Dave’s Hot Chicken is finally open in Columbus.
We’ve been patiently awaiting the opening of this East Hollywood-based chicken joint for a while now, and the day has finally come. Dave’s Hot Chicken actually opened last week, but life is busy sometimes so I had the displeasure of waiting in anticipation a little longer than I would have liked.
Luckily for me, it was all worth the wait.
Pulling up to Dave’s will probably be your first indication of just how excited people are. We stopped in around dinner time and the line was long just to turn into the restaurant, much less to order.
But in our experience, long lines didn’t translate to long waits. After parking and heading inside, it only took about 6 minutes from the time we ordered to get our food.
Inside, the vibes are playful and fun. There’s colorful graffiti everywhere and Dave’s also gets bonus points for having a great playlist. But I know you’re all wondering about the food.
The menu at Dave’s Hot Chicken is pretty small, but it packs a punch. The different combos offer tenders or sliders, but if I’m being honest, the term slider feels a little wild. If you wanted to split the two-slider combo with another person, you’d both leave feeling pretty satisfied.
You’ll also select the heat level of your chicken when you order your combo. Although I really wanted to try their hottest chicken, the Reaper, I chickened out.
The medium and the hot aren’t too terribly far apart on the heat scale, so if you are contemplating whether or not you can handle the hot, just keep that in mind. Although all of the combos come with fries, you can add other sides if you want like their creamy, delicious mac and cheese.
Drinks aren’t included in the combo options, but you can add a soft drink or milkshake for an additional cost.
The Nashville-style hot chicken at Dave’s is covered in an epic dry rub. I’ve never been a big fan of super saucy chicken, so I was pretty excited to find out that Dave’s has such a seriously delightful dry rub.
This is the first Dave’s Hot Chicken location to open in Columbus. Soon, a second spot will open at 15 E. 15th Avenue (near OSU Campus) followed by a third in Westerville (Polaris Pkwy).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is located at 3590 W. Dublin Granville Road, Columbus, OH 43235. For more info, visit daveshotchicken.com.