For students who have grown bored of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers’ limited menu and monotone flavors since its campus debut in February, look no further than Dave’s Hot Chicken. 

Located just south of the intersection of Neil Street and St. Marys Drive in Champaign, the new spot is two miles from the Main Quad. 

Starting at the Illini Union, the trek to the chicken joint involves one of three routes: a jarring 47-minute walk, a 22-minute bus ride or a 14-minute car ride.

The East Hollywood-based Nashville-style hot chicken chain opened their Champaign location on Friday. 

The original Dave’s location was a passion project conceived by its namesake, Armenian American professional chef Dave Kopushyan and his childhood friends: Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan and Gary Rubenyan. 

The group’s concept for Dave’s was inspired by a demand for Southern-style fried chicken in the Los Angeles area, as well as the simple fast-food format of fellow California-based chain In-N-Out.

Upon entering the chain’s new Champaign location, you are immediately greeted by the aroma of various spices and deep-fried goodness. Walls aggressively decorated with graffiti-esque spray paint feature Illinois football and basketball jerseys, as well as “Illini for life” spelled out in electric colors. 

The menu is in no way extensive — with options of chicken tenders, sliders or a combination of the two, there aren’t many meal possibilities. All tenders and sliders, however, are offered in your choice of seven heat levels: no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot and reaper.

Fries are included in the meals, with the option to upgrade to cheese fries or mac and cheese for an additional charge.

When ordering, friendly and personable staff greet customers while efficiently tending to bustling lines. After ordering, they tell you their names, “in case you have any questions.”

The chicken itself is very crispy and coated in a messy layer of seasonings and spices. The tenders are quite large and feature a thick layer of crunchy breading.

With a cup of the chain’s signature condiment, Dave’s Sauce, and the option for extra packets, getting an ample chicken-to-sauce ratio is much easier than with other chicken restaurants — looking at you, Cane’s.

Dave’s Sauce appears to be a mayonnaise-based dip that evokes flavors of Dijon mustard, pickle juice and toasty chicken seasonings. For a lack of better comparison, the condiment tastes like a less zesty Cane’s Sauce with no notes of ketchup. The sauce is creamy and full of flavor. 

Even at the “hot” spice level, the chicken’s heat is minimal, but not nonexistent. The seasoning blend tastes vaguely of cinnamon — a strange yet weirdly pleasant addition.

The slider at Dave’s Hot Chicken differs from many in that it includes a kale slaw in addition to the usuals — pickles and Dave’s Sauce. There is also an option to add cheese sauce to the sandwich for an upcharge. 

The crispness of the chicken works well with the runny texture of the sauce and cheese, while the kale slaw adds an element of freshness that the pickles could not provide on their own.

Regardless of your choice in chicken, napkins will be required. Since the dry blend of spices is tossed onto the tenders, it’s bound to come off on your hands. Things will almost certainly drip, but that’s a part of the experience.

The fries at Dave’s Hot Chicken are also seasoned with a flavorful spice blend completely free of heat. The mild flavor profile of the side dish counteracts the heat of the chicken well. 

Paired with a milkshake, a meal from Dave’s is sure to satisfy those in search of something more distinctive than your everyday chicken tender.

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