Dave’s Hot Chicken Just Launched a *Micro* Version of Its Cult-Favorite Chicken Sliders—Here’s My Review

• What It Is: your choice of regular, medium or hot Dave’s Bites on potato buns with kale slaw, pickles and Dave’s sauce
• Price: $8/four mini sliders

In honor of the chain’s reputation for Nashville hot chicken, I ordered the sliders hot. I was surprised by how truly miniature they were, thanks to the invention of the most adorable, golf ball-sized potato buns (which are toasted on the inside but fluffy on the outside) of all time. The chicken itself was very well seasoned—slightly smoky and black pepper-forward—and it stayed impressively crisp on the drive home. I also thought the bites may be dry inside since they’re on the small side, but they were very juicy and fresh tasting. (I also tried some at medium heat to get the full scope of their spice options; they were robustly seasoned, but mild enough for a spice-fearing person to enjoy. There’s also a no-spice option on some menu items.)

As for the rest of the sandwich, I thought it was super balanced between all the condiments. The slaw was colorful, but more importantly, cooling, crisp and slightly creamy without being too rich. The pickle chips are just how I like them: sour, dilly and thick, but not too thick. The Dave’s sauce was slightly tangy but mostly sweet in a ketchup-y way.

• What It Is: your choice of a regular, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot or reaper chicken tender on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles and Dave’s sauce
• Price: $7/one slider

Since it was my first time, I wanted to try the mini sliders alongside their full-size predecessor. It’s significantly larger than the mini (I feel like true slider size is somewhere in between these two; this is a full-size chicken sandwich in my book.) While I enjoyed the super succulent, juicy and somehow spicier tender to the bites, I found the mini sliders easier to eat. Since all the components on the tiny bun were about the same size, I got a little of everything in each bite. With the larger slider, you’ll have to chip away at the massive chicken tender on its own and restuff the bun with pickles and slaw that fall out.

P.S.: My boyfriend also tried the tender with Reaper-level heat, the hottest option on the menu—it is not to be trifled with, especially on an empty stomach. He said it was indeed very spicy, but bland compared to the hot chicken. IMO, it’s designed to be more of a gimmick that allows people to test their limits more than it’s designed to actually taste good. But if you’re feeling brave…

• Cauliflower Tender: If you don’t eat meat, this unexpected menu item has you covered. Delivering identical heat as the chicken, according to your spice preference, the cauli stays crispy, despite being very moist inside. The veggie also offers some contrasting sweetness to the breading that I enjoyed.
• Fries: They come seasoned, crinkle-cut and expertly fried. You can get them loaded with chicken bites if you aren’t feeling like a side dish, but I prefer them on their own.
• Mac and Cheese: If Kraft mac and cheese grew up to have thicker, better pasta and a richer sauce, it would taste like this. I was hoping it’d be baked or have some browned cheese on top, so it was a bit simpler than expected. (FYI, if you like your mac and cheese that way, Popeye’s is a solid option.) That said, it was still very creamy and tasty.
• Shakes and Slushers: I tried a top-loaded Oreo vanilla shake and a fruit punch slusher (read: slushy fruit punch topped with vanilla soft serve). They melted in record time on the drive home. I wouldn’t recommend the slusher, at least in this flavor, because it tasted quite medicinal. The shake was good, but I’d probably skip the topping next time, since it’s just placed atop the milkshake and sinks to the bottom as it melts instead of being mixed in. Have a spoon handy, since the pieces won’t fit through your straw.