Dave's hot chicken in Chelmsford is just awesome. For one, I work late and it's always open and reliable for a late night meal. And the food is great, I love the sliders, tenders, milkshakes, hot mozz, etc. But what really keeps me going back are the staff and service. It's top quality, just good, salt of the earth people who care about delivering excellent customer service and making sure people are happy. The ambience is also really good and they keep it clean. Big shoutout goes to Dan, Camarrih, Shane, Jaaziel, Diana, Alex, Julia, and Nick. The whole crew is awesome, God bless. And I've tried the Reaper four times. It's worth doing at least once, but I'll stick to Hot or Medium going forward. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken in Drum Hill is known for its spicy options, from mild to the intense Reaper. The parking lot is spacious. Inside, there's standing space in front and plenty of tables in the room. Heads up, during busy times, you can be in someone space while they are enjoying a meal or using the fountain drink machine. On our first visit, my fiancé went for the Reaper Slider and had to sign a waiver because it's super spicy. They nailed the spice level, however, he thought the flavor wasn't quite there. I went for Mild, which was hot and the flavor was decent. On our second trip, I tried the Lite Mild, hoping it would be even better. He ended up getting the Hot, which was spicy, the flavor was okay. The chicken is fresh and super tender, and the fries are pretty good. The seasoning isn't really memorable. The real star is the Dave's Sauce, even the packet version for the fries is amazing. Pro-tip: don't throw away any extra sauce packets! Save them for home. Overall Service: It was fine, and the staff handled the lunch rush well. It's not our go-to style of food, so I'm not sure we'll be returning. I do understand the appeal of testing the different spice levels, though. read more

OK so it's been about a year plus since my last review. Late last spring my wife and I both got food poisoning after eating there and I swore never again. My son and his friend wanted DHC this past weekend so I said fine, it's been awhile - one more shot. Ordered 3 dave's bites meals on the app and got there before the food was ready. My name comes up and they give me our food. Chicken was barely lukewarm and mushy, not hot and crispy as in the past. Fries were ICE COLD. The app asked me to review them and I shared what I'm sharing here. I got a stock text response back saying they'll "try to get better" based on my feedback (I'm paraphrasing). I've never seen a restaurant go from legitimately great to horrific in such a short period of time. Oh yea, the prices went up too. Inside was clean. read more

Ordered Mike's Hot Honey Saucy Bites. Chicken was tender, right amount of crispy. Thought it would be more saucy, but still good. Got mac and cheese side, which was perfect for the little one. Service was quick as the food did not take look after ordering from the kiosk. Very family friendly spot and had cool art work on the walls. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Mike's Hot Honey Saucy Bites - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

I've been seeing Dave's hot chicken mozzarella sticks reviewed circulating online and I had to give it a try. This was my first time trying Dave's and it was fast, easy, and honestly pretty dang good. I did a pickup order around 7:30pm and it took about ten min to be ready which I think is fantastic . The employees were super friendly and nice and the inside of the restaurant was really clean and organized which I appreciate . Now for the food ,- if you get 5 motz sticks it's 14.99 but it seems like you choose just one flavor . I ordered four individual ones and did two mild and two medium . If you enjoy spicy foods do not worry about the spice level of these two flavors at all. I was worried that the medium would be too hot because of the reviews online but it has the slightest kick and tasted like the taco flavored Doritos . Super good , glad I chose those two . Very crispy and cheesy with a great cheese pull. I also ordered a slider (not for me ) but my bf who is a chicken sandwich enthusiast & he gave it a 8.5/10. I ordered the side of Mac and cheese as well and that's the only thing I was not a fan of . Doesn't taste like cheese . Overall great experience ! As someone who doesn't eat meat I'm curious to see how their cauliflower based products are . (Also props to a meat place for including such a variety of vegetarian options 10/10!) I definitely will be going back soon . read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's Hot Mozz 1 Piece - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

