What started as a $900 business in an East Hollywood parking lot is now worth one billion dollars, with over 329 locations across the United States. For the past few months, St. Louis residents have been obsessing over the fast-growing food chain, Dave’s Hot Chicken. The new location, the first within 100 miles of St. Louis, differs from other popular fast-food chains as it has no drive-thru and an iconic spice level that allows customers to tailor their food. 

This new location has quickly become a fan favorite for eating out. In fact, what helped the restaurant gain attention was the numerous influencers that reviewed it, including St. Louis food influencer sarahhhbites. Her review highlighted unique aspects of the restaurant, like the reddish color of the chicken, the dill pickles lining the plate and the crispy seasoned fries. The excitement of something new and a positive experience from another St. Louisian surely set the bar high for Dave’s Hot Chicken, and they reached, if not exceeded, their customers’ expectations. 

Fast forward a few months, and the restaurant is still thriving. Inside, they have a huge open seating area filled with attentive staff. Their menu has a number of different combos to try, like the sliders or the regular chicken tenders, which all come with fries and pickles. In addition, they offer a vegetarian option called Dave’s ‘Not’ Chicken, which uses cauliflower instead of meat. What truly makes them special, though, is their personalized spice menu, which includes no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and the ultimate spice level: “The Reaper”. These levels encourage customers to keep coming back to see which they can conquer and find their favorite.

Another selling point of Dave’s Hot Chicken is that it is halal, meaning all of their ingredients are sourced from suppliers that follow Islamic dietary laws. 

”[The restaurant has] a large Muslim presence, which I thought was super cool because you don’t really see that type of diversity; [It’s uncommon for] famous fast food restaurants [to] cater to all audiences,” sophomore Raaga Golla said.

When I entered Dave’s Hot Chicken for the first time, I scanned the menu and settled on the Dave’s #2, which included two sliders, packed with cayenne pepper-seasoned large chicken fillets, and fries. The sliders also came on a potato bun and contained kale slaw drizzled with Dave’s Sauce, a classic chipotle-based mayonnaise. I chose a medium spice level for the meal, which was a good balance between the Mild and the Reaper intensities, but I wouldn’t have minded a little more spice. I also enjoyed the fries, which were sprinkled with spices and intertwined with a slight dash of sweetness. One of the best parts of the plate was the stack of pickle chips, which added the perfect crunch to the sandwich.

Although Dave’s is on the pricier side at $14.49 plus tax for the #2, the company justifies the expense through a promise of using high-quality ingredients. I took my food to-go, but the meal was still fresh and the box was packed to the brim with delicacies.

Dave’s Hot Chicken is known for their Dave’s Sauce and the honey they use to elevate the chicken’s flavors. I enjoyed the honey, but the chipotle sauce was bland and not as flavorful as I had expected. However, something that made Dave’s Hot Chicken stand out from many other restaurants is their generosity with sauces. My plate came with a handful of their pure honey and Dave’s Sauces. 

After careful consideration, Dave’s is very deserving of the publicity it receives and I’d definitely visit again. With the restaurant’s high-quality ingredients and incredible flavor, there isn’t much that’s holding me back from giving it a stellar rating. Pathfinder gives Dave’s a solid 9/10.