Dave's Hot Chicken

Honestly, this place lives up to the hype. The chicken is juicy, crispy, and packed with flavor, and the spice levels are no joke. There’s something for everyone, whether you like it mild or extra hot.😵‍💫 The tenders were perfectly cooked, and the seasoning hits just right 🔥🔥🔥 The staff was friendly and helpful too. Good place to hang out with friends 🙌

Chicken is a little greasy but well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Spices were a little powdery and I inhaled it several times but that’s about where the imperfect things end. The truth is you’re not getting better chicken most other places. Dave’s is the kind your return for.

10-10-2025 My spouse and I came here right when they opened the door. We were the very first customers to place our order; it took 15 minutes for or food. We had #2 2 Sliders: 1 hot, 1 reaper (must sign a waiver 🤣) with fries $14.99 ($12.99 on the menu) and mac & cheese $4.29. I am not a fan of fast food, their chicken however changed my perspective. It was tender, juicy and tasty finger liking good! Mac & cheese, creamy and melts in your mouth delicious! Rating: 3/5 service, due to long wait 5/5 chicken 4/5 overall

Hands down best customer service from bri despite being fast food!!!! She needs a raise first time here and loved the food and environment Will definitely be coming back

This low key my favorite Dave's location. It's like they always open at the perfect time of day/night. The staff is always upbeat from the cashier, chefs all the way to the team member at the pick up window. The space is always clean the atmosphere is always set. I love some hot chicken! Def recommend if you are in Pacific Beach area. 10/10

First time having Dave's! I ordered the Dave's #2 $17.87: lite mild, add cheese to sliders and fries. Lisa was very friendly, ensuring we had enough Dave's sauce and hot honey. She also provided extra pickles upon my request! Dave's chicken sliders were definitely quite refreshing with the pickles and the slaw. I definitely enjoyed it! There is seating inside, although tables can get a bit dirty and no one was really cleaning it up. Street parking only. Excited to try other Dave's locations!

Honest love this place! Ever since I first tried it I’ve been coming every weekend and been loving it. Service is nice and super speedy.

Ordered the 2 sliders w/ kale slaw and fries combo. I saw a picture that looked like 2 Hawaiian rolls with some chicken tenders on them and figured "ok cool! 2 small sliders and fries, this will be perfect." Got home with my meal and I was blown away that it was basically 2 whole chicken sandwiches and fries. I could only eat one and half the fries. HANDS DOWN! The best chicken sandwich I've had and I tend to only order chicken sandwiches from shops. I wish I had gone a little higher with the head to make that kale slaw work for it's self. But it was amazing. Also, the pickles chips were so damn good and crisp! Definitely coming back next time I'm in town.

Great customer service! Lisa was great and she explained everything extremely well and thoroughly. Five Stars to her and the crew!

The food was so hot and crusty, just the way I love it! One of the staff members, named Lisa, is very sweet. She made sure that I had all my utensils and recommended me to try the honey with the Dave's sauce! The service here is amazing. I came from LA and it's nice to see great service out here

India gave the best customer service I've had in a long time! I came here during a late night during a holiday and she was so kind and accommodating. So much better than the place across the street. Give her a raise!!!! The slider was great. I get it without pickles and it's perfect. The Mac n cheese wasn't bad either, though it would be nice if it was a little creamier. Overall, I could have Dave's every night. So good!! I'll be a regular customer from now on.

This place was busy Pretty mediocre but limited options at this time I enjoyed it and I'd go back

One of my favorite spots in San Diego - Dave's has the best fried chicken I've ever tried. The chicken is good quality and juicy, with more chicken than just fried crust like many other places. The spiciness levels allow you to choose your pain - I recommend medium or even hot if you can handle it! The seasoning can't be beat and the sauce that comes with it might just be the best part. My go to order is the tenders with French fries. Be prepared for quite a wait if you're going late night because the place is packed!

