While visiting Richmond, we decided to stop by Dave's Hot Chicken because the boys saw it on TikTok and had to try it. Of course, they wanted to do the challenge and try the hottest level--the "Reaper." But baby...when I found out it required me to sign a waiver?! Yeah, that was a hard NO for me. So we played it safe--one got the medium, and the other went with the hot (or super hot--whatever is right under that Reaper level). Now for me--I kept it cute and went with the mild slider and fries. I only ordered one slider because I saw how big they were on someone else's plate, and I was right--it was HUGE! And let me tell you, it was actually really good. The chicken was flavorful, crispy, and cooked just right. And listen... I am not a coleslaw person at all, but theirs? Surprisingly good! The pickle added that perfect sweet and tangy kick that pulled everything together. The restaurant itself was clean and had some really cool, colorful artwork that gave it a fun vibe. And the service? Excellent! The cashier was friendly, patient, and really knowledgeable about the different heat levels and flavors, which made ordering super easy. Now, the only downside for me was the price. It felt a little high for what you get, (the meal did not include a drink) so I did take off a star for that. But overall, the food was good, the kids really enjoyed it, and it was a fun stop during our trip. If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend checking it out! Rating: 4/5 read more

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The food here is great! Everything else, not so much... Decided to sample the menu and here's what we ordered - chicken tender, medium. This came on a piece of bread and lots of pickles and Dave's sauce. Fabulous breading and chicken was tender and not preformed. Kale slaw was creamy and not too sweet, yummy. Fries were nice and crispy. Cauliflower was a nice vegetarian option - well battered. We also tried The Reaper - the waiver was funny - but yeah, it is way too hot to enjoy (even by a Pepper-head). This is more of a frat boy dare thing. Overall, the food was really good and worth the visit. Here's the not so good: The menu doesn't cover everything, especially the vegetarian options, so you have to use the Kiosk for that. There were only 8 customers there at lunch. I can guess why. The floor had lots of random puddles on it and one large one was not marked and no one was mopping or trying to do something. Total slip and fall situation. There were only 2 staff and the counter-person was not welcoming or helpful. The music was really loud. I downloaded an ap, out of curiosity and Billy Joel's Piano man was banging in at 111 at peak and hovered around 85. Seriously, that's lawnmower loud! A couple waited twice as long for their order because they didn't hear their names called. Interestingly, the counter area was quieter than the dining room. The bathroom had run out of toilet paper. There were two empty cardboard rolls, so it had been awhile. Thankfully, there was a half used spool on the tank. No paper towels either. There was soap! So a mixed bag. I hope that Dave's can up their game, because the food was fab. read more

I really was looking forward to Dave's; it has been on my radar for months. I love spicy food and also love chicken so this should have been a slam dunk. The food was what I expected; tender, cooked right and spicy. I know this is a fast food outlet However, the place is dirty; filthy tables, floors..I saw several customers cleaning their own tables (as we did) and not once did I see any employees cleaning their tables (we were there about 30 min). We tried sitting outside but all the outside tables had black sticky residue. It was unacceptable. Again, food is decent but the lack of cleanliness will definitely keep me away from this particular Dave's. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - #Dave's #1 2 Tenders w/ Fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Dave's Hot Chicken delivers on what it promises -- crispy, juicy chicken with solid heat levels and consistent execution. The texture is right, and the spice has a good kick. That said, while it's definitely a strong option, it's not my personal top pick for hot chicken in Richmond. I tend to look for a little more flavor depth alongside the heat. Still worth trying, especially if you're craving something reliably spicy -- it just doesn't quite take the crown for me. read more

We have been excited to try Dave's and went tonight. We ordered online which was very easy. My husband went to pick it up and it wasn't clear where to go. The first staff person told him to wait and then a second employee checked on him and showed him where our food was. We liked the chicken but were slightly underwhelmed. It tasted good but just not my favorite kind of seasoning. Of the 5 sandwiches we purchased, three really liked it and two thought it was just ok. read more

Customer service and food quality was excellent , staff was very friendly even offered suggestions

