They are everywhere now: chicken strip restaurants. No complaints though, this comfort food sensation has been long due for a network of restaurant chains dedicated to its goodness.
Move over Kentucky Fried Chicken, there are new players in the chicken strip game.
Chicken Express has been around a bit longer than most of the new places hitting the market. While they are most known for their extremely sweet tea and corn nuggets, their chicken is pretty tasty too. If you are not in the mood for chicken strips, you can choose from fried chicken as well. With a large menu offering lots of sides, meals and even smoothies, there is plenty to choose from.
However, I will give a warning about anything you order: prepare yourself for a lot of grease. Maybe that is why their chicken is so good; it is cooked in large amounts of the same grease that your mother warned you about. Either way, it is still worth a try.
A new place to hit the chicken scene is Slim Chickens. Along with an average chicken strip meal, their menu has much more to offer. You can indulge in a wrap, sandwich or even chicken and waffles. Their menu offers not only more main courses, but sides as well. Creamy mac & cheese, coleslaw, potato salad and fried mushrooms are just a few of their many options.
While they do not have a specialty sauce, they do provide a large variety for your dipping needs. You may need one or several, because their chicken strips seemed to be slightly bland.
Zaxby’s is also a new and upcoming craze. Making the game a little different, Zaxby’s offers chicken wings and appetizers. Their strips are not crunchy like you would expect, but rather fried in a thick batter that gives them that “homemade” appeal. They take the definition of comfort food to the next level.
Competing on a level with Chicken Express is Golden Chick. Golden Chick offers both chicken strips and fried chicken. Other differing items on the menu include catfish, a golden roasted chicken breast, and a chicken salad sandwich.
Walking into a Golden Chick restaurant almost gives you a feeling of walking into a restaurant in New Orleans. With plenty of vegetables and the option of dirty rice, it is difficult to not get that feeling. I would compare their strips to Chicken Express’s, yet I do think that their sides are much more hearty and delicious.
Last but not least, and number one on my list, is Raising Cane’s. Only offering a limited menu of four different meals, it is easy to choose what you are going to eat for dinner.
Cane’s box meals always come with strips, fries, coleslaw and a slice of Texas toast. You can also order a sandwich combo consisting of a bun with some lettuce and a few strips tossed between. More often than not you will receive double the amount of strips that you ordered, so do not be surprised if it happens. At Cane’s you will always get your dollars’ worth.
While the chicken tenders are always fried to perfection, the mystery of the flavorful sauce known as Cane’s sauce will only make your experience greater. Even if you end up not liking it, you have to try it at least once.
Although I am sure that we will see more chicken strip paradises in the future, we can still enjoy any of the places that are open today. Next time you head out to feast on a meal of chicken tender and fries, remember that nothing is as simple and delicious.
[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/prof.-pic.jpg”] Morgan Rodgers, Staff Contributor
Morgan is a Mass Communication student conquering her junior year. She loves everything about being outdoors, working with animals and pretty much doing anything creative. [/author]