Popped up on this place and it was good enough but I will say with a little more effort in keeping it clean and employees making sure they are practicing cleanliness this spot which I'm sure that makes great money would make more. The food was good but the practices I seen made me sketchy to try it. Having multiple things with gloves and not changing them will never be cool for me, but it was open and late and I ate it and it was hot and good.

We were glamping nearby and decided to pick up food from here after setting up our site and being too tired to cook. We got a combo of sliders and tenders, some mild and some spicy. It was all amazing. It was so delicious! The fries were good too and great portions. I don't get the piece of toast because it's just a random piece of toast at the bottom but we really loved our meals. Service was great too, guy at register was really friendly and when we picked up our food they were generous with all the sauces.

We were a bit hungry following a concert and decided to grab some food. Dave's seemed like the spot so we popped in. We ordered the chicken sliders and went around the corner to wait. It took a lot longer than expected, but the food was fresh and hot. It was super late and it was a young crowd. Interested to see what it looks like during the day.

Amazing service! Definitely recommend. The workers were so friendly. Try their medium bites.

I came with a big group of people (around 20), but the food came out so fast + it tasted pretty good. I ordered on the kiosk which was a smooth experience, and the lady passing out the food was really friendly. She recommended to mix the honey and Dave's sauce and it was sooo good. I recommend!!

Went to Dave's tonight and the restroom was blocked off. I asked when it would be opened and the lady said "it needed to be cleaned". After I ate and an hour had gone by I saw it was still blocked. (Having to really go at this point) I asked again. Staff all of looked at each other and said it wouldn't be opened up. I then asked individually one of the people cleaning a table and he said it was maybe due to theft. Looked and sounded like they were all just being lazy. Plus, even if the theft was true there were only 4-5 people in the restaurant. Pretty ridiculous to have a bathroom blocked off to your customers permanently. Would think it might even be illegal to not have one available for a restaurant this size.

I remember coming here a couple years ago and remembering that there would be a huge line but luckily for me when we walked in we were served right away. We got the #1 meal which was two chicken tenders, w pieces of bread, and fries. We also ordered a side of mac and cheese which all came out to a total of $16.68. The food came out really quick and we got to sit at a table inside. I was absolutely disappointed with the mac and cheese. It was way too watery. With having tasted the mac and cheese first I had low expectations for the chicken and fries. I was absolutely surprised by how tasty the chicken and fries were. They both were seasoned very well and I enjoyed the texture of the fries I thought the chicken was really juicy. I definitely would come back here. Chicken Tender and Fries 4.2/5 Mac and Cheese 2/5

AMAZING SERVICE SHOUT OUT CARLOS!!! Food was really fresh and I'm definitely coming back again!! Inside was really clean and the vibes were nice.

Food was great! Service was exceptional. When they say hot, you better believe them....it is HOT. It's hot so good. We love the dipping sauce too. So good, we will be back.

Sandwich here has got such a recipe that couldn't be replaced by any other. Unlike many others, this sandwich doesn't require a side sauce to get the heat but it's packed with a punch. Not necessarily that one has to like hot n spicy, simply order the mild level. Otherwise the higher you go, hotter it gets. Like an aficionado as me, I can't help getting this sandwich every now and then, however, I would prefer a time when I can wait the least. And that hasn't happened often. Always busy!

Wow this place was like Whoa!!! The price for the food is great!! The taste for the medium was still too spicy for me but I ate it. My daughter got the medium as well. And my husband had to try the reaper. He will never do that again lol!!! I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. And it was well lit. And I liked the location at well. I did not have any problem with parking which is crazy because you would think there would be a hard time finding parking at that location. I give this place 5 stars. So bomb and will definitely be back

LISA is the BEST... if y'all don't toss that amazing woman a raise/promotion I'd be really let down... she helped my girlfriend pick the best seasoning, gave us an extra daves sauce, and told us some awesome jokes... we had an extra long wait because we showed up at 12:45 am, got our food at 12:50, and it was a helluva lot of food... i juzt really think y'all shlould make this lady a manager because she was the only reason i didn't throw a tantrum waiting for the food.

