Had the chance to recently visit Dave's Hot Chicken in Santa Maria. I'd been to the San Luis Obispo location previously but didn't get in a review...so here are some thoughts. Both restaurants were clean in appearance and prompt in their ordering counter customer service. Suggestions were made by Jolene (Cashier/Associate) regarding "the heat" levels one could select...and if you haven't been before, the edification should be welcomed. I ordered 2 Single Sliders (one "not hot" and one "medium"...both without pickles). Total for 2 Sliders w/tax $15.20. Okay so, the Sliders were yummy (5/5) but even though the Chicken hung over the bread/bun...they seemed to be on the smaller side. I don't know why (except I've order plenty of Chicken Sandwiches from other local eateries) but the Sliders weren't as satiating as a "meal" on their own. Perhaps I was expecting too much...after all, they are clearly labeled as "sliders" (not sandwiches) on the menu boards. With the tab being over $15 dollars, I also felt the Slider(s) a bit lacking in the "value" factor. No cutting it in half for a second meal...oh well. I'm not complaining though about the Sliders taste, they (at least my Medium) was delicious. So...will I revisit Dave's Hot Chicken, probably...I'll just order a Dave's #1,2,3 or 4 (Slider/Tenders with sides) instead. On this occasion, in this Yelper's opinion Dave's Hot Chicken in Santa Maria truly earned (cleanliness, customer service and quality of food) a definite "recommend" 4 Star review. read more

See all

"Messed up" is an understatement... My girlfriend (vegetarian) wanted the cauliflower nacho fries. They weren't on the website, DoorDash or the app (as a menu item or substitution) - I called and after they repeatedly told me it was a "substitute option" and that "other customers order it" they just said my only option was to come in. I had to send my dad to go get it - he stood in line, ordered them off a notepad I prepared, he comes back to drop off the food in between his lunch and my girlfriend spit it out mid bite. Chicken. No one is mad or angry at this point. Since I was just on the phone with the store, I called back and "Joleine" answered and couldn't have been a less compassionate store manager. Spoke over me 5+ times, repeated that "i could've ordered online" (like that wasn't my first option) and with all the power of the Dave's Hot Chicken store manager within her she came to the conclusion "there's nothing else I can do" since we threw out the food immediately. I didn't want a refund, I simply called to notify them that they messed up and to make sure this didn't happen to anyone else. I would've NEVER have left a bad review, I love Dave's and have been a customer since Location #1, I've met Dave, Arman and Tommy - amazing people. Amazing company overall. I'm only writing b/c it's my only recourse for wasting hard earned time and money only to get heartlessly shooed away by Joeline. When she told me she was the manager my jaw dropped. That experience was bad enough to get me to write my first yelp review in 6 years. Please do better for the next person. PS: If management sees this, Do not contact me. Do not try to refund me or apologize please - your manager made it clear that's not how things are done on her watch today. Take the L and improve. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

AWESOMELY AWESOME! Thank you Alissa for being so AWESOME in taking our order. The food is amazing, crispy, tender, and juicy. The ambiance was the BEST and made the experience. Keep up the good work. See you soon! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Wifel grubbing on the best Dave's hot chicken mac & cheese meal - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

Always fabulous! Love Dave's Hot Chicken. I could eat here everyday! Service is always wonderful and that Kale Slaw is soooo yummy! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

This is the second time we've been to this Dave's location within a month. I've been to a few others in the past as I'm from the Bay Area and we did not receive the same hospitality that we did at this Santa Maria location. Me and my wife had the pleasure of meeting Jolene, who greeted us at the front counter. She was pleasant, informative, kind and even checked on us and other patrons while she cleared and wiped down tables, something we're not used to after visiting other locations. The #4 with the fries were good and I always recommend drizzling honey on the sandwich . We'll be back, thanks again, Jolene! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #4 1 Slider with Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Visited my hometown this summer and noticed this restaurant were another one used to be. Let's just say I had this almost everyday I was there! And just found out there's one here in Omaha too, which both good and dangerous for me!! Can quite remember which order this is but it was delicious. Hence why I had it almost everyday I was there! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

