Major Dave’s Chicken

There is no good reason that cesspools like Popeye’s, KFC, Church’s, etc stay open while an amazing place like this has to close because business wasn’t good. I miss you, Major Daves.

Feel partially at blame for their closing. Should have written the 5 star review they deserved sooner :(I’ll miss you. Brb crying in a dark corner.

The food here wasn’t too bad, but I guess its closed now. Oh well…
This is what I had:
Chicken strips
Dark meat combo
Mac n Cheese
Cauliflower mash

Great crispy chicken and delicious sides! I ordered the spicy combo with whipped cauliflower and Mac and cheese and spicy chicken salad. Both dishes were good and hit the spot. The chicken was crispy and delicious. The sides were oh so good yumminess. The salad dressing complements the salad perfectly. The place offers a variety of hot sauce if you want to add a kick to your dish.
The service was top notch. The cashier was very helpful and offered us samples for the sides before placing our order. The location is in between Starbucks and Juice it on Hill.

It not every day that you go on to Unilocal find a place to try and get blown away by how a restaurant exceeds your expectations. When in the Pasadena area there is only KFC, Roscoe’s, and Popeyes right? Hold up what about Dave’s!
There is one thing that is guaranteed at this place. When you order spicy chicken you will get spicy chicken. Like most chicken places when I ask for spicy I always add hot sauce but here that was not the case. It was legit spicy. The right amount of heat if you fancy yourself a hot sauce lover. The sides were also tasty. I ordered a combo with Ceasars kale salad and Cole slaw. Why the double salad because of the two items I wanted to order were unavailable. I need to try the bacon Brussel sprouts and cauliflower garlic mash. Fail I was a little annoyed that I couldn’t try these items but overall the side dish game was strong.
Next time, I will be sure to try other dishes and get the regular chicken and some hot pieces so I can compare the difference in taste.
Don’t forget students and veteran get 10% off. Fail! I didn’t read this until after ordering.

Meh, pretty overpriced mediocre fried chicken. Yes, I get that its organic and range-​free blah blah blah, but I don’t think its worth the money. You can definitely get better fried chicken at Popeyes. The spicy fried chicken flavoring wasn’t great and had a weird taste to it. The staff is really friendly so I guess they have that going for them. I wasn’t too impressed.

When I thought Thai, Pizza, and Mediterranean were the only kinds of food that were deliverable in this area, I was wrong. With a $ 5 charge and $ 15 limit, you can have Southern food at your doorstep.
First time ordering, I liked the a la carte menu with three sizes to choose from ($ 2.50 sm, $ 5.00 med, $ 9 lg).
Their most popular a la carte is the cauliflower mash with gravy. Super soft, extremely flavorful, and a necessary side. The kale salad was fresh and delicious topped with croutons, parmesan, and dressing. Mac ‘n cheese on the other hand was a little bland, but nothing pepper and tapatio can’t fix! I really liked their mini cornbreads (6 for $ 2.50). As small as they are, the butter and honey come through in every bite.
I don’t eat meat, so unfortunately I couldn’t say my piece on the chicken. However, all of the above was delish and complimented each other completely. Very simple Southern style food with simple ingredients you can count on one hand.

Some of the Best Fried Chicken I have had.
Love the fact that they make it fresh, comes to you piping hot and ready to roll.
Tried both the Regular and the Spicy. Since it seems the Spicy is applied to chicken at cook or just after, does not resonate all the way into the Meat. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you like it. But it did add some great heat and really good flavor. I liked it, but really just lived on the skin not all the way down into the meat. Regular was really solid as well.
Had the mac n cheese side. It is pretty standard and pretty good. Not sure the piece of bacon laid over the top really added to the dish. Would have actually like it to be chopped up or crumbles and get a little bit o bacon throughout my bites, so not overly thrilled with this presentation. But the side was good, not great but good.
All in all, when I am craving a little Fried Chicken, this will be a go to in my hood.
Note — they make it fresh, so it takes like 10 minutes to get your order and it was not very busy. I enjoy fresh food, so was ok by me. But if you are in a hurry, don’t go here and expect it plucked right into a bucket and you are off and running. Not their style.

We ordered 4 pieces of chicken (2) spicy and (2) fried.
Medium side of whipped cauliflower and baked beans
Medium Kale Cesar salad.
Total: $ 33 and change.
The spicy fried chicken was tasty and the original fried was ok, but the value is not there. The medium kale salad the lady said feeds 2 that container was smaller than the medium sides. The beans were under cooked and the whipped cauliflower was bland mush.
I get that its suppose to be natural/​organic, but I shop that way anyway and make way better meals at home for a lot less.
Results: I can honestly say thats the last $ 33 I will ever spend there.
Oh almost forgot. Thats the worst cornbread I have ever tasted! Seriously.

