Chicken so succulent you would think you're under WATER!!! Seasoned like someone life depended on it. Chicken was delicious at every bite. Tender and juicy just like my wife WOOO. Inside it was blazing hot. But what do you expect . There ain't supposed to be good lighting in a scary movie and there will always be a busted AC system at a banging chicken spot. FIHHH STAHGG read more

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I'd heard a lot of good things about Dave's Hot Chicken, so I was excited to finally give it a try. I ordered the #3, which comes with a chicken sandwich and tenders. The food itself was great. It was fresh, flavorful, and definitely lived up to the hype. Unfortunately, everything else was disappointing. I came in with my son thinking we'd be in and out in about 10 to 15 minutes. Instead, we waited 37 minutes for a very basic order with no modifications. While we were waiting, multiple larger groups who also ordered at the self-service kiosks after me received their food first. These weren't mobile orders or delivery pickups. The restaurant has a customer order status screen, so I eventually went up to ask what was going on. From where I was standing, I could also see the kitchen's order screen with timers showing each ticket's status. My order was still sitting untouched. It was pretty obvious they had simply forgotten about it. After I brought it up, it still took another 15 minutes to get our food. There was no apology, no acknowledgment, nothing. The layout of this location doesn't help either. It's extremely cramped. The self-order kiosks are right next to the entrance, so people waiting to order constantly block the doorway. As they move around, they end up crowding the drink station and condiment area too. The whole flow of the restaurant feels poorly designed and chaotic. The food deserves the praise it gets, but the service and the logistics at this location completely overshadowed the experience. I might order takeout again, but I definitely won't be dining in here. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

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We love their chicken sliders! Usually order their chicken slider and their two tender meals with medium heat. It's got quite a kick! Plenty of food at a reasonable price too. Love their crunchy seasoned fries as well. Many times that I've been there, the line is out the door. A lot of people order online as well. We waited for over half an hour for our orders the last time we were there. Everyone working there is pretty nice, especially the lady taking the orders. Small location with limited seating inside but there are lots of outdoor seating available. read more

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The chicken sliders are to die for!! This Dave's location never disappoints. It can get super busy here so try to get in early or after the rush. Service is still pretty fast even if it's busy which is a huge plus. Their employees are friendly and have really good customer facing skills which I can't say for a lot of other food vendors. Highly recommend checking out this Dave's in Mira Mesa! read more

Good tasting food makes this a great place to stop in for lunch or dinner. Super spicy if you want! Always fresh. I just had it yesterday. Service is good. Restaurant could use some better seating and have a place laid out to wait for your order. It's a bit cramped when waiting. But food is always good. read more

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Came to Dave's Hot Chicken for the first time today. I waited about 15 mins to get my order, & it wasn't very busy. But wow. I quickly figured out that this stuff is freshly made to order. AND it's REALLY good!!! I was so pleasantly surprised! I really like the simple menu too. Very nice people working here as well. Get some! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #2. 2 Sliders w/ Fries. These are huge for sliders. & they taste great! - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place gets busy! But the employees' morale and customer service was great for such a busy place. This location is near Miramar College so this place was poppin' with college kids at lunchtime. The food was great, but the location is tiny and only has a few indoor tables. The outdoor dining area is nice, but today it was so windy and cold that it made it hard to enjoy our meal outside. We would've preferred to sit inside. I loved my Hot Cauliflower sliders, level Hot. P.s. it comes with a side of Dave's sauce which i think is enough. No need to ask for the extra packet. I ended up never using it. I will always add one pscket of honey in the hot cauliflower and one ketchup ozcket to my fries though. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cauli Daves #4: 1 Cauli Slider with Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

