So… a Chick-fil-A is opening this week a few blocks away from me. I keep hearing good things about it, but I’ve never been to one. Thoughts? Anything you recommend from the menu?
Whatever you’re going to try, do it fast. You know how long American chains last in this town: Applebees, Hooters, Krispy Kreme etc.— all abysmal failures in our city.
If you're bored, you should camp out at the opening with other crazy people and get free food for a year. Apart from that, just try the regular traditional fried chicken breast sandwich to start with. (I add mayo, but try it plain first, to taste their yummy spices.) It comes with pickles, and a buttered bun, which is the right formula, whether you like it or not. (The "Deluxe" comes with cheese and lettuce. I do not recommend that.) The spicy chicken sandwich is also good, because the spices are in the breading, not a sauce. The grilled sandwiches are fine, but not what made them famous. They have waffle cut french fries. They're nothing special, just different cut than everyone else. They get cold quickly. For breakfast, their chick-fil-a biscuits are also delicious. They occasionally have the special sandwich that's called Hot Honey Pimento or something. It's the regular fried sandwich, topped with honey, pickled jalepeños and pimento cheese. It's very delicious, but messy and definitely not low calorie. Around Christmas, they have a peppermint milkshake that some people love. I don't. The other thing that sets them apart, is they typically have superior service, workers who actually care, and will immediately make up for any mistake they make. And, they definitely will NOT be out of business in a year. Enjoy!
Just so you set your expectations properly, nothing there is earth shattering. It’s great for a fast food restaurant. If you are expecting much else then you will be disappointed. They train people well. All the workers will smile and treat you well. They rarely fuck up an order. And that’s impressive given how slammed they are. I’m a huge fan of the breakfast biscuit. I like slathering it with mayo. All the fat and salt just melts in your mouth. I’m also a fan of the spicy chicken sandwich. Like all fast food it isn’t hot at all.
It's also not just perception, there is real data. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/growth/finance/chick-fil-nearing-19-billion-sales/ https://www.qsrmagazine.com/operati...l-served-527-million-chicken-sandwiches-2022/ Chick-fil-A generated $18.814 billion in U.S. sales across 2022, a figure that trailed only McDonald’s ($48.7 billion) and Starbucks ($28.1 billion) and illustrated what’s been one of the industry’s fastest climbs. It's amazing to me that CFA trailed only McDonald's in the fast food industry, when they haven't been around as long and they're giving up a whole 1/7 week of sales to McDonald's. (They don't open on Sunday, ever.)
I like Chick-fil-A, but it's really only their original chicken sandwich that I am crazy about (or the deluxe version with cheese, lettuce, and tomato). Their biscuits are good too for breakfast. I also like their chicken noodle soup for when I am sick. Their spicy chicken sandwich is all right, but I am not the biggest fan of its flavor. I actually like Wendy's spicy chicken better, even with the quality of the meat being a step down. Chick-fil-A's waffle fries, nuggets, shakes, and sundaes are fine, but nothing to write home about. And I wish that Chick-fil-A still had their chicken salad sandwiches. But as others have mentioned their service is usually top notch, though I have found that that can vary a bit by location.
The breakfast mini's with the zesty buffalo sauce is a match made in heaven. Like others have said, their employees give a shit. If you've ever been to an In-N-Out, you'll notice a similarity. .
Yeah, they'll be slammed for lucnh and dinner six days a week. I like how, during covid, they just knocked down walls where the windows used to be and really perfected the drive thru food delivery. Zaxbys has followed their example with that, too, in some places.
We keep our good music to ourselves, you guys keep your good fast food to yourselves. I have never tried Chic Fil A, In-N-Out, Sonic, Fatburger, Hardee’s or Carl’s Jr.
When can you take that lyric stealing POS Drake back? Chik Fil A is good. Just a solid chicken sandwich with no bullshit. Sonic - Meh, wasn't impressed but it's been years since I've been there Fatburger - Never heard of it Carl's / Hardees - Opposite of McD's. When McDs tried to go healthy after SuperSize Me came out, CJ's doubled down on true fat fast food. Their Breakfast Burger has 810 calories. Their Double Guacamole Bacon Angus Burger has 1380 cals. They just don't give a shit. In-N-Out - I'll just say this; When Anthony Bourdain would visit California, the first thing he'd do is get In-N-Out. It's that good.
Chick fil a, as far as fast food, doesn't miss. It's not Zaxbys, and most stuff Popeyes or Bojangles has is better, but.... The Waffle fries will get you.
Was with you until this. I just don't get the appeal of In-N-Out. It's... fine? It seems wildly overhyped for what you actually get. For me Five Guys and Shake Shack are both far better.
I don’t know man, I’ve had some memorably bad experiences with Popeyes. From chicken so rubbery it could bounce, to clenching my ass cheeks for 60 miles of I-95 and 495 going to Alexandria so that I didn’t empty Popeyes induced diarrhea into my trousers. Popeyes is permanently on my no fly list. Like others have said- Chik-fil-a is good for what it is, as far as fast food chicken sandwiches and fries go. Otherwise nothing special.
You have to understand it in the context of where In N' Out exists in the market. You can still get a double double, fries, and a drink, for under $10. It's competing against the likes of McDonalds and Burger King, and in that context is absolutely crushes.
Zaxby's is the one that "gets me." Popeye's and Bojangles are different experiences than Chick-fil-A. I had one friend say that "Chick-fil-A's food feels like it should be served with Coca-Cola. Bojangles should be served with sweet tea." I think that's accurate. I probably like In-N-Out's burgers the best of all the chains, but I still agree that it's overhyped.
I guess that makes sense if that's the case. Nothing wrong with being the top of the bottom. I stopped at one on the drive between SF and Lake Tahoe. It wasn't bad at all, but man it is still heavily overhyped.
I also feel the mayo packets at Chic-fil-a are superior to all other mayo and this is coming from a Dukes is the only mayo in the house guy.
I never really understood most of the draw to "good" fast food. I went to an In-N-Out when I was in California earlier this year. For a fast food burger, it was a good one. The place was spotless, the employees seemed like they cared. All in all, a good experience. But I still find it hard to give a shit - it was still just a fast food burger. If I'm ever getting fast food, it's because A) I crave some specific fast food dish, which is not dependent on quality but is just "whichever chain makes this thing that I want in my mouth." Or B) I need something immediate, in which case my choice is far more likely to depend on what is within a mile of me than what is best. If there's a McDonalds and an In-N-Out next to each other and what I want is a burger? Sure, the latter every time. But I'm almost certainly not making a special trip there. And some of the places, like Five Guys? I wouldn't bother for any reason. You can eat at a restaurant for the price of a Five Guys burger and fries. That place used to be awesome, but the price is way out of line now.