Did we need another hot chicken joint? Scanning the landscape of Montgomery County’s dining scene, it seemed like residents had their fair share of fried fowl.

But if Thursday’s opening of Dave’s Hot Chicken in Rockville is any indicator, another hot chicken place doesn’t hurt.

Even non-foodies likely remember the hot chicken craze of 2019, when Popeyes launched a spicy chicken sandwich that became so popular the chain ran out of supplies, prompting an attempted armed robbery and inviting copycats from other chains hoping to cash in on the country’s sudden insatiable need for hot chicken.

The hype simmered down. Still, we’re seeing an influx of chicken spots. Dave’s, a Los Angeles-based chain, first arrived in Montgomery County at the end of last year in White Oak. Within a few miles of the newest Rockville location, you can find the D.C.-founded Roaming Rooster, Hangry Joe’s and other shops offering their own version of spicy poultry. In the broader world of fast food, Raising Cane’s recently expanded to the DMV area with locations in D.C., College Park and Bel Air.

As The Banner Montgomery’s two food reporters, we set out to push our taste buds to the limit, trying all seven spice levels Dave’s has to offer – including the hottest level, the Reaper, fueled by Carolina Reaper peppers, for which Hau had to sign a waiver promising that the chain isn’t responsible for “bodily injury, property damage, emotional distress, or even death.” We were unclear whether that was a playful joke or a legit warning in a binding contract.

Our takeaway is complex. We experienced pleasant flavors, crisp fries and spices in the chicken mix and, frankly, pain. Here’s our analysis, from least to most spicy.

No spice

Hannah Yasharoff: This is fine? I would order this for a child but otherwise it’s pretty much on par with a stadium chicken tender in terms of taste. Not really worth the $12.99 for two tenders and fries, or $14.99 for two sliders with fries. (As a side note, we were both fans of the slightly-seasoned crinkle cut fries.)

Lite mild

HY: This level is for people who really wanted to order “no spice” but didn’t want to sound like a square. It doesn’t really have enough taste to warrant getting a whole order. I finished this one because I did not pack lunch today, but it was much better with a heavy pour of the chipotle mayo-y Dave’s Sauce.

Mild

HY: This is the first acceptable level of spice. To my fellow spice wimps, this is where you want to land for flavor and a hint of heat without feeling like there’s steam coming out of your ears.

Medium

HY: The jump from mild to medium initially didn’t seem like anything, but the spice sneaks up on you. Still enjoyable, I’d still happily order this one again.

Hot

HY: I predicted ahead of time that this would likely be my ceiling, unless I suddenly felt brave enough to go for extra hot. The pain inside my mouth doesn’t even compare to the fire I’m still feeling on my lips, even as I’m writing this a few minutes after taking a singular bite. I can feel the beginnings of sweat developing around my forehead. I am very worried for Hau, who is much better at spice than me, but also has two more levels to go. This is where I leave you all – I’m officially chickening out.

Hau Chu: I grew up in a house where most meals were accompanied by a side of bird’s eye chili peppers, so I often crave spice and heat. But as I approach [REDACTED AGE], I’ve noticed my body going through a physiological reaction when eating high-heat food by profusely sweating while my taste buds are left unscathed. Long story short, hot was cute but left me a little warm at best. Onward.

Extra hot

HC: A vaguely cinnamon sugar taste stood out from the spice blend of each preceding level of heat. It’s not altogether unwelcome and adds a depth of flavor you don’t typically associate with hot chicken. My tongue started to feel a light dance of tingling in different spots while the integrity of the flavor and breading on the chicken remained.

Dave may know what he’s doing, chicken-wise.

Reaper

HC: All right, while this wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, cards on the table, I am typing this in a haze of sweat. Nerves in my face and skull I didn’t know I had began firing up. I was armed with a glass of milk and an icy Coke Zero to quell any flames. But as an extra safeguard I purposefully ate this when I knew my colleagues would be distracted by an important company-wide meeting a la the French weirdos who cover their faces with a napkin to eat an ortolan, the songbird considered a delicacy.

But my note for Dave’s would be that any nuance of flavor and spice goes out the window with the Reaper and the tender becomes a painful fried slab. While my competitive, dumb boy brain admires a challenge, food items shouldn’t exist for pure novelty.

Our takeaway: Hot chicken forever

Trends will come and go and thrust certain restaurants into fame until everyone moves on to the next big thing and renders the prior obsession obsolete. But in speaking to some restaurant industry folks lately about the sort of food trends they see on the rise, there’s also a consensus that sticking to the classics is what will keep restaurant-goers coming back again and again.

When something is good, it’s good forever. Spicy fried chicken is going to be good forever.