Guilty Takeout: Takeout Dave’s Hot Chicken in L.A.

In the first installment of our new series — Guilty Takeout — we’ll showcase a great takeout option in L.A — Dave’s Hot Chicken.

When one thinks of chicken in L.A., the famed concoction of chicken-and-waffles comes to mind, not hot chicken. However, Dave’s Hot Chicken will have you doing a near double-take once you sink your teeth into Southern California’s version of Nashville’s hot chicken.

If you’ve never had hot chicken before, let me forewarn you that this southern delicacy is not for the faint of heart. The hot chicken was born and made famous in Nashville, but over the years, the previous regional staple has grown into cities that one wouldn’t normally think would embrace this southern-fried hotness.

That hotness would get to L.A. in 2017, thanks to four childhood friends.

According to the story on their website, the four friends set out to take the concept of Nashville hot chicken to the next level. They only had a couple of thousand dollars, between them, and they opened Dave’s Hot Chicken in a parking lot in East Hollywood.

Their menu at the time was quite simple. They only served tenders, sliders, fries, and “kale slaw,” a healthier take on coleslaw. Dave’s Hot Chicken would soon attract a cult following, in which they described lines outside of their East Hollywood set up as being “an hour-long.”

After six months in that slot, they would earn enough capital to open their first restaurant in January 2018 in an off-the-beaten-path strip mall in East Hollywood, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Dave’s Hot Chicken serves up seven flavors of hot chicken, ranging from no-spice (the wimpy chicken) to “The Reaper,” which may have some patrons who aren’t used to extreme spice writing their wills just in case they don’t make it. The special blends of spices make their take on Nashville’s hot chicken truly unique, and their kale slaw is also something that’s nothing to sneeze at, making for a truly good alternative to coleslaw.

So If you’re looking for a unique takeout option in L.A., why not give Dave’s Hot Chicken a try. You’ll be glad you did.

In addition to their East Hollywood store, Dave’s Hot Chicken has opened up three more locations in North Hollywood, Koreatown, and the Fairfax District, all of which have equally long lines as the original. Click here to order takeout, and enjoy the hot chicken.

Just make sure you leave us the TV in the will if you go for the Reaper.

Have you tried hot chicken before? What do you think of it? And if not, would you give it a try? Tell us what you think in the comments.