10-27-25 Loved the background music, very upbeat! It made the meal more enjoyable. As for the food, I liked it (tried it at PB location) so much that I was the one who suggested to my friend to eat here. Not only I recommended it, but I also enjoyed it even though it was fried food, very surprising. First time being at this location; our experience was chicken licking good! Service: Staff welcomed us with a greeting once we entered the door. They also kept the restroom and dining area clean. Ordered: -Dave's #2 $14.99 S- mild S- lite mild read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - 10-27-25 Dave's #2: 2 Sliders w/ Fries $14.99 - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for chicken strips and was assisted by Cris. She greeted me with a smile and her customer service was warm and inviting. Place was nice and clean. Thank you! read more

Great menu selection. You can order at the counter, kiosk, or online. This time, I got it online and it was already at the pick up time. The chicken tenders are crispy and moist. The on can pick your spice level. Their crinkles fries are good and I appreciate that it's not soggy. Get their Mac and cheese if you can. Good flavor and cheesy. Great staff as well. read more

Dave's is conveniently open late, and service and food has always been consistent for pickup or kiosk orders. I think it can be a bit pricey for some items, but it is a solid late night option for Mira Mesa fast food or if you're craving hot chicken. You are able to customize your spice levels per item as well as side options which i appreciate! read more

Note: Delivery review only Their tenders and sandwiches are crispy, flavorful and juicy. One of the best things about Dave's is their sauce and pickles!! If you like pickles, it adds such a nice crunch and cuts the oily-ness of the food. I also like that their fries are a wavy fry, I do wish that their fries were a bit crispier. Overall, their food is pretty solid. Great choice for a casual meal. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Never disappoints - food is absolutely delicious and consistent. Always find myself coming back here. Highly recommended.

Came back to Dave's last night and really enjoyed it. It's nice that they were open late and there was a lot of people there. Definitely a good sign. We ordered a couple of orders of chicken tenders (two no spice, one lite mild and one mild) and they were all really good. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was delicious. My favorites were the lite mild ones and I will get these again. read more

Once again perfection! Just how you should start December ;) I ordered the usual number 1 with kale slaw no fries, medium drink and extra hot tender. Chicken tender are tender and juicy. The flavor is on spot again! Thank you Maricris for your warm and friendly smile even during busy hours. The music is too loud. Asked the other lady Nia, if it's ok if she could turn down volume a notch and she did. She was nice too. Thank u! read more

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Came into this location on a Monday afternoon for lunch. The staff were friendly and helpful, first time I mixed the sauce with honey, per the employees' suggestion (10/10 would recommend). Ordered the Slider/Tender combo, both hot. Chicken was perfectly cooked, fries were tasty. I enjoy spicy food, and "hot" was the perfect temp to get some spice, but not unbearable. With tip, no drink, I spent $18. There's plenty of food in there to keep most people full. Unfortunately there's not a ton of seating in this location. I think two 4-tops and one 2-top. So keep that in mind read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

I recently tried Dave's Hot Chicken and it was honestly really good. The mozzarella sticks were amazing, super crispy on the outside and perfectly cheesy on the inside. Definitely a must-order if you go. For the chicken, I recommend getting the Medium heat. I tried the Hot level and it was burning my whole mouth. Lol, so medium is a much better balance of flavor and spice. Another nice touch is that the meal comes with bread, which helps balance out the spice and makes the meal feel more complete. The place gets pretty crowded so I recommend ordering online. Service was great! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Omg this was my first time trying Dave's hot chicken. It was amazing. I got the hot one tender and sandwich combo and it was actually hot( I love spicy food and everything that says spicy is not actually spicy iykyk). read more

food is good per usual, service is slow, but you can tell it's because they're so busy. 12 ppl in the store and they were still being kind and helpful. also the wall art is dope. read more

Came here and was amazed by the customer service! So refreshing to go to a Dave's that doesn't have a long wait. Staff is very friendly, food was delicious per usual. read more

