The fast growing Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurant brand looks to open their second South Jersey location, the latest has them taking over the former PDQ Chicken restaurant building on Cross Keys Road in Sicklerville Winslow Township.
This is another awesome announcement for that immediate area as recently Johnny Longhots opened, Mission BBQ is being developed, and First Watch is planning on taking over the closed Bertucci’s!
For Dave’s Hot Chicken, almost two months ago to the day they opened their first South Jersey location which is in Cherry Hill NJ. Franchise owners Jason Soares and Luis Garcia have signed on for seven South Jersey locations!
Dave’s Hot Chicken serves a Nashville Hot style chicken tender which can also be ordered on a bun (sliders). The tasty spicy chicken tenders can be ordered in 7 different heat levels to match each customer’s palate.
First started in 2017 in a makeshift parking lot kitchen in California, the rapidly growing quick-casual restaurant now has over 100 full restaurant locations with 100s more signed on to be developed.
As mentioned, the upcoming Cross Keys Road location takes over a recently closed PDQ Chicken restaurant building which closed last November. The prime building has been marketed for lease looking for a new tenant since that time.
The Sicklerville (Cross Keys Road) building is an upscale design for a quick casual restaurant with two rows of windows in the high ceilinged eatery, and exterior brick facade work. Dave’s will absolutely be changing things up to move the building closer to their artistic urban design, which on the interior includes bold and bright graffiti style urban artist paintings.
The design team Dave’s also likes to incorporate some of the local character into the artistic design. As an example in Cherry Hill a boxer mural represents former resident Muhammed Ali, and Cherry Blossom trees are also represented.
When Cherry Hill opened in early April, the local foodie community really responded positively to the restaurant, with long lines wrapped around the building in the days after the opening. I visited again this past Sunday and it seems that response is still going strong as I found every table inside and outside (patio) was taken, and about a dozen customers were either ordering or waiting for their order. The place was packed!
Dave’s Hot Chicken – Nashville Hot Tenders
If you’re unfamiliar with Dave’s Hot Chicken they are a new but fast growing quick casual restaurant focused on Nashville hot chicken.
Dave’s takes the highest quality chicken breasts and prepare them in Dave’s own secret proprietary brine. After marinating to lock in flavors and juices, the chicken is deep fried… and then their signature spicy dry rub style seasoning is added to the fried chicken tenders.
To meet the heat preferences of all of their customers they offer seven different heat levels from No Spice up to REAPER! The spice seasoning adds a deep red hue to the juicy and flavorful chicken.
I’ve eaten Dave’s a few times now including at a location in Pennsylvania, and found that the chicken pieces are LARGE and definitely bigger than a traditional chicken finger.
At Dave’s the menu design fits into the growing popular concept of “offer a few things and do them very well”
The signature Dave’s Hot Chicken tenders are basically the menu! You can order them served as a two tender meal or placed on a small bun as a chicken sandwich slider.
Of course they also offer delicious sides such as French fries.
The slider presentation also includes pickles and kale slaw. I had a chance to try the sliders when I visited their Northeast Philadelphia location and found that the kale slaw added a nice cooling contrast to the Nashville Hot style chicken tenders
Dave’s sauce is a signature condiment for the brand which gives a mild tangy, yet cool flavor to the hot chicken tenders.
Links and Location
Dave’s Hot Chicken – Sicklerville (Planned / Coming Soon)
610 Berlin – Cross Keys Rd
Sicklerville, NJ 08081