I visited Raleigh’s hottest new fried chicken joint. Is it worth the hype?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Dave’s Hot Chicken opens first Raleigh location with full-sized tenders, sliders.
- Menu features seven spice levels and variety of classic sides and sweets.
- Basic $25 order yields generous portions, suitable for solo or shared meals.
It’s pretty hard to believe that one of the hottest new chicken chains around the world started out as a parking lot pop-up with a couple of folding tables and a portable fryer.
But after checking out Dave’s Hot Chicken’s newest and first joint in Raleigh, I get the hype behind its spicy, savory — and yes, sparkly — seasoned fried chicken.
The California-based chain, established in 2017, just recently took over the former BB’s Crispy Chicken in the Midtown East shopping center.
In the South, foodies know the area is basically an epicenter of chicken chains with numerous fan-favorite spots. But with a small menu made up of big portions, Dave’s is heating up the local fried chicken scene. And I mean that quite literally considering its Nashville-style birds are served with seven different spice levels.
“Bigger than fingers, strips or boneless wings,” the chicken spot serves full-sized, hand-breaded tenders and sandwich “sliders” all fried-to-order with heat options ranging from “No Spice” to “Reaper.” There are also multiple sides and sweets, including fries, kale slaw, mac & cheese and shakes.
Is Dave’s Hot Chicken affordable?
As part of our regular “On a Budget” series — in which we visit a restaurant having a moment, sticking to a $25-or-under bill — I was not expecting that my order for one would be enough to split into two.
Here’s a breakdown of what I got:
- Dave’s #2 (two sliders with fries served with kale slaw, pickles and Dave’s sauce): $14.99
- 1 tender served with sliced bread, pickles, and a side of Dave’s sauce): $5.25
- Frozen Minute Maid strawberry lemonade: $3.69
In total, after tax and before gratuity, my meal cost $25.90. (For the sake of this series, I should’ve swapped out my lemonade for water. But if you happen to have an extra dollar, I definitely recommend treating yourself to one of the frozen drinks reminiscent of an ice cold summer slushie.) Without it, it would’ve been around $22.
Whether you’re solo snacking or grabbing a bite as a group, Dave’s has a lot of variety to accommodate, from the single menu items to its “feed the crowd” hot box options of 10 tenders, sliders and more.
Is Dave’s Hot Chicken good?
As a born and raised Carolina girl who grew up on Southern comfort food, I’m biased as a fan of generally any and all fried chicken. Of course some spots serve better than others, but is there really such a thing as bad fried chicken? Arguably yes.
But if you’re a sucker of heavily seasoned, crispy fried chicken with a side of sweet, saucy sides, then Dave’s Hot Chicken might be exactly what you need to satisfy your cravings.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 10:37 AM.