Southern Indiana Gets Its First Dave’s Hot Chicken

Yet another new chicken restaurant has made its way to Southern Indiana, and this one is packing heat.

What's the best fried chicken place out there? Is it Chick-fil-A? Popeye's? Zaxby's? Raising Cane's? Slim Chickens? Dare I say—KFC? Honestly, they're all pretty good, in my opinion. But let's face it: that's a lot of different places to get the same or similar items. Still, there's a relatively new rooster in town, and he's coming in hot. In fact, this might be the hottest one yet.

What is Dave's Hot Chicken?

Dave's Hot Chicken began serving up their food in 2017, when three childhood friends in their 20s scraped together $900 to open a food stand. The trio's humble beginnings were in a parking lot in East Hollywood, with a couple of folding tables and a portable fryer. Thanks to Instagram, people showed up to try the food.

One day, a reporter from Eater LA showed up to sample some of the offerings. What happened next was incredible. The article later published about the reporter's experience went viral, and the popularity of the new food stand exploded. The company now has nearly 200 brick-and-mortar locations nationwide, including a new one in Southern Indiana.

What's on the Dave's Hot Chicken Menu?

The California-based chain specializes in "Nashville Hot Chicken," and its menu looks pretty good. Items include chicken tenders, chicken sliders, and "Dave's Bites," which are made with white meat chicken tenders. Sides include mac & cheese, fries, and even kale slaw (remember, it's a California-based joint). The restaurant also serves milkshakes, which can be topped with crushed Oreos, M&M's, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

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Perhaps the element that sets this chain apart from others is its commitment to spicy hot chicken. The chain has a seven-tier spice scale, ranging from no spice all the way up to "Reaper." That sauce, as the name suggests, is made from Carolina Reaper peppers—considered to be the world's hottest chili pepper. The sauce is so hot that customers must sign a waiver before ordering it.

Where Is the New Dave's Hot Chicken Located?

On Thursday, November 7, 2024, the first Southern Indiana location of Dave's Hot Chicken opened at 4125 Town Center Blvd in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The town sits just outside Louisville, so it's still a bit of a drive for those of us in the far western part of the state. Truthfully, the drive is similar to a commute to Bloomington, Indiana, where another location exists, along with four others further north. That said, it may be worth the trip if you get a strong hankering for some Nashville Hot Chicken.