A new Dave’s Hot Chicken location opened in Lewisville on Friday, Oct. 11. Sold as entrees, meals and party packs, the menu consists of bites, tenders and sliders in various spice levels: such as no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and reaper.

Going into the restaurant, the atmosphere was surrounded with bright and colorful graffiti alongside the iconic rubber chicken incorporated into the art. It was sanitary and clean for the amount of people inside the restaurant. The tables and seats were all cleaned after customers left. The restrooms were spotless, even smelling like flowers from the air freshener inside.

It was packed with people inside and outside on a Friday afternoon, but the wait time was surprisingly quick being only about 10 minutes. The staff was friendly and was efficient with your order. You are greeted with bright red metal chairs and a clean wooden table as you sit and prepare to eat.

A Dave’s #3 entree costs $13.49 and consists of one tender, one slider, fries, a piece of white bread, pickles and Dave’s sauce. The tender spice level was ‘hot’ and wasn’t too spicy. The seasoning of the tender was powdery but melted in your mouth as you chewed it. The honey packet definitely elevated the flavor of the tender and gave a sweet and spicy combo. The fries were seasoned well and were crispy. Accompanied with Dave’s sauce, it definitely elevated the fries taste as opposed to just the bare fry. The slider buns were plain toasted potato buns with the tender in between, accompanied with coleslaw, pickles and a drizzle of Dave’s sauce. The slider was better than the tender itself. The toasted potato buns added extra crispness to the bite and elevated the slider’s taste. Although, the cold coleslaw and pickles threw off the taste from the hot tender.

A Dave’s 10 piece bites with fries costs $9.99, and substituting the fries with mac & cheese does not change the price. The meal consists of 10 bites, a cup of mac and cheese, a piece of white bread, pickles and Dave’s sauce. The texture of the bites was similar to that of Chick-Fil-A’s nuggets, but larger in size with a much crunchier exterior. The seasoning in spice level ‘hot’ was flavorful but again not too spicy; however, the sheer amount of seasoning on a small surface area made it a tad overpowering. The rich mac and cheese was cheese-forward, but may seem overly creamy to those who prefer a denser consistency. The piece of white bread was nothing special, but served as a sponge for the excess seasoning and a good companion to the bites. The pickles were plentiful and provided a refreshing break between bites. The Dave’s sauce was mayo based and lacked other flavors, though paired well with the spice of the bites. 

The fountain drinks come in small and large priced at $2.49 and $2.79. A dispenser with four tea options is placed next to the fountain drinks; most likely the reason for the overly water-forward sweet tea. 

The top- loaded shakes come in different bases; chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. The toppings also have three choices: those being M&M’s, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Oreo. The pricing of a small shake is $6.79, while a large shake is $6.99. A size small for $6.79 was overpriced compared to other restaurant shake prices. The Oreo shake with the chocolate base is overly sweet, but it might not phase those with a sweet tooth.

With expectations set high and certain aspects not meeting that bar, Dave’s Hot Chicken deserves a 6 out of 10. It’s a fun and flavorful experience, but not a spot to visit regularly due to high prices versus quality served.