Was nervous about trying this place bc the reviews but my husband was insistent. It was very busy. Walked in and went straight to the bathroom... clean. Went to order and the employees were smiling, happy, pleasant, very friendly. Sat down and tables were clean . Someone was walking around cleaning tables at all times and asking if we needed anything and asking if our food was . We got our order quickly. Didn't wait longer than 10 minutes. Our food was fresh and hot. Flavor was amazing! My husband got reaper tenders(which were the size of a chicken breast) and I got mild, my son got reaper and medium, my sons girlfriend got light mild, my youngest and his buddy got no spice. Everyone loved each flavor! We also got mozzarella sticks which were amazing! zero complaints, highly impressed, highly recommend!! Definitely will be back! read more

A lot of folks bragged on how good Dave's Hot Chicken was, and I had to see what all the hype was about. I finally got my chance, and I was thoroughly impressed! You can choose your spice level of the chicken, and even customize for them to add no spice. I got the two sliders w/fries and chose the "extra spicy" for my chicken. I loved the crunch that the chicken had, and even being "extra spicy" it was the PERFECT spice level to complement the slaw that it's topped with and the potato bun. It love a great mix of sweet and spicy, which is my personal favorite flavor contrast! Even though the fries are a side, I have a special place in my heart for crinkle cut fries & tots! Service was top notch, and inside was clean with plenty of seating! I'd easily give Dave Hot Chicken 5 out of 5 If you haven't tried Dave's Hot Chicken then you definitely need to, because the hype is up to par! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #2 2 Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The girl working FOH was very sweet but everything else about this experience was really disappointing. My friend and I ordered at 5pm & both got a chicken sandwich and one of the breaded mozzarella things. Around 5:35, we noticed customers being turned away at the counter, being told that they "weren't taking orders" with no further explanation given. The restaurant wasn't overly busy at all, there were maybe 8-10 of us in total in there, including people who had already received their food and were eating. It ended up taking 40 minutes for us to get our food, which wasn't particularly warm. I hate leaving negative reviews and I do want to stress that the girl working was very kind, I just think the whole situation would've gone over better with increased communication from staff to customers. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

My daughter picked this up for me and I chose xtra hot. It was so good and definitely spicy! I can't imagine what the highest level would taste like. My lips were on fire from the seasoning lol but def would get it again. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Dave's Hot Chicken was really really good . I had the number 4 . Next time I want to try the nuggets . The workers were extremely nice and helpful . The orders came out all correct . I feel like this is more to my taste than Raising Canes . read more

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Our order was taken just beside 3:40. Waited 30 min (with no orders in front of us) while 4 employees exited the establishment. Food was cold. Fries were cold. Chicken was room temperature. All three of the tenders were room temperature, fries cold. Boxes were completely covered in sauce. What a joke. It's obvious someone is dropping food in a deep fryer and then disappearing then coming back and letting it set there. Apparently your cook was concerned with going home early since it's New Year's Eve. I gave you one star because the girl who took our order was nice. Makayla R. I don't know what is going on over here but $45 for two people to eat fast food that is cold and takes 30 min in a basically empty business is an absolute joke. First and last time here. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Order taken by a very nice employee. But it took 30 min and was cold when we got it. NOT BUSY here. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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1) these expensive combos out included drink. 2) to you're in the south it's not that hard to make real tea especially if you're gonna charge $3-4 dollars for a drink 3) I've been to some places that ask you to tip, but it's because they at least come out and see if you need anything, or they would at least bring the food to you, hear your requesting a tip then you yell my number from the counter for me to go get my food after I've made my drink Pluses are the food is good and the portion sizes are decent. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Top loaded fries minus the slaw and pickles - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Every time we try this place it is a train wreck. Long long long cook time. Waited 20-25 minutes for one tender empty place.

