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    Dave's Hot Chicken

    3.9 (212 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Dave's Hot Chicken Takeout or Delivery

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    DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    Reviews With Photos - Dave's Hot Chicken

    Spicy Chicken Sandwich
    Ian D.

    I've been wanting to try this for so long and the food did not disappoint! Service was fast and the interior was really cool! 10/10

    Love me Tender
    Ari J.

    Dave's Hot Chicken is the reigning champion of the new heat era. The tenders are enormous, almost theatrical in size, yet still juicy with a clean Nashville crunch. Extra Hot is the sweet spot, the second to the top, where the spice hits hard but the flavor still shines through. Two tenders à la carte with their slaw is the perfect order. It keeps the focus on the chicken, the heat, and the texture without any unnecessary filler. Their sauce lives in that comeback sauce neighborhood with a creamy sweet tang that plays well with the spice. I still bring my own bleu because hot chicken and bleu is a pairing that deserves more respect, and Dave's heat makes that contrast sing. We watched the chicken sandwich wars heat up about ten years ago. Now the battle has moved to hot chicken, and Dave's is the king. Long live the king.

    Hot tender
    Ro N.

    I kept hearing how good Dave's hot chicken is so I was really looking forward to it. I got a hot tender and mild slides for my wife just to get a taste and see what it was really hitting for. We didn't like it the flavor profile didn't really hit I'm a wings and things type of guy so I was expecting bigg flavor and I didn't really get that. I'm not saying it's bad the chicken was juicy and it was big but it wasn't for me but you should try and see what you think. Fries were on point.

    Inside
    Brisa B.

    LOVE this location. The quality and service is always amazing. They are quick with the food even with a ton of DoorDash orders on top of their own take out orders. The decor inside is colorful and kinda graffiti style! They have kiosks where you can place your order, but I recommend ordering in the app!

    Carla O.

    I had been talking about making chicken tenders at home to my friends and family and turning them into a sandwich because I was really craving one. While shopping in Mission Valley, I happened to spot Dave's Hot Chicken, and I knew right away this was the day to finally try it. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with a friendly smile. I ordered the chicken sandwich and let them know I didn't want it too hot, but not too mild either. The counter girl kindly explained the different heat levels, which I really appreciated. My order came out quickly, and the sandwich was perfect. The spice level was just right, and the chicken was perfectly seasoned, juicy, and crispy, absolutely delicious. Now I completely understand why Dave's Hot Chicken is so popular! It is really that good! A special shout out to the cooks! I don't usually eat deep-fried chicken, but this was totally worth making an exception. Food coma for sure. I appreciated the counter girl and manager as they were professional, kind, and welcoming, and the upbeat music playing in the background, even some fun '50s tunes" made the atmosphere enjoyable. They also offer a fountain drink selection as well as top-loaded shakes, along with sides like French fries, cheese fries, mac and cheese, and kale slaw. I didn't order any sides this time, but I'm sure they're just as tasty as the chicken. If you're craving a delicious chicken sandwich, I highly recommend Dave's Hot Chicken in Mission Valley. You guys are the best! 5+ stars!

    Tender and slider combo
    Eunice H.

    Delicious hot chicken that will be sure to satisfy your cravings! The chicken is flavorful, moist, and meaty! Our combo meal came out piping hot and fresh! We got the extra spicy and it had the perfect amount of spice and heat! Their fries are perfectly crispy and crinkly with a lovely seasoning that is addicting! They serve their chicken with fresh pickles and a delicious creamy sauce as well as with packets of honey! They have chicken tenders, sliders, slaw, Mac n cheese, fries, etc. Service was friendly and efficient and plenty of parking in their lot that's shared with other businesses. Can't wait to try their Carolina reaper spice level next!

    Storefront
    Victor F.

    First time at Dave's. Exceeded expectations. Smiling and welcoming staff. Order was ready within 15 minutes. Portions accurate as advertised. Bold and flavorful chicken. Martin's buns soft. Fries were hot. The only item that was mediocre was the Mac n cheese. Plenty of outside seating. Thank you for the great service Haley!

