-- 3/5 My wife, daughter, and I visited Dave's Hot Chicken in Milford today, and overall, the experience was a mixed bag -- especially when comparing it to the newer location in Hamden. First Impressions & Cleanliness Right away, a few things threw us off. The floors were sticky in several areas. The table we sat at hadn't been cleaned -- leftover crumbs, empty ketchup packets, and general debris. The bathroom smelled strongly of urine, to the point that it reminded me of NYC project hallways. These first impressions affected the overall vibe of the visit. Order Pickup I ordered online, and the screen showed my food as ready. But when I went to the counter, the staff told me they were still plating it. Not a big deal -- I waited another five or six minutes before being called. No complaints there. Food Quality We ordered: The 2-slider + fries meal to split The 10-piece bites + fries for our daughter Flavor-wise, the food was okay, but the attention to detail wasn't consistent: My slider came with barely any slaw and no kale at all, even though it should include kale slaw, pickles, and Dave's sauce. I had to go back up and ask for slaw on the side, which they provided promptly, and then I fixed the sandwich myself. The sliders still had decent flavor, and the chicken was juicy, but the lack of freshness and proper build took away from the experience. Overall The Hamden location was noticeably cleaner and more organized. The Milford restaurant felt a bit neglected during our visit, which overshadowed what could've been a solid meal. Rating: 6/10 -- or 3/5 stars. We'd consider returning, but definitely hope for a cleaner environment next time. read more

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We had a really good experience for our first visit to Dave's over the holidays. The location is decked out in some really cool decor. We got to the register to order quickly. The person behind the counter was very kind and helped us figure out their menu. We ordered a couple of sliders - one hot and one no spice - and a mild tender. Both were excellent - the hot was a perfect mix of flavor and heat that sticks around but doesn't bother you. Really a tremendous first impression. I might go spicier next time. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's #1 2 Tenders w/ Fries - hot - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

The service was great and actually pretty quick. Ordered a MILD two piece tender meal to go. The chicken was sooooo incredibly hot, I couldn't eat it. Please be careful people. This spot was a one and done for me. The fries were tasty, nothing special. Again, the mild is most definitely NOT mild. I hate to see what hot is. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

Dave's Hot Chicken finally came to Connecticut so you know had to check them out. My son and I were spending time together so we decided to grab something to eat while we were out. Today was Dave's Hot Chicken grand opening and the parking lot was packed. As we pulled up to the establishment, we saw that line was long but we still went in. We were greeted by the door as soon as we entered and we were given a menu. It was great idea to give out menus while waiting in line because everyone could choose what they wanted before getting to the cashier and it kept the line moving. We were in line for about fifteen minutes which wasn't bad considering how long the line was. My son and I ordered the number four which consisted off the French Fries and we both chose the medium Hot Chicken Sandwich, Macaroni and Cheese, and a Chocolate and Vanilla Milkshake. After finishing ordering are food, a pager was given to us so when are food was ready, it would beep. The wait for the food was about fifteen minutes, which again wasn't bad considering the number of people in the establishment. The Chicken Sandwich was very moist considering it was the breast of the chicken. The chicken was juicy, seasoned well, and the Dave Sauce was delicious. The chicken was big compared to the beard it was on because there was more chicken ratio to bread. Everything came together well with the pickles, sauce, and moist chicken breast. The French Fries were good and seasoned well but the French Fries were lukewarm. It seemed that they were not freshly cooked but they still had a crisp to them. The Macaroni and Cheese was okay. Nothing out of this world. It was creamy and the noodles were not overcooked but all in all an okay Macaroni and Cheese. The customer service was great and each team member that was on the floor, made sure everyone was okay and asked each table if they needed anything. For the first day, it went pretty smoothly. read more

