Archive for September, 2025

Dave’s Hot Chicken

Dave’s Hot Chicken started in 2017 with $900 in a parking lot in California. It has grown to nearly 300 restaurants globally. The location near my house opened a couple of months ago.

Outside

Outside

Orders are placed at the counter and prepared fresh, so there is a little bit of a wait even when they aren’t busy. The menu is pretty simple, led by their famous chicken tenders, which can be served alone or as a slider sandwich. They also have chicken bites, fries, mac & cheese, and kale slaw to round out the menu. All chicken can be served with no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot, or “reaper,” which includes a disclaimer for how hot it truly is.

Mural Inside

Mural Inside

For my dinner, I ordered Dave’s #3 so that I could sample a variety of the offerings ($13.49). This included a tender served on sliced bread with pickles and a slider served on a potato bun with kale slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce. Fries are also included in the meal deal. This was a lot of food! I think next time I might just get the slider meal, as each tender is actually really thick and filling.

Dave's #3

Dave’s #3

I ordered my chicken with hot sauce, and it was pretty dang hot! I tried the tender alone, but found myself dipping it in the side of Dave’s sauce to cool it off some. The slider didn’t feel as hot since it had slaw, pickles, and Dave’s sauce already drizzled on it. I might try the medium heat level next time, or just stick with the slider and the hot sauce.

Mt. Carmel Brewing Company

Mt. Carmel Brewing Company has been around for 20 years! With so many breweries coming (and now going) in Cincinnati, it’s worth noting that Mt. Carmel is still doing their thing and doing it well. My wife and I stopped in for lunch recently. Their outdoor space is better than ever, and it’s a great place for a meal or to hang out over a couple of pints.

Cincy Hot Sandwich

Cincy Hot Sandwich

For lunch, I enjoyed the Cincy Hot Sandwich, a hand-breaded fried chicken breast topped with their signature HOT Denzel wing sauce, country-style slaw, and blue cheese dressing ($14). The sauce had a pretty good amount of heat, but the slaw and blue cheese tamed it down a bit. Overall, a really solid sandwich.

The G.O.A.T. Salad

The G.O.A.T. Salad

My wife and I also split the G.O.A.T. salad ($11 full / $6.50 half). This combination features spinach, goat cheese, red onions, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and candied walnuts, accompanied by a house-made balsamic dressing. This was a great salad, highly recommended!

Carnitas Tacos

Carnitas Tacos

My wife enjoyed the carnitas tacos ($13 for 2). The house-braised pork shoulder is super tender and comes topped with grilled jalapenos, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and salsa verde. Great tacos!