4 Best Chicken Restaurants near Willoughby

“Dave's Hot Chicken fulfills a role that I believe has been severely lacking within the game of fast food fried chicken: an establishment that offers both the crispy and well-cooked quality of fried chicken, as well as the search for heat beyond reason that offers flavor and excitement for the palette.

I ordered a #3, 1 tender and slider with fries (extra hot). I was hesitant at first, as while the aroma entering the store was enticing, the price made me skeptical. Upon receiving my order though, all of my fears were absolved.

The presentation alone was beautiful, (see the attached picture) and the flavor and consistency was immaculate. It already met one of my most important criteria for truly great fried chicken: a batter which does not fall apart as soon as the first bite is taken, with the skin tearing off in a clean break. Each piece had the proper ratio of chicken-to-batter, and the heat was absolutely perfect. It built over time, slowly consuming my tongue more and more in the most incredible way. There was also still a lot of flavor to be had, not just hot for the sake of it (another important factor in good hot fried chicken).

The fries were also very well cooked, a batter style, they bring a relief at points when the spice becomes too much. The Daves Sauce, while sweeter than I was expecting, complimented the meal and fries perfectly. It isnt Canes Sauce by any means, but I think it works perfectly in context to the entire meal. Also if youre a pickle lover, this meal is made for you. They offered another relief to the heat that was welcoming in moments of manual breathing with the spice.

Overall, this was a very impressive meal. The staff was nice, and while the atmosphere for me personally is just alright, the food itself is fantastic. It is a tad pricey, I wouldn't get this all the time, but for a lover of fried chicken and spice, this is something you have to try. I do believe this is something you have to give a full expereince, don't just grab Daves bites if you haven't been yet. It's a very contextual meal, but one that I believe is 100% worth it.“

“New Cane’s and one of the best in the area. The food was noticeably better than what I’ve received from Cane’s recently; the chicken was so juicy and the Texas Toast was so well-buttered and delicious. And the soda was not watered down like what I’ve gotten at some other places. The restaurant was clean and the service was quick!“

“This has got to be the best fried chicken I have ever had in my life, definitely blows the chicken places out there away, I don't understand why they don't have drive-thru locations like KFC and other chicken places, never once have I ever received dried out or chewy chicken, it's always steaming hot, freshly done, crispy tender and oh my god so so so juicy.... Krispy chicken rocks!!!!! They didn't have a Krispy chicken where I used to live so I decided to move back to the area and that's all I could think about was Krispy chicken lol“

“Chick-fil-A sandwiches have always been a great go to for that chicken sandwich itch. I also do love their salads as they are pretty hefty with the quantity you get in each bowl. The quality of the lettuce is also nice compared to other food chains. The waffle fries are good, but I have experienced at the Willoughby location that they will go very heavy on the salt sometimes where my family and myself just cannot eat them.

My real only complaint is the drive thru service. I would say that in my last 10 visits here, 3 of those times I was missing food. Now, it is my error for not double checking my bag, but in my defense I have been to other food establishments that I have not had issues with any of my orders exceeding at least 30+ trips. This location has dual lanes, and sometimes you can feel pressure of being in lane waiting for food when the car behind you has already been serviced. With the amount of staffing, I feel they need to have someone double check orders.

The staff though is polite and kind, which is nice. I feel the accuracy in which the orders are packed needs to be checked.

Update: I had an issue last night 3/7/25 where my order was missing a sandwich. I noticed this once I got home. I called the store with no answer. I was instructed to leave a voicemail which referenced that I would receive a call back. I never got a returned call. I went back to the store the next day and brought in my receipt showing the clerk how my order was incomplete. They remade the sandwich but referenced to me that they would only do this, this once as they only remake food same day or send me a coupon in mail. Here is my issue, if you aren't picking up the phone and are not returning my phone call as you stated you would, your establishment will not be getting $7 from me for free. I WILL receive my food. I do not want to rely on the USPS to give me a free coupon. If I have to drive back up to your store because of your error, you should be more welcoming and apologetic. Heck, give me a free fry to compensate my gas. Sadly, this left a strong bitter taste on my mouth.

The fast food industry can be very tough on stores depending on location. But you also gain high rep for service quality. Chick-fil-A usually pushes itself as setting a high bar for quality in food and service. So far, my opinion is dropping into the negative areas though as I am continuing to get bad service quality at this location.“