The wildly popular chicken chain from the streets of Los Angeles has officially launched in Canada, with the first location propped up in the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto. The competition for best fried chicken in Toronto is becoming increasingly more interesting with several new spots sprouting up across the city. Dave's, having such a massive hype train all the way from sunny California, is looking to make a statement in Toronto.
Dave's Hot Chicken is brought to Canada by the well-known Bitove clan, a family that has founded some of Canada's most recognizable brands. Blair Bitove, the energetic daughter of Canadian businessman John Bitove, is overseeing the entire Canadian expansion of Dave's and the Parkdale opening is her establishing footprint in the world of fast-casual food.
Founded in 2017 in a West Hollywood parking lot, Dave's Hot Chicken has grown into a nationally-acclaimed franchise. Their goal was to create the best Nashville-style chicken in America, and to some extent, they have achieved that.
The Space:
The restaurant is situated in the heart of Parkdale on Queen Street West. The layout is what you would expect from the typical fast-casual dining spot, but also inherits some of the LA charm with a speck of Toronto.
The main dining area and order counter at Dave's Hot Chicken in Parkdale.
Upon walking in, a large neon sign of the Dave's logo is framed within the wall protected by glass. It opens up into a sunlit dining area and the ordering counter where two tills are eagerly ready to take your order.
A neon image of the Dave's Hot Chicken logo at the front entrance.
The dining room extends further into the back as well, where the lighting is much more dim, but is lit up by another neon sign that reads, "best I ever had," a kind nod to one very recognizable Toronto rapper.
Neon signage that points towards a relatively known Toronto rapper.
That's not the only Drake reference this chicken spot has to offer––in the hallway leading to the washroom, the wall at the end displays another neon sign which reads "Hot Line", before a red and yellow paint job that reads "1-800-DAVE'SHOTCHICKEN". Another wall shows the Dave's mascot sitting on the edge of the CN Tower as to imitate Drake's fourth studio album cover "Views".
Drake references with a chicken-flavoured twist.
The Food:
Dave's has a relatively short menu, spotlighting three main combo options that can be modified by spice level and additional side menu items. Combo one is two tenders with fries ($14) which comes with a slice of bread, pickles and Dave's creamy sauce. The second combo is an order of two delightful chicken sliders ($18) with fries. The third combo includes one slider and one tender ($16) for the best of both flavourful worlds.
Two sliders and three tenders with fries, pickles and Dave's sauce.
Dave's also offers three specialty sides that include a mac & cheese, kale slaw or cheese fries, all priced at $5. They offer a standard selection of soft drinks from the fountain or bottled as well as two milkshakes to help you take the heat.
A platter of the best Dave's Hot Chicken has to offer.
Let's talk about heat––Dave's has seven different spice levels to choose from and, depending on how many pieces of chicken you order, you can mix up the spiciness throughout your platter. At the bottom of the spice metre is no spice, which still brings some flavour with nothing to sweat over. What customers love, though, is the novelty of having the option for something so spicy it might just be inedible. To save your friends from making a decision that could seriously impact their dining experience, customers who choose the highest heat level––labelled "Reaper"––must sign a waiver before ordering.
A spicy chicken slider in front of the Parkdale storefront.
The new spot for Nashville hot chicken is open to the public starting Friday, January 15, 2021. The company has already secured four locations throughout the city of Toronto and are set to be open before August of 2021. Dave's is set to have upwards of 30 locations in Canada and are expected to be in British Columbia by the end of the year.
