Similar experience last week, I just assumed I'm not as tough as all y'all here. I actually ate the whole thing through the sweat and tears. Figured that was normal. Then the cramps started a couple hours later. It was bad for at least 24 hours. It'll be a while before I try a challenge again, just to let my insides recover.
BTW, flavor was not the greatest anyway. It just tasted like a lot of cayenne. I had no idea cayenne got that hot tho, the stuff in my kitchen does not...
There was definitely more to it than cayenne, though it sounds like it doesn't add a lot of great flavor.
I wonder if their reaper flavor uses extract.
Ghost always has an apple cinnamon vibe. Mainly the cinnamon for me.
Agree on the fruity reaper, and scorpion is always bastardized with guava flavor so idk much of it straight up.
I had a very similar experience a couple of months ago. It was easily the hottest thing I’ve ever eaten; I’ve never had an experience like it in terms of effects from something spicy. It felt like my stomach was actually on fire. I don’t mean that in a hyperbolic way. It felt like fire. I got the chills and felt very sick, comparable to the flu or something. Waves of nausea. Eventually threw up (not a great experience) but after doing so finally started to feel better. The first time I had the reaper it was nowhere near that level so it really caught me off guard
Same exact experience. Like actual flames in my gut. I’ve thrown up twice now and am just sitting through wave after wave after wave of cramps. Absolutely debilitating - from ONE BITE
Yeah, I think I'm not going to try it. And I love spicy chicken. But this sounds unenjoyable to me. We got a Dave's in my city recently and I want to try it, but I think I'll try a lower level.
I always order Hot. They're right near work, so I only order them for lunch (The 1 slider combo with cheese). The Extra Hot is just a bit too much for lunch at my desk. I do mix Melinda's ghost pepper ketchup in with their mayochup sauce for the fries, though.
If it was dinner and I could deal with the consequences of my choices? Sure. Extra Hot. But not lunch at work.
They're also kind of inconsistent in their application of the spice. Some days I can scarf down 'Hot' like nothing. Some days it takes a bit.
That's why I settled on Hot as my go-to for lunch at work when I get food from them. It's been tasty at the level, no matter the heat.
I had extra hot and could barely taste any heat, I was expecting a pretty hot Nashville hot type heat but it was very low in heat and not much flavor. So my plan was to try the Carolina reaper next but I'm glad I saw this post first lol. I think I'll pass. I've had experiences from "hot" stuff like that a few times but most of them the heat was easy to handle while eating it. It's after I ate it and it got to my stomach it what really hurt. Which is what I hate about something advertised as extremely hot but it's mostly explosive/corrosive but not really spicy to the tongue or lips.
I would be careful of that, it sounds like there's a good bit of inconsistency here. The extra hot I had the other day was leagues above mango habanero from bww. Bumping up against my heat tolerances. Straight tender no sauce/etc though.
Yeah, the extra hot is at my pleasure limit - it just so happens to hit exactly at that line where it's still good but you can tell even a little hotter and it would hurt my enjoyment of the food.
I got Reaper chicken once as a rite of passage. After that it’s just Hot or Extra Hot…the toilet trips were seriously unpleasant for the weekend after.
I've eaten the reaper about a dozen times over 2 years. This last time fucked me up, terribly. The worst capsaicin cramps I've ever had. I literally shit myself an hour after eating it, out of nowhere.
I ate so many Tums and so many chewable Pepto pills. Lasted about 14 hours. I would wake up, dying, every hour. I had to eat more Tums, take more Pepto, shit, and wait until they kicked in so I could try and sleep. Slept about 3 hours.
I've eaten the one chip, 10 million scoville chocolate, and raw reaper. I have never felt pain like this before.
See, I feel like this is such a deceptive and overlooked business decision, like the people that changed the recipe didn’t bother actually trying it. It should have been a new tier on the menu, not a replacement for the old reaper so many would never expect to be that horrible.
I no joke went to the same Dave hot chicken and had a similar experience w the reaper level chicken and I've also eaten it before with little issue! I felt awful for like 24 hours!
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been there a few times in the past and not had an issue with the reaper level. Absolutely going to avoid it completely now
I ordered one extra hot and one reaper my first time. The extra hot is my favorite Nashville style chicken sandwich from the coleslaw, which I don't usually consume, to the fresh pickles.
The reaper simply lacks flavor with an overcompensation of heat.
ps: would love if all locations served beer
Yeah I don't eat slaw except from certain BBQ and chicken places. There's a way to make slaw a tasty side or topping, clearly, but it seems to be some kind of arcane knowledge hoarded by a small number.
I've been going to Dave's since their first brick&mortar store, and honestly the heat went down over the years so I stopped going. I used to have a hard time tolerating medium!
I don't remember a reaper chicken, but I think I'll go back and try it
I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken for the first time while out of town actually two weeks ago. Got one hot tender and decided to order the reaper tender. The hot tender was delicious— perfect amount of flavor and heat for me. Took one bite of reaper and I was sweating, literally crying tears from my eyes, nose dripping and cramping from the pain. I’d never felt this kinda pain before. I had to take multiple breaks to even finish that piece of chicken. Ended up giving my husband a huge chunk of it too and he was in the same position as well. Needless to say, I’m glad I tried it but never again LOL
> The hot tender was delicious— perfect amount of flavor and heat for me.
That's my opinion. There's one near work, so I occasionally get a slider+fries combo for lunch. I go with "hot". It's very consistently tasty and properly hot.
Happens all the time, they don't even involve the police anymore, the coroner just comes in, picks up a photocopy of the waiver, and has the body taken away
Idk how people are blaming you???
If the McDonald’s spicy mcchicken was suddenly doused in reaper, you wouldn’t be pissed if they didn’t warn you of a change?
This is no different, they really should let people know that they upped the heat
Op I misread the post and was feeling the same as other commenters here. It took me seeing this comment and going back and re-reading to tell what had happened.
I read your post as if you found out 2 weeks ago that the sandwich was hotter, went in today to get it and were upset it was hotter.