Dang, this place exceeded my expectations! They definitely make you feel welcome here. The girl at the counter was also quick to offer samples of their sides. Menu is pretty simple. You can order fried chicken by the piece or you can also choose from three or so different combos which come with side (s) and a drink. Their chicken here is unlike other fried chicken you normally have. Non-​GMO, hormone and antibiotic free fried chicken! I’ve never come across other places that do this so props to Major Dave’s. We ordered a couple spicy and some original. Both are delicious but if you like a little kick, then I recommend the spicy fried chicken. Like Hungrycat X. mentioned, the chicken skin is the BEST part. I saved mine for last and it was still perfectly crispy. As for the sides, we opted for cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and mac and cheese with candied bacon on top. The whipped garlic cauliflower is beyond delicious. At first I was bummed about the lack of mashed potatoes but the cauliflower is a genius substitute. It’s also way more healthy so there’s that. The mac and cheese and brussel sprouts were also great. Another thing I love about this place is the plethora of hot sauces! You can’t go wrong with any of the Louisiana hot sauces they have.
Tip: Save 10% with your military or student ID. Also, they share a parking lot with Starbucks. Didn’t have trouble looking for a spot on a weekday around lunch time but I imagine it gets pretty hectic during peak hours.

Their chicken is perfectly spicy and crispy!!! It’s usually made fresh to order and if you don’t have the 15 minutes to spare waiting for it, you can always call your order in.
The sides are equally delicious, especially the mac n cheese with candied bacon and all of their salads. Parking isn’t the most convenient, but there is a street spot available on Hill if you’re lucky. We order ours to-​go every week and never tire of its perfection
The only downside is I wish they stayed open later!

With a student ID you can get 10% off. Ordered the black meat, half spicy and the other half was original. It tasted ok, the skin had more flavor and the meat inside has less flavor. The corn salad didn’t taste fresh any more. The smells was strong after I waited 10 minutes in the restaurant, my whole body smell like fired oil chicken

I’m a Fried Chicken Snob. My southern grandma and her 7 sisters, had some wickedly good cooking competitions and Aunt Lenny fried the best chicken I have ever had in my life. Sooo, the search is ALWAYS on for that taste.
Friday night, hubby is craving some fried chicken and we decide to head over to Major Dave’s.
Place is located next to a Starbucks and there’s a shared private lot for parking.
Its like a typical fast food joint; however, with PCC so close, there were college students there (later, a group of 15+ friends showed up and pushed tables together; the sound got so loud, hubby remarked he felt like he was in a club).
Pros:
–Chicken has no added hormones/​antibiotics/​GMO feeds; thus, no need to worry about mutant KFC chickens
–Place owned by Marine. Awesome.
–Healthier side options
So what did we eat?
Dark Meat Spicy Combo-​the chicken was of better quality and the breading was spicy, but not too thick. I would actually rate the chicken 4 stars. Further, I got the Whipped Garlic Cauliflower which was really good. I love whipped cauliflower versus mashed potatoes because potatoes are just too heavy.
Hubby loved his Fried Chicken Sandwich, but I didn’t try a bite. He ordered an additional Spicy Thigh, but his was covered with too much batter and it was too spicy (maybe in the bottom of the basket when frying?)
Despite the food being 4 stars, I rate it 3 because of the ambiance. Its too much like a small fast food place. There’s very little uncomfortable seating, thin napkins, fountain machine & when the students take over the place, you just want to hurry up and leave.

4.5 stars: ate here a week and a half ago and I’m still thinking about that light, crispy skin and that perfect spicy chicken heat. I got a thigh and two wings and the wings were just as good cold for breakfast!
They offer samples of the sides right when you get in so definitely take advantage. Chicken is made to order. They also have a deal where if you buy 10 pieces of a la carte chicken you get a 10% discount so that’s basically 10 wings (and this is the entire wing, wingette + drumette) for $ 10! #tententen

If your claim to fame is great fried chicken, your fried chicken better be crispy.
The first piece I had, a drumstick, was very oily, a little bloody and not crispy at all. The second piece, a wing, was oily and not crispy too. I returned that wing and another wing, in the hopes I got a bad batch and they could make their «crispy fried chicken.»
The staff was accommodating and provided me with another drumstick and two wings. The drumstick was blood. All the pieces were even more oily and not crispy.
They cauliflower mash and Brussels sprouts were decent. And I like the stated quality of their chicken, but I have a hard time imagining Dave’s chicken is suppose to be oily and not crispy. Hope they start making crispy fried chicken.

