Dave’s Hot Chicken adds a Pepper X spice level, hotter than Reaper

Dave’s Hot Chicken’s new limited-time spice level uses Pepper X, a pepper Dave’s says comes in at 2.7 million Scoville units. It’s made by the same pepper breeder behind the Carolina Reaper.

Dave’s Hot Chicken found a way to top its own Reaper. The chain added a Pepper X spice level on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at its restaurants nationwide, for a limited time.

Pepper X is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s hottest chili pepper. Dave’s says it comes in at 2.7 million Scoville units. The chain called the new blend “by far” its hottest offering yet in a release on GlobeNewswire.

The Reaper isn’t going anywhere, though. CEO Jim Bitticks said Reaper “isn’t going anywhere,” and Pepper X is a temporary add-on for “our biggest heat fans.”

What is Pepper X?

Pepper X was developed by PuckerButt Pepper Company, run by pepper breeder “Smokin’ Ed” Currie. Currie also created the Carolina Reaper, which held the Guinness title for the hottest pepper before Pepper X took it in 2023, Dave’s said.

Currie gave the obvious warning in the release. “Pepper X takes it even further,” he said, and then added his company’s slogan, which we’ll let you look up yourself. It involves the word “pucker.”

Dave’s co-founder Chef Dave Kopushyan, who worked in Thomas Keller’s restaurant group, built the spice blend. The chain says he worked with a wide range of spices so the flavor “goes beyond heat alone.”

What can you order with Pepper X at Dave’s Hot Chicken?

Pepper X works on most of the menu, according to Dave’s:

• Tenders

• Sliders

• Bites

• Hot Mozz

The chain’s newer XL Slider comes in any heat level, too, so in theory you can order an oversized sandwich at the hottest level Dave’s has ever made. In theory.

Dave’s didn’t list a price for Pepper X in its release, and it didn’t say how long the limited run lasts. Menu prices at Dave’s vary by location, so check the app or your local store’s online menu.

Do you have to sign a waiver for Pepper X?

Dave’s release doesn’t say. What we do know is how the Reaper works. Reaper orders require a signed waiver, and the waiver on Dave’s ordering site asks you to certify that you’re 18 or older.

The waiver also covers Hot Box Roulette, the group-order challenge where one Reaper-spiced piece hides in a box of tenders. If you’re ordering Pepper X with kids in the car, it’s a fair bet the rules won’t be looser than the Reaper’s. Ask at the counter before you order.

How hot is Pepper X compared to Reaper?

Here’s how Dave’s lineup stacks up now:

• Not Hot: All the flavor, none of the heat

• Five more core levels: Each step hotter than the last

• Reaper: The hottest of the seven core levels, waiver required

• Pepper X: Limited time, above Reaper

Dave’s Reaper already got hotter once. In September 2024, Dave’s said it reformulated the Reaper blend to be more than 50% hotter, after superfans asked for more heat. It launched frozen Slushers at the same time to help people cool down.

Pepper X is the next step up. Keep in mind these are spice blends made with the peppers, not raw peppers, so the heat you get on a tender isn’t the same as biting into a whole Pepper X.

Where is Dave’s Hot Chicken in Florida?

Dave’s has grown fast. The chain opened its 500th restaurant in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2026, and it says it’ll open more than 150 locations this year.

Florida diners have options. Dave’s site lists restaurants in the Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville markets, so a hot chicken stop on the way to or from a Disney World trip is doable. Use the store locator to find the closest one.

Has Dave’s Hot Chicken done a Disney tie-in before?

Yes. This summer, Dave’s teamed up with Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 for a $13.99 collectible meal, timed to the July 1 premiere of Season 2 on Disney+. The meal came with a blind-bag figure of Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm or Jean Grey.

Pepper X doesn’t come with a toy. The prize, apparently, is bragging rights.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (Nov. 11, 2026), Pepper X launch details, Scoville figure, menu items and executive quotes, via GlobeNewswire

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (Nov. 2026), Reaper waiver terms and Florida markets from its ordering site

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (Sept. 24, 2024), Reaper reformulation and Slushers launch, via RestaurantNews.com

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (Oct. 8, 2026), 500th restaurant milestone, via Franchising.com

• Dave’s Hot Chicken (June 29, 2026), X-Men ’97 collectible meal price and details, via GlobeNewswire

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