After the chicken sandwich craze during the pandemic, fast food restaurants stepped up their game when it comes to the quality, variety, and overall enjoyment of their chicken sandwiches. This review contains more than just a rudimentary overview of the chicken sandwiches, but rather a more in-depth consensus of the sandwich, parallel to the restaurant as a whole.
Sides are important! If you go to a restaurant in search of a chicken sandwich to satisfy your cravings, but you’re met with watered-down lemonade, there might be a better option for you.
People don’t mess around when it comes to their chicken, especially in restaurants that have a cult-like following. Join me as we dig into the highs and lows of a few different chicken sandwich experiences.
4. Panera Bread’s Signature
Taste: 7.9/10
Presentation: 8.2/10
Quality: 7/10
Extras (Fries, Drink, Sauce): 7.4/10
Starting strong, we have Panera. Not many consider Panera as having a chicken sandwich on their menu. Eat at Panera if you want a chicken sandwich that sticks out from the crowd. This chicken sandwich contains crunchy parmesan crisps, adding a new dimension of flavor and texture. The chicken is solid, as well as the bun, however, the sandwich itself is quite pricey.
3. McDonald’s McCrispy
Taste: 8.7/10
Presentation: 8/10
Quality: 6/10
Extras (Fries, Drink, Sauce): 10/10
It’s McDonalds. Always a classic choice when it comes to fast food. Excellent fries, excellent drinks. The chicken sandwich (the McCrispy, not to be confused with a McChicken; which is its chicken patty counterpart), was quite surprising. The chicken was pretty decent, the bun was spectacular, and the pickles were the best I’ve ever had in a fast-food sandwich. I would eat again.
2. Popeye’s Classic
Taste: 9.5/10
Presentation: 8/10
Quality: 9/10
Extras (Fries, Drink, Sauce): 4/10
“Love that Chicken from Popeyes”, is the perfect descriptor of the general consumer’s opinion right after eating their meal. The chicken is always fresh-tasting, perfectly cooked, and always steaming hot. The one thing that they hold over Chick-Fil-A is that their buns are never soggy. The sauces are mid at best, the pinnacle being the marti gras mustard. The fries are more heavily seasoned than other restaurants which some might find unappealing; I think they’re pretty bomb. The one devastating thing about Popeyes is that other than the lemonade, the drinks are all subpar. Watered down, too carbonated, etc. If you’re choosing between Popeyes and the next-ranked restaurant, hold out for the next option.
1. Chick-Fil-A Classic
Taste: 9.6/10
Presentation: 8/10
Quality: 9.2/10
Extras (Fries, Drink, Sauce): 10/10
Chick-Fil-A, the home of the chicken sandwich. No one does it better than the CFA. The chicken is high-quality and always perfectly crispy, and the pickles are immaculate. The only reason that the presentation gets an 8/10 and not a 10/10 is for the bun. The bun tastes almost perfect, however it is always left soggy. Even if you eat it right away in the car after ordering, soggy. The waffle fries, Chick-Fil-A sauce, and the drinks are all perfectly paired with the sandwich. Bonus points for their service being spectacular.
Honorable Mention: Raising Cane’s
Taste: 9.8/10
Presentation: 9/10
Quality: 9.2/10
Extras (Fries, Drink, Sauce): 8.7/10
Unfortunately, this did not make the list above since it is not a true chicken sandwich. It has three chicken tenders on a buttered piece of Texas toast. The chicken is amazing, the toast is amazing, and the sauce is amazing. A solid choice if you have one near you.
