I don’t really eat fast food, but in my eating prime I thought CFA was average at best and Popeyes was always the best as far as chicken chains (not counting regional and local places). This was way before chicken sandwiches were trendy. If anything the Wendy’s spicy chicken long had a good reputation for fast food sandwiches. I also prefer seasoned food. Canes would be great - their box or sandwich (actually I prefer to use the garlic bread as the bun) combos are quite a fillup - IF they seasoned their chicken. If anything, I prefer my chicken sandwiches as fingers - but spicier would be good. But I know that simple middle of the road style works for their business. I wish we had some more of the regional chains that are known for having more flavor (I’m not a Southerner but I like less bland food). A LOT of CFA business is driven by their “values” over the food, whether anyone cares to admit it or not. I’ve never understood the drive through lines that block local traffic and parking lots of other businesses. Almost anyone could’ve made the darn food in that amount of time.
Chik-Fil-A is not fine dining nor was that ever its claim. Chik-Fil-A takes the Publix approach to service, consistency, and cleanliness which are above average in their respective domains.
Popeyes is better chicken, imo, but the experience isn’t quite as consistent as a Chik-Fil-A.
I get that same feeling (the staff must get caned or something if they fail to say, “My pleasure” when you thank them). But I’ve also been in plenty of filthy Wendy’s and Popeye’s full of surly, disinterested staff. Especially if you’re with kids, the Chick-fil-a experience is often worth a blander sandwich.
I long ago soured on the idea of ever setting foot in a Chik-Fil-A owing to their politics, but based on the replies here, get the impression they offer a rather mediocre product. Any remaining vestiges of curiosity I had are now gone.
Yeah, same here. I actually prefer the loose meat burgers to the Coney dogs.
The chili fries, on the other hand…that stuff is like crack.
As for Chik-Fil-A, we only have a couple near us in SE Michigan. My only experience with them is, my son wanted to try it, so he and Mrs. solost went there to eat. They brought me back some tenders, which were…ok. There’s plenty of Chick-Fil-A chicken copycat recipes out there. The secret ingredient? Not marinading in pickle juice, as many believe. The real secret seems to be simply lots of MSG in the coating.
I’ve never understood the big appeal of CFA chicken. I’d rather get Popeyes. But there is a CFA on my way home from the office, and some days when I go into work I will stop at CFA to pick up a couple salads for my wife and I. Their salads aren’t too bad.
Nah, man: Bojangles. Admittedly they’re uneven as hell. A third of the time I get their sandwich it’s a sad dried out chicken-flavored cardboard puck. Two thirds of the time, though, when they’re fresh, they’re freaking delicious.
Given the whole point that the fast food experience is supposed to be the same no matter the location, it’s always been amusing to me to see how it isn’t true. When I worked downtown Little Rock, I would sometimes drive into North Little Rock across the bridge to a Popeye’s chicken. It often wasn’t the cleanest establishment and the staff was a bit surly and slow, but sometimes I just wanted my chicken strips. A few years ago Popeye’s opened a restaurant in downtown Little Rock and going there is a whole different experience. It’s clean, the staff are invariably friendly, they’re speedy and it’s a nice experience overall. I guess I need to chalk it up to superior management.
CFA is the most consistent experience. I can go to the CFA in Bryant, any of the locations in Little Rock, North Little Rock, or Dallas and I’m going to have the same good experience. I can’t say the same of Wendy’s, McDonald’s, or Popeye’s. And it doesn’t cost a premium. I’m paying about the same at CFA as I do other fast food places.
I’ve been doing a lot of driving the past year for business and have visited several McDonald’s restaurants; all were clean and the staff very polite and attentive. (And actually a couple of times, I visited just to use the bathroom without buying anything, and always found the bathrooms quite clean.)
Ultimately I think most people vote with their stomachs. Even those who are aligned with CFA’s “values” likely wouldn’t eat there if they didn’t produce a good product and provided a good dining experience at a competitive price. If we want to consider their values then we need to account for all the business they’ve lost because of said values.