This is the best Dave's location in San Diego! Everyone is so friendly and service is exceptionally fast! Will definitely be coming back!!

My wife and I love Dave's Hot Chicken! Spicy, big pieces of chicken, all reasonably priced! Very delicious!

The service was quick and the staff greeted with a smile ! The food was great , can definitely feel the love that they put into it. Once again , the staff are very very kind and welcoming into the establishment. Despite the wait time , my friends and I enjoyed the tunes they had playing outside. Definitely would come here again !!

the service was amazing and i love the staff. the food was unbelievable and definitely hits the vibe

Best Chicken in PB, after a long day!! Best by the beach!! Sparkle made me the best drink called Orange Creme!! Try it!!

The staff was on point! Everyone introduced themselves by name, and we even had someone come to our table and ask if everything was okay. I tried the NOT chicken slider (aka cauliflower) and liked the crunch factor more than the regular chicken sandwich. Love that there's a vegetarian option-- just makes sure to have it cooked in the French fry oil rather than the chicken oil. This location has outside seating that's nice and sunny for a casual outdoor lunch

Even though Dave's is originally from LA, this PB location is waaaaay better! The tenders were really juicy and crispy, same with the fries! Other locations I've been to tend to be a bit soggy but this location made them real perfect! Restaurant was clean and the cashier was so nice too. This will be my go-to location!

Tried this place on a whim and I'm glad that we did. The walls are decorated with their mascot as a firefighter and as a surfer which matches the vibes of the area. You order your food at the front and then grab it when it's ready. As first timers, we got the medium and reaper to get a good feel of their spice blend. While it's not the spiciest/ most flavorful hot chicken I've tried, I found this one to be more palatable and I can see myself enjoying this on a regular basis. The reaper: I initially felt a kick, and then the heat builds up in 2-3 bites. It is spicy, but it's not an entirely painful experience, and I was able to taste the seasonings instead of just spice. It gives more of a sweet heat rather than a savory flavor. Medium spice: This is more of a palate cleanser in case the reaper was too spicy. The overall spice blend is less sweet than the reaper and there is a a tinge of spice. I would get this again if I'm sharing the reaper and medium with someone, but if I were to get one sandwich that satisfies my spicy cravings, I would opt for one spice level up. Their chicken is moist and the crust was just right. The sliders include slaw, pickles, and sauce which all help with the heat levels. Remember to get some extra Dave's sauce to dip your chicken into for a more cooling effect!

Hands down... the best fries of all chicken joints. The sandwich is good too. Need to get the sandwich.... juicy white meat. Crispy crust. Soft bun. Its a symphony of textures. The sauce is flavorful... we got the mild sauce since my wife does not do hot.

Food was super flavorful, I got spicy and it was pretty hot. The service inside was fast, no complaints for a "fast" food joint, ambiance and decorations with neon lights inside was cool.

Lisa was wonderful and made our first experience here awesome. Spicy chicken sliders combo was bomb and filling

Let's start with the fact it's midnight, and Dave is on the grill like he never left. A lot of places pretend to care about you but very few will serve late night tendies. I for one am about to eat 10 chicken tendies to myself, pretend like u care about chicken and get yourself some Dave's

Absolutely had a great experience. Food is great as always never fails to satisfy and the service is always great. I was helped by Renata and she was very attentive, went above and beyond to recommend me a meal!

Especially after a long night, this spot is the best! But if you're thinking about going post-night out, leave the bars 15 minutes before they close and hit Dave's. If you go during the rush you will wait an hour to eat (even though it's totally worth it)!