Not a fan of fried chicken myself but my son had been here before and loved it so was eager to go back when we were in town. The restaurant was large and open, kind of noisy as everything echoed. Not busy at all when we arrived but floors and tables were dirty. Son and husband both ordered a slider/tenders/fries combo. It was an impressive meal in size -- the "slider" was about the size of a chick-fil-a sandwich. Also impressed that my super picky kid will actually eat the kale slaw that comes on the sandwiches. He ordered mild for his chicken and husband ordered the heat just below reaper. They were both happy with their choices. I ordered fries which were perfectly crispy. Towards the end of our meal someone did come to wipe our table. Good quality food. The limited menu seems to help them focus on what they do best. read more

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Ate dinner with my son (10) in May. All the kids his age are talking about it so he really wanted to go. We visited at 5:15pm on a Tuesday. There were 8 others present. And 2 staff working. Tables and floor were dirty. Music was so loud my son and I couldn't have a conversation and he asked to sit outside (dirty tables there, too). Wait was 15 minutes. A bit long for fast food. Expensive for chicken strips and frozen fries ($30 without drinks). Chicken had zero flavor. We had the medium sauce. The chicken (crispy batter) had a very grainy texture... like salt. It was odd. We each ate 1 strip apiece (the strips are more like breaded breast... huge). We tapped out. Went home and ate leftovers. We will not be going back. read more

We waited 22 minutes after we ordered our food to receive it. Garbages overflowing and every table dirty. We have to clean one. Food was almost cold One and done for us. read more

looking for low sodium this is not the place for you. Chicken and fries tasted of heavy seasoning salt. Kale slaw served..was mostly a white dressing. with 2 thin strips of kale. We tried the restaurant. Unhealthy food . Bathrooms had broken items and filthy. read more

Food was phenomenal as always. Service was amazing, Deedee had a smile that lit up the room and she was so kind the second we walked in the door. read more

Meh. I was absolutely hyped to try their cauliflower "chicken" sandwich and "wings". It definitely had potential but the bun to cauliflower ratio is not there. I had enough fun for maybe a quarter of the cauliflower. It was also overly greasy as if they hadn't left it to drain before saucing it. I think they need to use more of a small hoagie roll for this. Allow it to drain a little bit and it has serious potential. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cauli Dave's #2 2 Cauli Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Sitting here for 30 minutes so far after I ordered 1 slider....Update: got my food 15 mins later.

Waited 30 minutes for food and milkshake machine was broken. I would not recommend..... read more

I am a big fan of hot chicken in whatever form I can get it. Dave's is a chain that specializes in hot chicken tenders that you can either get by themselves or on a bun with some slaw and house sauce. I went at just after the lunch rush and with only a couple people in front of me it took over 25 minutes to receive my order which I found pretty high for a fast-casual restaurant. The chicken itself was cooked well and was tender and juicy. The slider portion of my order was a bit disappointing, since they use the same cut of meat for their slider as they do their tenders, my slider had a big tender sandwiched in-between a bun that was much too small. Once I was able to finally eat my way to the bun to enjoy the slaw, pickles and sauce, it was pretty good. I got the Hot spice level and found it to be appropriately named, spice enough to let you feel it a bit but not blow your socks off. The seasoning dusted on the tenders was not my favorite, it was reminiscent of taco seasoning. As far as chain restaurants go, I was hoping for a bit quicker service and a more well-constructed hot chicken sandwich. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Naenae was absolutely fantastic, 10/10 service, and 10/10 cleaniness. Drove 1 hour just to get Dave's hot chicken. Would absolutely recommend coming. read more

Great service, great food. Cashier did a great job making sure I was taken care of. Did everything to get my order right.

