Haven Hot Chicken - New Haven

Great place to get a box of tenders. They also serve sandwiches/sliders and bowls, but it seems like their classic order is just the box. They're crispy and well-seasoned. The spice level here is no joke. It's the type of spice that lingers and makes you cough, which isn't for everyone. If you can't handle spicy food at all (e.g. mild at Indian restaurants) just get the lowest spice level here. If you think you have good spice tolerance, the regular hot will be good for you. To go for the last two spice levels, you basically need to be chill with drinking hot sauce. One option is to get a dessert or drink in case. We did that with the banana pudding and it saved us multiple times.

Update: They texted me to apologize that my expectation of when my order would be completed, which I was told by their system during one of their busy times, when they only had two employees working is understandable so here’s $10 and we refunded your meal which is a lie I had to walk all the way back from my office to return the dish and requested a refund. Which tells me they really didn’t look into the situation, if they didn’t lie this update wouldn’t exist. Placed an order at 5:25 and I didn't leave till 5:57 order was supposed to be completed by 5:40. I don't complain as much about the wait but that orders after my order 161 were getting completed before mine and it’s only a salad. I guess the cook didn't like that I spoke up and gave me a half ass salad and ruin my dinner. I get more bulkier salads from AAA Pizza at a lower cost I guess thats what I get for trying something new

Our experience at Haven Hot was amazing. We ordered to go and everything, the food and the service, was just perfect. My husband is super picky with what he eats but he absolutely loved Haven Hot Chicken. I am also very particular about service and they got everything right. The staff was friendly, quick, and our order was completely correct, especially that they didn’t forget the sauce. We will definitely be back.

I was a loyal customer at Haven Hot and one of the main reasons I kept coming back was Jihad. He consistently created a warm, welcoming atmosphere and made the space feel like a true community. His positive energy was contagious, and he always treated customers with genuine care and respect. What stood out most was how he looked out for his coworkers and supported the team. It’s rare to find someone who not only excels at customer service but also uplifts the people around him. I was genuinely disappointed to hear that he is no longer with Haven Hot. Employees like him make a lasting impact on customers, and his presence will truly be missed. Any workplace would be lucky to have someone with his dedication and heart.

I ordered doordash from here a few months ago. I got 2 medium spice tenders with fries and pickles. It was my first time having Haven Hot Chicken. I liked it, the chicken was juicy and the pickles and fries tasted so good. But, even though this was medium spice, it didn’t have much of a kick at all. It tasted like a mild tender. It would be so much better if there was more kick to it.

There are a lot of places serving chicken sandwiches, but this might be the best one I've had in the area so far. Chicken was juicy, crispy, nicely seasoned and a good sized portion. Enjoyed the slaw and sauce on there too. It's definitely not the cheapest sandwich you can find, but I think the quality justifies the price tag.

First time here, ordered the chicken sandwich. The flavor was excellent. Chose the "Hot" and it had a nice kick, but my disappointment was the fact that the chicken in-itself was dry. Coating was nice and crunchy. Waffle fries had a good seasoning to them, but thought they could be cooked a little longer.

Was excited to check out Haven Chicken in New Haven knowing that many new locations have been popping up across the state. This location was takeout only and easily accessible to park and to order at. However upon opening our takeout order at home I was extremely disappointed in the portion for the price listed. I ordered the Summer Salad (priced at $13+tax) which ended up being a half of a cup of lettuce with chopped chicken on top (see photo for reference). A positive, is that the staff working at this location that day were friendly and efficient. Update: Revised to reflect strong customer service that helped make our experience better. Not many places go out of their way to help when there was a problem, greatly appreciate the quick support.

Best chicken in town and the best service from Jihad+Eli! Recommend this place 100% :):):)

Yum! I love this place, fresh, and the chicken is always tender, never dry. Highly recommend giving it a try.

Best chicken in town by a wide margin. Also great service and always friendly. Ordering for pickup is so quick and easy.

