Started out as a humble little pop-up at a parking lot in Los Angeles, it’s amazing to see Dave’s Hot Chicken growing into a popular chain restaurant, and now expanding across the Atlantic to open in London. Its first London flagship restaurant, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, became an instant hit and has gone viral all over social media. We may be late to the party, as we waited till their second branch in Westfield White City to open up, but we eventually visited Dave’s Hot Chicken London, and here are our thoughts on the viral sensation.
Dave’s Hot Chicken: 7 Levels of Spicy Chicken That’ll “Blow Your Mind”
From a $900 weekend parking lot pop-up to a billion-dollar chain, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s success can be traced back to that one article from Eater LA, which wrote that Dave’s Hot Chicken’s pop-up stand would “blow your mind”. Since then, there’s been a cult following, and the rest is history when they received investment funding and began franchising.
Its menu is straightforward – chicken sliders or chicken tenders. You then choose your spice level, which ranges from no spice to Reaper. There are seven levels to choose from, so there’s something for everyone. For the Reaper spice level, i.e. the highest heat, you’ll have to sign a waiver.
Yes, Dave’s Hot Chicken London is halal.
Looking for more halal food spots in London? Check these out too:
The Food at Dave’s Hot Chicken (what we ordered)
Chicken Tenders (£10.99)
Chicken tenders slapped over a piece of plain white bread, served with pickles, fries, Dave’s sauce, ketchup, and honey. We are not unfamiliar with the concept of bread served with fried chicken. This is something popular in Southern American cuisine. The purpose of the bread is to soak up the grease from the fried chicken and to mellow down the spiciness. One example is Slim’s Chicken. Whilst Slim’s Chicken’s Texas toast was a delight to have alongside its chicken, it’s certainly not the case here at Dave’s Hot Chicken. Just cheap, poor-quality, plain white bread that adds nothing to the plate.
On a positive note, the chicken tenders were massive in size and were tender to taste. Though all the flavours were just around the batter and coating, and the chicken itself was rather plain. The addition of honey on top makes it better, but it’s nothing special at all, overall. In our opinion, medium spice seems to be the best. We also tried the hot and extra hot spice levels, but they had a rather off-putting aftertaste.
10pcs Dave’s Chicken Bites (£10.49)
As much as I normally love popcorn chicken, I’d urge you not to waste your money and stomach space on these from Dave’s Hot Chicken. Long story short, these were a greasy pile of battered mess. We could hardly taste the chicken in these bites and could only taste thick layers of fried batter. Worse still, it leaves an unpleasant, greasy taste in your mouth, and suspiciously dirty oil that gave us stomach aches. I don’t think I’ve ever been that disappointed with popcorn chicken bites.
Mac & Cheese (£3.49)
Tasting like instant mac & cheese, this was also one we’d like to forget about. We really struggled with the hype and praises around it, as the pasta tasted very cheap even for fast-food standards, and the cheese sauce had no seasoning whatsoever.
Dave’s Hot Chicken London Review Summary
Perhaps it’s something worthwhile in Los Angeles, but it’s a hard no for us from our experience with its London stores. If you fancy fried chicken, you’re better off with your local chicken shops or head to other establishments (read also: Where to Find Halal Nashville Hot Chicken in London). We even gave it a second chance, thinking we may just be unlucky with a one-off bad experience. But the second visit was even worse. In conclusion, we were left unimpressed and with upset stomachs from our visits to Dave’s Hot Chicken London, and are baffled by the viral hype. There are honestly too many mediocre food spots in London that are going viral at the moment, and on behalf of many London foodies, we don’t need more of this around town.
OUR RATING
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Food
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Value for Money
