Dave's Hot Chicken

Not your typical chicken sandwich decor. This place is well decorated with an awesome graffiti mural and flying chicken. The customer service is super friendly, everyone is working hard to complete your order. The chicken is fresh, flavorful and super yummy. Always gets my mouth watering.

This place has no respect for its food delivery partners such as grubhub exc. if you guys are already too busy to even get the food out to your own customers in a timely fashion, then why have your delivery apps on too. I’ve been here 4 times to pick up food and every time there was a 15-20 min wait sometimes longer. Most restaurants have the food ready right away and if there is a wait it doesn’t take that long. So greedy that they are digging into already not payed enough delivery drivers by having us spend an extra 15-20min on an order shake my head.

Before watching a movie, my friend invited me to try Dave’s Hot Chicken in Mira Mesa. The place is unique, not very big pace but it has spacious tables and chairs outside. However, it’s not ideal for winter evenings since it’s open. The staff was friendly and helped me decide what to order even from the sauces. I got the tender and slider with fries, which were delicious! I loved that you can choose the spice level for the chicken, I went with mild. The strawberry lemonade, though, wasn’t great since it was mostly ice, so I ended up drinking water instead. Overall, the meal was nice, and my tummy was happy.

Great fried chicken. This place is very popular and always crowded. The staff is courteous and welcomes you with a smile. The food is amazing. You must try it They have combos for family or large groups.

Dave's never misses. This is the fourth Dave's I've been to (Mission Valley, CA, Mira Mesa, CA, Denver, CO, Kansas City, MO), and it's always so good! Hot level is the perfect spiciness for me, and i normally get one Hot and one medium. Fries are elite, and Dave's sauce is so good. Always hit up Dave's if you are in a city with one!

This place was great! Food was better than expected, service was good and the place was busy. We were surprised that the cost of the food wasn't crazy too.

We're always fans of Dave’s, and this visit was no exception! We had their Dave’s hot chicken sliders, chicken tenders, and tried the new menu item, loaded fries and bites. The food was fantastic as always, but those loaded fries and bites were a standout- we couldn’t resist ordering another round! The service was top-notch, as it always is at Dave’s. Sitting outside, enjoying the gentle breeze, chatting with friends, and having the best chicken tenders in the USA made it an incredible experience. Can't wait to go back for more!

Very clean and personal:) my cashier was Maricris and she was great! Extremely sweet and patient with us while we figured out what we wanted and explained all of our questions to us very kindly and clearly, she even called me beautiful🥹🥰overall I had a great experience at this location

I have gone to Dave's more times than I can count. They have to be one of my favorite places to get some hot chicken in San Diego. Well-seasoned, crispy, and often at a good temperature. The chicken meat is flavorful. Their fries are also fantastic! The medium spice is an enjoyable spice level. At the most extreme, the chicken itself was still good and the spice was definitely up there. I highly recommend coming to this Mira Mesa location. All the staff members that I have met are great! Very friendly, considerate, and helpful despite how very busy they all are. For example: Kris, TK, Caesar, and Andre are always working very hard to deliver kind and quick service. I'm always happy to see them.

Service sucks.. waiting time is about 40 minutes to get chicken. Have only 30 minutes on my break . They should have a good system like raising canes or McDonald's or in n out . They are super slow in serving customers. I understand if it's currently busy but at least give the customer a heads up especially if there are about 20 people doing online orders are ahead of me when there are only 2-3 people waiting inside. Food is great but to wait 30 to 40 minutes for a chicken tenders.. this is my 3rd time and I'm done waiting :( Goodbye ! I cancelled my order . Seriously people that works there are kinda slow. Sorry :( The manager said he would refund me with my cancelled order and I just found out today that it was never cancelled and on top of that they charged my card a second time yesterday for the same amount :| Will go and complain today I didn't want to post a review but not refunding my cancelled order and then charging it a second time is fraudulent activity . Now I have to go there and waste my time again and hope they don't charge me a third time for a meal I never received.