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I was super excited to find out this had opened up in CT, I've heard many people rave about it from other areas. I visited on their 2nd day of being officially opened & grabbed it to go, as it was just too busy for me at that time. The staff did their best to be friendly & provided good service overall. The space is bigger than you'd think & they have a lot of graffiti/artwork all over the walls, looked pretty cool. I went with the 1 slider, 1 tender, & fries meal. I also ordered a side of their Mac & cheese, because I was craving some. Immediately got nostalgic vibes from their Mac. My only thoughts were that it lacked in seasoning but was overall creamy. I didn't think it was a bad side at all, good size too. I wish I would've gone a bit hotter for the heat, I think it their medium heat was very mellow. I'm normally used to a medium heat being a tad bit hotter. I also didn't want to grab their hot & mess my taste buds up? I still think it had good flavor! I loved the honey to put on the chicken & the cheese sauce to dip my seasoned fries in. Their Dave's sauce reminded me of a mayo/ketchup sauce, but with a bit of spiciness and light zestiness to it. I thought it was pretty good. I felt that I've had better hot chicken sandwiches but this spot was really solid & they did their thing. I hope they keep up the momentum because I'll be back to try it again some other time. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

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Dave's Hot Chicken is a chain of fast-casual Nashville-style hot chicken restaurants that opened in Los Angeles, California in May 2017. It was founded by Armenian-American childhood friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and brothers Tommy and Gary Rubenyan. Kopushyan, the chain's namesake, was a professional chef trained by restaurateur Thomas Keller at three-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry. He and his friends had a dream to open their own Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant. After scraping together $900, they opened the first Dave's location which was nothing more than a street food stand in a parking lot. Following word of mouth in local publications and social media, the brand quickly took off. By the following year, the food stand had been replaced by a brick & mortar location at a nearby strip mall. Pretty soon, additional Dave's Hot Chicken locations began popping up all over California and beyond. As of 2025, there are over 300 locations in six countries. I recently stopped at the Dave's Hot Chicken in Milford, Connecticut for lunch when I had a half day at work. This location opened in January 2025 and is the first to open in Connecticut. A second opened in Newington in March and several more are expected to open in the next couple of years. Nashville-style hot chicken has become very popular in recent years, especially with similar chains like Haven Hot Chicken. I really liked the interior of Dave's, which featured street art on the walls: a feature that originated at the original Dave's location. After looking over the menu, I ordered the "2 Sliders w/ Fries" (served with kale slaw, pickles & dave's sauce) and chose "Extra Hot" for my heat level. It was absolutely delicious!! The chicken was perfectly crispy, juicy, and had just the right amount of heat. I also really liked the fries with their nice blend of spices. The pickles, slaw and Dave's sauce were the icing on the cake. I am definitely a fan of Dave's Hot Chicken and I plan on coming back again and again! read more

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Fast service with a really clean restaurant. The chicken was juicy I got no spice but next time want to try a little or mild because no spice meant no unique flavor. The fries were tasty! Loved adding honey to the chicken and Dave's sauce was good. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

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I wanted to see what all the hype was about so I headed on down to Dave's Hot Chicken w/ my honey. It was a chill vibe when I came inside. There was music playing which I love a spot w/ music. I ordered mild chicken tenders w/ Mac & cheese. My honey ordered mild chicken tenders/sandwich w/ fries & a cheese cup. The orders came w/ pickles & Dave's special sauce. My order came w/ sliced bread. The cashier was nice & friendly. He gave me a little buzzer that will ring when my food is ready. We waited a bit for our food to come out(which I don't mind). Everything looked delish. I immediately regretted not ordering more hot when I tasted a chicken tender. There are 7 levels of spiciness @ Dave's(No spice,lite mild,mild,medium,hot,xtra hot, & reaper which had a disclaimer). I didn't taste any hotness w/ mild. The Mac & cheese was not macking @ all. It wasn't good. It tasted boxed. Everything else was mediocre. I don't see what the big hype is about. read more