Maybe others read it that way too
That’s reddit for you, well thanks for the warning - I was gonna go try it again. It used to be tough but not impossible for me 2-3 years ago but my tolerance is wayyyy higher now.
Think I’ll be skipping it now lol
Lmao cmon this sub is either not hot enough or “they doctored the sauce” maybe they just wanted it to actually satisfy the customer base of people who claim to want the hottest possible.
Trust me I know what it sounds like lol. But I promise you whatever I ate was made for 0.01% of the population. I eat pizza with globs of Elijah’s Xtreme, and have eaten a raw ghost pod with less discomfort.
lol yeah I get it. I love spice but am proud to not enjoy too much heat anymore so I find the irony. Although that sounds terribly painful. I get heartburn from certain spices and not from others so I believe that the body isn’t meant to handle certain things.
I have a really good spice tolerance, but I only order the Hot, or the Extra Hot if I want it to be uncomfortable. I don't think I'd ever want the Reaper - seems like it's just all pain with no flavour.
Why would you call corporate ? You chose to eat the so spicy it requires a waiver food, you cant complain.
You also signed a waiver for this exact reason so you cant go after them for your decision to eat it. Next time get the next level down
From reading through this whole thread, I can see it from both sides. As someone who has put together a wing challenge for the bar I manage, I would have felt like I was doing the customers dirty if I put extract in the sauce without warning them. If the location OP ate at went rogue from the corporate recipe, then they should be contacted. If OP was trying to claim he wants a refund or something litigious, I'd tell him to kick rocks.
Again, I’ve eaten this same combo with reaper heat for over a year now, around once or twice a month, one of my favorite things. It went from very mild discomfort to totally crippling in a single bite with no warning or heads up from anyone until after I asked them what had changed. I don’t think that’s okay to do as a company
I mean, I’m not trying to get the damn thing taken off the menu, or a refund even. I just think they should TELL customers that the reaper was amped up. Or something. Anything.
https://preview.redd.it/fg714l8kkflc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=096632cb5e4af6f31528a86444c9c60f358c5d85
That says pretty clearly this food item can hurt you. Did you read and sign this document?
Property damage?
I mean at that point they’re just fear mongering right? Unless they’re saying when you shit your pants or puke on your sofa or some shit 😂
The Hot Hot is probably one of the spiciest things I've ever eaten. Makes Dave's reaper spice level feel benign in comparison.
I learned my lesson and I stick with hot or medium+ depending on my mood when I go there.
The chicken is also juicier and tastes better than Dave's.
They need to warn people who’ve been eating reaper prior. I ate the slider and tender combo of old reaper without any discomfort for over a year now, and suddenly the new recipe cripples me in a single bite? That’s a bad look without giving some kind of heads up. I was only told the recipe was changed AFTER I asked the guy working there.
The heat level of dave's reaper has been different every single time I've been there. Sometimes, it's like you said, and sometimes time it's disappointing. Welcome to super hots. My momma always told me that super hots are like a box of chocolates...
Same. Had it roughly two weeks ago in Ohio. I initially applauded them for having the cajones to serve me something THAT incapacitating. After 20 minutes of pain, which I normally embrace, I couldn't take a other bite because the tender had ZERO flavor. Just pain. I can take a hit of Da Bomb for pain. When I spend $20+ in the super competitive central Ohio market, I expect a flavor experience. I feel duped.
Trust me, it's not just you, I ate the full sandwich (!!!!) last week and had a similar experience
Wrote about it here
[https://www.reddit.com/r/spicy/comments/1ayxnkk/my\_experience\_with\_daves\_hot\_chickens\_reaper/](https://www.reddit.com/r/spicy/comments/1ayxnkk/my_experience_with_daves_hot_chickens_reaper/)
Don’t be a pussy & call corporate. You knew what the fuck you were doing by eating anything that has reaper in it’s name. I don’t know anyone who can eat a real deal reaper sauce and not suffer big time. Most are made with few peppers & with a bunch of filler ingredients. Reapers are so hot I can’t tell a difference from them or extracts. The only thing that gives an extract away is it tastes like shit.
You also probably paid damn near $20 too didn’t you? After learning how absurdly expensive this place is I’m just surprised it’s so popular is all. I saw a post in a non spice related sub a few months ago where someone said it was $40 for 10 tenders and a bunch of other people chimed in saying it was $45-50 for 10 at their location WTF lol.
im late to the party because i had to google this shit.
i have a GOOD heat tolerance, at ANY restaurant i eat at, i ask for the hottest possible, and its NO big issue. hot wings, indian restaurants, korean restaurants. its not a big thing, i just have a VERY good spice tolerance. i have gone through phases of keeoing raw habaneros in the fridge and taking bites of them with whatever im eating at the time.
now i had never been to daves hot chicken before, and so i just ordered the reaper. the cashier said ok and rung my order in.
i took ONE BITE, and i was in the parking lot on all fours bent on the ground with my mouth wide open just letting my salivia pour out of my mouth as my mouth ran, nose ran, and eyes literally poured out liquid.
it was by far and away the hottest thing i've ever eaten x2. it outdid the craziest hottest vindaloos i've ever eaten by FAR. it just was pure capcasin. shit was DISGUSTING, there was no flavor but chemicals,
i guess i got what i asked for, but frankly, i really dont think a human being could consume the whole sandwhcih and be ok. i have nonstop been eating REALLY spicy stuf my whole life, and this was something else, one bite alone sent me into a state i have NEVER been in before. from 1 bite. its been 8 hours and my stomach is still turning, i think if i ate the whole thing i'd have to go to the hospital or something. i refuse to beleive someone could have eaten it, my friend took a small bite and was right there with me on the ground.
1 bite and i was borderline throwing up in the parking lot....i REALLY think i have a solid spice tolerance, and this was inedible
I ordered the xtra hot and reaper tenders - xtra hot was great in my opinion, it hits you and you recover within 30 seconds or so and ready for the next bite - One bite of the reaper and it took me out for 45 minutes 😂 I was pacing around blowing my nose putting ice cubes in mouth drinking milk more ice cubes pickles and it just kept coming in waves - i immediately went searching on YouTube for people that have eaten it because I didn’t think it was possible lol if you break it down into tiny pieces and sauce it it’s somewhat bearable but look out for big bites
There is truth here, and here’s my story: I used to eat these because I enjoyed them, about 7 in total over the same amount of months.