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I got a cauliflower slider at medium spice level and fries. It took me a second to get used to eating a big piece of cauliflower and once I did, my craving for a fried vegetarian sandwich was satisfied. The breading and sauces were very yummy. The customer service was very good, the store was clean, and I liked the ambiance. My experience was positive at this Dave's hot chicken. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cauli Dave's #2: 2 Cauli Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

The lady at the counter was very friendly and quick to acknowledge us when we walked in!! Food was quick to come out when we ordered (about 10 mins) and was tasty! Only qualm is the prices are pretty high for the amount of good you get, but the quality is great! It's a lively spot and even though they were busy, the rush was handled well! Fries are crispy and the chicken is seasoned well + you can get as much Dave's sauce as you desire, just ask! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #2 2 Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

WOW! All the negative reviews! We're from Hawaii and I'm in town to take care of some college stuff for my kid. I saw all the 5-star Google reviews and had to fit this spot into my schedule. The spouse and kid are not necessarily chicken fans, but both only had thumbs up for the chicken and fries. Tip: do online ordering if possible. I know from frequenting the spots in my hood that it's always a smart thing to order ahead. Did this using their app, and everything went smoooth. Excited to bring my son to this spot when we're in town again as he's a fan of both spicy and fried chicken. My guess is that he will love this place too. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - The #1 combo. Even in takeout plates, all I could say was "woooo FRESH!" - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

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Conveniently right by my gym, I came in for a quiet meal and some protein. I have very little spice tolerance, so I wanted to choose death. Fortunately, I was told by the cashier that it's so hot that a waiver is required and it's pretty much inedible. The waiver's the only thing that really stopped me. Instead, I opted for the Extra Hot, which wasn't too bad. I liked the fries that came with it too. It was a pretty small meal for the 2 tenders and fries. Thankfully there's bread slides that the chicken sat on to help fill me up. I also made the mistake of eating said bread because it absorbed the hot sauce quite well. Was hoping for crispier chicken (TN's Hattie's B really set a high standard for me), but I can see myself coming. And yes, I'll sign my soul over, too! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - extra hot - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Chelmsford Location is Great! Friendly staff, clean restaurant, and food is always on point! Kids love it here, who doesn't love a Chicken Sandy & Fries!? Manager is awesome, he is always looking for ways to give back to the Local Community that supports his business. 40 Pack of Sliders & 4 Bundles of Fries is the way to go for any event, perfect amount of food and everyone is happy! read more

I originally wanted to go to Popeyes but they were closed/no longer there. I was craving chicken so I went across the street to Dave's. The wait time was a bit long, but good food usually takes time. My drive back home is a 10 min drive. When I ate my chicken sandwich it was warm (only because my drive was 10 mins). I'm sure it was piping hot when I first got it. I chose mild spice only because I didn't know what to expect. Next time I'm going to bump up the spice a notch or two. I owe a coworker a meal for doing a huge favor for me and I'm taking him here. Hopefully he'll enjoy it as much as I did! Will I go back: heck yeah! read more

The tenders were juicy and not dry at all, but the medium wasn't spicy in the least? And it was really salty so I don't know if they put too much paprika or cayenne pepper or what, but it got saltier after each bite. The sauce tasted good though, reminds me of raising canes. Fries were way too salty. Wait time is alright. My stomach started to hurt after the first tender so idk if I would come back. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #1 2 Tenders w/ Fries Medium - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Delicious, Crispy Hot Chicken! The fries are always on point here crispy outside and soft inside. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and the slaw is delicious and refreshing on the sandwich. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

After about a year of driving by and wondering how the hot chicken was, I recently made it by and grabbed some takeout--the #4 slider meal. I've had both the hot and medium levels, and there's quite a difference in spice level even though it's only one level up/down. Moving forward, I'll be going with the hot level which for me, is right on point. It's a great fast option if you're in the area, and chicken itself was very flavorful/was crispy. My experiences with the staff so far have also been friendly, and they are def working hard turning over so many orders--I'll be back! read more

