How Hot is Dave’s Hot Chicken Reaper Spice Level?

Dave’s Hot Chicken has been making waves with its Nashville-style hot chicken The restaurant offers chicken tenders and sandwiches with 7 spice levels ranging from no spice to the ultra-hot Reaper. But just how hot is the Reaper spice at Dave’s Hot Chicken? I tried all the levels to find out.

Dave’s Hot Chicken started in East Hollywood in 2017 and quickly gained a cult following. The restaurant specializes in hot chicken, a spicy fried chicken dish that originated in Nashville.

Dave’s Hot Chicken has since expanded to over 50 locations across the United States. The restaurant offers chicken tenders, sliders, and sandwiches with 7 spice levels to suit different levels of heat tolerance:

• No Spice
• Lite Mild
• Mild
• Medium
• Hot
• Extra Hot
• Reaper

The Reaper features the ultra-hot Carolina Reaper pepper and you have to sign a waiver to order it. So I visited my local Dave’s to find out just how hot it really is.

Trying All 7 Spice Levels at Dave’s Hot Chicken

Here are my thoughts on each of the 7 spice levels at Dave’s Hot Chicken

No Spice

As expected the No Spice has no spiciness. The flavor is decent thanks to the good seasoning but it’s basic and unmemorable. The chicken itself is juicy and perfectly cooked though. It’s a good option for kids or people who want no heat.

Lite Mild

The Lite Mild has barely any discernable heat, just a bit more flavor from the spices. It allows you to taste the nice blend of spices without much lingering heat. A nice step up from No Spice.

Mild

The Mild has a very faint warmth – just the lightest kick that doesn’t linger much on your taste buds. The spices add good depth of flavor. It’s great if you want some extra flavor without much heat.

Medium

The Medium level finally provides a noticeable but not uncomfortable level of heat. You get a lingering warmth on the tongue but no pain. It has a good blend of heat and flavor. This is what would be considered “mild” at many other spicy restaurants.

Hot

Now the heat really picks up at the Hot level. You definitely feel the burn but it’s not yet unbearable. The jump from Medium to Hot is substantial. You get pleasant flavor from the spices along with the heat. This is my personal favorite level.

Extra Hot

Extra Hot gives an intense burning sensation. The heat overwhelms the other flavors, but you can still taste them. It starts off slow before hitting your tongue hard. Expect tongue burning, watery eyes and sweating. One for true heat lovers.

Reaper

The Reaper level is not for the faint of heart. Made with the Carolina Reaper pepper, it completely obliterates your taste buds with heat. I couldn’t taste anything except burning. My mouth was on fire, eyes watering, nose running. I coughed and got chills and stomach cramps.

You have to sign a waiver to order the Reaper. It’s for hardcore spice freaks only. The Extra Hot already provides tons of heat and flavor, so I don’t recommend the Reaper to anyone except serious chiliheads. It’s pure pain with no redeeming flavor. Easily one of the hottest things I’ve ever eaten.

Just How Hot is the Reaper at Dave’s Hot Chicken?

To put the Reaper’s insane heat into perspective, here’s a look at the Scoville scale, which measures the spiciness of peppers:

• Jalapeño: 2,500 – 8,000 Scoville units
• Habanero: 100,000 – 350,000 Scoville units
• Carolina Reaper: 1,600,000 – 2,200,000 Scoville units

As you can see, the Carolina Reaper that’s used in the Reaper sauce at Dave’s Hot Chicken is over 200 times hotter than a jalapeño! It’s one of the hottest peppers on Earth, hence the fitting Reaper name.

The Reaper spice level at Dave’s Hot Chicken definitely lives up to the hype. It completely annihilated my taste buds with its extreme heat from the Carolina Reaper pepper. This is not a challenge for average people to take on lightly. I suffered greatly after just one bite. Save yourself the pain and stick to the lower spice levels when dining at Dave’s.

Dave’s Hot Chicken offers a range of spice levels so everyone can enjoy their Nashville-style hot chicken. For extreme heat seekers, the Reaper level made with the Carolina Reaper pepper is face-meltingly hot. It instantly set my whole mouth ablaze and left me in agony. I do not recommend it to people who aren’t hardcore chiliheads. The Extra Hot level still provides intense heat and flavor for most people. Dave’s Hot Chicken definitely lives up to its name – the Reaper spice is scorching hot!

The Reaper spice level at Dave’s Hot Chicken is extremely hot, made with Carolina Reaper peppers, and is known for causing intense heat reactions. Customers must sign a waiver before ordering it, acknowledging potential harm from the extreme heat.