First time and I Ordered through Mobile App- food was prepped and packaged tightly and was ready by the time I got there. Quick pick up. Food was still fresh and sandwiches were juicy. We got the mild chicken sandwiches, Mac n cheese and side of fries with Dave's sauce. Gotta say 8/10, will come back! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #2 - 2-Sliders with Mac N cheese, also a side of fries ( not pictured) - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

I brought my kids here for dinner, and they ordered the mac and cheese. We were served loaded fries instead. When I brought it back, I was told that we had ordered the fries. I said " loaded mac and cheese when ordering. The reason we came was specifically for the mac and cheese. By the time the issue was addressed, we only received a small portion of fries with a few bites of mac and cheese that wasn't even visible I had to dig in for them. Overall, I was disappointed with how the situation was handled and with the customer service experience was ruined for me and kids. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

They need an option for 0 stars. I understand if you are having a bad day. But as an employee (Manager) mind you, if a customer comes in and ask if they can get something as simple as utensils or sauces... seriously. Don't be rude! That's disrespectful and unprofessional! Do not state that You personally packed an order and know something is in the bag. To act childish and act aggressively grabbing things is not ok! Thank you for making a client upset to the point of crying over the stressful discussion over condiments. read more

Great, fresh food. Prices that make sense. Unbelievably good service from the most friendly staff I've encountered in years. This place has it all, and I recommend it without reservation. read more

My partner has gotten this for me a few times and while it was alright, I have several other chicken places in the area that I feel are better. The food is overly salted and very greasy in my opinion. Also the prices are pretty high imho. I would skip. read more

Great chicken! I ordered the medium and they were delicious. Very large tenders. I Will definitely come back for more soon. Great service too! read more

Very busy but still delivered. Excellent customer service and very friendly staff. Chicken was on point, fries is crispy. 8/10 read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - 2 sliders with crinkle cut fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Eliza is super sweet! Amazing food and great service, always my go to for lunch! Mac n cheese loaded buffalo fries with an extra side of Mac and Diet Coke! read more

Had placed an order over the app, and had a bit of a technical difficulty. The manager was so kind and helpful, and help me fix the issue. Got my delicious chicken sandwiches on medium spice and loved every bite! read more

Actually a new and big fan of Dave's Hot Chicken! I went back twice in one week! As someone who absolutely HATES coleslaw I was scared to order the sliders as is. SO GLAD I did! It's just different. The first time I went I got the slider and tender combo (both spice level hot). The slider was SO GOOD that I was bummed I didn't get a second. The solo tender was good, but after the amazing slider, it felt like it was lacking. It was good...but boring in comparison (especially because I did NOT love the house sauce - I also absolutely hate thousand island dressing so...). The chicken was hot and juicy! The second time I went, I split the sliders (spice level hot) and a side of Mac and Cheese with my bf. The sandwich was delicious again. It's fresh, tangy, almost reminds me of like Asian-fusion chicken sandwich. The crisp cabbage, the sweeter sauce, and the spicy chicken. It was delicioussss again. The inside was clean, complete with colorful "graffiti" walls. The service was mediocre the first time I went - the cashier was semi-distracted with a friend. But the second time I went it was as expected. Nothing out of this world, nothing terrible. I wouldn't have mentioned anything about it because of how average it was, but that's what makes a well-rounded review, so I am :) read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Slider, fries, and mac and cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

I'm grateful that we have Nashville hot chicken, and I have eaten Dave's many times throughout the years, even back when they were getting there start in East Hollywood. This location is super clean, the food is always great, and I plan on eating here many times every year. Their staff is always great too! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Tastes like FALAFEL! Tried this place today. Parking was tough, but I found a spot. Cashier was friendly, courteous, nice. Placed my order of a slider medium heat level, and a drink. In a bout 4 minutes, they called my number! First impression: the buns were cold and damp! Why do you do this, Dave's? These should be warm and toasted. The breading on the chicken is the dominant aspect, not the chicken. It tasted of cumin and moreover, like a falafel if you've had that. If you've had a falafel sandwich at King Falafel, it's a lot like that! The heat level (I chose medium) was ok. Kinda like Popeye's hot but slightly less. The drinks: They have that awesome ice! Loved it! They also have sweet green tea! Whoa! I tried it. Pretty good! Given the choice, I choose this place over Raising Cane's which has zero flavor. read more

