Faves From Dave’s: Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Nashville-styled hot chicken place, brings the heat with seven heat levels to try

Don’t get me wrong, I love fried chicken as much as anyone else. But when I saw the line out the door at Dave’s Hot Chicken, I couldn’t help but scratch my head. “What’s so special about Dave’s? Haven’t KFC and Raising Canes been doing this for years?” I now realize how Dave’s sets itself apart from the flock.

The venture started in 2017 when Dave Kopushyan and three friends scraped together $900 to buy a portable fryer and opened a pop-up in East Hollywood — the line wrapped around the block. The California-based chain finally arrived in KC earlier this month.

While I waited in line, the group in front of me couldn’t help but complain about the wait outside in the 100-degree heat.

When I finally got to the front of the line after 45 minutes, I was greeted by the ice-cold AC on my skin. The place was so crowded, I truly wondered if it was a fire hazard.

The interior was exploding with color, with walls covered in murals by local artists and prominent KC-themed displays, from “The Wizard of Oz” to legendary Chiefs touchdowns. To top it off, a rubber chicken resides in the place of a fire extinguisher. — definitely a fire hazard. I couldn’t look away, as Dave’s definitely makes an effort to be visually appealing.

I had no trouble ordering, considering Dave gives you two choices: fingers or sandwich.

I ended up spending $40.44 on six chicken fingers with fries served on a slice of plain white bread and Dave’s signature sauce with each tender a different spice level as I worked my way through the menu.

I first dug into the fries, and while I’m not a huge fan of the crinkle-cut variety, Dave’s Cajun-style seasoning coated my fingertips and provided a spicy jolt of rich pepper spice to the otherwise average side dish. Dave’s special sauce, a combo of mayonnaise and chipotle sauce, paired well with a tangy and slightly tart aftertaste.

Next, I dove into the basket of tenders, starting with the “no-spice” level. While the chicken on its own was — dare I say, a little stringy, there was nothing that stood out to me. So, if you want to order “no spice” at Dave’s Hot Chicken, I’d recommend you go to Chick-Fil-A instead.

As I moved on to the light-mild level, I was underwhelmed after the first bite, with less spice on the tender than I would have preferred. But the mild flavor had significant improvement with the signature cayenne pepper spice blend, bringing the heat that Dave’s surname promised. Still, I was ready to kick it up a notch.

The “medium” was just as I expected from Dave’s most popular seasoning—a balance between the extreme spice and underwhelming mild flavors. I was pleased by how the spice didn’t overpower the taste of the chicken, adding a distinct spicy and smoky flavor to my taste buds.

I then built up my courage and moved on to the “Hot” tenders. Two bites in the spice coating made my entire mouth go numb. I dreaded even attempting the next spice level, but powering through with my large Sprite as a palate cleanser, I finished the strip before moving on to my final conquest of the day.

The “Very Hot” flavor was as advertised. I had to refill my drink after just one bite. I was quite literally eating my words after calling the last level spicy. It was nothing compared to this. I swallowed too fast— probably because I was trying to end this experience as quickly as possible — and ended up getting the spice stuck in the back of my throat, making my eyes water.

The Nashville-style fried chicken’s final spice level was the mighty “Reaper,” rightfully accompanied by a waiver. This beast had made many throw up their hands in defeat. I knew I couldn’t in good conscience subject my colon to anything even one level hotter, much less The Reaper. In the end, you could say I chickened out.