After seeing that Dave's Hot Chicken came to Pacific Beach-- I've been eager to come here and try it with my family. This time I went with my brother. The place was pretty crowded (in dining and waiting area). I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get a spot to eat at seeing that there were so many groups! Luckily while we waited for our food- the tables cleared up. Also, there was seating outside. But it was so cold I didn't want to go out there. He ordered Dave's #2: 2 Sliders with fries and then ordered a fountain drink too. (No cheese) - lite mild - I ordered Dave's #4: 1 Slider with fries. - lite mild - The lite mild is more like no spice. Next time I'd get mild or the next one up. There wasn't any hint of spice, but I could taste sweetness. The sweetness came from the slaw. There were pickles in the slider and they gave even more pickles on the side. It had a good crunch and a slight sour. The fries were crinkly and a bit too salty. The sauce they gave on the side was quite bland in my opinion. Not even 30-45 minutes after eating-- not sure what it was (the chicken, the sauce?..) but (TMI) the bathroom wasn't looking good.

This location is so amazing and clean and the food tastes so good! Shout out to Lisa, she was a gem when handling my food.

Amazing food! 10/10 service, Lisa was friendly and great! Vibes were spectacular, food came out quick and well. Would recommend.

The chicken is very good and I would love to go back for some more but I'm wondering when DHC will comply with the San Diego Single Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance which went into affect citywide almost 1 month ago? This aims to protect the very beaches that attract so many customers to this business. So trade the polystyrene containers and plastic bags for something more eco friendly and ask before including plastic utensils...then I'll be back:) Thank you! https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/eps_brochure_-_english.pdf

Even though the wait was super long, Lisa was very kind and courteous with updating everyone in the restaurant with time remaining on their orders. Chicken was good. Dave's sauce mixed with honey was delicious. Thanks for the recommendation Lisa!! The pickles were my fav.

Wow, so while in town (San Diego) I had to try Dave's. It is in a nice location, lots of people walking by. The establishment does not stand out, but I found it. I must say it was clean inside and while not a big place there was room to find a place to sit. The guy that took my order was nice and just let me know everything about Dave's hot chicken as I told him I have never tried to. I went for the hot, not super hot, but has a kick to it. I have to say the chicken was great! Moist, juicy, lots of flavor. I definitely will visit another Dave's when I travel and can find one. There is no drive up here, so you must come in to order, maybe that's a plus. Fries are great also and I really enjoyed my first time at Dave's

Everything was worst & very late to delivery the food very bad customer service especially from Hector was very rude with us !!

Dave's Hot Chicken is one of those places that you can always count on for a satisfying meal, but it doesn't quite reach the level of crave-worthy for me. Consistency is definitely a strong suit here. Every time I've visited, the food has been good, but it hasn't left a lasting impression that would make me crave it again and again. One thing to note is that Dave's Hot Chicken is always open late, which makes it a popular spot for those late-night cravings. However, with popularity comes crowds, and the place can get pretty busy. The staff are usually great and efficient, but during peak times, you might have to wait a bit longer for your food. Overall, Dave's Hot Chicken is a solid option for a late-night bite. While it may not blow you away, it's consistently good, and the convenience of its late hours makes it a go-to spot for many.

Recently had the most unpleasant experience imaginable at Dave's Hot Chicken and will not be returning. I ordered my food to go and waited the standard amount of time on a Saturday evening. I was order #151. The guy calls out order #151 & 152 at the same time. I take one step up and let him know I'm 151 and he hands me my food. I grab my beach chair and bag and begin to head out the door on my way home when the guy that handed me my food accuses me of stealing the meal and asks to see my receipt. I let him know my receipt was in the trash can to which he shows total disbelief and the manager gets involved. He told his manager he had been calling out my order for 10 minutes. That was a blatant lie and the manager immediately knew it was by the numbers being called. She very publicly took me over to the register and asked numbers to my card in front of the whole store to see if I did indeed pay for my food. Turns out I did indeed pay for my food. They found out they falsely accused me of stealing. I was falsely accused of stealing by an employee of this establishment that lied to cover his own ass with his manager. I live in this neighborhood and it's unacceptable to be accused of stealing in front of 40 people when it is completely untrue. Fuck. This. Place. Forever.