Note: Delivery review only Their tenders and sandwiches are crispy, flavorful and juicy. One of the best things about Dave's is their sauce and pickles!! If you like pickles, it adds such a nice crunch and cuts the oily-ness of the food. I also like that their fries are a wavy fry, I do wish that their fries were a bit crispier. Overall, their food is pretty solid. Great choice for a casual meal.

Came back to Dave's last night and really enjoyed it. It's nice that they were open late and there was a lot of people there. Definitely a good sign. We ordered a couple of orders of chicken tenders (two no spice, one lite mild and one mild) and they were all really good. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was delicious. My favorites were the lite mild ones and I will get these again.

Food is good but the wait is pretty long. They recently got kiosks to order on which is sooo helpful but after ordering I still waited 20 min for my order. I ordered the two sliders with fries, one mild and one medium. Sliders: 5/5 - I added Dave's sauce and honey Fries: 4/5 - a little soggy

*This is an updated review, not influenced, I paid for the whole meal myself (like I do in every review, but I wanted to make it clear since I gave a terrible review last time & the manager reached out to me, but I just ignored them)* I returned for a second try of Dave's. I was in the neighborhood after getting my flu shot at CVS, and I thought I deserved a savory treat. Taste-wise, there is a clear improvement in flavor since the last time I visited. The chicken itself is tender. The batter is coated with seasoning that conveys just the right amount of heat. The bread was soft and fluffy. I love the beautifully seasoned crinkle cut fries. I really enjoyed Dave's sauce, which has more sweetness than the average hot chicken restaurant and was a great condiment for the fries. Price is great for the portion size! I ordered the 2 sliders with fries combo for $13.99. The amount of chicken is greater than compared to that of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and the price is quite comparable (if y'all relied on Popeyes for your fried chicken needs prior to the arrival of Dave's). Parking is a huge free lot. Definitely order from their website before you arrive because the wait time can be a bit long. The inside of the restaurant is pretty crowded, mostly with people loitering while awaiting their food.

Probably the worst Dave's hot chicken I've been to in SoCal. Both times we came here, the wait after ordering was around 25 min and our food came out warm. The fries weren't even hot? For a medium the chicken could've been spicer. There aren't a lot of tables, it's just crowded in there with people who are waiting for orders. In San Diego, the best location is the one in pacific beach. Pb location has fast service and the food always comes out PIPING HOT!

Soo good ! This was my first time my daughter and I tried Dave's Hot Chicken and we were not disappointed. When we arrived it was a few people inside but not crowded. There's the option of ordering with the staff or ordering on the kiosk which was pretty cool to see. There's even an area for online orders. The space seemed clean and primarily for Carryout although there were a few tables for those looking to dine in. There's a list of different spice levels depending on how "hot" you want your chicken. There's only three tables but again it wasn't crowded so there was an empty table available. I'm not sure how it is during their super busy times but we arrived around 730pm on a Saturday. My daughter tried the mild slider while I had the mild slider and tenders and my mom ordered the slider meal with No spice. We ordered and received our food in about 10-15 minutes. My daughter described her food as "so delicious not spicy to me but I can see how it could be spicy to somebody else" shes only 8 but loves spicy food so this maybe her new favorite spot. The food tasted freshly prepared, well seasoned and overall delicious ! I'm so happy my meal came with a slice of bread because the mold had a lil kick to it that calmed with the yummy toast The fries were soo good and the cheese was an added bonus to the flavor of the fries. We ordered 3 meals with an extra tender which came to a total of $45. We will definitely be returning.

The cauliflower sando was sooo yummy! My vegetarian heart and stomach were happy. Now I crave it everyday!

I always get the tender strip sandwich with honey on the side--it's fire. Crispy, juicy chicken with that sweet honey drizzle just hits different, especially with a little heat. It gets super crowded, so I always preorder online to skip the wait. Totally worth it if you're craving something bold and satisfying. One of my favorite go-to spots. The sweet and spice combination is 10/10

Great chicken, great fries, great shakes. The chicken is phenomenal. Love the tenders and especially when paired with the daves sauce. Ordering was easy with the kiosk inside. Choose what you want and they call you name when ready. Everyone was friendly and polite. It was pretty fast even though it was busy when we arrived. Lots more seating outside in the courtyard. Always a good time for DHC.