Really Delicious and a perfect ending to a work week. We placed an order on Friday night through UberEats to be delivered after seeing an up to 60% off promo code emailed to us in addition to a Buy 1 Get 1 free Chicken Sandwich promotion. (Otherwise it looked like each sandwich would have been a bit over $16 each?!) This was our first time trying and were super pleased. We ordered 4 sandwiches of the following heat levels: Country - No Spice Mild - Hint of Spice Medium - Proper Spicy Haven - For The Hot Head I'm not a heat super fan so the Country and Mild were mine and awesome. My husband had the Medium and Haven. He loves heat and even admitted that maybe next time he'll opt for the Hot one instead of Haven. We ordered extra Rob sauce to dip the massive quantity of fries a Large size contained and threw in a mac and cheese for good measure. Would we order again. Absolutely, as long as the price is right. It truly is one of the best chicken sandwiches in the area!

Great service, only takeout, food came out within minutes Spice is kind of mid, would go for hot haven spice level if it weren't for stomach issues lmao. Got chicken sandwich and Mac and cheese. Both solid choices.

I saw Haven Hot Chicken was featured on TV and decided to check it out while visiting New Haven. Ambiance: very small storefront, just a counter and some space for people to line up, think of the small coffee shop or bubble tea store with zero seats. Service: ordering was smooth; there weren't many people when we went, so it didn't take long to get our order. Food: we ate it right away standing in the store because it's so hot outside and we wanted to finish it before heading to a museum. The "proper" level brings enough heat, the chicken batter is crispy and not too thick, I love the flavors and moisture from coleslaw and pickle, otherwise eating the bun and fried chicken may be a bit dry. BUT the bun does get soggy quickly from the sauce, so glad we ate it right away. Overall it's a great hot chicken sandwich, better than Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville. The sandwich is a bit pricy though. Would be a five star if they have some seats and have a more reasonable price.

Not sure where I'm missing the hype here. The sandwiches were dry, not all that great tasting, and I really wasn't a fan of the Mac n cheese. I think if there was a bunch of different sauces you could choose from (either to dip your fries in or spread on your sandwich) that would be so good.

The fuego fries got devoured. I planned on eating half, but...they're gone. And the slaw was perfect. Glad I got an additional slaw. The classic sandwich was perfect. A bit pricey, but better than the rest. I will be back

The best chicken ever. Delicious, crisp, abundant amount of food Always consistent Five stars

Sooooo good! I always forget how good Haven Hot Chicken is, but I could easily devour 3 chicken sandwiches in one sitting if I wanted to. It's one of my favorite chicken sandwiches and has the perfect balance and variety of flavors and textures. I got the medium. Next time, I'd probably get hot. I also stole some of my friend's fries, which were addicting.

I went to Austin TX a few years ago and had the famous Gus' chicken and have yet to find a place comparable- until Haven Chicken. The quality of chicken at this place is fantastic! I love how tender the meat is while still maintaining a great crunch on the outside. I love that there are different levels of heat to choose from. I found the menu to be a little confusing. I paid ~16 for just a sandwich and realized after I had paid that there were other cheaper options. I suggest making the menu more accessible to understand the options better.

Today was my first visit to Haven Hot Chicken, and it certainly won't be my last!!!! The chicken sandwich exceeded all expectations! It was so juicy and flavorful! And the banana pudding is to die for. The store was super clean. I was served by Jonathan at the North Haven location, and he was extremely personable and efficient. Coincidentally, the CEO of the company was there at the same time that I was! He explained the whole menu to me in the most congenial way! Thank you, Etkin!

Went to HHC in Orange, CT last week. Had "The Sandwich," it was decent...an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10. A bit expensive but what isn't these days? Check it out, a great option in the fast food arena.

Fast service, very clean, menu is straight forward and the chicken is very very good. The price point is a tad high and sometimes the service can be less than friendly but other than that it's very enjoyed.