If you're up for 'slow' fast food, Dave's the place. Takes forever to get your order... But it was worth the wait. Ordered two sliders with fries. $14.99. One "Hot", one "Reaper"... Hehe. they do make you sign a waiver when you order the Reaper slider. It is really, really spicy! It burns your mouth, burns your stomach, burns Uranus and pee pee too.... Quite unpleasant! Glad I tried it, I ate it all, but never again. I'll stick to "Extra Hot" or "Hot" if I ever go back. That'd be more enjoyable. read more

Service was friendly. Painting in the restaurant was cool. Food was good. Loved their special sauce and fries. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cashier - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

This Dave's location just opened on 6/9/23 and I had seen advertisements on my Instagram for it and went to try it out today. It is just off the highway, and is located right next to the Boston Market location in Chelmsford. It is also nearby the shopping plaza so plenty of parking. Funky exterior/interior which was commissioned by @dehmq on Instagram gives the space a kind of modern feel too. Wife and I ordered the Dave's combo #3 today as takeout. Really juicy delicious chicken with a nice spice rub on it, a great slaw too which was flavorful without too much Mayo in it. We opted to go with just a mild heat since we haven't had Dave's before but they have spice levels that range from basically "none" to "reaper". French fries are just kind of okay in my opinion but you aren't going here for the fries. One of the things I also noticed coming in was that the staff were energetic in the back kitchen, which was nice to see versus some places where they just seem miserable. Front cashier was great too, even introduced himself to us too which again doesn't typically happen. Definitely plan to go back and increase our spice level next time to medium. read more

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Absolutely delicious food. Love this place, costs me a fortune because I will always buy more than I can eat. Repeat customer here.

Some of the best fried chicken ive ever eaten. The service is fast and polite, and the atmosphere is impeccable. Thank you Drake! Drizzy for the win! read more

It's Halal. The food tastes good and spicy. Very good ambience and service as well. I like the medium spicy chicken

Love thier flavors when it comes to spicy chicken. Spicy that actually has flavor! Would definitely recommend if your feeling spicy. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cheese fries, sliders and tender. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

It is very loud inside, thee music is so loud and you're not able to hear your order number being called if you go sit at the tables. So naturally everyone is standing at the front by the counter waiting to hear their number to be called and no one is sitting at the tables. The line order is also in the front with the crowd waiting for their meal. It's just a mess and overwhelming amount of people as soon as you walk in. The menu itself is simple and pretty straight forward. My boyfriend and I got the #2 combo which included 2 chicken sandwiches and a side of fries. We could each choose our own heat level as well which I liked. We both choose the "hot" heat level. We were pretty disappointed with the meal and the lack of coleslaw that was topped on each of our sandwiches. We each got about 1/2 table spoon coleslaw topped on each of our sandwiches, and the sandwiches just had a plain hamburger bun, I've seen better looking buns at Wendy's. The "hot" level of the sauce was not hot at all, no sensation at spice, it would've been like we ordered mild instead. The tenders were small, the photos on their website portray otherwise . There was no Dave's sauce on the sandwich either. The reason it is getting 3 stars instead of 2 stars was the tender itself was hot temperature wise, the fried breading had a good crunch to it, the fries had a good seasoning on it. We were there for an hour, most of the time spent waiting. Overall, disappointed and left hungry. read more

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I call this Dave's Bubblegut Chicken now. Don't eat it unless you want an upset stomach and plenty of time on the toilet.

Its probably a brilliant franchise idea. Chicken tenders... less stock to buy and a simplified menu. You would think it would be lightning fast but it took forever for our order to come out. The "industrial" design of the seating area was a margin above lawn furniture. The food was just ok and probably the perfect late night snack or best snug up to college campus type of enterprise. I'm all set with the campus fast food. Really feel like this was a one and done for me. Didn't get what all the buzz was about. I'm probably going to drive by next time destined for a Chik-fil-A or some other fast food option. Their marketing was far better than the food in the end. read more