So I FINALLY gave in to the hype and tried Dave's for the first time last night because I'm getting my wisdom teeth out on Thursday and I was thinking about what foods I wanted to eat before my surgery. Of course everyone talks about Dave's but I just lived in Atlanta for 3 1/2 years and never got into fried chicken but maybe because I don't eat things on the bone. Anyway, tbh the commercial came on and the location 2 min from us is open late so I ordered 1 medium slider and 1 hot slider. Definitely hot was better, I have a high spice tolerance so the medium was flavorless imo but the hot was great. I don't like crinkly fries so I can't attest to those but the mac and cheese is also delicious. We ordered online for pickup and I approached the counter just as Z was packing up my order. I told him it was my first time so he gave me extra sauce and honey packets, recommending I mix them. He was spot on!! Thanks Z! Anyway, I resisted for so long bc I thought $5 for a tender w/ Texas toast and a slider for $7 was expensive but it's really a terrific deal considering the size, flavor and quality. I'll be back once I'm able to chew again! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Slides cheese fries and mac and cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Hate me all you want, but Dave's is just not as mind-blowing as the massive hype makes it out to be. ​Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid 4-star spot, which is why I've been here many times. The chicken sandwiches are genuinely good, and their biggest selling point is definitely the extreme spice variability--the heat options and menu variety are excellent. ​That said, it's well on the pricier side for what you're getting. Also, do yourself a favor and skip the mac and cheese. It's completely ordinary and honestly stupidly expensive for how small the portion size is. This location specifically is always clean and the staff are nice and helpful. It is a solid 4 star spot. read more

A true 5 star experience from Kenny giving excellent suggestions and flavor options, to the hot and crispy chicken, and just the general cleanliness and vibe of the place. A great 10:00 feast. read more

I rarely review chain restaurants but hot damn, Dave's makes some damn good hot chicken. It's common to find the lines out the door here and the wait to be more than you'd expect for a take out joint. The spicy levels seem to be on the more cautious side and I'd recommend bumping up a level if you want the heat. read more

The food amazing and came out fresh and hot. Perfect spice level and the vibe is amazing

Food is good but the wait is pretty long. They recently got kiosks to order on which is sooo helpful but after ordering I still waited 20 min for my order. I ordered the two sliders with fries, one mild and one medium. Sliders: 5/5 - I added Dave's sauce and honey Fries: 4/5 - a little soggy read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Counter - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

I really shouldn't love Dave's Hot Chicken as much as I do but they consistently impress me with the freshness and flavor of their chicken sliders and French fries. The staff at this location are always friendly and helpful even when it super busy. I usually order ahead on the app so I can avoid the wait (there's usually a full lobby of ppl waiting for their food otherwise). There's limited seating inside the restaurant itself but there's an outdoor area to sit as well for the plaza. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Deliciousness in every bite. Worth every calorie. Added cheese, extra sauce, honey amd ranch. Medium not very spicy has a small kick towards the end. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - I added extra sauce, cheese, honey and ranch. - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

I love Dave's Hot Chicken! The staff at this location are really nice and attentive. Their portions are huge as well and the chicken is always crispy / flavorful. Whenever I am craving hot chicken I want Dave's! read more

*This is an updated review, not influenced, I paid for the whole meal myself (like I do in every review, but I wanted to make it clear since I gave a terrible review last time & the manager reached out to me, but I just ignored them)* I returned for a second try of Dave's. I was in the neighborhood after getting my flu shot at CVS, and I thought I deserved a savory treat. Taste-wise, there is a clear improvement in flavor since the last time I visited. The chicken itself is tender. The batter is coated with seasoning that conveys just the right amount of heat. The bread was soft and fluffy. I love the beautifully seasoned crinkle cut fries. I really enjoyed Dave's sauce, which has more sweetness than the average hot chicken restaurant and was a great condiment for the fries. Price is great for the portion size! I ordered the 2 sliders with fries combo for $13.99. The amount of chicken is greater than compared to that of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and the price is quite comparable (if y'all relied on Popeyes for your fried chicken needs prior to the arrival of Dave's). Parking is a huge free lot. Definitely order from their website before you arrive because the wait time can be a bit long. The inside of the restaurant is pretty crowded, mostly with people loitering while awaiting their food. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - 2 sliders with fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Probably the worst Dave's hot chicken I've been to in SoCal. Both times we came here, the wait after ordering was around 25 min and our food came out warm. The fries weren't even hot? For a medium the chicken could've been spicer. There aren't a lot of tables, it's just crowded in there with people who are waiting for orders. In San Diego, the best location is the one in pacific beach. Pb location has fast service and the food always comes out PIPING HOT! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - tenders - Chicken Shop Near Me - San Diego, California

Several items left out of my order. Didn't give me sauce or the drink i ordered. Not the level of service I'm used to at this location.