See all

Recently came to try out the tenders here at Dave's. I had the #3 Hot. My kids also had the hot tenders. Which they thought were spicy & they like spicy. I think next time they'll get the medium heat. I liked the seasoning they put on the crispy fries. The sauce that was on the side was good. If you like strips with or without spicy. They give you pretty decent sized tenders. read more

First and foremost, this is a new place. Give it a few weeks to work out the kinks. That said, I have tried the one in SLO and the new one in santa maria and the food is great. The big difference is that the SLO location has it down and consistent while SM still has work to do. The building itself is nice, no real complaints but parking in that whole area is a pain. Servers were friendly and they have a solid system going for orders. They did forget the sauce i paid for but small mistake. The fries are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and actually have flavor. Some other places have the blandest fries, non issue here. The chicken is cooked to temp and is juicy and tender, good size as well. The problem comes with the spice level. The medium in SLO is perfect, good kick but not burn your mouth hot. The one here is not spicy at all. Not sure what the issue is but the next step up (hot) is on the opposite spectrum. Hopefully they figure it out because it goes from nothing to really hot in one step. That said, the flavor is good. A little more slaw and daves sauce would be nice as well but overall it's good chicken. I highly recommend you trying but just know that there will be some things that are a work in progress. Also, the pricing is actually pretty good for the portion and flavor, there's another local place that is bland and tenders small as a pencil. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - tender slider combo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

It was my first time visit, though sliders were delicious, the service was exceptional! Ladies were very nice. Yasmin was super friendly.

Don't get me wrong, Dave's Hot Chicken is good. But this location is so incredibly inconsistent. It's almost as if they do it on purpose just to mess with people. Ordered a Hot #1....so extremely hot couldn't even enjoy it. Also ordered a Hot 2 piece tenders at the same time...not even as spicy, spice level was as it should be. How is that possible? Makes you wonder. When we first tried this location, the Hot wasn't spicy at all. Had to even go up to reaper. Now the Hot is like reaper status. Does not make sense at all. Wont be coming to this location again. read more

I love Dave's hot chicken, they have tasty, fresh tasting chicken.. I love there tenders and fries are a perfect match to go with them.. Greatvservice attentive and smiling . I'm always down for Dave's hot chicken! Must try if u haven't read more

It was my second time coming in to this establishment. I was met with a welcoming hello from Jolene at the front desk. We watched her multi task with precision as she greeted everyone coming in. The food was excellent I loved everything. I highly recommend going to this place and say hello to Jolene she was amazing. read more

The prices are amazing for how lovely and filling this burger alone was. I love that there is many spice levels for both those who are non and lovers to spice. The works were kind and they seemed to be all be friends so it gave a very friendly social environment. read more

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

Worst chicken place you can go to, it's pure trash. Could not even tell I was eating chicken as it was so dry and tasteless. Plus it's expensive and the combo doesn't even come with a drink. I seriously could have gone to the grocery store and got a frozen bag of chicken tenders and made it myself at home, and would have been a lot better than this poor excuse for a chicken fast food place, never again. Even if someone wanted to buy it for me I would say no thank you. Not sure how this place stays in business or who comes back here to be punished again after having it the first time. Maybe someone who has Covid and has lost their sense of taste? read more

I consider this Dave's Hot on the average spectrum. Reason being it just wasn't flavorful enough for the chicken itself. The pickles, signature sauce, and fries were solid. Lastly, I definitely think this place is worth a try, just isn't one of my personal faves. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

I tried to wait a few weeks- but once I heard this branch makes cauliflower items, I was in! It took me a minute to decide on a 6 bite med spice cauliflower bites & a single tender hot spice. I took it to go- the cauliflower was crispy perfection. Maybe even a bit overdone, but perfect spice- great with sauce/pickle! My tender was perfect- spicy, crunchy and my mouth is still scortched the crew was nice and the place was humming. Negative? Everything in my bag was covered in smudged red handprints- my containers were red from being closed and put in bag. NO BIGGIE! Welcome to Santa Maria Dave's! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Perfect cauliflower bite! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

