1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries | Price, Calories & Full Details

The 1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries is the variety combo in the Dave’s Not Chicken lineup, and it is the best way to understand the difference between the two cauliflower formats in a single order. At $17.99 and 1,240 calories, it pairs one hand-battered cauliflower tender strip with one cauliflower floret slider on a brioche bun, plus a full portion of seasoned fries. It is the cauliflower equivalent of the chicken 1 Tender & 1 Slider with Fries combo, and it exists for the same reason: customers who want to compare two formats without ordering two separate meals.

The contrast between the cauli tender and the cauli slider is more pronounced than you might expect. The tender is a longer strip of cauliflower with more surface area, no bun, and direct spice coating contact on every bite. The slider is a rounder floret piece enclosed in a brioche bun with pickles and Dave’s sauce, which changes the heat delivery and the overall eating experience significantly.

Eating both in the same order tells you clearly which cauliflower format works better for you and at which spice level, which is genuinely useful information before committing to a two-piece cauli combo. To see the full Dave’s Not Chicken lineup, explore all cauli options.

1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries Price

The 1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries is priced at $17.99 at most Dave’s Hot Chicken locations. That is $1.00 less than the 2 Cauli Sliders with Fries at $18.99 and $5.50 more than the 1 Cauli Slider with Fries at $12.49. Prices may vary slightly by location. You can find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken on the find a Dave’s near you page.

1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries Calories & Nutrition

At 1,240 calories, this combo sits between the 1 Cauli Slider with Fries at 890 calories and the 2 Cauli Sliders with Fries at 1,340 calories. The fiber at 10g is the second-highest of any cauli combo, and cholesterol at 15mg is the lowest of any two-piece cauli combo with a bun. For the complete macro breakdown of all cauli and chicken items, check the full nutrition details page.

Calorie Comparison by Spice Level

The spice coating is applied to both the tender and the slider patty, but the tender piece absorbs the seasoning oil differently than the slider piece due to the absence of a bun. At higher spice levels, the tender will feel more intense than the slider at the same heat level, even if both were ordered identically.

Allergen Information

The 1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries contains wheat and gluten in the brioche bun, both pieces of cauliflower batter, and the breading. Eggs are present in the batter on both pieces and in the bun. Dairy from butter is in the brioche bun. Soy is in the frying oil for both the cauliflower pieces and the fries. Sesame may be present depending on the bun supplier at your location.

This item is not vegan or egg-free. Dave’s Hot Chicken uses shared fryers and shared kitchen surfaces for all menu items, meaning cross-contamination with tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, and all other major allergens is a real possibility for every item ordered. For a complete allergen guide, visit the check dietary restrictions page.

Ingredient List

Cauli Tender:

• Cauliflower floret (strip-cut piece)
• Seasoned batter (enriched wheat flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, egg)
• Soybean or canola frying oil

Cauli Slider Patty:

• Cauliflower floret (round piece)
• Seasoned batter (enriched wheat flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, egg)
• Soybean or canola frying oil

Slider Bun and Toppings:

• Brioche-style bun (enriched wheat flour, butter, whole eggs, sugar, yeast, salt, milk)
• Dill pickle slices (cucumbers, water, distilled vinegar, salt, dill, garlic, calcium chloride)
• Dave’s signature sauce (mayonnaise base: soybean oil, egg yolk, distilled vinegar, salt; proprietary spice blend)

Fries:

• Russet potatoes (skin-on cut)
• Soybean or canola frying oil
• Post-fry seasoning (salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper)

Spice Coating (applied above No Spice):

• Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper
• Ghost pepper extract (Extra Hot)
• Carolina Reaper pepper extract (Reaper)

Each piece in this combo can be ordered at a different spice level at most locations. The bun contains both eggs and dairy, making this item unsuitable for vegans, egg-sensitive, or dairy-sensitive customers. Ingredient lists may vary slightly by location and supplier.

Spice Levels Available

Both the cauli tender and the cauli slider in this combo can be ordered at any of Dave’s seven heat levels. Most locations allow you to request a different spice level for each piece, which is useful for comparing heat intensity across formats.

• No Spice — Zero heat on both pieces. The main difference at this level is purely textural: the tender is firmer and more direct, while the slider has the bun and pickles adding softness and acidity.
• Lite Mild — A trace of warmth on each piece. A comfortable way to try both formats together for the first time.
• Mild — Light heat that allows you to clearly taste the textural difference between the tender and slider without the spice dominating either piece.
• Medium — Steady heat that builds noticeably on the tender piece, since there is no bun to buffer it. The slider at Medium will feel gentler than the tender at the same level.
• Hot — The cayenne-forward seasoning is the dominant flavor on both pieces. The tender delivers it more directly, and the slider moderates it slightly through the bun.
• Extra Hot — Intense heat on both pieces. The tender will feel more extreme than the slider at this level because the spice coating makes full direct contact.
• Reaper — Carolina Reaper on both a cauli tender and a cauli slider in the same order is one of the most demanding heat combinations in the Dave’s Not Chicken lineup. The bun helps on the slider side, but the tender at Reaper has no buffer at all.

What Makes 1 Cauli Tender & 1 Cauli Slider with Fries Worth Ordering

At $17.99, this combo is positioned just $1.00 below the 2 Cauli Sliders with Fries and delivers 100 fewer calories at 1,240 compared to 1,340. The real value here is the comparison it enables. Eating a cauli tender and a cauli slider in the same meal at the same heat level tells you more about the Dave’s Not Chicken format than any amount of reading can. The tender is direct, firm, and fully exposed to the spice. The slider is cushioned, juicier in feel because of the bun structure, and more comparable in experience to the chicken slider format.

For pairing, Dave’s Mac and Cheese is the most practical additional side for this combo. The dairy in the cheese sauce provides active capsaicin buffering between bites of the cauli tender at higher spice levels, and the 14g of protein in the Mac and Cheese meaningfully supplements the 21g from the combo for a more balanced total. Pairing with Dave’s Kale Slaw adds the lowest sodium side on the menu (170mg) to a combo that already has a high sodium load at 2,950mg.

Price Comparison with Similar Items