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I was excited a Dave's Hot Chicken was opening in Milford, because I liked it so much when I tried it in Brooklyn. I went to the supermarket by my house today, but it was a zoo, so I walked right out. What a perfect excuse to eat out for lunch with my daughter and finally visit this spot. We got lucky with parking in the lot right out front. I was surprised how spacious it is inside. I love the graffiti on the walls, feels like a taste of NYC. The line went quick but the order took a bit long; it was expected with how busy it was. My daughter ordered a #4. Mild Single slider w/fries. To drink she had a strawberry lucky charms loaded milk shake, it was nice and thick. I got a #4 medium single slider with loaded fries. If that came with a drink they forgot to give me cups. My daughter wanted to eat in the car because it was too loud for her, so we took it to go. It was too late when I realized they gave me an extra plain slider instead of my loaded fries. There was a weird chewy piece of fat on one. I swear this is not how I remember it to be. I'll stick with Haven Hot chicken for now. read more

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We went there and placed our order at 3. After waiting 20 minutes with our buzzer still not going off. I went up to the front and said I wanted a refund. Waited another 5 minutes for a "manager" to come out and say oh you know we're really busy. I said I don't care. Our buzzers went off as we were standing there and the 2 burnout expeditors tried to blame us for not getting our food. My cousin took his but his daughter felt ill almost immediately. I'm told I get to wait 3-5 business days for my refund to appear back on my account. The expeditor was scratching his back and hair the whole time like a heroin attack. If you want to get sick, wait a long time go here. I'll never come back here again. UPDATE Their idea of fixing it via feedback on their site is to text you at almost 11 PM saying "sorry you weren't happy. We'll try to do better next time..." I guess no one gets based on this experience that I'm never going back to this location. I may never visit a Dave's again at all. Just shambolic. read more

A little piece of Nashville, right here in Milford. First, service is awesome! Everyone is personable, kind, and helpful. Chicken was freshly cooked and fantastic. I went with the medium, it wasn't too hot or too mild, it was just right. Vibe inside is great, rock music blaring, with beautiful murals in a clean and modern environment. read more

Reviews were mixed but we decided to give Dave's a chance. We were very happy with our meal and the quality of the chicken. The spice level was just right, and we appreciated the fact that we could customize it to our own taste level. The place was crowded, but not overly so and workers were constantly wiping down tables and getting seats ready for the next customer. Overall positive experience and we would go back. read more

My first time here and was very impressed ! I got the cauliflower slider and I could not believe how good it was ! Had lots of pickles which I love and I could pick my sauce level of spice. Hope this stays on the menu because it's amazing . read more

I'd say the food is just average and definitely not worth the 45 minute wait. That's right I waited in line to order for approximately 10 minutes and then it was 45 minutes until my food was ready. This was at 2:00pm on a Friday afternoon. The Mac and Cheese is average at best. It tastes like a box Mac and cheese. The chicken has a decent breading and is cooked well. The medium sauce was a miss for me. It wasn't spicy at all and had somewhat of a sweet taste. I didn't care for it. The fries were excellent. Dave's sauce was pretty good. Not sure if I will return. It's just ok. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

I was home on holiday in CT. I've been wanting to try DHC that opened up Gboro NC . But the line was always out the door. I get home no lines yay. I ordered the mild slider with fries and a strawberry shake. The sandwich was good. I don't like fries. These fries were seasoned well, and they were delicious and crispy. The service was great. The shake had a mid-weird aftertaste. When on holiday I'll visit DHC again. read more

Second time in a row I placed an order via the app and it was not followed. I requested no pickles or cole slaw yet both were on every sandwich. Hopefully this feedback is communicated to staff so they can pay better attention to detail. read more

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This is one of the worst experience I have at this place. I went to the restaurant at 11am and there is only 3 customers (2 in front my order). We were waiting approximately 20 minutes and all the orders came out at once. The chicken was not hot at all. read more

Nothing to get excited about. Food was ok basically a designer version of a McChicken. Frozen drinks is a frozen Kool Aid; crafty? maybe taste and value, no! Service is a little disorganized, maybe because it was a recent opening. Ambiance is similar to a five guys. read more

James was awesome! Great service! Fast and efficient! Delicious food! Overall great vibes!