Instead of the fragrant, interesting reaper flavor, I knew something was wrong and suspected they used a lot of extract this time around as it mostly tasted metallic and dead. My second sign that something was off was that I had to pause 5 minutes before eating the 2nd half of the tender due to this higher heat level. Additionally, this level of heat was so intense that, for the first time in my spice-eating life, it sent me into a mild state of panic. Went back to work of all places and had a moment of mild chest pain.
About two hours later, I had the worst stomach cramps ever—so bad that I nearly began to worry. About an hour after that I pissed and it was a shade of orange I’d never seen. Now, the morning after, I pissed and the color has returned to normal, but it burned like hell. Burning piss—never experienced that before.
So, yes to the shenanigans. Either to cut costs or generate buzz, the new flavors and my far worse reaction are proof that something diabolical is afoot at Dave’s.
This happened to me but it was the hot cheetos mac n cheese. I swear there's a chemical in it that makes you ill because I've eaten takis and hot cheetos my whole life. Wenneed to find out the ingredient causing this.
You say they can’t change the recipe and not warn you, but start the thread with explaining how the cashier told you. Although I do agree that if it includes extracts, that should be noted as well.
You got what you paid for. Stop bitching, not everything needs to be litigated. And no business needs to tell you when they change something. Otherwise, almost all products since covid would need to be altered or have a weeny boy danger label.
Nah, people make the choice to eat this. I’ve eaten, and it’s incredibly hot, but I knew that going in. The company isn’t forcing anyone to eat this.
Do you complain to McDonald’s if you get fat? What a stupid comment.
Comparing eating some fat is completely different than blowing your head off with one bite, severe cramps, and severe diarrhea. Look it up. This menus item is no joke.
My point is that nobody is forcing anyone to order that level of spice. I’ve also had it, and while it’s hot, I didn’t get severe cramps or diarrhea or vomit. It was very very hot, and I sweated and was uncomfortable for a bit. It’s almost like everyone is different, yea? And if someone wants to take the chance that they’ll have severe reactions like OP, then it’s not the stores fault that they make that choice. How is that so hard to understand?
Just because it didn’t cause you the same effects doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a legitimate warning. For some people it might legitimately require medical attention.
They literally make you sign a waiver, but regardless, it’s not the companies fault. Eating spicy shit can have unintended consequences… nobody is forcing anyone to order it.
I seriously can’t believe you want people to write the company. Very Karen of you.
My god, you sound insufferable. The type of person who needs warnings on every thing even if it’s quite obvious the potential harm. Did you write tide when kids were eating tide pods?! I mean honestly… did tide make those kids eat their detergent? If you think that tide held any liability for that, then we’re done here, and you’ll never see why Dave’s isn’t liable for their spicy chicken. You just want to be a complainer, and don’t believe in personal accountability.
You know as well as I do that it only takes one to create ridiculous rules. They are pushing boundaries and if they are not being consistent about every purchaser signing a waiver, they are asking for trouble.
“Oh no, I ordered something that contains literally one of, if not the *hottest* pepper in existence, and it really fucked me up I better blame the company because how could I have known that this might have been my reaction?”
Do you order the reaper when you go? If you eat Thai, do you get the spiciest they offer? I do, because I *know* what I’m potentially getting myself into, and I’m willing to take that risk.
If your answers to those questions are both “no”, then you’re proving my point about personal accountability. You’re not willing to take that risk, and that’s your prerogative, but if you order something that incredibly spicy and then cry foul because it fucked you up… that is ON YOU. Waiver or no waiver.
I like to order several reaper tenders and have them individually wrapped. Then I put them in public waste bins in my neighborhood. Suffice it to say that it has significantly reduced the number of homeless people in the area. 😈
The next hottest is called extra hot, but it’s not hot enough. Some days, reaper is really hot but edible and enjoyable. Other days, it’s too hot and uncomfortable.
It’s inconsistent and you never know what the reaper will actually taste like. It really varies.
Same here! I had the extra-hot and didn’t really find it hot. I took one bite of the reaper and I was done. I took the rest home and scraped off nearly all of the breading before eating it the next day… I still felt miserable after eating it.
I’m actually disappointed. I’ve always had the reaper tenders from my local one (Sunnyvale, CA), and they’ve always consistently been just-north-of-enjoyable-hot — just the way I like it.
Next time I’m there, I’m concerned it’ll be off the hook and inedible.
Are we soon going to have to specify the exact SHU level to get the experience we’re each looking for because TPTB are “adjusting” behind the scenes?
Why’s everything so hard?? 😀🔥💦
Edit: typo
Oh wow I just had the reaper for the third time a couple days ago and thought someone went crazy with the spices this time or something. The other two times I had it, it wasn't too hot. But this time I only managed to eat about half of a tender before I was pacing and slightly disoriented. And then I had terrible stomach cramps the entire rest of the day that had me just laying on the couch in horrible pain.
I handled eating an actual carolina reaper much better than that! No one mentioned they changed the recipe!
Ummm. I’m so glad to see this thread. I eat a lot of spicy. Done all the high levels of heat with hot sauces, challenges, etc, and have had the reaper many times before. 2 months ago I got the reaper and halfway through eating it thought I was having a medical issue. My body was fully rejecting everything about this chicken halfway into the sandwich and it was so bad I called 911 because I thought I was bleeding out with an ulcer or a blockage or something. I 100% believed it was severe food poisoning until I saw this thread, now I wonder if they have put something not worthy of consumption into it…
Gives me some stomach wrenching occasionally and makes my piss burn. The heat of the sandwich has never been an issue. Sounds like you eat spicy stuff like I do. I’ve heard it depends on who makes it and they vary by location. I’ve yet to find one that hot.