There's a saying that goes, "we do chicken right". I think we can rephrase that for Haven Hot Chicken to, "we do chicken... Right!" This caught my eye looking for someplace to walk to for dinner. After reading quite a few reviews, I took a stroll to check it out. Had a super friendly gentleman walk me through some suggestions and I settled on "the sandwich" you can get this chicken sandwich a few different ways regarding heat intensity. I thought middle of the road was the way to go so I ordered it medium. For me this was slightly on the spicier side but it was not overly spicy. It's a good sized piece of boneless chicken breast with vinegar slaw, garlic dill pickle between the buns. I added the "rob" to dip it into. Really flavorful sauce that brought a new dimension to the chicken sandwich. Side options included, banana, pudding, coleslaw, or french fries. I chose the vinegar coleslaw. Terrific, tasting shredded cabbage, decent size portion with onion, carrot, and celery with their own housemate dressing. A good twist on a classic favorite. If you're a fan of good hot chicken, check it out!

I've never had a bad Haven hot chicken moment! It's like they have a soulful grandma who's been working on a fried chicken recipe for years in the back. You really can't go wrong however, they take their spice very seriously so if you're going for a spicier option, just be prepared to finish what you started. there isn't really a place to sit down. It's more of a grab and go experience but the waiting are really nice. They have very quick service as well.

This restaurant never disappoints. My go-to order is the chicken sandwich with medium heat (of course). Decently portioned sized chicken, cooked to perfection. The medium heat definitely still has a kick to it. The coleslaw on the sandwich is nice and crisp and balances out the heat from the chicken. I decided to branch and try a side of Mac and cheese, it was good and cheesy but I think for next time ill just stick with the sandwich although I am eying their chicken tender roulette to try all 5 heat levels... Take out only at the New Haven location

Ordered with Uber Eats and food arrived very fast and was packed very nicely put together. But for the price it definitely not worth it. Chicken was good but I could compare the quality of the sandwich to the same as a Popeye's chicken sandwich. But it was a good sandwich of chicken breast fillet, coleslaw and the pickles really made the sandwich. The waffle was perfect but could have been a bit bigger Perfectly sweet and didn't even need any type of syrup. Banana pudding topped of the meal. But for the price tag of $26.00 plus tip, not sure i would order this again for delivery. But once again packed good and delivery was great.

They're cooking up some tasty birds here at this low key New Haven destination. Not only are you just served up a juicy and high quality cut of chicken, but the flavors are bursting due to the sauce and coleslaw they put on the sandwiches. Not to mention, the chicken is actually satisfyingly hot just at the normal "Hot" level. They also don't compromise on the portions, they are large and filling. I can't count the number of tiny chicken sandwiches I've had at similar places, but that's not an issue here at all. The fries and mac & cheese are really tasty as well. Nothing is too salty or off-putting in any way, everything is prepared perfectly and it's totally delicious. Looking forward to coming back.

This is a review of their delivery. We ordered delivery for 6 people on a weekday late-ish lunch time. Delivery did take quite a while so unfortunately when our food arrived, the fries were soggy and the sandwiches were lukewarm :( Despite that, man oh were the spicy. We all got The Sandwich combo meals at varying spice levels. A few of us got the mild which we agreed was a good spice level for us - spicy without it being untasty. One brave soul (who handles their spice very very well) got the Haven level of spice - they said that for them, they could taste that it was spicy and about half way through the sandwich it was really burning. But they were able to finish the sandwich. Only would recommend for either very brave people or true spice champions. We also got the banana pudding which honestly is really good and a great dessert for a super spicy meal. Would recommend for a good hot chicken sandwich but I would pick up!

Passing through on our way to see family for the holidays, we stopped at Haven Hot Chicken... and ooooh man they did NOT disappoint! Exactly as it sounds, they have your Nashville hot chicken right here! Battered with just enough batter and fried to perfection, their chicken has just the right crisp and amount of "breading." I'm more of a mild gal when it comes to spice and the mild sauce was just perfect when paired with their spicy slaw. The kids had Mac n cheese and it was ooey gooey goodness! They did wish it had more chicken in the kids meal. The fries were cooked perfectly! With more of a take out ambiance (there were no seats), the gal at the counter was super nice and (thankfully) patient with us first timers. We will be back when passing through again!

While on my trip to New Haven, I searched Apple Maps for suggestions on spicy food. I was suggested this restaurant; sandwich and fries were both delicious, albeit the ranch could have been better. Excellent service from the staff and if I were to return, I plan to order here once more.