I will have to admit the chicken was good alot better than I expected. I ordered a chicken slider hot flavor and believe me it was hot. The portion size for the slider was a lot bigger than a regular size slider as traditional with a beef burger. I recommend it and would most likely go there again. read more

IWas not a fan at all. Chicken was oily the seasoning i picked was terrible very powdery and flavorless ! The fries were good and so were the pickles. I gave it a 3 for the fries and i was beeing nice. Mac and cheese ..pasta was over cooked. read more

See all

Today is the second day ordering Dave's Hot Chicken in Santa Maria. The first day our order was a disaster. We had food missing from the order. No big deal, but just an inconvenience to drive back there to pick up what we were missing. Tonight we ordered a couple meals and decided to try the cauliflower version on one order along with the cauliflower bites. We had asked the person at the counter to please check our order to make sure we have everything because of what occurred the other day. We get home and guess what our order was wrong again. The cauliflower bites were delicious but somehow got pieces of chicken mixed in. The cauliflower slider was chicken instead. I do not know how this could happen if a piece of chicken looks different from a cauliflower slider. Other than the mix up of items in our orders both times, the food was tasty. I recommend trying this place, just pay attention to your items when you get them. If you can eat there, that may be the best option because you can get your order fixed on the spot instead of having surprises when you get home. I hope with more training and attention to detail this location will be a good spot to eat at. Until then check your food. read more

I enjoyed visiting this restaurant and I must say that those were the huge chicken breast that I have had in a long time, tender, and juicy. It is really cool how you can pick the level of spiciness for the chicken.! I tried the mild heat as a reference point. Maybe next time I will try a different level of heat. The service was relatively fast, although it took more than five minutes to have my order ready, I would say about 15 minutes. I didn't think about ordering beforehand, but I know of people that were picking up their orders and the process seemed relatively fast. I enjoyed eating the chicken tender with fries and I must say that the chicken was juicy and the fries were crunchy, satisfying so! Maybe I am my newbie and it shows in the fact that I did not know what to do with the slices of bread that were used in the tray way, keeping the grease from the fried chicken breast to seep into the paper. I saw videos of people trying items on YouTube, but they were all eating sandwiches. Please enlighten me in terms of what to do with the bread that is served with the chicken tenders. I didn't have room to eat after I was done with the fries and the soda. There was plenty of room inside the restaurant with many tables to sit at. I hope to go back and try a different level of spiciness! read more

Friendly staff, quick service and dependable quality. Love the music and atmosphere. I got the two slider combo which is more than enough for my husband and I. I always go with medium because I love spice without pain. Haven't gotten brave enough for hotter. read more

One of the very few fast food places I still give my business to. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. The food is always hot and tasty and most of all it is CONSISTENT. Daves blows all the other chicken spots in town out of the water by a large margin. read more

Food is good but the service was excellent! Ruth is great and very helpful and cares about your experience!!! Ruth made it a five star experience! read more

My sons favorite! After appointments this is where we go. Service is good and staff are friendly.

Marissa was so patient and kind to my niece and nephews when ordering! Clean and inviting atmosphere! Food was a plus. read more

The Customer Service was good, Abigail had great customer service and checked on us if we needed any additional sauces or napkins. Food was okay. The chicken was over seasoned, maybe it was just this one time it happened but overall good spot. read more

This is THE PLACE for chicken sandwiches. It is very expensive as far as a chicken sandwich goes but in my opinion it's the best you can get if you're craving chicken sandwiches. Only negative is the spice levels don't seem very consistent (Medium can be crazy one day while Hot can be borderline flavorless on another day). DEFINITELY recommend trying at least once! read more

Service was incredible nothing wrong there food came out fast only problem so much coating on the tenders and sliders I had to wipe it off felt like coughing from how dry all the seasoning makes it it's good will have to try it in a few months hopefully the coating and all the other kinks will be worked out then! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - two pieces of fried chicken and a piece of bread - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Maria, California