Five stars across the board!!! I am so impressed with this location. The food was fresh, hot and perfectly seasoned. The employees were very friendly and I witnessed Makayla treat every customer with warmth and respect. She truly went above and beyond to help ensure everyone's order was perfect. I am STOKED I found this spot. I was blown away! read more

By far the slowest and laziest workers around if you want your food made fast and served warm go somewhere else P.s don't even try a mobile order makes no difference read more

Asked for a refund 3 different times and have yet to receive any confirmation on that refund. Manager couldn't even come up to speak with me or confirm that my order was refunded. i understand being busy but i will never be able to understand the lack of communication between a business and a paying customer. read more

If I could give no stars I would! Service was absolutely terrible. Not sure why there is a tip option when no customer service is done other than taking the order... management needs to do an employee training to teach employees how to properly engage with customers and get food out in a timely manner. Waiting over 30 minutes for a chicken sandwich and fries is absurd. Will not be back to this location. Food was decent but not worth $20 a person and a 30+ minute wait. On top of that the employee that took our order sat down at a table and ate his food while customers were waiting for theirs... insane read more

I absolutely loved the sandwich and fries. I am giving 3 stars to the actual chicken tender. It was kind of hard and I didn't understand the reason it was on a slice of white toast with 3 pickles on top. If you are paying almost the same price for the sandwich why wouldn't you just get the sandwich? The tender that I ordered unfortunately was not good. read more

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First time here. Absolutely the worst chicken I have had in a while. Cold mac and cheese, had to ask for the pickles and over cooked chicken. The fries were the only "hot" part of the meal. The fact that a tip is on the screen when you pay is bananas. One and done for us. read more

I have only ordered delivery from them, but they deserve the 5 stars. No wonder every time I pass Dave's Hot Chicken they're always packed. You can see people lining up outside and inside. Every delivery I've had so far from Dave's Hot Chicken has been amazing. I have tried their medium spice level, hot spice level, and reaper spice level for their chicken sandwich. I usually get their 2-chicken sandwich with a side of fries. Upon arrival, which is about a 12-minute drive, the chicken stays crispy, juicy, and tender; along with the Cajun fries. The spice is flavorful and not just sour like how a lot of restaurants are. The flavor kind of taste like a Cajun and jalapenos spice... I am not good at explaining spice flavor LOL. Get their chicken sandwich and put some honey on top- you will fall in love. Their signature sauce is also very good ... compare it to Cook Out's sauce but more "watery" and less salty. Did I forget to mention that they give you a good number of pickles for the sides as well. read more

I'm a chicken sandwich fan so I was excited to try Dave's. With all the mixed reviews on Yelp, I wasn't sure what to expect. But we came in on a Saturday around 3pm so it wasn't busy at all. The staff person was friendly and the restaurant had a cool vibe. We decide to get the #2 to share since the staff said the sliders were big. They were a good size and the chicken was sticking half out of the bun. It had good flavor but I think I like a wet sauce more than a dry-rub. I liked the slaw and pickles a lot. The fries seemed a bit heavy on the seasoning but were good and served hot. They had a nice big patio too. read more

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From the time I walked in the door it took 40 minutes for me to get 2 tenders, food is not worth the price at all, for five dollars per tender you're way better off getting a chic fil a sandwich. And the music was on full blast the entire time, so loud you can barely hear yourself think. read more

Wow! First time there and I will be back. Had the "Dave's NOT Chicken" caulifower slider and it truly was one of the best things I have ever eaten. The cauliflower "steak" was HUGE and the slaw on the side was fresh and crunchy. Cannot wait to eat this again...and maybe try the chicken! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's Not Chicken, slaw and yummy Dave's sauce! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Nice to have a place that is local that reminds me of Nashville Hot Chicken. A little expensive for what you get, but its decent t

Good service and food. Love the atmosphere and a great family friendly restaurant for my parents, brother and I

Customer service is nonexistent. Seemed annoyed to take our order. Not table service yet the tip at check our started at 15%. Chicken was really salty and had a hard piece in it. We were the only ones in there at 7pm on a Friday night... if staff were friendly, you'd have more customers. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - #2 extra hot - it was okay - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Best chicken period! Simple menu. Makes choosing easy. Crispy & delicious!! No competition in my book. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm read more

