Major Dave’s Chicken, Pasadena

Major Dave’s Chicken

163 N Hill Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91106

Ever wish you could eat fried chicken and not feel the guilt? You’re probably thinking, “duhh, but we all know there’s no such thing”…or is there? I think I’ve found just the thing..ok maybe it’s not “go out of your way and do this on the daily” healthy, but its probably the closest you’re gonna get to guilt-less fried chicken. I’m talking about a place where there are no GMOs, no hormones, no additives, no antibiotics, and no preservatives in the food. Just free range Mary’s Chicken, the same chicken sold at Whole Foods. Where everything is prepared with REAL and FRESH ingredients, and the chicken is made to order.

I’m talking about Major’s Dave’s Chicken, the newest and tastiest thing to happen to Pasadena.

I was honored to have the opportunity to interview the owner Dave Caldwell and his lovely wife Jill. I was initially greeted by Jill, who started us off with all of their side dishes to try.

…Alright, now what’s the first thing that comes to your mind as a side dish to fried chicken? Waffles, sure, but we’ll get to that…for me, I think of either french fries, mashed potatoes, or anything equally unhealthy. Well, you won’t find that here, and if you do, it will probably come in the healthiest version possible. At Major Dave’s Chicken, their sides are literally things you could eat on a daily basis such as:

Bourbon Baked Beans – sweet and smokey

Toasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon – lightly salted brussels sprouts with bacon bits

Kale Caesar Salad – Rich green kale with their homemade Caesar dressing. Definitely one of my favorite salads there because man, its so crisp & fresh, and they use the expensive kale too!

Roasted Corn Salad with Tomatoes & Feta – you can’t go wrong with this one. The corn gives it a sweetness and the feta gives it that salty taste, mixed with the sliced cherry tomatoes, makes it a perfect combo.

Black Bean & Corn Salad – all fresh ingredients. The fact that they use cherry tomatoes in just about everything blows my mind away.

All the sides pair perfectly well with the fried chicken, and help balance it out, but my two favorite sides were the Whipped Garlic Cauliflower and the Honest Mac & Cheese.

I love mac & cheese no matter what form, so that was kind of a no brainer. It is seriously one of my top five favorite foods. Usually if its on a menu, I’m gonna order it. But theirs is made with REAL cheese, three to be exact. Truly homemade and delicious!

Now, the whipped garlic cauliflower was something I was really looking forward to trying. At first bite, my fiance thought it was mashed potatoes and didn’t even know he was eating cauliflower! That’s when you know you’ve got something good.

Ok, you’re like, “stop teasing me already.” So on to the good stuff…of course, the fried chicken. If only I could put into words how good the chicken was. First off, until now I have yet to come across actually “spicy” chicken. The ones I’ve had thus far were simply slightly peppered. But at Major Dave’s I was introduced to this new and trendy Nashville Spicy Chicken. We were totally blown away at how it was perfectly seasoned, and actually had a good kick to it. Crispy on the outside, but not too thick a layer of batter. This was truly done well.

Best of all, their batter is homemade, not some mass produced, preservative laden batter. Major Dave even did his research on the best oil to use when frying, so he opted to fry in a beef tallow. According to his research, this is not only a better oil to use, health wise, but it also helps the chicken stay crunchy even after refrigeration.

Can’t handle spicy? Not to worry, they’ve got non-spicy chicken for you too!

Remember I said I’d get to waffles, well, I’ll let you in on a little secret…they are currently working on adding waffles and sandwiches to the menu! And guess what, here’s a sneak peak!

How amazing does this look? Their chicken sandwich was topped with pickles, creamy cole slaw, and CHERRY tomatoes, drizzled with the most amazing homemade buttermilk chive sauce. Not to mention, their bbq and honey mustard sauces are homemade as well. Incredible!! You can just tell that they’ve taken their time to think about everything and deliver the best quality ingredients at every turn.

All this, “made by a real major, not a fake colonel,” in Major Dave’s own words. I already see myself substituting my usual fried chicken go-tos for Major Dave’s Chicken. Its literally the “Chipotle of fried chicken.” No matter where you are in LA, this place is definitely worth the trip.

Guess what! Dave is giving you the chance to come in and try his chicken sandwich. Buy one chicken sandwich, and get a second one free! Just add your email to his mailing list, and look out for the coupon. Click on this link to get your free chicken sandwich today: Yes, I want my free chicken sandwich! and tell them Nellie from Foodecall sent you!

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Nellie Christine