I tried US fast food chain’s iconic menu before it opens restaurants in the UK – it’s better than KFC

HOT connected the heels of Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, different US culinary sensation is acceptable to marque waves successful the UK earlier Christmas.

Dave's Hot Chicken, famed successful the US for its jumbo blistery chickenhearted sliders, tenders, and bites, volition open its archetypal UK store connected December 7.

However, similar conscionable astir each different tiny accelerated nutrient chain, it faces stiff contention from large names including McDonald's and KFC.

But what makes Dave's chickenhearted sandwiches truthful unique?

On a chilly November evening, I ventured retired to a disused carpark successful London's East End to find out.

Here, we got an exclusive archetypal sensation of Dave's signature dish, acceptable to debut connected the paper erstwhile the archetypal store opens connected Shaftesbury Avenue adjacent month.

Upon accomplishment astatine what was erstwhile a dingy, disused space, I was welcomed by a vibrant pop-up bearing the Dave's Hot Chicken logo.

Under a gazebo and hard astatine enactment frying the chain's signature chickenhearted sliders were its founders, Arman Oganesyan and Chef Dave Kopushyan.

The venue was designed to replicate the origins of the accelerated nutrient chain, which began arsenic a late-night pop-up successful a car parkland successful East Hollywood backmost successful 2017.

Since then, it has expanded to run retired of 200 restaurants crossed the US.

But let's get down to business. I had purposely skipped breakfast, anticipating a hearty meal.

And that was surely what I got.

We were treated to an exclusive tasting of Dave's Hot Chicken Sliders, featuring succulent chickenhearted bosom coated successful a adust rub, disposable successful 7 antithetic spice levels.

Customers volition soon beryllium capable to prime betwixt No Spice, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot and Reaper - the second requiring a signed waiver.

However, for today, lone Medium and Hot spice levels were connected offer.

Naturally, arsenic a existent foodie, I opted for 1 of each.

Between the coated chickenhearted bosom and the bladed hamburger buns was a generous helping of kale coleslaw, each drenched successful Dave's signature sauce.

This made up of a premix of mayo, chipotle pepper, a hint of sugar, honey, and what tasted similar mustard.

Alongside the slider, I besides received a information of the chain's signature crinkle-cut fries.

THE VERDICT

Chicken sandwiches are my go-to bid whenever I sojourn a accelerated nutrient chain.

I adore Chick-fil-A's mentation erstwhile I'm successful the US, but I tin conscionable arsenic happily devour a McChicken Sandwich oregon a KFC Tower Burger.

However, Dave's Hot Chicken sliders introduced maine to game-changing flavours and tastes.

Upon archetypal glimpse astatine the burger, I was astounded by the size of the chicken.

I often consciousness short-changed astatine different fast-food chains, but not astatine Dave's.

Each slider boasts an full chickenhearted breast.

To my delight, the UK mentation of the crockery besides features lone integrated and free-range chicken.

I tried the mean spiced slider archetypal and arsenic I took my archetypal bite, the crunch of the aureate exterior gave mode to incredibly tender, juicy chicken.

The vigor from the seasoning started to physique with a tantalising creation of spice that awakened surely woke my sensation buds.

However, it wasn't overpowering and won't overwhelm those delicate to spice.

The equilibrium of flavours was simply delicious.

The adust hitch delivered a comforting warmth without the greasiness and heaviness often recovered successful the bedewed battered chickenhearted from big-name fast-food chains.

As good arsenic the delicious chicken, each wound offers a satisfying crunch from the generous helping of kale slaw.

I drenched the crinkle-cut fries successful Dave's signature sauce, and erstwhile again, they were perfectly delicious - crispy connected the extracurricular but buttery and brushed connected the inside.

By this point, I was wholly sold.

As acold arsenic accelerated nutrient goes, this was the champion chickenhearted slider I had ever tasted.

So, I yet took the plunge and readied myself to instrumentality a wound of the different slider, which was infused with the chain's signature blistery spice.

I was bracing for the benignant of aggravated vigor you get from a Hot Wrap astatine Nando's, which, admittedly, I find unbearable.

However, this spice had a dilatory pain and didn't instantly overwhelm maine with an unbearable level of heat.

In fact, it was conscionable arsenic delicious arsenic the archetypal slider I tried.

For the clip being, we'll person to hold and spot what different offerings volition diagnostic connected Dave's Hot Chicken's UK paper erstwhile its archetypal edifice opens successful December.

US FAST FOOD EXPANSION INTO THE UK

American fast food giant Chick-fil-A is crossing the pond and bringing its beloved chickenhearted sandwiches to our precocious streets next year.

The Sun exclusively revealed the nonstop locations of their first 5 imperishable UK restaurants.

Tex-Mex marque Velvet Taco volition besides marque its UK debut next spring.

Popeyes entered the UK marketplace successful 2021 and has proved to beryllium a deed with ravenous customers ever since.

In conscionable 30 months, the brand opened implicit 38 restaurants crossed the UK.

It has plans to scope the 60-restaurant milestone by the extremity of 2024.

US burger chain Wendy's, which already has 31 sites successful the UK, volition besides chopped the ribbon connected 8 caller locations this year.

The concatenation returned to the UK precocious thoroughfare successful 2021 aft a 20-year hiatus.

Wendy's is astir celebrated for its square-shaped hamburgers, which are designed to maximise the magnitude of nutrient successful each bite.

Shake Shack, which started retired arsenic a hotdog cart, recently opened its archetypal edifice wrong a UK bid station.

Brits commuting successful St. Pancras International Station tin present drawback their favourite burgers earlier jumping onto their train.

The caller spot marks the accelerated nutrient giant's 16th determination successful the UK since it was launched successful Covent Garden successful 2013.

While astir of Shake Shack's UK sites are based in London, bosses person expanded into different locations successful caller years, including Essex, Oxford, and Cardiff.

Shake Shack's humble beginnings hint backmost to a New York blistery canine cart helmed by Randy Garutti.

Wingstop currently operates 39 sites crossed the UK and will open 15 more in 2024.

Lemon Pepper Holdings, which runs the fast food chain's UK portfolio, said the determination would make up to 750 jobs.

The US hospitality marque said it is its biggest twelvemonth of enlargement since launching Wingstop successful the UK six years ago.

Dunkin' Donuts, which presently has 30 stores successful the UK, hopes to unfastened 30 caller branches implicit the next couple of years arsenic portion of a large enlargement plan.

Dunkin' Donuts landed successful the UK successful St John's successful Liverpool successful May 2016.

The concatenation is immense successful the US, with astir 9,500 stores dispersed crossed the country.

It sells a scope of doughnuts, different saccharine treats, and blistery and acold drinks.