    My cousin and I order this new meal from Dave's hot chicken yesterday and I was disappointed because it didn't look like how it supposed to look in the picture. Instead we were given this which does not look like how it supposed to false advertisement.

    Elisa N.

    DAVES HOT CHICKEN @ MISSION VALLEY First ever time at this location, and wow this places was packed on a Tuesday! I really enjoyed the colors and the small art details of this place, it was different and such a great look for the brand. The place was TINY, and I mean two tables that are right by eachother. We luckily secured a spot, that was heavily full of sticky honey, and even had trash in the seats (someone's empty eaten food), the staff didn't bare to clean a table or anything. We ordered two combos & a strawberry lemonade slushie. Slushie came immediately, more on the watery side but it was good for what it was. The food took FOREVER. I mean atleast 30 minutes passed by. There was ONE WORKER, dealing with to-go orders, in-person orders, AND helping out people who needed those small things (honey, etc). I was shocked of how tragic this management was leaving one guy working a HEAVY shift. I attached a photo of the place, it was PACKED. My boyfriend were furious, we felt so bad for the worker, he looked like he was just done. We started guessing which one our food was, since at this point, the worker was moving SO SLOWLY. We saw our food, and the receipt of it that we knew was ours. The worker started bagging it, and then a customer came to order on the tablet, lo and behold, he put out food on the side. Guess what? More people starting ordering in person to him, so our food was just COLD, sitting in the side half put into a bag. At this point, my boyfriend and I wanted to just grab it ourselves. Everyone else in the place was furious, seeing their orders be half packaged then stopped. After 30 minutes, we finally got our food that was cold. Pretty depressing of an interaction. I wish the place was larger, there were people against our tables while we were eating. Couldn't blame them, there was no space in here. Parking was free and out front. Overall, I would not recommend this location or this place. I hope the management hires more people to help workers during the week, it gets busy!

    Steve Y.

    My first time to eat, enjoy and appreciate Dave's Hot Chicken. I got the spicy one, but it is so goooood with Dave's special sauce! Gotta go back for more!

    Pick it up
    Panda K.

    This place is super tiny inside,. Its not really a Daves a we know it's more like an airport express kinda version. Even without a lot of humans here when I got her, It did not end that way this place was out the door line. Not a great location for the brand but hey. they are doing something right. The staff here is A+ and the are super great. They move like bees. Whats also cool is the customer base really knows what they want to order. it took 52 minutes to get a side of fries standing inside ordering. this is a great opportunity to study efficiency. split the kitchen 1 person do in house orders the others do all the call in.

    Checking in
    Kevin M.

    Dave's hot chicken has real good food and and drinks. My chicken tenders and my girlfriend's mini sliders were real tasty and the added cheese was a good touch in our fries and chicken. Definitely ask for Dave's sauce as it's free! We also had their strawberry lemonade slushie which was real good. However, the inside was very small and tight. There was a big rush of people coming in and it made things crowded and chaotic. No real place to stand and if you want to sit and eat, seating inside is limited to 3 areas (2 tables and a couple seats at a bar style high top table facing the wall. There was outdoor seating but is only good during warmer months. Parking is free and available and they have one gender neutral one person bathroom which was clean. Although there was a rush, the workers were real kind and attentive to people coming in and asking questions. They even had kiosks to order your food without needing to go to the register. Overall good but would rather order ahead and do take out.

    Slider and Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries
    Melissa L.

    My second time trying Dave's. We ordered a slider and a tender with fries - all mild. The chicken was really moist and well seasoned; the fries crispy! Tbh the food is good, but idk if it's worth the hype ? Personal preference but I got bored of the flavor bc the same seasoning that's on the chicken, is on the fries. And the sauce on the slider is the same sauce they give you for dipping. I went during lunch time so I understand why the service took a while to get food. We dined in and all the tables were nasty and sticky so we wiped it down first.

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    3 months ago

    Amazing food! Workers were nice and the restaurant itself is just so cool with all the decorations that literally blew my mind.