Soo good ! This was my first time my daughter and I tried Dave's Hot Chicken and we were not disappointed. When we arrived it was a few people inside but not crowded. There's the option of ordering with the staff or ordering on the kiosk which was pretty cool to see. There's even an area for online orders. The space seemed clean and primarily for Carryout although there were a few tables for those looking to dine in. There's a list of different spice levels depending on how "hot" you want your chicken. There's only three tables but again it wasn't crowded so there was an empty table available. I'm not sure how it is during their super busy times but we arrived around 730pm on a Saturday. My daughter tried the mild slider while I had the mild slider and tenders and my mom ordered the slider meal with No spice. We ordered and received our food in about 10-15 minutes. My daughter described her food as "so delicious not spicy to me but I can see how it could be spicy to somebody else" shes only 8 but loves spicy food so this maybe her new favorite spot. The food tasted freshly prepared, well seasoned and overall delicious ! I'm so happy my meal came with a slice of bread because the mold had a lil kick to it that calmed with the yummy toast The fries were soo good and the cheese was an added bonus to the flavor of the fries. We ordered 3 meals with an extra tender which came to a total of $45. We will definitely be returning. read more

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This place has become a staple in my family - it's our go-to when we want to eat out. Dave's will always have a special place in my heart. Love the people that work here too, so friendly and welcoming. read more

The staff of this location was very organized and efficient in their work. I was also impressed with the well maintained restroom despite the heavy traffic. Although the flavor wasn't as impressive in my opinion, it was well prepared and received at a perfect temperature. Overall, a good place to try if you're craving chicken tenders and fries. read more

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Amazing service and food and service and food and good environment and good food and good tables and drinks very good good good good

It was our first time trying this restaurant. Ordered 2 sliders and fries. We absolutely loved it. They have flavorful sauces and option to choose spice levels. I highly recommend this place. Service was good. Nice ambiance, convenient location. Great food!!! We'll definitely visit again. read more

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

There, chicken sliders spicy are amazing. It's everything I want in a chicken sandwich. The wait is quite long, but I'm willing to wait for it. It's that good no drive-through that's a real bummer. I'm still willing to wait for it in line. It's that good. Staff is really nice. read more

Before watching a movie, my friend invited me to try Dave's Hot Chicken in Mira Mesa. The place is unique, not very big pace but it has spacious tables and chairs outside. However, it's not ideal for winter evenings since it's open. The staff was friendly and helped me decide what to order even from the sauces. I got the tender and slider with fries, which were delicious! I loved that you can choose the spice level for the chicken, I went with mild. The strawberry lemonade, though, wasn't great since it was mostly ice, so I ended up drinking water instead. Overall, the meal was nice, and my tummy was happy. read more

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My daughter and I have been wanting to come here for the longest time and somehow never did, considering it's in our neighborhood. Well, this past week we finally gave it a try. The place was packed! We both ordered Dave's #1 combo (hot) which came with 2 tenders and fries. One of the employees, Kai, was very friendly and quick in preparing our order. It's nice to see that fast food places like this have great customer service! The restaurant's decor is kinda wild with a space chicken theme. There are some tables inside and outside for dining, but most of the orders were for take out. They have special combos or you can order individual items. Hot boxes are also available to feed a large crowd. We ordered ours to go and ate it at home. The chicken was super juicy and the skin very crispy and bold in flavor. "Hot" was just the right amount of heat for us. Note: We can handle spicy. If you don't typically eat spicy food, then you may want to consider ordering "medium." Two thumbs up, we'll be back! read more

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