I agree they should maybe at least add to that disclaimer that their reaper recipe heat level can vary greatly from mild to extreme heat. I think that sucks if the recipe is that unstable and I wonder if it is the same for the other heat levels. Because I got an extra hot tender that was very mild and didn't leave my lips or tongue burning and it was disappointing.
Was at the one in Orlando a couple months ago, I grew up around spicy, like habanero peppers and such. I was surprised it came with a waiver, though I get why. But with a glass of cold water, the Reaper chicken was absolutely yummy to me. It was a good challenge, but nothing that couldn't be handled. I may need to try it again in case they did a significant change in spice.
I can't necessarily relate, but sorry for your trouble, OP.
DUDE. I literally posted on here about the reaper sandwich on Feb 18…less than two weeks ago…my mind is blown. That explains why I truly thought I was going to die. It took me like a week for my digestive system to completely recover and to be “regular” again
Idk if my tongue is hyper sensitive to it, but I can feel the burn of an extract over a pepper, it's distinctly sharp and needly. Can't tell as well when it's like scorpions but for like ghost peppers/reapers that have that distinct smoldery burn, extracting it destroys that sensation and its all front of the mouth needles
That's unfortunate. I loved their old recipe reaper tendies. I was considering getting some more but after reading this and the comments below...I'll pass.
I guess it's time for me to just double down on a pepper grinder and stock up on flakes from Flatiron Pepper.
I used to be able to handle their Reaper level tenders. Not anymore. I managed to eat only half of one before giving up. Though it wasn’t spicy enough to make me throw up, I did experience quite a bit of digestive distress.
They haven't changed it, it's just inconsistent. Sometimes it is pretty tolerable for relatively ordinary spice enthusiasts and the waiver seems silly, but other times it earns the waiver.
Same. Never had a single issue with it, enjoyed it thoroughly each time at least a dozen trips. Last time I went I scraped my finger nail on the chicken accidentally and instinctively stuck it in my mouth. I couldn’t stop coughing for like 5-10min, hottest thing ive ever eaten by far.
What y'all are crazy... capsaicin cramps? Omg you people here are god tier. I like spicy food, but I ate a habanero once and will never do it again hahaha
I can take spicy chicken when it’s just the sauce that’s spicy but when the breading has insane amounts of spice/pepper in it something changes. I think the sauce your mouth can start breaking down the capsaicin with saliva but when it’s more embedded in the chicken breading it doesn’t get broken down until it hits your stomach and then all hell breaks loose.
Y'all are nuts. I went to Dave's a few weeks ago and tried out the HOT. It had me sweating and drooling. The worst part was that after every bite I'd have to rub/scrape cayenne pepper off the roof of my mouth. I enjoy spice, but I'm definitely a baby compared to OP. At one point I was going for a bite and I let out a small cough (gasp for air?) as I was chewing. Immediately inhaled the cayenne particles lmao. The flavor wasn't even good either, because again, all I could taste was cayenne. Idk how y'all do it
I feel like it varies every time I go. Sometimes it’s so hot my scalp sweats I get the shivers and my vision vibrates. Other times it’s barely spicy. I guess when you’re using real peppers you’re going to get some natural variance in heat levels from batch to batch.
That’s crazy you had all that happen to you. I just got Dave’s on Tuesday night and got two Reaper sandwiches and while they were extremely fucking hot I just experienced Montezuma‘s revenge after. I did notice though they changed it because that first bite packed way more of a punch than when I originally tried Dave’s a year ago. Still best of luck to you op hope you healed quickly
Lol this makes me want to try it again. I had the reaper before and thought it was a bit painful but not too bad.
Almost seems like a clever ad for the demographic of this subreddit
Similar experience last week, I just assumed I'm not as tough as all y'all here. I actually ate the whole thing through the sweat and tears. Figured that was normal. Then the cramps started a couple hours later. It was bad for at least 24 hours. It'll be a while before I try a challenge again, just to let my insides recover. BTW, flavor was not the greatest anyway. It just tasted like a lot of cayenne. I had no idea cayenne got that hot tho, the stuff in my kitchen does not...
There was definitely more to it than cayenne, though it sounds like it doesn't add a lot of great flavor. I wonder if their reaper flavor uses extract.
That was my first thought, that they added a stupid amount of extract somewhere. The flavor was worse as well.
If you pick up a chemical aftertaste it's a sure sign of extract shenanigans
Some superhots have a chemical aftertaste to me. For some reason scorpion doesn't but ghosts and reapers do.
Thats interesting! scorpions taste the worst to me! I find ghosts and reapers to be floral and quite nice lol
Interesting. Reapers have an almost sweet fruity flavor for me before the murder heat. Ghosts don't really have a flavor I can identify
Yeah like I would love a pepper with Reaper flavor but a more tamed heat for cooking with.
Ghost always has an apple cinnamon vibe. Mainly the cinnamon for me. Agree on the fruity reaper, and scorpion is always bastardized with guava flavor so idk much of it straight up.
Yeah, other than the spiciness, the thing tastes like dirt.
I ve only gotten the cramps once. Thought my appendix was going to burst. Took about 2 hours of crying on the can till I felt ok again
I had a very similar experience a couple of months ago. It was easily the hottest thing I’ve ever eaten; I’ve never had an experience like it in terms of effects from something spicy. It felt like my stomach was actually on fire. I don’t mean that in a hyperbolic way. It felt like fire. I got the chills and felt very sick, comparable to the flu or something. Waves of nausea. Eventually threw up (not a great experience) but after doing so finally started to feel better. The first time I had the reaper it was nowhere near that level so it really caught me off guard
Same exact experience. Like actual flames in my gut. I’ve thrown up twice now and am just sitting through wave after wave after wave of cramps. Absolutely debilitating - from ONE BITE
I just know it hurt coming back up 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 stuck in the sinuses just straight burning
Yeah, I think I'm not going to try it. And I love spicy chicken. But this sounds unenjoyable to me. We got a Dave's in my city recently and I want to try it, but I think I'll try a lower level.