Food was great, service was quick and Friendly. Music playing in the background made it ambiance great!

First time visitor for me (ig @theburg3rjudg3). 1pm visit. Pamela at the register welcomed us. Then she guided us. She even went on to say "let me know if you need anything while you are here"!! Exceptional Service. Then the food came. Perfect Sliders and Fries. We need more Pamela's!!

Service was good and friendly. Ambiance was okay. It's a chicken sandwich joint not much to write home about. Fairly clean, though the table I sat at had some stickiness to it. Food. Since first time, it was suggested by cashier I try #3 combo. Tenders and one slider. Tenders were great. Juicy, tasty and the dipping sauces were good. The slider was basically two tenders sandwiched between two slider buns, with coleslaw that can best be described as a dot of coleslaw. It was like a pinch of coleslaw verses what I expected was it would be spilling out the sides. Next time I will just get the tenders. I will come back cause the chicken was good.

If you have not been to Dave's...we've gotta change that asap. I was not crazy about spicy chicken sandwiches previously, but having Dave's has turned it into one of my favorite foods hands down. Dave's definitely has the best spicy fried chicken sandwich I've ever had. And the sauce is soooo good. I can't handle spicy very well, but I usually get one medium and one hot sandwich. The spice is worth whatever pain/consequences come afterwards. You can order ahead and pick up your order through their website, which makes ordering a breeze. This location has a good amount of seating inside and the line gets long late at night. The flashing lights and artwork outside the building creates a cool vibe.

Someone told us about Daves Hot Chicken how good and tasty it was, we couldn't wait to go try it out and it was just fried chicken on a bun with french fries on the side similar to Popeyes Chicken I was not impress at all ! , will be my first & last time going there ! Honestly not my type of fast food ...it was funny because they make sign something in regards to their hot sauce , aim assuming its something like were telling you its super hot so its now at your own risk and can't complain if you burn your tongue etc etc but it wasn't hot at all! Really not my type of food!

Sometimes I forgot how good Dave's chicken is until I order and eat it, and then ask myself why didn't I get this sooner? For my visit, I went with the chicken tender sandwich with added melted cheese at the extra hot level. The cheese was recommended by the cashier, and I wish I knew about this tip a lot sooner. The chicken was moist, the bread was soft, and the ooey gooey melted cheese just brought everything together. I'm glad there is a kale and cabbage slaw to offset the richness of the rest of the meal. The chicken to bun ratio was a bit off, as the tender was a bit bigger than the bun, but overall it was delicious. I wish Dave's did sell bone in fried chicken, but tenders will suffice for now. Is it better than Raising Cane's? It's probably on the same level.

Dave's is in a fun area and is open late, making it the perfect candidate for a late night meal or snack. The store is pretty big, with a good amount of seating, either with tables or stools and a limited amount of outdoor seating. It can get busy at night, so be sure to strategize to grab a table. I had one of the combos with a tender, a slider, and fries, and I chose medium spice to try the taste of the chicken. I thought it was well seasoned, and maybe even a bit salty. The sauce packets went really well with the chicken and the fries, and the coleslaw was well-incorporated with the meal as opposed to other chicken tender franchises ( iykyk). If you're ever in the PB area, and crave some late night chicken, Dave's is for you. I'm sure some better options exist, but I would come back.

Always love coming here especially after a few Clark is always helpful and sweet Rise and brine!

Dave's Hot Chicken. That's all I need to say. Got the Dave's #2 that comes with 2 chicken sliders (slaw, pickles, Dave's sauce) and fries; delicious. Added honey to it and you got yourself a meal. I did an online order to the Pacific Beach location, got there 25 min later than the pickup time, and was told that our order was taken. Luckily, the team over there was nice enough to make our order again. Hopefully the person who took my order enjoyed their food as well.