn't greasy and chewy either. The slaw on the sandwich as well as the fries were also very good. It's nice to see someone besides Del Taco still rocking crinkle-cut fries. I placed my order online through their very user friendly mobile site and the food was ready when I got there to pick it up about 10 minutes later. The lunch really hit the spot especially on a somewhat gloomy day. I realize that I didn't say anything negative about DHC, so why only four stars? Well, there's a Raising Canes about 45 seconds away that offers more or less the same thing (chicken fingers and chicken finger sandwiches). Admittedly, Dave's Hot Chicken tastes way better, but it would be cool if DHC had something unique on their menu that set them apart from Raising Canes, but in the end, I'd rather eat Dave's Hot Chicken. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - #3 combo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Escondido, California