Life is about to get a lot spicer on Third Avenue as the Upper East Side chicken wars welcome a new foe with an impressive resume. Joining the ranks of Chick-Fil-A and Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits is the latest outpost of the popular California-based chain Dave’s Hot Chicken.
From humble beginnings serving its well-seasoned fried chicken tenders out of a Los Angeles parking lot, Dave’s Hot Chicken has expanded coast-to-coast with the new Upper East Side restaurant, located at 1498 Third Avenue, between East 84th and 85th Streets, set to become the chain’s second in Manhattan and fourth location overall in New York City.
The new restaurant’s buildout is underway in the storefront formerly home to East Side Health Food, which closed in early April after the longtime owners decided to retire. Green fencing adorned with a ‘coming soon’ banner with a Dave’s Hot Chicken logo currently wraps the building.
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When complete, expect the restaurant to have large front windows giving passersby a look at a large mural created by local street artists, a theme throughout all of the chain’s restaurants. In Midtown, artists also covered the facade in brightly-colored patterns, though it is not clear if that design cue will carry over to the Upper East Side.
As for the eats, Dave’s Hot Chicken comes in seven different heat levels, including no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and ‘The Reaper,’ which the parking lot peppered poultry purveyor requires customers to sign a waiver to purchase.
Hand-breaded and spiced to order, Dave’s serves Nashville-style hot chicken with pickle slices in either tender or slider form. Combos meals let you get one or more of each.
Mac & cheese and kale slaw round out Dave’s concise list of offerings and help take a bite out of some of the chicken’s heat. Remember to get some of Dave’s sauce for dipping because it’s even good on the seasoned fries.
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The Upper East Side restaurant is among 27 new locations to open across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, as the chain — backed by celebrity investors including Drake and Samuel L. Jackson — franchises new territories in our area.
Upper East Site contacted Dave’s Hot Chicken to find out when they’ll start slinging spicy sliders. We’ll update this article accordingly.
