Childhood friends created Dave’s Hot Chicken with a passion for high-quality, simple hot chicken in Los Angeles, inspired by the Nashville hot chicken trend and the simplicity of restaurants like In-N-Out Burger. It started as a parking lot pop-up in 2017, using a portable fryer and a limited menu of tenders and sliders. The founders developed unique spice blends and focused on perfecting their core product. Their success was fueled by the quality of the chicken, clever social media marketing, a positive review from an Eater LA food writer, and early investment from celebrity figures. Dave’s Hot Chicken officially launched on May 2, 2017, and by mid-2022, the chain had expanded to over 100 locations across four countries.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is best known for its Nashville-style hot chicken, served as jumbo tenders or sliders. Customers can choose from seven different spice levels. The least popular menu item is chicken tenders with no spice, served with kale slaw.
According to Allrecipes, the best meal at Raising Cane’s is chicken fingers with Cane’s Sauce, Texas toast, and crinkle-cut fries.
Raising Cane’s was founded by Todd Graves with the goal of serving high-quality chicken fingers, focusing on a limited menu to ensure quality and a great customer experience. Despite initial skepticism from professors and bankers, Graves pursued his vision. He worked arduous jobs in an oil refinery and on a fishing boat to fund the venture before opening the first location near Louisiana State University in 1996. The restaurant was named after his yellow Labrador, Raising Cane. Raising Cane’s is well-known for its signature Cane’s Sauce.