Original fried chicken:
Skin is very crispy, and meat is tender inside (as opposed to dried out). No greasy, heavy feeling after you eat it. All a plus to me. Negative: chicken skin could have used a little more seasoning.
Spicy fried chicken:
Seasoning appeared to be a mixture of some bottled not sauce and dry rub. The dry rub left an odd after taste in my mouth. Not cup of my tea.
Whipped Cauliflower:
I can understand the popularity. It is a healthy substitute for mashed potatoes. Chicken gravy is flavorful and light. I recommend this side.
Honest Mac and Cheese:
Very flavorful, however a more liquidy than I am used to. Flavoring is light and not overbearing. I recommend this side.
Kale Caesar Salad:
Excellent flavoring. My only suggestion is less dressing. I felt like I was having a side of salad with my dressing.
Roasted Corn Salad:
I was disappointed with this side. I did taste the roasted corn. I was hoping that this side was served hot but it was served cold. Perhaps heating it up would have made it better.
Cornbread:
Delicious and best eaten with honey.
Service:
Excellent! Yes. They did get a little overwhelmed with the lunch time rush and some things were forgotten with our order. However, after we reminded them of the forgotten items they promptly apologized and delivered. As compensation for the error they did give us extra complimentary corn bread.
Verdict: decent, however I don’t see myself craving it any time soon.

Ever wished you could eat fried chicken and not feel the guilt? You’re probably thinking, «duhh, but we all know there’s no such thing»…or is there? I think I’ve found just the thing. ok maybe it’s not «go out of your way and do this on the daily» healthy, but its probably the closest you’re gonna get to guilt-​less fried chicken. I’m talking about a place where there are no GMOs, no hormones, no additives, no antibiotics, and no preservatives in the food. Just free range Mary’s Chicken, the same chicken sold at Whole Foods. Where everything is prepared with REAL and FRESH ingredients, and the chicken is made to order.
I’m talking about Major’s Dave’s Chicken, the newest and tastiest thing to happen to Pasadena.
If only I could put into words how good the chicken was. First off, until now I have yet to come across actually «spicy» chicken. The ones I’ve had thus far were simply slightly peppered. But at Major Dave’s I was introduced to this new and trendy Nashville Spicy Chicken. We were totally blown away at how it was perfectly seasoned, and actually had a good kick to it. Crispy on the outside, but not too thick a layer of batter. This was truly done well.
Best of all, their batter is homemade, not some mass produced, preservative laden batter. Major Dave even did his research on the best oil to use when frying, so he opted to fry in a beef tallow. According to his research, this is not only a better oil to use, health wise, but it also helps the chicken stay crunchy even after refrigeration.
Can’t handle spicy? Not to worry, they’ve got non-​spicy chicken for you too!
Their chicken sandwich was topped with pickles, creamy cole slaw, and CHERRY tomatoes, drizzled with the most amazing homemade buttermilk chive sauce. Not to mention, their bbq and honey mustard sauces are homemade as well. Incredible! You can just tell that they’ve taken their time to think about everything and deliver the best quality ingredients at every turn.

The hubby was super excited to try Major Dave’s since it is so close to home. But we were a little disappointed.
Chicken — we ordered the spicy chicken and while the chicken is moist and offers a subtle kick, it was lacking seasoning
Coleslaw — also lackluster in the flavor department
Creamed Cauliflower — there was something off putting about the flavor, there was a slight rawness to the flavor that was not to our liking
Corn Bread — this was definitely the best part of our meal, it was moist (partially because it had sucked up the chicken grease), and had a great corn flavor
The price is not outrageous, but the chicken and sides could definitely use some more salt.

3.2 stars. Excellent chicken, decent sides, but service and cleanliness in the restaurant can use some work.
Pros:
+ The chicken is the star of the show here, and the chicken strips we received were excellent. Perfectly cooked, juicy on the inside and nuclear hot and crispy on the outside when they arrived. The «spicy» chicken is definitely spicy, and has a deep dark heat with a smoky peppery flavor.
+ The little free corn muffin was good, if not memorable.
+ The honey mustard dip and BBQ sauce were both very good and tasted homemade.
+ Toasted brussels sprouts and mac and cheese were good, if dried out. We did arrive 30 minutes prior to closing, so we probably got the old sides which had been cooked a while ago.
Cons:
— We ordered two combos of 4 chicken strips each, but we only received 3 strips each. The server explained «the owner said because these were big, he only gave you three.» I think this decision is in poor taste; if the customer is promised four chicken strips, they should receive four regardless of whether they are big or not.
— Service speed was slow, with around 14 minutes from order to receiving our food. This was with three employees working and only three other customers eating in the restaurant.
— The restaurant needed some cleaning. Many of the tables had smears of prior customers’ food, and we had to wipe the cleanest of the tables off ourselves before sitting down.

This place is quite interesting. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about it yet. The spicy chicken was good and flavorful and the cauliflower mashed was amazing… But there’s something about the vibe that threw me off. Came here on a Friday night and it got a little crowded.
I would defiantly recommend the spicy chicken… Didn’t get to try a lot of the other sides because I just wanted to grab a quite bite… The cauliflower mashed was really good. (Side note: need to learn how to make it)
I’m not sure I would come back, but the service was good and so was the food.