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    5 months ago

    I don't eat fried food but the chicken was very good and it doesn't even taste to fried tbh, was good

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    3 months ago

    Cloe is very sweet and listened to my concerns, will be returning, thanks everyone for accommodating and good customer service.

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    4 months ago

    Emiliano was very helpful and attentive! Great vibes and service! And of course, the chicken is delicious as always.

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    Dave's Hot Chicken Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - Dave's Hot Chicken

    Emiliano was the one who took my order and even recommended stuff that was extremely tasty, the inside of the restaurant was decorated nicely and the ambiance was amazing!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Food was amazing! Came out quick and fresh…read more Went out for lunch with my coworkers and everything was great.

    I was on jury duty today and I wanted to have some Shawarma so I looked up on yelp and found the…read moreK-pop shop was about a 20 minute walk away. The menu was a bit confusing, but I know that I like grilled veggies and Greek salad and then Ike was able to pick my protein that I wanted so that seemed easy enough. The base price with falafel or chicken Shawarma was Close to $16 but since I chose the meat, they added two dollars to my total. It took about 10 minutes for them to assemble my meal, but my veggies were cooked fresh on the stove, which was really nice. They tasted very freshly cooked just as they would as if I had cooked them myself at home. I was there about 1245 on a Monday and there were a few people there and they had some takeout orders so my order took about 10 minutes before I could walk out the door with it. They had a nice condiment bar where you could pick out some yogurt with dill sauce and then they're famous garlic yogurt sauce, as well as a jalapeño sauce And another spicy hot one that I would never try. When I got back to the jury room to eat my meal, I saw that there was a nice quantity of the fresh salad and the grilled vegetables but the meat was piled high! The employees were working efficiently and the place was spotless and orderly.

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    HillCrust Pizza

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    I don't say this lightly HillCrust serves the best pizza I've ever had. From the first bite, it was…read moreclear this place is on a different level. The flavors were bold, fresh, and perfectly balanced in a way that's hard to find anywhere else. But let's talk about the crust, because it truly deserves its own moment. It was absolutely incredible the kind of crust that makes you rethink every pizza you've had before. The texture, the chew, the flavor all dialed in to perfection. And the drinks menu? Solid selection that paired beautifully with the food. Whether you're grabbing take out or sitting down, they've got you covered. HillCrust isn't just a pizza spot it's an experience. Highly recommend to anyone who takes their pizza seriously. I'll definitely be back!

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    We heard about Shawarma guys from YT featuring best food spots in San Diego. We went to their South…read morePark branch. We were initially aiming for the crispy shawarma however only Mira Mesa and La Mesa does it. So I guess that's next on our list! The wraps were unexpectedly big! This is probably the biggest wrap I ever had! Generous with meat and veggies. Their wagyu egg rolls are definitely must have! Falafel fries is really good too! All of these perfectly paired with their garlic sauces. My favorite is spicy lemon garlic! The staff are very knowledgeable about their menu. It's a food truck set up and there's mini standing tables for alfresco dining. SG was definitely lived up to the title #1 restaurant in the country on Yelp!

    Came here on a Wednesday night around 8:30pm. I ordered online in advance and just waited outside…read morefor my order. There were plenty of parking spots around this time. Not really an ambience since there's not much as far as a dining room. There are a couple of cocktail tables where you could eat. After ordering online at 20:20pm, my estimated pick up time was 8:39pm and got the order at 9:03pm. The cashier informed me their chicken is taking a while and added extra time to the wait. It probably would've been faster if they weren't so backed up. I ordered the Wagyu beef and chicken shawarma plate for me and my wife to share. I added 3 falafels and pita bread on top of it. The food was still fresh when I got home 15 mins later. Everything was good and just enough for us two. Also, I'm not sure why there's a range of where they may be located on Yelp since this is just a food truck that seems to be permanent at this location.

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    Falafel Plate ($13) comes w/ yellow rice, hummus, tabouli and pita bread
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    Dave's Hot Chicken - chickenshop - Updated July 2026

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