My husband finally caved in and decided to give this a place a try after taking my son to the Barnes and Nobel across the street from here. I honestly have never heard of this place but I'm glad that the hubby pulled the trigger and got us to try this! My husband did say that even when he put the online order, the time that they said that would be ready was not ready when he arrived. He had to wait for another 15-20 mins afterwards. (I'm pretty sure that it was during their dinner rush so I can't really blame them for the extra time they took.) The pictures pretty much says it all. It was pretty good and their fries and chicken tender was most likely my favorite rather than the sliders. The season and flavor was def there and I'm pretty sure we will come here again because our kids loved the chicken and fries too! read more

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Had a great experience at Dave's Hot Chicken! It was my first time ever and the front-of-house staff were incredibly kind and knowledgeable.The options were pretty standard but I enjoyed that there were different heat levels that I could choose from. I ordered the two slider combo, and honestly, they were so big I could've gotten away with just one. It definitely felt more like a chicken sandwich size than a slider (not complaining but just a warning if you were worried they may be small). The fries and chicken were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The seasoning was so spot on! I was a bit nervous at first that it would be too spicy but being able to choose your spice level makes this place super accessible to even those who can't handle any spice! Despite all that seasoning the chicken still had a delightful crunch to it. The restaurant is decently sized with a good sized indoor and outdoor seating area. The walls are covered in interesting graffiti-esque art but overall the place was very clean. I got there around 5PM and had to wait about 15 minutes for my food. I was lucky enough to get in before the dinner rush and after I ordered it began to pick up with some people having to wait longer so just keep that in mind. I think it is worth the wait though, this is a fun addition to our other fried chicken options. read more

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This spot is a little overhyped. I'd actually tried to come here twice already, but was intimidated by the line outside and lacking available parking spaces. So, decided to try on this random Thursday night, and there was parking on the opposite side of the building open and line wasn't too bad inside (not outside finally). However, there is a ton of open space at the counter area as it's one side for dine-in/placing an order and the other for pickup/delivery services. Honestly most of the people standing there waiting were for pickup, which is deceiving from outside and why I feel it always looks packed. On walking in, my first thought was oh cool artwork, but second thought was why is it so small in here (when the former biz in this spot, Rusty Taco, did not appear so tight). Upon ordering it took about 25 minutes to get food. I ordered the two slider meal. They come on potato bread with a kale slaw. Depending on maybe how hungry you are, I find potato bread heavy/filling, so I felt I could have easily ordered the one slider meal. That's a little long of a wait for a basic menu, when considering it's one meat and just different sauces or spice levels. Nonetheless, I was excited to try it, as again people had been hyping it up (also looking at you Tik Tok lol). On taking my first bite, I felt my disappointment settle in from lack of flavor/seasoning/spice (all of the above maybe). Someone on tik tok said it seems like it's just paprika and no other seasoning and I have to agree. Maybe my expectations are high as someone who has lived in places with and eaten a lot of authentic hot chicken, but I promise I was just like 'the people have spoken.' Well I'm no longer listening. I felt this was pretty mid. Understand, not nasty but just no wow factor or influence to overeat or overindulge. The fries get cold quick IMO and they could benefit from some more seasoning too or maybe fresh cut fries would work better here (think about that for those of you ordering delivery and don't blame the driver bc they were prob cold before they left the restaurant). They give you a sauce with each meal (kinda like a honey mustard mix with something else I can't identify yet), and they recommend adding honey to the sauce. This was a nice touch and tasted good, but I want my chicken to have flavor without having to douse in sauce necessarily. Also, the spice levels really should be adjusted. I'm like a casual act like I like spicy to be cute kinda girl, but in reality orders mild always (lol), but based on other reviews got medium, and I didn't cough, sweat, shed a baby tear or anything. I've seen other reviews saying you have to order the level 5 spice to mimic actual hot chicken, but I can't attest to how true that is. I've seen mixed reviews by locations (other states of course), so maybe down the road this will be a tried and true location like others, but for now I'll forgo the crowd and long waits in hopes that they find the seasoning and spice accuracy in the future. read more