Awesome! Found this place when downtown for jury duty. It's a smaller location with outdoor seating. But you don't come here for a sit down experience. I ordered my sandwich and waited inside for it to be prepared. It was worth the wait. The sandwich was crispy, and the breading was thin. It was a nice combo of crunch without being over breaded (if that's such a thing!). I ordered The Sandwich and got it hot. It had a nice kick to it! I like spicy food and this delivered. Loved the note on the tag that came with the sandwich "Hot- Will Burn". Really glad I checked this place out and heard they are opening a second location in North Haven.

Chick fil a who? This place has some of the best fried chicken around and they are open on Sunday's! I saw them on Uber eats but my BF ordered it in person and OMG delicious! I got the Mild 3pc tenders with fries and it was absolutely amazing! The chicken is crispy and juicy and they offer several levels of heat! I ordered the banana pudding and it was It can get busy depending on the time so make sure you order in advance! 10/10 would recommend!

Consistantly outstanding. Expensive but worth every penny. I eat this way too often. And they're responsive to feedback when an order gets screwed up. Even with their recent fame and higher volume, quality has remained exceptional at all the locations I eat at.

This place is busy because it's so delicious. From the crisp juicy chicken to hot amazing fries, you will not be disappointed. The staff is always pleasant. Put this spot on your must visit lis Yayyyy North Haven is open

I think I visited this place about four times. I know it was a lot, because when I expensed it for work, my manager remarked "you must've loved Haven Hot Chicken". AND I HELLA DID! The chicken is out of this world good! You can choose any level of spice (I got the New Haven), and they are NOT stingy with the flavor, nor the fries. The prices are pretty much what you'd expect from a chicken place, and unlike other restaurants that attempt to make Nashville Fried chicken, this place is successful. With each bite full of flavor and better than the last. They have zero indoor seating, because it's a grab and go place, but they do have some outdoor seating on the street, and they'll bring your food out to you if you forget that you ordered it (me, every time). I'll be back if I'm up here again for work. I wish I could order delivery lol

Lucky us in New Haven, no need for Nashville! And those fries are truly world class, don't miss it

Good quality of food. Chicken san. Was HUGE and tasty. What ever heat level you want, go one lower cause it's spicy. Good quick service. A little pricey.

I live in Norfolk, Virginia. I was here visiting family in September, and my grandson suggested Haven Hot Chicken for dinner. I love chicken but would have preferred to have chicken with a bone, so I ordered the Fuego Fries. I absolutely loved them. Didn't think fries, chicken, slaw, pickles, and sauce would be good together, but I was so wrong. I told everyone in Norfolk about the fries. I had the opportunity to visit the beginning of October, and I placed an order to be delivered when they open. When I come visit family in Connecticut this will be my go to place for chicken and fries.

Haven Hot Chicken has what everyone has been missing. To be quite honest i wanna work in their kitchen. The recipes are crazy, the food is so delishin' To let everyone know this place is great is my mission.

Stopped for a late evening bite after a game in Friday nt. Ordered a fried chicken sandwich and Mac and cheese combo. Around 20. With a drink. Took about 15 minutes for the order. Not super quick. It's apparently Made fresh. Ordered the chicken Medium heat. Actually quite spicy! And I like spice too. Careful on the heat. Mac and cheese pretty hot temp, and had a white cheese sauce. Tasty. Rather Small portion. But filling, and plenty of calories and sodium, I'm sure. Was a Very thick large hunk of fried white meat chicken breast covered with a pretty spicy sauce. Chicken was much larger than the bun with a pickle on it. And I think they add a little bit of slaw poss ? Couldn't really tell. Sandwich is A bit messy to eat. Careful. Sauce is red! All in all a quite expensive chicken sandwich. It hit the spot ......filling. But I thought it kind of pricy too. On top of this when you pay using card....they ask you for a 10-20% tip as well. There's no service there however. Just a way to goose up the bill. Why tip at a fast food place? Who knows who really gets the tip anyway. ? It's Ok .....if you don't care about the pretty high price.