Come on Dave's Hot Chicken corporate since you bought Dave's you have raised the prices twice 5% and the 4% and you took away the drinks from the menus. I heard of prices gouging your new customers but this is insane. You don't have to get all your money back in one year. Food is still good but not worth the price anymore.

My friend and I split Dave's #2 combo which came with 2 sliders and fries. It was the perfect size for us to share. Friendly and quick service. Chill ambiance. Well packaged for a lovely picnic at the local park! Also love that it is a halal restaurant :)

Ehh, sorry but I'm not a fan. I know they have their loyal customers but it's not for me. It's not only the chicken that for me it's too over seasoned but it's over priced considering the portions. For the prices they have I might as well go to a sit down restaurant. The customer service ain't that good, workers look over whelmed, frustrated & tired the both times I went & it took a long time to get our food. Bread was good, Mac & Cheese a bit bland tho I did love their Crinkle Fries but if I want good crinkle fries I can just go to Canes or Arby's. Over all this chicken & place ain't for me but if you like waiting for over seasoned chicken then this place is for you. Me, I rather go to Church's, Popeyes or Canes.

Before watching a movie, my friend invited me to try Dave's Hot Chicken in Mira Mesa. The place is unique, not very big pace but it has spacious tables and chairs outside. However, it's not ideal for winter evenings since it's open. The staff was friendly and helped me decide what to order even from the sauces. I got the tender and slider with fries, which were delicious! I loved that you can choose the spice level for the chicken, I went with mild. The strawberry lemonade, though, wasn't great since it was mostly ice, so I ended up drinking water instead. Overall, the meal was nice, and my tummy was happy.

The staff of this location was very organized and efficient in their work. I was also impressed with the well maintained restroom despite the heavy traffic. Although the flavor wasn't as impressive in my opinion, it was well prepared and received at a perfect temperature. Overall, a good place to try if you're craving chicken tenders and fries.

I finally got the chance to try Dave's after living in the area for quite some time. It's not my favorite chicken spot as I've been to several around San Diego. I felt like the chicken wasn't so flavorful and underwhelming. The service however, was great. The shop had about 5 tables. It seems more like a grab and go type place.

A place I crave every now and then. We tend to see them busy at nights, finally this time we tried it. The chicken was tender and juicy, overall yummy. They suggested putting honey on the chicken and at first I was reluctant, but I guess it's like chicken and waffles. Since writing this draft to finally posting it, I've been here a few more times already LOL.

Not only is the food delicious, the staff is super friendly, honest and trustworthy. My daughter left her purse at this location and two weeks later when we came looking for it, Aziz was holding it in the back and returned it to us with everything still in it! My daughter was sooo happy to have it back. Thank you!

Omg just had Dave's Hot Chicken for the 1st time lastnight and I'm a fan! I went with the Dave's #3 which is a slider and tender. I substituted the slider for the "Not" Chicken (cauliflower) slider and soooo glad I did!!! First off, no one mentioned the spice levels to me prior to ordering so I went with Hot as most places to me arent as hot as I can handle. Ummm NOT here! The Hot is HOT!! I was literally dying! But God it was good!!! ADD ONE STAR: The portion was big and everything was sooo good! I am in love with the "Not" Chicken slider and will be back for more and more. ADD ONE STAR: The fries were the BEST fries I've had probably ANYWHERE! Omg they were good. So crispy and flavorful. Not sure what spice they put on them but I could eat a meal of those fries only!! ADD ONE STAR: The spicy did not disappoint and was damn Hot! I think I will go down to the next level so I can really taste more of the chicken and cauliflower next time. Sometimes heat just overpowers the food. ADD ONE STAR: The staff was nice and got my order ready in no time. ADD ONE STAR: One of the best 1st time experiences I've had in a long time. I was not disappointed by the Tik Tok sensation this time! Dave's Hot Chicken will definitely be my Go-To in the very near future! Thank you!!