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Amazing customer service!! Me and my friend went in there for the the first time and had no idea what to get and this amazing cashier was so sweet and friendly gave us many choices and was very patient with us and the food was amazing! It came out decently quick and drinks were great. 100% would go again! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - All slushie flavors mixed - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Fast food chicken tenders. Nothing more, nothing less so don't come expecting a lot of choices. The 3 of us ordered the tender and slider combo and a side of the Top Loaded fries. Everything was cooked well. Chicken was tender and juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Fries were crisp. We all got the Medium Heat chicken. It is not a sauce, more of a dry rub. We all liked it. Not too hot and when you first bite into it, a little hint of sweet. It was crowded but we only waited about 15 minutes. Not a lot of tables so while we waited for our table, we were able to get a table. One men's and one women's bathroom so you may have to wait in a line for that as well. Overall, food was good, employees were nice and helpful and the place was clean despite the crowd. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Top loaded fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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First I'm going to say, Dorthy and her customer service... 10/10! Everyone knows i do not tip on fast food orders. Especially when a tip is asked for before I've even had the food... but her customer service alone made me leave a tip. She was so nice and just so kind. She recommended things to us and I hope they treat her well there because she is truly an asset to this company. Also, I hope she got the tip because her name was not on the receipt as the cashier. I asked her about it and she told me that it was okay because it was her manager... but i hope they acknowledge her for the great employee that she is! The building, beautiful! The artwork, beautiful. The cleanliness, amazing! The only thing I wish that was different is that I wish they had a drive thru. I'm not really a fan of getting out the car so late at night but we had just left the movies and needed a bite to eat. We got the mini sliders, the loaded fries, the Dave's NOT chicken (fried cauliflower), the frozen hi C orange beverage, and the Mac n cheese. Mac n cheese was okay... nothing to write home about for me but my little baby enjoyed it. The only complaint I really had was the fries were cold. But the flavor was still very very good! I popped that box open as soon as I got in the car so I didn't let it sit... so they couldn't have been fresh out the oil... but that's okay... i always say, you know it's a good fry if it still taste good when it's cold and it sure did. The mini sliders were very good and so were the cauliflower bites. We aren't spicy people, so we got the no spice option and that was right up our alley! I'm so glad that's an option. It's a little far away, but we will be back! I hope they choose to look in the Chester, VA area for the next location because they already have a customer if they do! read more

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within the opening month lol but here's the review of @daveshotchicken #vibe: 5/5 the venue is very catchy, bright signs, well lit and inviting! The space was clean and trendy! #customerservice: 10/5 the cashiers and team lead worked well under the pressure of the new opening crowd, the all provided amazing customer interaction and were helpful navigating thru the menu. There was a wait but it was manageable! #thefood: Dave's Combo #1 (2 tenders, white bread, pickles and sauce: Mimi rates a 4/5 lil mild and mild) Dave's Combo #3 (1 slider with "mild" tender, honey, sauce, pickles and slaw 4.6/5 and 1 "lil mild" tender 2.9/5 this poor tendie was lukewarm so the rating is heavily based on that factor). You can mix and match flavors and Mimi and I both agreed to go up on the spice level to medium! Sauce, pickle and bun all 5/5! We'll give them a few more weeks and we'll be back for sure! read more

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Fresh fried chicken and fries well seasoned and made to order. Modern hip vibe decor with neon lights, and painted graffiti walls. My best advice is DO NOT go over the heat level of HOT first time around so you can enjoy the full experience of flavors and textures of your meal, after that HELL'S the limit for HEAT and PAIN, the wife and I got one REAPER tender and took ONE bite before our meals BIG MISTAKE as it took 15-20 min for our souls to come back into our body's. DAMN YOU DAVE!! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Delicious chicken sandwich fries and one side tender - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Amazing everything was Good! I loved this place we really enjoyes the atmosphere as well as the customer service!! Food is yummy!! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - 2 slider combo, Mac and Cheese and CheeseSticks!! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Loved the chicken,i ordered medium spicy.The flavour and the spice everything is on on pint and it tastes very yummy.the woman on the register is bery kind and friendly. The store was very clean and neat and great ambiance. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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A Serious Wake-Up Call for the Owners I honestly don't see how this place will survive with the level of customer service (or lack thereof) I experienced today. I arrived at 12:39 PM, placed my order, and didn't receive my food until 1:40 PM--over an hour later for something as basic as chicken and fries. Absolutely RIDICULOUS. At no point was I informed that wait times could exceed an hour. As I looked around, nearly every table was empty--not of people, but of food. What exactly is the hold-up? This isn't Thanksgiving dinner--it's chicken and fries. There is no excuse for this kind of delay, especially when the restaurant wasn't even packed. Beyond the slow service, the complete lack of employee engagement was shocking. Not a single employee or manager came out to communicate, apologize, or offer any reassurance after taking our money. If you're that understaffed, where is the leadership stepping in to manage the situation? As a Human Resources Director, I know firsthand that a business's success depends on the customer experience. Without leadership, this restaurant will fail. Your staff is inexperienced, disengaged, and clearly not invested in your success. If they don't care, neither will your customers--and that's a fast track to failure. To the owners: you need strong leadership and an immediate strategy to fix this. If you're serious about turning this around, I'm happy to offer my expertise. I specialize in creating exceptional customer experiences and would even be willing to consult or step in part-time to help. But if you don't take action soon, I don't see this business lasting. read more

