By Rachael Shugars, AAP Columnist
The chicken wars have been waging for months. People have been debating since Popeyes released its chicken sandwich just which sandwich deserves the title of the greatest. I decided to investigate this battle a bit further. I’ve tried Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Burger King. I’ve taken my own opinion, along with the feedback of people that I pulled in to be taste testers, into account for this trial and rated the sandwiches on freshness, crispiness, bun quality, and overall appeal. The following are the results.
To, what I’m sure will be, the disappointment and shock of many, the Popeyes chicken sandwich came in last. All across the board, it fell short of what I expected. The same proved true for the other people I had try it.
Coming in fourth was McDonald’s. The bun looked good but wasn’t fluffy and soft with some sturdiness to it like I’d hoped. The chicken was fairly crispy and had a decent flavor, but for the price I paid, it wasn’t a deal.
In third place was Burger King, mostly because the sandwich alone is almost $7. It was fresh, crispy, the taste was great, and the bun was pretty much perfect; but the price point had me scratching my head.
Second place goes to Wendy’s. A basic crispy chicken sandwich can be as low as .99 cents. This is a stellar price for your standard chicken sandwich. The flavor is really good as well. You can amplify your order with a spicy version of the sandwich, along with added veggies, which will, of course, raise the price above a buck.
First place goes to Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A chicken tastes amazing and the fries aren’t terrible either. Service is spectacular and everything down to the bun is great. The plain crispy chicken sandwich with nothing but pickles and mayo goes for about $3.75; but the quality of the item makes it well worth that price to me. If you add anything extra, the price goes up.
I’m not a huge fast food person, so this trial was performed over a few months. I do not recommend anyone go out and eat five fast food chicken sandwiches all at once. What I DO suggest is that you give some of these a try over time and let me know which one is your favorite. As always, stay safe, wear a mask, and enjoy your Food Adventures.
