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Novato, CA

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Dave's Hot Chicken

4.0 (128 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated 3 weeks ago

Order Dave's Hot Chicken Takeout or Delivery

Dave's Hot Chicken Photos

DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Good for groups

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Mia W.

I am a huge fan of the Honey BBQ Chicken Bites, but I'm told that the Buffalo Chicken is also great. We ask for crispy so they don't turn out a bit soggy. Be sure that you don't leave without their crinkle cut fries, because they are absolutely wonderfully seasoned. We have had problems with delivery and take out, but in house customer service has been phenomenal so I suggest you dine in.

*New* Daves Mini Sliders w/ Fries with Mac & Cheese
Mikayla P.

Staff were efficient and fast and I love how there are kiosks so you can pick at your own pace. The staff were on it, making sure that every table was cleaned and wiped down quickly. It wasn't busy at the time we came in and food came out quickly. I love that they had the option for the mini chicken bites, they were the perfect size for not being too hungry for a full sandwich. Note - the medium is not spicy at all to me, so if you're looking for actual spice go up a level

Gyly L.

Bomb food. Lots of flavor. You can choose how hot you want it. Pretty cool little place. There's cashiers and self order

Dave's #1 2 Tenders w/ Fries
Hong N.

The chicken tenders can either be a hit or a miss -- juicy & tender or dry & semi-tender. The amount of batter used is good. Nice crisps. I love the smoked paprika seasoning concept, but I personally find it a bit overwhelming. Which explains why their sauce really compliments along with it. Their sauce though. *french kisses/* Delicious! We ordered their medium spice, IMO, not spicy at all. (Please note that we have a higher tolerance for spicy food.) Good service and plenty of parking space~

Single Slider
Patrick S.

Dave's Hot Chicken is a chain that is welcome addition that serves solid hot chicken sandwiches. With more fried chicken sandwich places opening up, I am glad there now are more options in Marin! While Dave's doesn't do anything unique or spectacular to the fried chicken sandwich, I was not complaining. Located in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, Dave's is pretty spacious with plenty of indoor and outdoor seatings. Ordering is easy as going up to the counter with your order number being called out for pickup. Both times I have gone the turnaround time has been quick. As mentioned previously, I found both the friend chicken and chicken tender good. I wish the sandwich had a little more slaw with a little more balance from the sauce. However, the chicken itself has the right amount of crunch while still being juicy. While I can handle spice, i have found medium being perfect to enjoy the heat while not getting to the point where I feel pain :D Overall, Dave's in Novato is a good to get your fried chicken fix,

Amy T.

First time trying Dave's Hot Chicken and I'm glad I picked this location! The woman working the register was nice and helpful in explaining the spice levels - I went with medium since she said mild is not spicy at all. Medium spicy tasted barely spicy to me but very flavorful and juicy regardless. I think I will try Hot next time. I ordered the tenders with fries and a small vanilla milk shake. Everything was really good. She recommended adding honey to the chicken and I second it. The Dave's special sauce reminds me of the Chick Fil A sauce/spicy mayo. The fries were one of the best crinkle cut fries I've ever had - well seasoned and fried perfectly (light crunch on the outside with a soft center). Vanilla milk shake was nothing special but it still paired well with the meal. I was eyeing someone else's slider which has slaw in it. The tenders were very crunchy so it would've been nice to have a salad with it.

Sandwich & Fries
Allie P.

I have been hearing wonderful things about this place, so it was finally my time to give it a whirl. When an establishment has a limited menu- chicken sandwich or chicken tenders, it better be damn good and I am happy to report that they knocked it out of the park. The chicken is truly the star, it was crispy, moist and the seasoning was on point. Finally an establishment that understands chicken needs heavy seasoning. The seasoning wasn't just on the crispy exterior but actually penetrated the meat - Bravo!! I loved the sweetness of the bun, the pickles in the sandwich and on the side. My only criticism was the slaw, I wish it was pickled to give a nice acidity to cut the richness of the chicken. But other than that, this place is a win!

Single Slider with cheese
Net A.