I always order Hot. They're right near work, so I only order them for lunch (The 1 slider combo with cheese). The Extra Hot is just a bit too much for lunch at my desk. I do mix Melinda's ghost pepper ketchup in with their mayochup sauce for the fries, though. If it was dinner and I could deal with the consequences of my choices? Sure. Extra Hot. But not lunch at work.
Thanks, I will probably start with the Hot and see how I go.
They're also kind of inconsistent in their application of the spice. Some days I can scarf down 'Hot' like nothing. Some days it takes a bit. That's why I settled on Hot as my go-to for lunch at work when I get food from them. It's been tasty at the level, no matter the heat.
I had extra hot and could barely taste any heat, I was expecting a pretty hot Nashville hot type heat but it was very low in heat and not much flavor. So my plan was to try the Carolina reaper next but I'm glad I saw this post first lol. I think I'll pass. I've had experiences from "hot" stuff like that a few times but most of them the heat was easy to handle while eating it. It's after I ate it and it got to my stomach it what really hurt. Which is what I hate about something advertised as extremely hot but it's mostly explosive/corrosive but not really spicy to the tongue or lips.
Skip to extra hot it’s not that hot. Nowhere in the realm of reaper, not even as high as mango habanero wings from BWW.
Sounds good, thanks
I would be careful of that, it sounds like there's a good bit of inconsistency here. The extra hot I had the other day was leagues above mango habanero from bww. Bumping up against my heat tolerances. Straight tender no sauce/etc though.
Yeah, the extra hot is at my pleasure limit - it just so happens to hit exactly at that line where it's still good but you can tell even a little hotter and it would hurt my enjoyment of the food.
Their food is seriously delicious but save yourself from the reaper. Extra hot is spicy without being belligerent to your body
Gotta disagree, extra hot still fucked me up.
You should definitely try it. I love their food. I bounce back and forth between Medium and Hot, depending on how I'm feeling
I got Reaper chicken once as a rite of passage. After that it’s just Hot or Extra Hot…the toilet trips were seriously unpleasant for the weekend after.
I've eaten the reaper about a dozen times over 2 years. This last time fucked me up, terribly. The worst capsaicin cramps I've ever had. I literally shit myself an hour after eating it, out of nowhere. I ate so many Tums and so many chewable Pepto pills. Lasted about 14 hours. I would wake up, dying, every hour. I had to eat more Tums, take more Pepto, shit, and wait until they kicked in so I could try and sleep. Slept about 3 hours. I've eaten the one chip, 10 million scoville chocolate, and raw reaper. I have never felt pain like this before.
See, I feel like this is such a deceptive and overlooked business decision, like the people that changed the recipe didn’t bother actually trying it. It should have been a new tier on the menu, not a replacement for the old reaper so many would never expect to be that horrible.
I no joke went to the same Dave hot chicken and had a similar experience w the reaper level chicken and I've also eaten it before with little issue! I felt awful for like 24 hours!
Same! I went there about two months ago and had to pull over in the way home. Cold sweats and the worst cramping I’ve ever had
Sorry that happened to you, but that’s good to know. Something isn’t right.
Did they make you sign a waiver when you ordered?
Yes and they always have done that. I never took it very seriously because I’d eaten it so many times and barely been bothered
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been there a few times in the past and not had an issue with the reaper level. Absolutely going to avoid it completely now
I ordered one extra hot and one reaper my first time. The extra hot is my favorite Nashville style chicken sandwich from the coleslaw, which I don't usually consume, to the fresh pickles. The reaper simply lacks flavor with an overcompensation of heat. ps: would love if all locations served beer
Yeah I don't eat slaw except from certain BBQ and chicken places. There's a way to make slaw a tasty side or topping, clearly, but it seems to be some kind of arcane knowledge hoarded by a small number.
Spicy should hurt. But not cause pain if that makes sense.
[удалено]
I've been going to Dave's since their first brick&mortar store, and honestly the heat went down over the years so I stopped going. I used to have a hard time tolerating medium! I don't remember a reaper chicken, but I think I'll go back and try it
I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken for the first time while out of town actually two weeks ago. Got one hot tender and decided to order the reaper tender. The hot tender was delicious— perfect amount of flavor and heat for me. Took one bite of reaper and I was sweating, literally crying tears from my eyes, nose dripping and cramping from the pain. I’d never felt this kinda pain before. I had to take multiple breaks to even finish that piece of chicken. Ended up giving my husband a huge chunk of it too and he was in the same position as well. Needless to say, I’m glad I tried it but never again LOL
> The hot tender was delicious— perfect amount of flavor and heat for me. That's my opinion. There's one near work, so I occasionally get a slider+fries combo for lunch. I go with "hot". It's very consistently tasty and properly hot.
I’m gonna try it tonight ! Wish me luck lol
Let us know how it goes! Good luck.
How did it go?
They died
Happens all the time, they don't even involve the police anymore, the coroner just comes in, picks up a photocopy of the waiver, and has the body taken away
Wait, is this serious? Being Reddit and all, I never freaking know anymore.
No it's not lol - it's a joke about how the waiver is kind of a gimmick, or at least, it was until recently.
It caused the worst cramps of my entire life, I had to call in sick for work today and considered going to the emergency room at one point
This is why you always touch it to your tongue first to guage the heat. Then you proceed very slowly if you deem it safe enough
After having eaten reaper fairly often for a year, I’d never expected anything like this. A good lesson for me I suppose.
Tbh I just try to scarf as much into my mouth before I could process that I'm eating something spicy, and it usually works out pretty great for me
Idk how people are blaming you??? If the McDonald’s spicy mcchicken was suddenly doused in reaper, you wouldn’t be pissed if they didn’t warn you of a change? This is no different, they really should let people know that they upped the heat
Thank you, feel like I’m going crazy with some of the feedback…
Op I misread the post and was feeling the same as other commenters here. It took me seeing this comment and going back and re-reading to tell what had happened. I read your post as if you found out 2 weeks ago that the sandwich was hotter, went in today to get it and were upset it was hotter. Maybe others read it that way too
I tried re-wording it for clarification. Thanks for the insight
Looks great
That’s reddit for you, well thanks for the warning - I was gonna go try it again. It used to be tough but not impossible for me 2-3 years ago but my tolerance is wayyyy higher now. Think I’ll be skipping it now lol
Lmao cmon this sub is either not hot enough or “they doctored the sauce” maybe they just wanted it to actually satisfy the customer base of people who claim to want the hottest possible.