I’ve been in perfectly nice McD’s. I’ve also been in some pretty ragged looking ones and more with half-assed service. Maybe some nasty CFAs exist but I haven’t been in one yet (smaller sample size though). That said, it’s not a zero sum game; I can say that every CFA I’ve been in was clean with polite staff without saying every other place is a hole.
Every CFA I’ve been to is in a upper class neighborhood. I’m within two miles of both in my area (Novi and Northville MI). I have to drive to a less upscale neighborhood (or the border of one) to get to a Popeye’s (Detroit/Redford/Southfield MI). It’s worth the drive.
We could have a separate thread for “things you thought were nationwide but aren’t”.
I actually believed that:
- Coney Island restaurans and Coney Dogs
- Tim Horntons
were nationwide in the USA. I failed to realize Coneys were from Michigan(for…some reason) and that Tim Horntons had only hit northern states from Canada.
I also was surprised when I met people who had never heard of “White Castle” as a hamburger chain.
I think it tastes like hatred and bigotry.
I happen to think In N Out are awesome burgers, but I’ve stopped going because of their politics. When it was just bible verses hidden in the wrappers, I could ignore it. But not any more.
I agree with the reviews on the chicken sandwiches. I far prefer Popeyes, but I think the main selling point of CFA is that they are generally well run, with polite folks working there, and will always get your order right. But even then, I’d prefer a lot more fast food places (my wife finds it interesting that I prefer McDonald’s over CFA, but at least with McD’s their Happy Meals will always include fruit, unless you ask for double fries for your kid).
100%! I tried my first In N’ Out and it was a pretty meh experience overall. The burger was… fine. I could tell the lettuce and tomatoes were fresher that some other places (but I hate lettuce on burgers so that doesn’t do anything for me), but the meat and bread were nothing special. The fries were terrible (and no I don’t think a secret menu makes up for it).
I had a Chick-Fil-A sandwich once (20+ years go). To me, it tasted about the same as the chicken sandwiches you can get at AM/PM, but more expensive. (FWIW, I prefer fish sandwiches, except for the Burger King Original Chicken Sandwich.)
The McDonald’s closest to my home is old and often dirty. That probably colors my impression of McDonald’s overall.
I’ve been to Chick-fil-A twice, both times in the Baltimore airport. They actually bowed to public pressure and scaled back their anti-gay giving. I still don’t like their politics, but that’s true of most large companies.
I thought it was a pretty good chicken sandwich. I’m not a huge fan of chicken sandwiches, and i certainly don’t want spicy anything. So maybe I’m not the best judge of chicken sandwiches. I’d eat it again if it was convenient. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
Most people I hear say that it doesn’t actually taste like pickles, as much as it just gives it this flavor other things don’t have. I believe we’ve had threads where people asked what the “secret ingredient” was, so they couldn’t tell what it was.
Still, if you haven’t had Popeye’s, I totally get trying it first.
I like both In n Out and CFA. The customer service at both is outstanding and the food is solid. In n Out is miles ahead of Wendy’s. It’s not even a fair fight. The only good thing about Wendy’s is their chicken sandwich, which is just about the same level as Chick Fil A.
Popeyes crispy chicken sandwich is better, but Popeyes around here around inconsistent as feck. Maybe one in five is a good sandwich. Shack Shack has the best chicken sandwich if you feel like spending ten buck for it. CFA is consistent, it’s tasty, and their nuggets are the best from the fast food or fast casual places.
I also like Chick Fil A because they provide work opportunities for people with disabilities. My friend’s son has some moderate to severe developmental disabilities such that he’ll never be an independent adult. CFA gives him an opportunity to work a dozen hours a week cleaning tables and the such. I see this at many CFAs. Yes, I dislike their politics, but I like how individual restaurants interact with the community.
And both at Chick Fil A and In n Out, I have never seen such happy and polite employees. It’s frankly staggering.
So big thumbs up to both for their service and product.
I have long held the belief that the sketchier the area, the better the chicken.