Dave’s Hot Chicken

We’ve loved fried chicken in pretty much any and every form it’s served – classically southern at Gus’s in Santa Ana, Korean-style at Bonchon in Fountain Valley, and Nashville Hot at Cluck in Irvine, just to name a few. But there are a couple of places where we don’t love fried chicken, and they’re two well-franchised chains: Raising Cane’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken. They’re the only places where we’ve actively regretted our meals.

While most fried chicken places (even KFC!) focus largely on serving whole pieces of chicken, both of these fast food chains focus substantially on chicken tenders, which are lower quality and heavily breaded. After they’re deep fried, the tenders are served either plain (Cane’s) or coated with spicy powder (Dave’s) along with a piece of bread or a sandwich bun. At Dave’s, you can choose from six spice levels, then add crinkle cut fries and a drink. That’s pretty much it.