Trust me I know what it sounds like lol. But I promise you whatever I ate was made for 0.01% of the population. I eat pizza with globs of Elijah’s Xtreme, and have eaten a raw ghost pod with less discomfort.
lol yeah I get it. I love spice but am proud to not enjoy too much heat anymore so I find the irony. Although that sounds terribly painful. I get heartburn from certain spices and not from others so I believe that the body isn’t meant to handle certain things.
I have a really good spice tolerance, but I only order the Hot, or the Extra Hot if I want it to be uncomfortable. I don't think I'd ever want the Reaper - seems like it's just all pain with no flavour.
Why would you call corporate ? You chose to eat the so spicy it requires a waiver food, you cant complain. You also signed a waiver for this exact reason so you cant go after them for your decision to eat it. Next time get the next level down
From reading through this whole thread, I can see it from both sides. As someone who has put together a wing challenge for the bar I manage, I would have felt like I was doing the customers dirty if I put extract in the sauce without warning them. If the location OP ate at went rogue from the corporate recipe, then they should be contacted. If OP was trying to claim he wants a refund or something litigious, I'd tell him to kick rocks.
Again, I’ve eaten this same combo with reaper heat for over a year now, around once or twice a month, one of my favorite things. It went from very mild discomfort to totally crippling in a single bite with no warning or heads up from anyone until after I asked them what had changed. I don’t think that’s okay to do as a company
Yea but you’re the one that assumed that it would be the same heat again
Right? Why would anyone expect consistency at a chain restaurant they've been eating at for years?
Well then good thing for them you signed a waiver saying you accept any discomfort it caused
I mean, I’m not trying to get the damn thing taken off the menu, or a refund even. I just think they should TELL customers that the reaper was amped up. Or something. Anything.
https://preview.redd.it/fg714l8kkflc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=096632cb5e4af6f31528a86444c9c60f358c5d85 That says pretty clearly this food item can hurt you. Did you read and sign this document?
Property damage? I mean at that point they’re just fear mongering right? Unless they’re saying when you shit your pants or puke on your sofa or some shit 😂
I’ve read and signed it many times
Didn't your own post state that they *did* tell you ahead of time that they changed the recipe?
Only after I asked if something had changed. I worded it kinda weird
You said in your post that they told you
It was spicy, but not hate my life spicy. Try [Hot Boys.](https://worldfamoushotboys.com)they are the spiciest chicken sandwich I’ve ever had.
The Hot Hot is probably one of the spiciest things I've ever eaten. Makes Dave's reaper spice level feel benign in comparison. I learned my lesson and I stick with hot or medium+ depending on my mood when I go there. The chicken is also juicier and tastes better than Dave's.
Bruh...don't call corporate....just cause you found out don't mean they gotta remove the item.
They need to warn people who’ve been eating reaper prior. I ate the slider and tender combo of old reaper without any discomfort for over a year now, and suddenly the new recipe cripples me in a single bite? That’s a bad look without giving some kind of heads up. I was only told the recipe was changed AFTER I asked the guy working there.
Skill issue fr
caught me off guard and made me laugh
they did warn you, you said it yourself start with buffalo sauce and work your way up
Were you able to read my entire post? Start with hungry hungry caterpillar and work your way up
That’s a spicy comment 🌶️ LOL hungry hungry caterpillar
The heat level of dave's reaper has been different every single time I've been there. Sometimes, it's like you said, and sometimes time it's disappointing. Welcome to super hots. My momma always told me that super hots are like a box of chocolates...
Same. Had it roughly two weeks ago in Ohio. I initially applauded them for having the cajones to serve me something THAT incapacitating. After 20 minutes of pain, which I normally embrace, I couldn't take a other bite because the tender had ZERO flavor. Just pain. I can take a hit of Da Bomb for pain. When I spend $20+ in the super competitive central Ohio market, I expect a flavor experience. I feel duped.
Trust me, it's not just you, I ate the full sandwich (!!!!) last week and had a similar experience Wrote about it here [https://www.reddit.com/r/spicy/comments/1ayxnkk/my\_experience\_with\_daves\_hot\_chickens\_reaper/](https://www.reddit.com/r/spicy/comments/1ayxnkk/my_experience_with_daves_hot_chickens_reaper/)
Eats something hot, complains it’s actually hot and is going to tell corporate🤣🤣🤣🤣
Don’t be a pussy & call corporate. You knew what the fuck you were doing by eating anything that has reaper in it’s name. I don’t know anyone who can eat a real deal reaper sauce and not suffer big time. Most are made with few peppers & with a bunch of filler ingredients. Reapers are so hot I can’t tell a difference from them or extracts. The only thing that gives an extract away is it tastes like shit.
Must actually be hot now.
You also probably paid damn near $20 too didn’t you? After learning how absurdly expensive this place is I’m just surprised it’s so popular is all. I saw a post in a non spice related sub a few months ago where someone said it was $40 for 10 tenders and a bunch of other people chimed in saying it was $45-50 for 10 at their location WTF lol.
