Dave's Hot Chicken Milkshakes & Slushers, Explained

You come to Dave's for the chicken. The shake is how you survive it. After a Hot or Reaper tender, a cold shake stops being a treat. It becomes a rescue. Here is every drink, what each one costs in calories, and which one puts the fire out fastest.

Every shake and slusher

Dave's keeps the drink menu short. You get three classic shakes, a few Top-Loaded shakes, and the slushers. Here is the full list with calories.

The shakes are the rich pick. The slushers are the light one. Your calorie budget decides a lot here.

The Top-Loaded shakes

A Top-Loaded shake is a normal shake with a topping piled on top. Each one leans on a brand you already know. The toppings do the heavy lifting.

• Fruity Pebbles. A vanilla shake under crushed Post Fruity Pebbles. Sweet, fruity, and the brightest of the bunch.
• Oreo. Crushed Oreo cookies over vanilla. The safe crowd-pleaser.
• Mint Oreo. The same idea with mint added. It finishes cooler and fresher.
• M&M's. Chocolate candy on top. The most kid-friendly choice.

One warning. These melt fast. Order a Top-Loaded shake to drink soon, not to carry across town.

Slushers: the lighter pick

Slushers are Dave's frozen drinks. They cost far fewer calories than a shake. They also do a better job in hot weather. There are two kinds.

The fruit slushers use familiar brands. You get Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch, Hi-C Orange LavaBurst, Minute Maid Strawberry Lemonade, and Powerade Mountain Berry Blast. The creme slushers add a creamy base, like the Strawberries and Creme and the Orange Creme. Most slushers land between 180 and 320 calories. That is less than half a shake.

Which cools the spice best?

Here is the part that matters after a Hot tender. A shake beats a slusher at killing heat. Chili heat comes from a compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin is fat-soluble. The milk fat in a shake breaks it apart and washes it away.

A slusher still helps. Cold numbs the burn, and sugar dulls it too. But it has no fat, so it works slower than a shake. Water is the worst choice. It just spreads the heat around. For the full method, read the spice levels guide. The short version: order your drink before the food arrives.

Find your nearest Dave's

Shake and slusher flavors shift a little by region and season. So check before you go. Use the official Dave's Hot Chicken store locator to find the spot closest to you. It shows the address, phone, and live hours for each store.

Want to know if your local store is open right now, or has a drive-thru? Our hours and drive-thru guide covers the typical times and how to confirm yours in seconds. Check it first, then make the trip.

The one to order

Here is my honest take. Match the drink to the job.

• You ordered Hot or above: get a classic chocolate or vanilla shake. The fat cools the burn best.
• You want dessert: get the Fruity Pebbles Top-Loaded shake. It is the most fun in the cup.
• You want something light: get a fruit slusher. Cold, sweet, and a third of the calories.

That is the whole drink menu, sorted. Pair it with the right tender and you have a full meal. New to Dave's? Start with the what-to-order guide, then add the shake. The chicken brings the heat. The shake brings the peace.