We Tasted The Reaper At Dave’s Hot Chicken ― Here’s How Spicy It Really Is

Food trends come and go, but one that I’m glad stuck around is the Nashville hot chicken craze, and not just in Music City, either. This spicy dish took over the country for a little bit and that’s evident in the success of Dave’s Hot Chicken, one of the country’s fastest-growing fast food chains. Dave’s started out as a meager LA pop-up and now they loom tall as one of the top chains for fast-food speed with full-service-restaurant quality. They specialize in fried chicken covered in Nashville’s iconic spicy-sweet oil with slaw and comeback sauce, but they also do fries and one of our favorite fast food items of the year: the Hot Mozz. The food here is famously way spicier than the average wannabe-spicy fast food. In fact, there’s one item at Dave’s that strikes fear into the hearts of men.

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Since Dave’s specializes in just one item, the only choice you have to make is which spice level you want. There’s everything from mild to extra-hot, and then there’s The Reaper. This infamous sandwich is made with Carolina Reaper extract, but it’s fast food—it can’t be that hot… right? Well, I ordered The Reaper so I could determine whether or not the waiver that they make you sign is just a gimmick or if it’s actually understandable why someone might sue after biting into this beast. Here are my honest thoughts on The Reaper’s flavor and spice level.

The Reaper

Overconfidence in my spice tolerance has gotten me into trouble before. With this in mind, I swallowed my pride and resisted the urge to scoff at the waiver like it was beneath me. Instead of going in for a huge, arrogant bite, I started with a nibble, and thank goodness for that. The heat hit me like a truck, so much so that it was almost a medical emergency. But I waited for a bit before I ran to the bathroom to wipe my weeping eyes and nose. Still, I only managed one bite. When I brought the leftover Reaper home I felt its evil presence emanating from my fridge, so I threw it in the trash―defeated. 

If it weren’t for the fact that I was looking around to make sure no one was detecting my pain, I might have been able to sit and enjoy The Reaper a little bit. The cumin, peppers, and brown sugar come through nicely in the hot oil that coats the chicken. But, truth be told, it was too much for me, and I fully concede that the waiver is, in fact, not a gimmick. I actually tried every single spice level at Dave’s and extra-hot was the best heat-flavor ratio for the authentic Nashville experience.

I asked an employee if customers are ever able to consume an entire Reaper and live to tell the tale, and she said “all the time.” This did to my ego what The Reaper did to my taste buds. Still, if you find the average habanero hot sauce “pretty hot,” stay away from the Reaper. If you were raised on ghost pepper salsa and authentic vindaloo, you’ll probably be alright. Maybe.