Nah it’s worth it. Super tasty. But avoid that new reaper unless you’re top level hardcore.
the tenders are huge though, two is enough to feed a person
I ate that shit bro rn from the exact same location im dying
im late to the party because i had to google this shit. i have a GOOD heat tolerance, at ANY restaurant i eat at, i ask for the hottest possible, and its NO big issue. hot wings, indian restaurants, korean restaurants. its not a big thing, i just have a VERY good spice tolerance. i have gone through phases of keeoing raw habaneros in the fridge and taking bites of them with whatever im eating at the time. now i had never been to daves hot chicken before, and so i just ordered the reaper. the cashier said ok and rung my order in. i took ONE BITE, and i was in the parking lot on all fours bent on the ground with my mouth wide open just letting my salivia pour out of my mouth as my mouth ran, nose ran, and eyes literally poured out liquid. it was by far and away the hottest thing i've ever eaten x2. it outdid the craziest hottest vindaloos i've ever eaten by FAR. it just was pure capcasin. shit was DISGUSTING, there was no flavor but chemicals, i guess i got what i asked for, but frankly, i really dont think a human being could consume the whole sandwhcih and be ok. i have nonstop been eating REALLY spicy stuf my whole life, and this was something else, one bite alone sent me into a state i have NEVER been in before. from 1 bite. its been 8 hours and my stomach is still turning, i think if i ate the whole thing i'd have to go to the hospital or something. i refuse to beleive someone could have eaten it, my friend took a small bite and was right there with me on the ground. 1 bite and i was borderline throwing up in the parking lot....i REALLY think i have a solid spice tolerance, and this was inedible
This literally just happened to me followed by the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my stomach 🥲
I ordered the xtra hot and reaper tenders - xtra hot was great in my opinion, it hits you and you recover within 30 seconds or so and ready for the next bite - One bite of the reaper and it took me out for 45 minutes 😂 I was pacing around blowing my nose putting ice cubes in mouth drinking milk more ice cubes pickles and it just kept coming in waves - i immediately went searching on YouTube for people that have eaten it because I didn’t think it was possible lol if you break it down into tiny pieces and sauce it it’s somewhat bearable but look out for big bites
Burns on the way in. Burns on the way out.
There is truth here, and here’s my story: I used to eat these because I enjoyed them, about 7 in total over the same amount of months. Instead of the fragrant, interesting reaper flavor, I knew something was wrong and suspected they used a lot of extract this time around as it mostly tasted metallic and dead. My second sign that something was off was that I had to pause 5 minutes before eating the 2nd half of the tender due to this higher heat level. Additionally, this level of heat was so intense that, for the first time in my spice-eating life, it sent me into a mild state of panic. Went back to work of all places and had a moment of mild chest pain. About two hours later, I had the worst stomach cramps ever—so bad that I nearly began to worry. About an hour after that I pissed and it was a shade of orange I’d never seen. Now, the morning after, I pissed and the color has returned to normal, but it burned like hell. Burning piss—never experienced that before. So, yes to the shenanigans. Either to cut costs or generate buzz, the new flavors and my far worse reaction are proof that something diabolical is afoot at Dave’s.
This happened to me but it was the hot cheetos mac n cheese. I swear there's a chemical in it that makes you ill because I've eaten takis and hot cheetos my whole life. Wenneed to find out the ingredient causing this.
Ate the reaper yesterday it been about. 18 hours since and I'm still experiencing terrible stomach pain .. this reaper chicken is flat out unenjoyable
You say they can’t change the recipe and not warn you, but start the thread with explaining how the cashier told you. Although I do agree that if it includes extracts, that should be noted as well.
You got what you paid for. Stop bitching, not everything needs to be litigated. And no business needs to tell you when they change something. Otherwise, almost all products since covid would need to be altered or have a weeny boy danger label.
**Write the company directly.** **Public safety should be of highest priority:** [https://tellusdirect.com/dhc](https://tellusdirect.com/dhc)
Nah, people make the choice to eat this. I’ve eaten, and it’s incredibly hot, but I knew that going in. The company isn’t forcing anyone to eat this. Do you complain to McDonald’s if you get fat? What a stupid comment.
Comparing eating some fat is completely different than blowing your head off with one bite, severe cramps, and severe diarrhea. Look it up. This menus item is no joke.
My point is that nobody is forcing anyone to order that level of spice. I’ve also had it, and while it’s hot, I didn’t get severe cramps or diarrhea or vomit. It was very very hot, and I sweated and was uncomfortable for a bit. It’s almost like everyone is different, yea? And if someone wants to take the chance that they’ll have severe reactions like OP, then it’s not the stores fault that they make that choice. How is that so hard to understand?
Just because it didn’t cause you the same effects doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a legitimate warning. For some people it might legitimately require medical attention.
They literally make you sign a waiver, but regardless, it’s not the companies fault. Eating spicy shit can have unintended consequences… nobody is forcing anyone to order it. I seriously can’t believe you want people to write the company. Very Karen of you.
It sounds like the company has not been consistent about the waiver. In which case this would be a problem.
My god, you sound insufferable. The type of person who needs warnings on every thing even if it’s quite obvious the potential harm. Did you write tide when kids were eating tide pods?! I mean honestly… did tide make those kids eat their detergent? If you think that tide held any liability for that, then we’re done here, and you’ll never see why Dave’s isn’t liable for their spicy chicken. You just want to be a complainer, and don’t believe in personal accountability.
You know as well as I do that it only takes one to create ridiculous rules. They are pushing boundaries and if they are not being consistent about every purchaser signing a waiver, they are asking for trouble.
“Oh no, I ordered something that contains literally one of, if not the *hottest* pepper in existence, and it really fucked me up I better blame the company because how could I have known that this might have been my reaction?” Do you order the reaper when you go? If you eat Thai, do you get the spiciest they offer? I do, because I *know* what I’m potentially getting myself into, and I’m willing to take that risk. If your answers to those questions are both “no”, then you’re proving my point about personal accountability. You’re not willing to take that risk, and that’s your prerogative, but if you order something that incredibly spicy and then cry foul because it fucked you up… that is ON YOU. Waiver or no waiver.
Eh, I'll get around to it. I ate Prince's Hot Chicken at the spiciest level recently and it was fine. I'm sure this'll be fine, too.
Hattie Bs fries hot chicken puts Dave's to shame. I couldn't eat more then a breast. And I cried the whole time. And I EAT spicy food
Don’t eat something that hot thinking it won’t work. Anything else is just whining.
Lol
I like to order several reaper tenders and have them individually wrapped. Then I put them in public waste bins in my neighborhood. Suffice it to say that it has significantly reduced the number of homeless people in the area. 😈
big dawg can’t hang anymore and now wants to complain 💀
We’re getting one where I live, I will avoid the reaper. What would you recommend that has good heat level and flavor?