First time I got introduced by my son to try this restaurant while visiting Novato. Why ? I always thought since the restaurant's name had HOT Chicken that all menu will be spicy! My son ordered online for pick up! Upon reading the menu it had several heat level of their mixture of spices : No Spice Lite Mild Mild Medium Hot Extra Hot Reaper I got Lite Mild Single Slider which was served in a potato bun with kaleslaw, pickles, added cheese, chicken tender was drizzled with their signature sauce. Was not disappointed, it was yummy. Chicken Tender was so tender and juicy which was just coated perfectly with lite mild rub . I enjoyed every bite and now I am a fan!

Lobby / Counter / Menu
Brian E.

NOVATO - HAS DAVES HOT CHICKEN!!! I love Dave's for the food & service. The chicken is plump & juicy. Service is quick & friendly. Sit in or outside with a fast food service style. Perfect for a quick bite! SPICE LOVERS: Challenge yourself to do the REAPER - it's not that bad, promise ‍

Chris R.

3rd trip here and the food is consistently good. You can customize your spicy level from mild to blazing if you can take the heat . They have various fountain drinks to choose from as well as bottle options. The food is hot and does taste delicious, the tenders They also offer several options for milkshakes too, you can save that for dessert

Hot tender
Stephanie W.

My partner and I have eaten here twice since they opened and their sliders are pretty good! Tender, juicy chicken, crispy fries and extra pickles with each order. The first time we had it, we went a bit safe because we never had Dave's before and wasn't sure how hot each level was. We ordered some sliders with a range of spice levels, from medium, extra hot, and reaper. We also got one hot tender. I can say that the medium and hot was not spicy and that's coming from someone who can't handle spice that well. I was a little too confident thinking I could handle the reaper because the other levels weren't spicy.... what a mistake because my mouth was on fire. My partner considers himself as the spice king and didn't think the reaper was spicy and only gave a little kick. He rated it a 2/10 on the spice. We came back a second time and decided to up our spice levels. My partner thought he could handle the reaper again but this time, he said it was a 9/10 on the spice. I could tell he was physically suffering and was sweating like crazy! It was coated with lots of spices so I guess maybe it depends on who's making the chicken. Overall, we really like Dave's and will be back. It's a great addition to Vintage Oaks!

Macaroni and Mac & Cheese
Jennifer C P.

Well they did the damned thing! Wow wow wow. This is chicken at its best. Tender, juicy chicken breast with aggressively seasoned coating that sticks to the chicken. Every bite - spicy how I like it, seasoned to perfection, delicious. Ahhhhh so good. It was crunchy, hot, juicy, steamy-tender heat hot and absolutely unapologetically delicious! Fries seasoned with flavor flavor flavor. Dave's special sauce packets to drench everything in creamy deliciousness The Mac and cheese was bad. All sauce and no gooey cheese. It's a preferential thing. Strawberry shake was ice creamy bliss. This was everything I love about fried chicken. All of it. Never change. Always give this level effort. Hot freshly cooked chicken. Go now. Eat well. Workout in the morning. Everyone on staff today - congrats, a fiver for perfection because you did the damned thing. I'll be back. (Arnold on Netflix is an entertaining watch while eating this food) Did I see one of these in SoCal?

Dave's #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries! Yum!
Dennis R.

I'd been meaning to try Dave's Hot Chicken the last couple times I was in LA, but never got the chance. I happened to be in Novato, came across this location, and jumped at the chance! First off, the gentleman at the counter was very friendly and helpful. I told him I have a pretty high spicy tolerance, and asked him if I'd be ok with the "hot" spiciness level. He said yes, and he was right! I was totally fine with it, and next time I'll probably try the next level up! As far as food goes, I ordered the slider and strip combo. The chicken is super flavorful and juicy! It honestly lives up to the hype, and then some! Also, this meal comes with tons of food. I was super full! Lastly, if you check in on Yelp, you get a free milk shake! I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area!

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6 months ago

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5 months ago

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9 months ago

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Boom! Glad you loved it! Thanks for the awesome review!

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3 years ago

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7 months ago

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

Got my order wrong, then got it wrong again... Workers were not on top of it and I won't be going back.

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3 years ago

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Thanks Sophia! We're glad you loved the chicken!

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1 year ago

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Page 1 of 4

Ask the Community - Dave's Hot Chicken

Review Highlights - Dave's Hot Chicken

“We tried the hot extra hot and reaper and trust me when I yell you the hot is indeed hot and the reaper is...”

Mentioned in 8 reviews

Read more highlights

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