Ordered at 8:20pm in store at the kiosk and received the food nearly an hour later. I asked the woman waiting in front of the counter what time she ordered and she showed me her receipt.. 7:59pm! & She still hadn't received her order. The cashier and cooks are barely putting in any effort. You can come in here and watch them. There's no urgency like at McDonald's and Burger King. Then they give you your order and you bring to them you're missing for items and you wait. Then you got to remind them to give you your shift drink cup you paid for. Not nice on Valentine's Day! More training and supervision is needed of the staff at this location. And a good sweeping is needed. read more

Food and ambience was great but now lets talk truth.. if you like ordering from the childrens menu and really like getting children size portion this is your spot. the fries are smaller than mcdonalds small but 3x the price.. maybe they are feeding the chickens cavier and champagne ? The location was beautiful , loved the graffitti on the walls. The staff was amazing , fun and friendly.The Food was food cant say it was bad, but i am not a making a car payment or a paying for a week of groceries to buy chicken strips, very far from worth the cost.. The best value is what they paid vgloggers & influencers to post videos promoting them. ..you just opened so this is an easy fix, increase portion sizes make your prices make sense. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

Though my first time was a long wait, it was only because of the grand opening. I went a second time and the line moved quickly. Both times my food was phenomenal. The Mac and cheese is the best I've ever had and the fries just had tremendous seasoning. The chicken had the perfect crunch pairing perfectly with the sauce and cheese. I loved my chocolate milkshake. I will be returning as I live nearby. read more

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Great customer service! First time there and Steven was very efficient. Definitely spicy - I tried the lite mild and the mild ( which definitely had a kick) Fries are seasoned and were also good . Good value for the price. Place is a lot larger than it looks like from the outside, very clean and colorful! read more

Save yourself a trip and SKIP this place. Tried the slider & tender meal and it was terrible. Chicken had no flavor, had a weird stringy texture, fries tasted like they were cooked the day before, did I mention that the chicken had no flavor? Also, not sure how they managed to make chicken tenders that weren't crunchy but they pulled it off. Threw everything in the garbage. What a waste. read more

Painfully slow service, and they still couldn't get the order right. Food came out cold and tasted like barely seasoned chicken. I mean no heat, no flavor. On top of that, the ambience was off: cramped, loud, and felt unorganized rather than energetic. This location is far below the standard of other Dave's Hot Chicken spots. Huge disappointment. read more

Super inconsistent. What gives?? First trip we had juicy, huge tenders and the fries were sweet and spicy! 2nd trip the chicken tenders were WAY smaller and the rub was noticeably different. Fries were blank. Third trip last week and WTH. Zero sweetness and the chicken was almost bland. Why such inconsistency!?! Too bad! read more

Ryan was goated, he was him, he was chill, and provided absolutely delicate service. went above and beyond his duties.

The hype is not real -- it's a cheaper version of haven hot chicken -- the foods ok if you want cheaper food than haven hot chicken but it's definetly nothing to go back to -- been there done that -- basically the McDonald's of chicken read more

Food was nice and hot Service was great and fast It was a nice ambiance , good music and smiling faces will be returning read more

Ordered a meal online for my wife, daughter and myself. Some thoughts. . . I had the two slider (hot) and fries combo. My wife had the cauliflower slider (light mild) and the half pint of pickles. My daughter had the slider and cheese fry combo. While I definitely tasted the heat, I didn't get much in the way of flavor from my sliders. My daughter had a similar reaction. I would say the sliders were much larger than I expected. My wife liked her cauliflower slider a lot. The fries were good - some seasoning and pretty good flavor. I was a little surprised by what they give you for a half-pint of pickles for $1.99. Six pickles in a two ounce cup. The last time I checked a half pint was eight ounces -- this seems like a fairly obvious bit of deception on the restaurant's part. Picking up the online order was easy and it was nice to bypass the line. read more