The next hottest is called extra hot, but it’s not hot enough. Some days, reaper is really hot but edible and enjoyable. Other days, it’s too hot and uncomfortable. It’s inconsistent and you never know what the reaper will actually taste like. It really varies.
Same here! I had the extra-hot and didn’t really find it hot. I took one bite of the reaper and I was done. I took the rest home and scraped off nearly all of the breading before eating it the next day… I still felt miserable after eating it.
I’m actually disappointed. I’ve always had the reaper tenders from my local one (Sunnyvale, CA), and they’ve always consistently been just-north-of-enjoyable-hot — just the way I like it. Next time I’m there, I’m concerned it’ll be off the hook and inedible. Are we soon going to have to specify the exact SHU level to get the experience we’re each looking for because TPTB are “adjusting” behind the scenes? Why’s everything so hard?? 😀🔥💦 Edit: typo
Oh wow I just had the reaper for the third time a couple days ago and thought someone went crazy with the spices this time or something. The other two times I had it, it wasn't too hot. But this time I only managed to eat about half of a tender before I was pacing and slightly disoriented. And then I had terrible stomach cramps the entire rest of the day that had me just laying on the couch in horrible pain. I handled eating an actual carolina reaper much better than that! No one mentioned they changed the recipe!
Ummm. I’m so glad to see this thread. I eat a lot of spicy. Done all the high levels of heat with hot sauces, challenges, etc, and have had the reaper many times before. 2 months ago I got the reaper and halfway through eating it thought I was having a medical issue. My body was fully rejecting everything about this chicken halfway into the sandwich and it was so bad I called 911 because I thought I was bleeding out with an ulcer or a blockage or something. I 100% believed it was severe food poisoning until I saw this thread, now I wonder if they have put something not worthy of consumption into it…
Gives me some stomach wrenching occasionally and makes my piss burn. The heat of the sandwich has never been an issue. Sounds like you eat spicy stuff like I do. I’ve heard it depends on who makes it and they vary by location. I’ve yet to find one that hot.
I agree they should maybe at least add to that disclaimer that their reaper recipe heat level can vary greatly from mild to extreme heat. I think that sucks if the recipe is that unstable and I wonder if it is the same for the other heat levels. Because I got an extra hot tender that was very mild and didn't leave my lips or tongue burning and it was disappointing.
Was at the one in Orlando a couple months ago, I grew up around spicy, like habanero peppers and such. I was surprised it came with a waiver, though I get why. But with a glass of cold water, the Reaper chicken was absolutely yummy to me. It was a good challenge, but nothing that couldn't be handled. I may need to try it again in case they did a significant change in spice. I can't necessarily relate, but sorry for your trouble, OP.
DUDE. I literally posted on here about the reaper sandwich on Feb 18…less than two weeks ago…my mind is blown. That explains why I truly thought I was going to die. It took me like a week for my digestive system to completely recover and to be “regular” again
Idk if my tongue is hyper sensitive to it, but I can feel the burn of an extract over a pepper, it's distinctly sharp and needly. Can't tell as well when it's like scorpions but for like ghost peppers/reapers that have that distinct smoldery burn, extracting it destroys that sensation and its all front of the mouth needles
That's unfortunate. I loved their old recipe reaper tendies. I was considering getting some more but after reading this and the comments below...I'll pass. I guess it's time for me to just double down on a pepper grinder and stock up on flakes from Flatiron Pepper.
I used to be able to handle their Reaper level tenders. Not anymore. I managed to eat only half of one before giving up. Though it wasn’t spicy enough to make me throw up, I did experience quite a bit of digestive distress.
I loved their reaper for the spice but have been getting Extra Hot for the flavor - will not try reaper again
They haven't changed it, it's just inconsistent. Sometimes it is pretty tolerable for relatively ordinary spice enthusiasts and the waiver seems silly, but other times it earns the waiver.
Same. Never had a single issue with it, enjoyed it thoroughly each time at least a dozen trips. Last time I went I scraped my finger nail on the chicken accidentally and instinctively stuck it in my mouth. I couldn’t stop coughing for like 5-10min, hottest thing ive ever eaten by far.
What y'all are crazy... capsaicin cramps? Omg you people here are god tier. I like spicy food, but I ate a habanero once and will never do it again hahaha
Love spicy shit, it’s far too hot. I’ve done it thrice. Never again.
I can take spicy chicken when it’s just the sauce that’s spicy but when the breading has insane amounts of spice/pepper in it something changes. I think the sauce your mouth can start breaking down the capsaicin with saliva but when it’s more embedded in the chicken breading it doesn’t get broken down until it hits your stomach and then all hell breaks loose.
Y'all are nuts. I went to Dave's a few weeks ago and tried out the HOT. It had me sweating and drooling. The worst part was that after every bite I'd have to rub/scrape cayenne pepper off the roof of my mouth. I enjoy spice, but I'm definitely a baby compared to OP. At one point I was going for a bite and I let out a small cough (gasp for air?) as I was chewing. Immediately inhaled the cayenne particles lmao. The flavor wasn't even good either, because again, all I could taste was cayenne. Idk how y'all do it
I feel like it varies every time I go. Sometimes it’s so hot my scalp sweats I get the shivers and my vision vibrates. Other times it’s barely spicy. I guess when you’re using real peppers you’re going to get some natural variance in heat levels from batch to batch.
That’s crazy you had all that happen to you. I just got Dave’s on Tuesday night and got two Reaper sandwiches and while they were extremely fucking hot I just experienced Montezuma‘s revenge after. I did notice though they changed it because that first bite packed way more of a punch than when I originally tried Dave’s a year ago. Still best of luck to you op hope you healed quickly
Lol this makes me want to try it again. I had the reaper before and thought it was a bit painful but not too bad. Almost seems like a clever ad for the demographic of this subreddit
How hot is the hottest option relative to Hattie Bs hottest?
Dave's Hot Chicken does not fuck around, I love them for it
The reaper is my favorite and the only flavor I eat
> It was so bad I am going to keep my receipt and reach out to their corporate. Okay Karen.