My daughter and I have been wanting to come here for the longest time and somehow never did, considering it's in our neighborhood. Well, this past week we finally gave it a try. The place was packed! We both ordered Dave's #1 combo (hot) which came with 2 tenders and fries. One of the employees, Kai, was very friendly and quick in preparing our order. It's nice to see that fast food places like this have great customer service! The restaurant's decor is kinda wild with a space chicken theme. There are some tables inside and outside for dining, but most of the orders were for take out. They have special combos or you can order individual items. Hot boxes are also available to feed a large crowd. We ordered ours to go and ate it at home. The chicken was super juicy and the skin very crispy and bold in flavor. "Hot" was just the right amount of heat for us. Note: We can handle spicy. If you don't typically eat spicy food, then you may want to consider ordering "medium." Two thumbs up, we'll be back!

Been here multiple times now to get a single tender and their chicken never disappoints! I have to say that their customer service is always consistently good. I do recommend that you order ahead because the wait can be long depending on how crowded it is. Single tender extra hot (5/5): costs around $5. Comes with a slice of bread and some pickles! Perfect amount for a snack. The chicken itself also is a good size. Juicy, flavorful, and crunchy! if you love spicy, try the extra hot! there are not a lot of seats indoors but you can most likely get seats outside. The parking can also be crowded but it is big so shouldn't be an issue.

The lady who took our order was very up beat...maybe too much for me but good for her having all that enthusiasm. I was only there to order for my son who loves this place. My check ins are always for him. He craves this place all the time after school. His go-to is the sandwich with fries. I did take a bite of his sandwich and it was pretty decent. Definitely better than Chik. Fries, too were really good. Next time I need to remember to order my own set of fries. Something about their fries! Seating is limited inside but there's plenty of shared seating space outdoors. Parking is spacious but I gotta admit on prime nights like Friday and Saturday parking lot is busy.

Cloe was so kind and helpful, she made sure I had everything I needed and went over the menu. Great worker! Food was delicious and will definitely revisit.

I randomly decided to pull up to the area because the traffic was so bad. I love chicken so I was naturally gravitated towards the signage that says "Chicken"! I got the #3 1 Tender & 1 Slider w/ Fries. The chicken tender was amazing with the sauce (you ask for extra sauce) - tender and juicy. The fries were wonderfully seasoned that my boyfriend, who is picky about fries, inhaled his portion and went on to my portion. You can eat the fries without ketchup and sauce because of how godly seasoned they are. The slider obviously stole the show - love the combination of chicken, carrot, and cabbage. It's so refreshing from the common option of lettuce and tomatoes. The vegetables that they chose enhances the crispy texture of the slider. It's a relatively small store with 2 tables for 4 and 1 table for 2. To-go is highly recommended. Outstanding service. The lady at the front greeted us with a gorgeous smile.

Andrei was very helpful, kind, and patient. Food came out quickly. Wait was very minimal.

I Am Here for it , always perfect always golden always delicious ! Enough said . Every single time my order is the same and Dave's Hot Chicken never disappoints . Two sliders with fries, extra pickles with medium heat , yes please and thank you for having awesome chicken sandwiches . Great customer service, fast friendly with smiles and efficient . Clean space to eat .

The service was fast . I ordered Dave's number 2 . I shared it with my daughter. This place is our go to if we are craving for chicken.

Delicious food! Never disappoints Fastish service. Very limited indoor seating. But overall it's a great late night spot

This place was really busy on a Tuesday night, but the service was nice and fairly quick. Always consistently good chicken and fries. They gave us lots of extra sauce which was nice. Loads of parking for this location.

i was pleasantly surprised at the very large sizes of these chicken strips!! wow!! and, "oh, buy the way it doesn't have to be hot, you can get 'no stice!'! sorry but i'm much better with my dave's hot chicken being so close, i can't even imagine driving all the way into mira mesa, just to get to canes chicken, especially after seeing the size of "dave's hot chicken" stips!! they do have a few more things on the menu, even a vegan option!! enjoy!!