No need to elaborate other than best fried chicken sandwich, hands down. If you like spicey, medium will do and hot will bring you to the next level for a few hours. Mac and cheese is excellent! Definitely worth the trip.

Edited to update: I have to update my review to not only reflect all the great times I've gone to haven chicken at other locations but for their professional approach at making our unsatisfactory visit better! I do overall recommend this business the chicken your definitely not going to find anything close to this in CT hands down! Went to New Haven location after weekly visits to orange location assuming it would be just as good. Nope sadly was not. Food took literally 35 minutes and then only to get given cold chicken. When asked why it's cold clerk stated we need to request 370 degrees . Chicken was cold service was slow and needless to say I will stick to my orange havens because they know what they're doing over there ....

I've had pretty consistent good experiences at Haven Hot Chicken. I usually order chicken strips and fries, sometime a chicken sandwich (it's a big sandwich). The staff is pleasant. The food is delicious.

I love Haven Hot Chicken. I always get a sandwich or tenders. They're really juicy and flavorful. I love their fries too, they're very fresh. I just wish they had a dine in option. Regardless, I highly recommend trying Haven Hot Chicken! I went to Nashville over the summer and honestly think that Haven Hot Chicken is better than any Nashville hot chicken I had there.

Traveling through from Tennessee (obviously, home of Nashville hot chicken) and can confirm this spot is crushing it. I'd come back here before I'd hit Hattie B's or Princes in Nashville, if possible. Excellent and I smuggled in their ranch to a restaurant later in the evening because I wanted every last drop!

This is sort of the shake shack of fried chicken, and I mean that in the best way possible. What shake shack does is serve a very high quality product in a fast casual setting and has very consistent quality. Specifically, they're a reasonably priced way to get an extremely delicious, crispy, juicy chicken sandwich. If I were served this sandwich at a fancier restaurant off their pub menu, I'd be thrilled with it. The idea that I can grab it in a fast casual setting is really cool. I have also found the quality really consistent over time. I'm glad they opened and I hope they aren't stretched too thin by their rapid expansion.

visit the location in Middletown. Right when I came in all tables were all dirty, garbage overflowing. When I went to order I mention if someone can clean the tables, the lady didn't say anything and just continue to order, so then I ask the gentleman that was standing around not doing anything to clean a table so we can eat at. it seems to be a huge hassle for them to clean the table and take out the garage that was next to the soda fountain, it makes the restaurant look dirty, so if they keep the front where people at dirty, I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like! Today, I visit the Orange location, tiny firstly, and when the lady saw me at the register her cellphone rang she went and grab her cellphone out of her pocket while waking to the register then turned around and walk to the back to take it. OMG, what kind of customer service is this Hot Haven having.. we ordered and then I just said to my husband just to cancel the order. I was done with this. Sadly we are getting one close to where i live and will test that location. I really hope this is better!! Haven needs to work on cleanliness and customer service.... if you can't work on those two important things the business will just fail.

I recently visited Haven Hot Chicken in New Haven for the first time. HHC specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches and tenders. Sides and desserts include Mac & Cheese, coleslaw, banana pudding, fries and pickles. They also have numerous sauce choices. I ordered three medium hot tenders, Mac & Cheese and two banana puddings for the family to try. HHC is takeout and delivery service only, but the store had a cool aesthetic. Service was friendly. Although I planned to drive home to the Hartford area with the food, I tried a tender and the Mac and Cheese before I left to give HHC its best shot. The tender was as good as any hot chicken I've had in CT. It was hot, but not overpowering. The outer texture was crispy. The inside was meaty and tender. I also liked the Ranch dipping sauce and a Comeback type sauce. With Air Fryer reheating, the chicken tenders were just as good as that first bite I had, on the streets, of the Town of New Haven.(#peacefrog #thedoors). The whole family enjoyed the chicken and the banana pudding. The Mac and Cheese had a cacio e pepe vibe. Cork screw pasta provided the Mac. It was a good change of pace for Mac and Cheese, but for me, it was more decent than very good. Haven Hot Chicken gets Five Stars for its effort. My 9 year old son is already asking me to take him back.