This is the second time I order from this place. The first time they gave us a huge chunk of cauliflower, this time we got like half the size. 2 sliders and fries for $25, a bit pricey. It's good though. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Cauli Dave's #2 2 Cauli Sliders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

one of the only spots that are open late when u are craving something spicy. looks like they might've put both Boston market and Popeyes chicken that were next to it out of business so that is saying something good.. get the reaper read more

Very expensive and not all that good. Fries were OK not sure what shake was made of but did not taste like ice cream. Other options are better value read more

we love this place...Always good and fresh! love the consistency that we get every time we go! and the NOT chicken is a great idea for vegetarians! read more

If you are feeling some hot chicken sandwiches, then you should give this a try. This is a chain restaurant that serves many different spiciness levels of hot chicken. I think it is pretty decently solid for almost tasting the original back in California. Service is really fast and efficient for a fast food place. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Hot Box - Sliders - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Beav & his pals rave about this place, so I was up that way & stopped in for a late lunch. PRO- I wasn't that hungry so I just ordered three tenders. $15. Chicken was VERY GOOD. Even Mild was very spicy for me. White meat, juicy & hot. Came with some white bread to tone down the bite. I can't imagine how hot the hot is! CON-Drink machine was broken on a late Saturday afternoon. I ended up afterward driving across the street to McDs to get a Diet Coke, cause their drink machine wasn't broken. Service was BEYOND slow! ONE young woman doing everything up front, getting the packaged food, putting in bags, asking everyone if they wanted condiments, silverware whatever, while one kid took orders & otherwise stood around watching the woman work. Meanwhile, more than a few people stood around waiting for their food with me, as the young woman tried to do everything... And what is with this "no place to stand" deal? Who designs these places? You're either standing in front of the drink machine (good today cause it was broken but normally a pain for everyone wanting to get a drink) or lurking over some poor people at the front tables trying to eat & chat with friends. Can we design a bit more room up front for people to stand or put in a drive thru? And I got no napkins with my food. Not fun. SO-While the food was very good, the lack of drinks & the slow service made this just barely an OK for me. Not sure I'd rush back, despite liking the chicken alot. read more

Yummy food, friendly service. The mild is actually mild, I could've gotten the medium spice probably. A great experience and we got our free milkshake for checking in. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Mild Tenders with Kale Slaw. Yum! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Chicken breast is good, sauce is next level, but can be VERY spicy if you're not careful!

Tried this place opening weekend at the Chelmsford location. Not bad. Crinkle fries were pretty good. I opted for the "hot" level of spice. Not bad. I might go hotter next time. I'm not sure it's better than Popeye's, but I definitely plan on trying them again, I'll update my review if I do... read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - customers at the counter - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

I come here often on my lunch break and it never disappoints. Tender, juicy and flavorful chicken. I always get the reaper because I like it spicy and it's a good kick to it. The Mac and cheese is also my favorite nice and creamy. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Reaper sandwich with Mac and cheese - Chicken Shop Near Me - Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Food was meh and pricey. Two tenders, fries, and soft drink for over $17. Yikes!!! Wasn't a fan of the chicken seasoning, and there were no dipping sauces other than Dave's and Texas Pete's. Very clean space but won't be back. read more

I ordered online and the food was ready at the stated time, still hot. A couple of the Dave's Bites were tiny, but these are obviously real chicken and not pressed McNuggets that are a uniform size. In addition to the bites I got two tenders with fries - the fries were crispy without being overdone, both tenders were moist and the hot tender certainly was hot. I haven't had a bad meal here, something I can't say about every place I've eaten. read more

1st time and so far so good. Love the cheese fries and milk shake with Oreo. Will definitely come again read more

i gave them a couple tries, each time i was on the toilet right after i ate the sliders with diarrhea, the chicken tastes like its smothered in chili powder and must either be under cooked or sitting out too long gaining bacteria! all set with this place NEVER AGAIN!!! read more

Ordered takeout tonight-my "not" chicken cauliflower slider was delish! Plenty of food, love the slaw (not too much mayo), crinkle fries yum and Dave's sauce! Even the pickles were perfect! read more

Chicken and fires are so good. I wouldn't get anything beyond hot because it's already very spicy.