Great experience at this location of Dave's hot chicken. Staff verified halal chicken is served at this location. The website also mentions the chicken is certified halal. Nice location overall, enjoyed the food read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Milford, Connecticut

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The first time I went in there I had to wait 60 minutes to get my food. Several families also waited same amount of time. If your food is going to take 60 minutes to receive, they should tell the customer. I could drive through Popeyes in 3 minutes. Or go to Texas Road House and get fed quicker. Also New Haven Hot Chicken is much better read more

Last Friday and Saturday, I decided to visit the new Dave's Hot Chicken in Milford, CT! I had seen so many videos on my instagram feed of this place & many of the patrons eating big portions of hot chicken, fries and a signature sauce that looked interesting. On Friday's visit, it was less busy & I ordered online to pick up. It did take a good amount of time to get done. When I walked in to get my order I noticed it was clean and very new! I got the tender + slider, fries and Mac and cheese. Combos comb with a slice of white bread. I guess I don't understand the concept of it, but it was pretty soggy when I got to the end. As expected. The tenders were okay, yes has a heat level for being Hot & Medium tenders but I don't know, just not as well seasoned! Fries were very good though, crispy and flavorful. Mac & Cheese was pretty basic. Not seasoned much, if not at all. I'm not the chef nor a chef, but it would definitely benefit from their signature seasonings if they use them the right way to complement the mac and cheese. I also wanted to point out that the two different days I went, the large side of Dave's sauce I ordered were filled differently.. Fridays had more while Saturday's had less. I asked for all things like ketchup and honey in my order and didn't not get it, so pretty disappointing. Overall, my experience on Friday was a bit better. On Saturday, I went in later in the day for dinner - the line was insane! It was reaching the door and no space for customers to comfortably stand. Many people were sitting waiting for their food - or on the other side of the line. One thing I will say is, employees are trying their best to serve to customers but it's a lot more than one person at the register can handle. Since I paid with cash the second day, I had to wait about 7 minutes to get change. Someone had to come and count the till, while someone else was getting their order took - then making confusion and having to go back to the first register is an already crowded line. The wait time was no different, we waited a good amount of the food to come out while more orders were going in. In my opinion, this is not a bad chicken place, but there need to be some tweaks in the future for efficiency. Food was okay, service was a bit iffy but the cashier was good. Place is clean and vibrant, and I will be back - but not so soon. read more

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very reasonable prices kind staff and delicious food i would recommend ordering online and picking up too

The food is great. Chicken is huge and fries are well seasoned. Love the top loaded shakes. Ores is my favorite.

Waited 30+ minutes for 2 chicken tenders and fries. Watched countless people walk in after me and get my food before me.

we love Dave's Hot Chicken the food is so good chicken is juicy and portions are big. service is fantastic friendly at our Milford , CT when Jae greets us with a smile and is always helpful. don't go to the "other" chicken spot when you have Dave's hot chicken close by. read more

Walking into Dave's you are greeted with an extremely warm "Welcome to Dave's!". The staff is very friendly and happy to answer any questions you may have. My son and I ordered the Chicken slider and fries and they were very accommodating to my order which had a bunch of modification requests, as I am a very plain eater. The food was delicious and we especially loved the Dave's sauce!! We will definitely be back for sure! read more

Had an awesome experience at Dave's Hot Chicken thanks to Ryan! He was super friendly, quick, and made sure everything was perfect. Best service I've had in a while highly recommend! read more

I am so glad that Dave's Hot Chicken has come to Milford! Every time I come in for a bite to eat I am always treated great by the employees. Great vibes all around and the wait times are not too bad. Never had a bad time, especially not when their manager James is there focusing on quality and paying high attention to detail/customer service. Love this place! read more