So I came in solely because of all of the advertising for Dave's Not Chicken...cauliflower, in the place of chicken?? Ummm, yes, yes and yes! My vegan/vegetarian friends, I have found your holy grail "chicken" sandwich but even my carnivorous co-habby of mine gave it his ultra picky stamp of approval. Delish! It was lightly breaded with your spice level of choice, nice and crispy with tender cauliflower in the center of it all. We both agreed we would get this again in a heartbeat! For myself being the skeptic, I ended up ordering the 2 chicken tender meal that comes with 2 slices of white bread and fries, which is my favorite. It is always juicy and tasty and has way more flavor than Raising Canes if I'm being honest, lol. But ,aybe a touch too salty this time around however that won't deter me from coming back. Staff is incredibly friendly from the time you walk in, get your food and leave. They always ask how we liked the food and offer the best customer service. Parking can get quite busy but it is still plentiful. Highly recommend their Not Chicken Sandwich for those that want something a bit different.

If you have good taste... PLEASE, save yourself the time and money, because WHAT? I decided to give this place a try because I was hungry late at night and this place is open late. I like to try new things, so in I went! They were pretty busy, so I had to order on their ipad screens, which was annoying and took forever. Anyway, the food was not good. Straight up. Not good. I got a chicken sandwich, fries, and chocolate shake. Didn't like any of them. The fries should have been cooked longer, they had potential but it was a hard pass. Too bad I bought 3 orders. They are over-seasoned and undercooked! Chicken sandwhich; I don't like the seasoning or the chicken. Milkshake itself was not good, I got the one with oreos and the oreo junks were HUGE... I don't know maybe it's just me but it's starting to piss me off taking my own order, spending so much money, and waiting 30 minutes all for a nasty meal that goes to waste.

Love everything about this place! Hands down the best hot chicken in town. The strips are quality chicken perfectly cooked and seasoned. You can get your choice of spice and although I LOVE spicy I have learned medium is a good go-to. Sometimes I mix it up and order 1 hot strip. Beyond that, good luck to you! It's pretty spicy! I've tried the reaper and it was honestly really tasty, I'm just afraid of what will happen later if I ate the whole thing. The cauliflower Dave NOT chicken is really well seasoned and sooo tasty too!! Highly recommend if you are cutting back on your chicken intake. The staff has always been really great here. There are usually plenty of chairs outside to eat in the nice courtyard by Starbucks, jamba, cold stone and plenty of parking which is always a plus. During Covid we used to drive all the way to P. For Dave's hot chicken because it was the only one open, we now have this spot and it is the perfect location!

This Dave's is located in a busy plaza in Mira Mesa - that being said, the seating inside leaves more to be desired. There are only around two tables inside. We came during peak hours on a Sunday and the line was almost out the door! We were lucky enough to nab a seat, though. Like always, Dave's delivers when you are starving. I ordered the chicken slider with fries. I got a medium spicy, which was juicy and with just the right amount of kick. Super satisfied with my experience here, just wish the setup was a bit better.

Today was my first time trying Dave's chicken and they did not disappoint! I orders the 2 sliders (mild) with fries and the pieces of chicken were huge!! Total was around $16 and change. Sliders had flavor but my favorite was that they gave extra pickles!! Other chicken places maybe will give you a pickle on your sandwich...I will definitely be back to try the tenders and different flavors.

Friendly service, food came out very quickly l. Shoutout to Kai for great customer service and recommendations. If you like hot chicken, this is the location to support.

