Here’s further evidence that fried chicken is one of the hottest food trends of the moment, especially when you add a bit of heat to it: two fried chicken chains have opened new locations in the area in recent days. Dave’s Hot Chicken, a Los Angeles-based chain known for Nashville-style hot chicken sliders and tenders, celebrated its grand opening in the Nyberg Rivers Mall on April 30. Meanwhile, Korean fried chicken chain Chimcking, whose local presence was previously limited to a storefront in a Beaverton strip mall, opened its second Portland-area location on April 22 on Sandy Blvd in the Hollywood District.

The Tualatin location of Dave’s Hot Chicken is the first of at least five planned locations in the Portland area, according to a press release. The menu is simple—chicken tenders, chicken sliders, fries, and a couple (very forgettable) sides like mac and cheese and kale slaw—but the excitement comes in being able to choose from seven different spice levels for your chicken, ranging from no heat to Reaper, which requires a signed waiver. (For reference, we tried the medium, which we found offered a slight tingle, and the extra hot, one level below the Reaper, which was sweat-inducing and almost too hot to eat. Hot seems to be the way to go for this fairly spice-attuned food writer.) The chicken is super-juicy and the fries pleasantly crisp, but given the wealth of local options in our area (ahem, Basilisk), we’d skip it unless we were in the Tualatin area. Indoor seating is available, depending on COVID restrictions.

We're fans of the Beaverton location of Chimcking—the chain made our list of the best fried chicken in Portland—so this expansion was welcome news. The menu focuses on fried chicken wings, undoubtedly the best part of the bird, served straight up or glazed in soy-garlic sauce, hot sauce, or extra-hot sauce, with boneless options available. The menu also includes ddukbokki, fries, soju, and craft and Korean beer. Though we think Chimcking is probably your best bet for Korean fried chicken in Beaverton, we’d give the edge to local joints Toki and Chimaek Town for folks who live in Portland. A few patio tables are available, with indoor seating available when county risk levels allow it.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, 7115 SW Nyberg St Suite D, Tualatin

Chimcking, 4118 NE Sandy Blvd