This was my first time at Haven Hot Chicken despite all the great things I'd heard. Stopped by around 4pm and ordered the Not Chicken Sandwich, medium level spice. My order was ready in about 10 minutes and I had my sandwich later on at home. It was pretty good and quite large. The bread did fall apart easily but I enjoyed it.

Disappointed with this sandwich. The meat is inconsistent, the overall sandwich is very messy, it is thrown in front of you with little pomp, but much ado on your wallet. There are no tables here or anywhere to sit. It is simply a grab and go establishment. That is not always a good thing. What if it is raining? Then the bag and everything inside is ruined! Overall I felt underwhelmed and paid too much for a mediocre sandwich. Hot chicken? Yes. Not much else.

I have been to the New Haven location twice while staying nearby. The location is clean, the staff courteous, and the food of course was excellent. Again. I have told others to try Haven Hot Chicken out. The best Hot Chicken outside of Nashville.

Food was excellent as always. Service was prompt and efficient. Very clean establishment.

It's a solid 4.5 for me, but rounding up for thoughtful vegetarian options! I haven't had hot chicken in years cause these sorts of places never have a veggie option, and if they do it's usually seitan. Here you can have a hot "chicken" sandwich that's actually breaded cauliflower! The sandwich was quite good. Not as spicy as expected for me but the breading was on point and the pickles and slaw and everything worked great together. Fries were just fine and could have been a little crispier. Price would have felt a lot more reasonable had I not upgraded to the combo, and given the fries were just alright and the drink options were mostly canned soda, paying more didn't feel worth it. Small space where you order at the counter. Service is quick and friendly. They also have a little outdoor area where you can eat your sandwich if the weather is nice. No tables inside.

too expensive for what you get. BUT the chicken was actually good. i just regular 3 tenders with the pickles on top of toast and 2 dipping sauces. the sweet one i didn't like. i had the rob sauce and it was very good! i'm giving 3 stars becuz the seating area is horrible. very uncomfortable and in the hot sun eating hot food -_-........put some umbrellas or some kind of shade! make it more presentable for eating outside! everything came to 15.01. kinda pricey like i said. i wasn't that impressed.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!! I frequented so many times within a month it was insane. This place is a small store with some outdoor seating, but it's food is amazing! The staff are very friendly and willing to work with you. It's usually not busy any time I have gone, the food is ready and basically 5 to 10 minutes each time. One time it was a little chaotic as it seem to have a lot of orders incoming at once, they did forget one thing for me, but I ended up going there another time and mentioning that and they were able to give me the item I was missing from the prior time, which was so kind and I appreciate (it was a banana pudding which is so good) The food is definitely heavy on chicken, I don't know much about the vegetarian alternatives I would imagine it might not be your first pick as a vegan or vegetarian. The food itself is so good the chicken is so crispy, it is probably some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! I've had the sandwich, the jumbo tendies, and the fuego fries - they are all FIRE, but fuego fries are my personal fave. The banana pudding is by fire the best I've ever had. I moved away from New Haven, but if I didn't I would've definitely been there at least once this past week for sure. Give them a try!!

New Haven always delivers, and Haven Hot Chicken is no exception. This is a hole in the wall, like all great places to eat. The menu is simple, and the focus, of course, is fried chicken. They really deliver on a simple, yet delicious sandwich, in all levels of spicy. I tried two, THE Sandwich (which is just a buttermilk, fried breast, with great sauce and toppings on a potato bun) in a country style, and a Tendie Slider at Hot level. They were both delicious though I might not go as hot next time on the slider, just because I was sweating out of my head. But still, so great. The fries were also quite good, really crispy and quite well-seasoned. I will go back, and you should thank me (and all the other five star reviews) later.

Delicious sandwiches, overflowing with coleslaw, pickles and chicken. They always provide a large piece of meat that even extends past the sandwich bread. The fries are great too, as well as just the plain tenders. Though no indoor seating, there is limited outdoor seating with a nice city view. The service is incredibly quick even with large orders. You can pick your spicy range for your sandwich or tenders, so I typically order "mild" and it has a small kick while still being tolerable.

my fav place to eat in all of new haven. the sauce, the chicken, the fries, they're all perfect.