I ate at the new Dave’s Hot Chicken in Worcester. Here’s what it’s like

The sign says the chicken is “hot” and there‘s a spiciness level that requires you to sign a waiver. So if you‘re here for the heat, you’re golden.

But even if you’re not, “Dave‘s Hot Chicken” is still a great pitstop if you‘re cluckin’ hungry for fried chicken. After visiting, I’d say a more accurate name for the restaurant would be, “Dave’s Awesome Fried Chicken That Can Be Really Spicy If You Want It To Be.”

I see why they went with their name. It’s much catchier.

Dave’s Hot Chicken in Worcester | Review

On Thursday, Dave’s Hot Chicken opened their 10th Massachusetts location at 41 Park Ave. in Worcester.

Having never been to a Dave‘s Hot Chicken before, I jumped at the chance to take a sneak peek preview earlier this week.

This shouldn‘t come as a shock, but the chicken is the star here. The crispiness and flavor are an upgrade over what you‘ll find a Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and the like. (Yes, even you, Shaq’s Big Chicken.)

The going rates are $4.99 for a single large chicken tender and $7.09 for a slider. The tenders come on a big piece of white bread while the slider comes on a nice bun topped with pickles, “kale slaw” and “Dave’s Sauce.”

The chicken has seven spiciness levels: No Spice, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot and Reaper. That last option requires you to sign an actual waiver when you order it. (Spoiler: It’s really, really hot.)

In addition to the chicken, there’s a limited list of sides, including fries and mac & cheese. You can also get slushie drinks and milkshakes, with toppings that include Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

During my visit, I tried to get a good sample of all the menu highlights. I started with a Slider with the “No Spice” chicken. Then I ordered a “Medium” Tender and a ”Reaper” Tender — plus fries and a Vanilla Milkshake topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

What does the food taste like?

“No spice” Chicken Slider – This was the control sample in my fried chicken experiment. I wanted to see how the chicken was without the spice as a factor.

The results: delicious. This is really good fried chicken. The coating is delightfully crispy without being overly breaded. Both the crispy exterior and the meaty interior shine through.

The toppings on the slider were a nice addition. The slaw and pickles added some nice zest and zing to the equation. The Dave‘s sauce is a tangy/sweet mayo-based condiment similar to what you find at a lot of fried chicken joints. It’s great.

I‘m actually a little surprised they call it a slider. I wouldn‘t have questioned it if they just called it a normal sandwich. On the chicken sandwich size scale, I’d rank it a 4.5 out of 10, slightly below average.

“Medium” tender – OK, we‘re upping the spice level here. This time I ordered it as a “Tender,” which comes served on a slice of white bread along with a cup of Dave’s sauce and a small stack of pickles.

I really didn‘t get much heat at all from this. There was a clear change in the seasoning, with earthy notes of paprika and cayenne pepper coming through. However, it didn’t have the kick I expected.

It was still really good chicken that had some nice seasoning. Looking back, I probably should have gotten the “Hot” as the middle-of-the-road option.

French Fries – The fries are solid. They carry a similar seasoning to the chicken itself, coming through with a nice earthy flavor that has a hint of sweetness.

“Reaper” Tender – I was a little concerned when the staff had me sign a piece of paper. But I did survive the experience.

With that said, it wasn‘t easy. This was easily one of the hottest things I‘ve eaten in a while. I’m good with most hot sauces, but the Reaper really had me struggling.

The spice comes through with a conflagration of cayenne pepper. It doesn’t just light up your mouth with an electric pulse of capsaicin. It coats every centimeter of it and lingers, leaving your mouth a smoldering cavern.

It burns, but I can see how it can become an addictive feeling. The experience is invigorating in a way.

However, the first couple of bites ruined my mouth for the rest of the meal. Every inch of my mouth was cursed by a fiery pepper afterburn. Anything else I tried to eat just tasted like pain.

Thank goodness I got the milkshake.

Vanilla Cinnamon Toast Crunch shake – It’s a vanilla milkshake with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal thrown on top.

It’s a solid shake. But more importantly, it helped me survive the Reaper chicken.

So is it worth eating there?

Absolutely.

This is some of the best fried chicken I‘ve had in a while. It‘s a little on the expensive side, but I’d definitely get it again. That slider was awesome.

I wouldn‘t get the Reaper again. It was just too much. But I knew that going in. If I were to go back, I’d probably get the normal “Hot” level.

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“I ate it so you don’t have to” is a regular food column about off-beat eats, both good and bad. I picked the name years ago and now we’re sort of stuck with it.

You can send any praise/food suggestions to nomalley@masslive.com. Please send all criticisms and complaints about me being a baby about spiciness to irotondo@masslive.com . You can check out the rest of the series here.