Daves Hot Chicken - Santa Rosa

First off, if a restaurant serves a side of pickles with every combo on its menu, they instantly have my attention. Second, I'm unsure if it's in poor taste to post a picture of a half-eaten sandwich, but here it is. On one of my late-night TikTok sessions last weekend I came across a video of a woman eating a Dave's Hot Chicken slider. After a quick google, I found one in Santa Rosa. Doood! How is this SO GOOD?! I've had many spicy fast food chicken sandwiches. Without question, this is the best. Thank you, Ash, for walking this noob through the ordering process.

Really nice spicy fried chicken. Ok quality and fast friendly service.

First, the heat levels of the chicken are quite disappointing. I ordered two 'Extra Hot' tenders, and they were barely spicy at all. I thought it might have been a fluke, but a friend who frequently visits this location mentioned that this seems to be a common issue. It's definitely discouraging for a hot chicken spot to have a flavor that’s supposed to be almost the hottest but turns out to be hardly spicy. Additionally, I wasn't impressed with the bread used for the sliders; I've had much better quality toast at other similar hot chicken restaurants for the same price. Nonetheless, it's still a worthwhile place to check out if you're in Santa Rosa.

This was my first experience dining at Dave's, and I ordered the Dave's #2: two sliders with fries (one hot and one very hot) and a single tender (also very hot). Each piece of chicken was tender, juicy, and generously sized. The breading clung well to the chicken and retained its crispiness even after delivery. The hot and very hot spice levels were perfect for my taste. The hot had a wonderful warmth that complemented the chicken beautifully, while the very hot spice lingered pleasantly, enhancing the overall flavor without overpowering it. I also tried both Dave's sauce and honey on the sliders, and found that they were excellent additions; the heat really allowed the other flavors to stand out. Thanks for introducing me to a new favorite!

This really satisfied my craving. I just wish there were more fries included! Other than that, the sandwiches were excellent!