By Gio Arteaga and Sadie York
In the great debate of fried chicken restaurants rises two front-runners: Dave’s Hot Chicken and Starbird. Both located within a 15-minute radius of Westmont High School, which chicken should Westmont students choose?
Sadie:
While I’ve only ever eaten at Starbird once, the deliciously tender, flavorful chicken of Dave’s has never given me a reason to try any other place. With four different meals to choose from,–I typically go with a standard #4 medium chicken sandwich with a side of fries–there’s plenty of options to appease your taste buds. Depending on your heat tolerance, your chicken can be flavored from “No spice” to the extra hot “Reaper,” with levels in between including “Lite Mild,” “Mild,” “Medium,” “Hot,” and “Extra Hot.” The buns served with your chicken are so pillowy, and the ratio from bread to chicken is perfectly balanced. I’ve never in my life consumed dry chicken from Dave’s, as it’s always super juicy. Dave’s sauce, while nothing special, is delicious and pairs well with not only the chicken, but the fries. The crinkle-cut fries at Dave’s are lightly dusted with seasoning, which offers a perfect bite of salt and spice. Finally, one of the most important aspects of Dave’s Hot Chicken: the pickles. Oh my goodness these pickles are divine. So tangy, salty, fresh, and crunchy, the pickles served with your food are arguably the star of the show. Dave’s always adds a heap of pickles with your meal, which I personally love to eat with every bite. Overall, while I have no negative comments about Starbird (nothing outstanding about it), I can affirmatively say that Dave’s Hot Chicken provides the best chicken in the area.
Gio:
Well see… I’ve also only had Dave’s Hot Chicken once and while I may not be familiar with what Sadie describes as “flavourful chicken,” I would argue that Starbird is the better chicken option for people who want variety. Walking into Starbird, you’re greeted by self-serve kiosks—no awkward human interaction, just you and a menu packed with choices. Unlike Dave’s, which only does spicy chicken, Starbird gives you crispy tenders, sandwiches, wraps, salads (yes, with chicken), and even a breakfast menu that absolutely destroys fast food breakfasts. Their chicken is always fresh, never frozen, and coated in a gluten-free flour blend that delivers the ultimate crunch. And while Sadie may be obsessed with Dave’s pickles, Starbird’s sauce game is unmatched—ranch, hot honey, Thai chili, and a mysterious “secret sauce” that’s probably made of pure magic. So, while Dave’s has its perks, Starbird gives you the best of everything—more choices, less stress, and most importantly, ridiculously good chicken.