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I went there with my family on one mission. I had to try the reaper. The wall art is amazingly done. There is plenty to look at while eating. Brandon took our order and was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. The only thing I would change is the flavor of the food. It was ok, the reaper sacrificed flavor for heat. The challenge did pull a tear out of my eye, but the flavor was hard to stomach. read more

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Great experience here. The ordering was quick and the young man at the register was extremely polite, helpful, and resourceful about the menu. It took a little while to get the food once ordered but it was pipping hot, fresh and very good. The topped fries, while unique, were delicious and the small order was plenty of food. The mild cauliflower was very well flavored and cooked to perfection. The two price tender meal was more than plenty and mild was little hotter than expected but still very good flavor and the breading was great as in still much more chicken than breading! Overall, great job on the food and service. The environment itself is energetic and bright colors, a little louder than normal conversation but there is outside seating options as well. Definitely going back. read more

Came in on a Tuesday ordered 20 mins in advance for pick up. Got immediately greeted and picked up my meal right away. Got the #3 combo with the reaper spice. Was not disappointed in spice definitely hot! read more

I can finally stop drooling watching tiktok reviews and can drool in person! So excited that a Dave's Hot Chicken opened in the Richmond area! We ordered online for pick up, where you can add modifications and choose your spice level substitute sides etc very easily. Our food was ready when predicted and the staff were very friendly. We ordered two #3 combos (a tender, slider and fries) each combo was about $13 which you can't beat. Added a large Dave's sauce and a side of mac and cheese. The food traveled decently on our 20 min ride home. The fries were cold and soft but the tender stayed crispy. A little toast in the air fryer and the fries were back in action. The tender was the highlight here. I could've skipped on the slider and just done tenders. The fries were just fries. The Mac and cheese was a little too saucy probably wouldn't order again. Dave's sauce was alright on its own a little too mayonnaise-y for me (I like Hangry Joe's sauce better). But the combination of the tender, Dave's sauce, honey and pickle was *Chefs Kiss* We will definitely be back to try everything fresh in the restaurant. read more

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This is their opening weekend and there was a line out the door. No parking, I almost gave up . I turned around and came back and waited for a parking spot and I am glad I did. The line went through pretty quickly, faster than I thought it would honestly. Once we got to the register, the cashier was very friendly, and gave us the run down. We got the $9.99 slider and fries. Next we had to choose the heat level. I did mild, and my daughter did medium. Mild was just enough to kick that it wasn't too hot for me. They also have a sauce that they advised you to mix fresh honey with and it was delicious together. Ur fries were cooked perfectly like I like them, crunchy but not too hard. My daughter got the blue slushy and we were handed one of those thing's that vibrates when your foods ready. The wait was about 20 minutes, but it went quickly. We actually got lucky and found a table while we waited. Now... about the food...the sandwich was great. Cooked well, heat level on point., fries perfect. I would absolutely recommend to anyone who loves spicy chicken. read more

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I've heard about Dave's hot chicken all over YouTube and I'm like you know what let's go to this place. What is so good about this place? The food was really good. They did put a lot of effort to it considering that the wait time is pretty long, which is why I rated only a four star review, but it is worth the hype and the wait read more

I was exited to try this place I saw a lot of hype around it on TikTok and their spectacular reviews on google. For me, it was a no, sorry Dave's chicken I personally think it is way too pigmented for my taste, Fries are very good and fresh read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Dave's chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Delicious food! Been there twice and will keep visiting! .