Yummy chicken! Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. The Mac and cheese is creamy and cheesy. Tried the mild pieces and it had just the right kind of heat for me. If you haven't tried it, you are missing out. TY Dave's hot chicken! Liza

I only come to this location because honestly the staff are always consistent and on point with the food. Maricris c always greets me with the warmer smile and has informed about the new stuff on the menu. Ambiance is welcoming and friendly

First time trying a Dave's Hot Chicken. The chicken is breaded in very flavorful seasonings and a customizable spice level ranging from not spicy to must sign a waiver spicy. I thought the chicken itself taste better than raising canes. You can also choose to have your chicken tender in a slider, but they already come with a slice of bread so you're already part way to a slider. Fries are average - crinkle cut from frozen. This location is very small inside with very little indoor seating, but outside there is a large courtyard and plenty of outdoor seating. Location was very busy on a weeknight but they are fast and efficient in cranking out orders.

I love this place the chicken is always fresh and good , I always get the sliders but they have many things to try like the new cauliflower sliders

All of the above!! 5 stars!! Very Dirty Red Stained Hands Down!!! I'm hooked and will deeefinitely be back a lot.

Finally got a chance to grab some grub at Dave's Hot Chicken. The Mira Mesa location is in an ideal location near the I-15 in a heavily trafficked plaza with plenty of parking with mostly wide parking spaces. This inside of this location is quite small, boasting only 3 tables. After receiving your order, be prepared to dine outside at one of several tables in the shopping plaza or simply carry your order elsewhere to enjoy. Here's what we ordered; Dave's #1: mild, 2 chicken tenders paired with bread. Mac and cheese substituted for fries Dave's #2: mild, 2 Sliders w/ Fries The chicken tenders sold here were crispy outside and juicy inside. I'm a fan of Cajun cuisine, but caking such yummy tenders in heavy spices doesn't amount to much of anything to me but loads of salt and dry mouthfuls of food. My younger self would likely enjoy this "flavor," but my middled-aged self balks at the idea of that much sodium intake in a single meal. Admittedly, the fries here are more appealing to me than Cane's, another chicken tender joint. I do like the ample amount of pickles they give out on the side here. More than I've seen on any of my overpriced Fil A sammies for sure. It was worth a try but I'm not a fan and won't be back.

Takeout. Surprisingly good. Juicy. The chicken is not lost in the coating - balanced.

Ok for speedy service and a quick tasty lunch when you are in a hurry. Good fried chicken, one giant tender in a sandwich with fries was enough for me. Great for take out, or you can eat in the courtyard outside. Reliable decent food anytime. Great fresh pickles!

Finally! A hot chicken place in the 'hood! They're located in the same center as Smart & Final in Mira Mesa, on the Rubios/Jamba Juice side. We've came here a few times and each time we've gotten consistent service and quality of food, whether we ate outside or for takeout. Their chicken is sooo juicy and my favorite is to order the chicken Medium level of spiciness. If you can handle heat, the Hot is good too..it's a heat that builds up as you keep eating it! I love adding honey to this sandwich. Their fries are good too, esp when they're fresh! Also, you can order ahead online for pickup and they're usually on time with having your order ready.

We're in the middle of a remodel at home and have been ordering out a lot. Thanks, Grubhub. Ordered from Dave (AS) hot chicken for the first time tonight, and so in love with her food I had the Buffalo chicken tenders & Buffalo cauliflower! Both were amazing, but I'm obsessed with the cauliflower Thanks, Dave's for having such Yummy food

This is a very nice addition to Mira Mesa's food scenery. It was my first time trying it and was really happy with the #4 slider and fries combo. Very tasty and in term of spices mild was great for me

So what's all the fuss about. Finally ate here and we ordered mild and hot tenders. Also a tender hot sandwich. Ok. Mind blown. The bread they add is a nice touch. Ultimately the chicken. Wow. Juicy. Nice cut. The rub is out of this rub. I would dare not try reaper but mild is not for me. Hot was a perfect balance of spice. Just so delicious. The dipping sauce is a perfect amount of coolant effect while still not overpowering the meat. The sando was bomb. The slaw pickles bread. It was just so good. A league over Popeyes kfc and chic filet. Only downside is the menu options is so small. Now I read up. Apparently Dave learned from the best. He trained with Thomas Keller before opening up his own spot. Crazy what a heat wave.