Got the hottest chicken in the Carolina's. The flavor was amazing and the heat was a beast that kept coming. The hottest is not for the faint. Super good! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - The menu - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Me and my family went here for lunch today. We ordered three meals which the meals did not come with drinks so we ordered three drinks separately. The bill was around 50 dollars which I do feel is a bit pricey for 3 meals. The food portions were generous. My meal was the chicken strips which came with two large strips, two slices of bread, pickles, and a mayonnaise based sauce with fries. My kids got the two sliders meal. I wouldn't call them sliders though as they were the size of a regular sandwich and two came with the meal. My husband got the one chicken strip and one slider meal, pickles, sauce, and fries. The menu is a bit monotonous for my liking as all the meals center around strips and sliders. I didn't see a salad on the menu or a wrap which I think would have brought some much needed fresh vegetables to the menu. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean. We had left over food though that basically ended up in the trash. The sliced bread given with the chicken strips seemed a bit on the dry side. The chicken was served temperature wise hot the fries were barely warm. My family seemed to enjoy the food. It's not my cup of tea but it's good. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Two strip meal - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Been here twice in the past 6 months. Both times a single combo order took 30 mins to prepare. Dining room was a mess, floors were sticky. Food is overpriced and average at best. Go to Chic-fil-a. read more

Waited in line for 15 minutes to get to the cashier who says we can't order because their card reader had been broken the whole time. I guess make sure you have cash or you can't get your food. The floors were wet as well. read more

The closest to "Nashville Hot Chicken" that I've found at the East Coast! As soon as I saw Dave's was coming I knew I had to try... And for taste I wasn't disappointed. I will say first impressions: * Long line at noon, but it wen pretty fast. Got in line at 12:28 and got our food at 1:01. * Environment is loud. There was plenty of people in and out, so the door was constantly being opened, along with louder music playing and the employees calling out the orders to pickup. There were some points it was very over stimulating inside, but there is outdoor seating to combat that. * Food is hot (I'm not sensitive to spice but my husband said in the future he's ordering a spice level down.) Keep that in mind while you're deciding. read more

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I never review food, mostly out of laziness and by the time I'm digesting I'm in a food coma. But HOLY CRAP, I am in heaven and I'm only ordering this slider and chicken tender combo for the next 1000 years. Their Mac and cheese had me making sounds that I'm sure were only acceptable in the safety of my own home. Their logo is just foreshadowing for the face you'll make after your first bite. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Logo - Chicken Shop Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Dave's Hot Chicken is located by Independence Mall next to Masa sushi. Waited in a long line on their grand opening day, but their staff tried to make the line go as fast as possible. After you place your order with the cashier, wait until your number is called and then sit anywhere inside. There is also outdoor seating. Cool colorful graffiti is painted all over the walls inside. They were pretty fast in getting my order of two sliders and one side ready. Everything was automatically served in to-go boxes. Downsides are the 3 main orders (either 2 tenders, 2 sliders, or tender and one slider) do not come with drinks and they are a bit pricey. But if you're sharing, then it won't be as pricey. I ordered the #2 which comes with two sliders, crinkle cut fries, kale slaw, pickles, Dave's sauce (base price $13.69). To add cheese is an extra $0.50 for each slider. You choose a spiciness level of the chicken and you can make each of the chickens from the 2 sliders two different spice levels. It was nice that they labeled on the to-go box which chicken was what spice level. The sliders were very good. I loved all the ingredients and having the addition of cheese. The chicken tenders in the sliders were super flavorful, crispy, so tender, and huge! Even the mild seasoning had a teeny bit of a kick. The medium was a bit too spicy for me, but then again I am a bit of a wimp. The crinkle cut fries were crispy and had its own seasoning-you can dip it in Dave's sauce which is a sweet mayo-based sauce or ketchup packets. They also provided honey packets, extra pickles, and extra daves sauce. One slider was plenty enough for me! I also tried a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was okay, needed more flavor. It was creamy and cheesy. Unfortunately, no milkshakes were available because they didn't have the machine yet. Boo! I like that they had to-go towelettes when you pick up your order, although they are very small. So get a bunch because your hands are going to get messy! Dave's chicken has one of the best fried chicken I've ever had. Must visit! read more

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