Food was killer but the service kinda lackluster. Mightve just been an off day for them.

The food was delicious! The cashier was very helpful with helping me decide what to get. It was super packed, but we got our food really fast! read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

So terribly slow. Horrible system, lady left a line of people waiting for 20min just to order. Then I sat and waited for another half hour. My friend and I ordered together, and for some reason she got hers after the half hour and then I continued to wait while other people who ordered after got their food. So slow I will never think to stop here again. read more

Chicken is overrated and waaaay over seasoned. Tastes like you're biting into straight chili powder. Dip is a simple ketchup and mayo mixture. Fries are crunchy and seasoned. Atmosphere and customer service is great. read more

Dave's Hot Chicken - Chicken slider (medium) with fries. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

25 minute wait? But no line at the counter... Next time please tell us when we order!

First time visiting. Not bad, not bad at all. Extra hot seasoning was not salty and the service was consistent.Drink area a little messy but if the hire about two more individuals I think they would be on point 7/10. read more

Service is slow, prices are ridiculously high and the decor consists of lawn furniture. No effort was to make this restaurant inviting.

Finally good hot chicken in richmond. Seems like the bad reviews are because of wait time but those kinks have been figured out. Super popular chicken spot nationwide and I'm glad richmond was lucky enough to get one! Fun and trendy atmosphere. read more

great service and great chicken the food comes out quick and always tastes amazing I come here every week

The RVA Henrico location was great. Clean, the service was great, and the chicken was outstanding. I only tried the plain, lite mild and mild tenders, and I think they keep getting better the hotter you go. My friend tried the 2nd hottest and said it wasn't unbearably hot. I don't know how bad the reaper is, but I do know you have to sign a waiver form if you want it. read more

Service is always amazing. Tenders, slider, loaded fries and are soooo spot on every time. Dave's life changing hot chicken is consistently great. My whole family loves it!! read more

Okay. Chicken was good but the shakes were really watery. Bigger problem was the service. Very understaffed with only one person helping customers. He was doing a great job but management needs to better staff. Line was out the door. read more

Poor management, orders sit behind the counter getting cold because they only have one employee behind the counter who's taking orders.

Waited almost an hour to get our food. I cannot fathom the inefficiency of it!! The employees were friendly but obviously had major training deficits. Food was meh and not worth the wait. I will stick with Chick-Fil-A from now on. read more

Absolutely Appalling Experience - Avoid This Location My family and I had an absolutely terrible experience at Dave's Hot Chicken on West Broad Street, and I feel compelled to warn others. This establishment is a complete disaster when it comes to service and management. We placed our order at 5:52 PM and were quoted a 30-minute wait. Instead, we waited an unbelievable 65 minutes before finally receiving our food--and when it arrived, the order was completely wrong. I had ordered a box of chicken sliders: 2 medium for myself and 8 lightly seasoned for my wife and young children, who do not like or tolerate spicy food. What we received was the exact opposite: 8 sliders were medium, and only 2 were lightly seasoned. When I brought this to the staff's attention, instead of apologizing or correcting their mistake in a timely manner, I was dismissed with an excuse that "medium isn't too hot"--as if they, not my family, should decide what level of spice is acceptable. Worse yet, I was told that if I wanted the order remade correctly, I would have to wait another 30 minutes. At this point, my young children were hungry and upset, my 4-year-old son was in tears, and the restaurant staff showed zero concern for their mistake or the inconvenience they caused. Frustrated, I returned the food to the counter, requested a refund, and we left without eating. This location is horribly mismanaged, and their complete disregard for customer satisfaction is unacceptable. If they cannot keep up with in-store orders, they should pause or limit online orders through services like Grubhub and DoorDash, rather than making dine-in customers wait over an hour for incorrect food. For anyone considering this place--skip it and go across the street to Hangry Joe's. Their food is just as good (if not better), it's a better value, and their service is far superior. Dave's Hot Chicken on West Broad Street is not worth your time, money, or frustration. Avoid it. read more