Freddy's Chicken Tenders Part 1

I was intending to review Raising Cane's chicken today, but there were literally no parking spots available. They just opened last Monday and are really busy. I am going to try again tomorrow. In the meantime, I went to Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers so I will review them instead. I ordered a five piece combo with shoestring fries and a drink.

Breading
The strips were very well breaded. Not too crunchy and not too dry, and adhering sufficiently to the chicken. I would note that they look dryer in that picture than they actually turned out to be. 8/10

Juiciness
The tenders were very juicy, although falling a bit short of "succulent" Either way, they are certainly above the average for restaurant tenders. 8/10

Flavor
Peppery, but not spicy. 7/10

Consistency
Admirable. There were no tough spots and the tenders were easy (and delightful) to eat. 8/10

Overall
I look forward to round 2. These tenders rank pretty highly and have certainly captured my heart.

*MUST READ* - Food Critic Helen Rosner Discusses Chicken Tenders

https://www.guernicamag.com/daily/helen-rosner-on-chicken-tenders/

If I may quote part of this article (censorship mine, this is a family blog):

A true connoisseur of the chicken tender knows that there are three immutable rules.

The first is the rule of physical integrity. A tender has a proper shape: flattish, oblong, and gradually tapering from a wide front to a narrow end. Unlike nuggets, which are largely made from processed, re-formed scraps, the chicken tender takes its name from an actual piece of the chicken: the pectoralis minor, a muscle located under the breast, against the sternum. The tenderloin. It’s rare nowadays to get actual tenders when you order them (hence the rise of “fingers” and “strips,” terms of art that veil all manner of creative butchery), but integrity demands that a wedge of breast put at least some effort into mimicking the actual part of the chicken it is trying to be.

The second rule of chicken tenders is that, contra any advice your mother may have given you, what’s on the outside matters infinitely more than anything on the inside. A chicken tender lives or dies by its exterior: batters, breadings, the disappointing faux-sophistication of panko. The subtlety or intensity of its spice and salt. The crispness of the exterior is what creates the tenderness of the interior, its structural cohesion when submerged in hot oil helps the chicken inside stay juicy and good. But it can’t adhere only to itself: a good chicken tender’s breading stays connected to the chicken inside once you take a bite, not slipping off like a silk stocking or the bulls**t batter on an onion ring.

The third rule of chicken tenders is that sauce is a last resort. You shouldn’t have to dip your chicken tenders in anything. If you want a vehicle for ranch dressing, order the crudités.

This is a must read.

Chicken Graph

Strips Chicken Part 1

Tonight I tried the chicken strips at the aptly named Strips Chicken. I ordered a 5 piece combo with home-made fries and a donut (!). They were out of crinkly fries. I also ordered a Mountain Dew (drinks are not included with the combos). Total price was $10.50.

Breading
The strips had a hand-breaded style, and were pretty heavily breaded compared to the amount of chicken. The breading was crunchy and tended to fall off the chicken a bit (as is typical of hand-breaded tenders). 8/10

Juiciness
The chicken was moderately juicy, but the juice in the chicken itself was mostly overpowered by the oily/greasy flavor of the fried breading. 7/10

Spiciness/Flavor
The flavor was dominated by the oiliness and greasiness of the breading. However, it was not nearly as bad as Jack in the Box in this manner and the greasiness was actually somewhat endearing. 5/10

Texture/Consistency
The chicken was consistent all the way through and met all of the requirement in this category. 7/10

Overall
The strips were above average for fast food chicken strips and hold their own against restaurant tenders. I look forward to trying them again soon.

Green Bay Packers TE Jared Cook finds chicken head at Buffalo Wild Wings

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17739862/green-bay-packers-te-jared-cook-finds-fried-chicken-head-takeout-wing-order

This is pretty terrible. And especially bad since there are reports that Cook may become a vegetarian due to this. Don't do it! Even if you give up on wings in general (or Buffalo Wild Wings specifically) please don't turn your back on other forms of chicken. Tenders, for example.

Sonic Super Crunch Chicken Strips - Part 1

Today's review is for Sonic's Super Crunch Chicken Strips. I ordered a large combo that came with 5 tenders, a large order of tater tots, and a large drink. It costs $8.84 after tax, which is on the high side. The service was also particularly slow at this location. However, none of these will factor in to the review - only the quality of the chicken tenders themselves.

Breading
The breading was not quite a crunchy as their description suggests, but that may actually be a positive. It was certainly more crunchy than crispy, but never to an "audible" extent. They were not, however, overbreaded. 6/10

Juiciness
The oil of the fried breading tended to overpower any natural juiciness of the chicken itself. This is sadly common in fast food chicken tenders, but better than no flavor at all. 5/10

Spiciness/Flavor
Again, the flavor was more oily and the chicken itself was a bit flavorless. However, taken holistically, the strips were pretty decently flavored. 5/10

Texture/Consistency
They were fine. The only real complaint I have is one end of one of the strips was just breading. This phenomenon is relatively common, but it was a small enough area that I powered through it. 5/10

Overall
This chicken tenders were incredibly...adequate. They likely mark a suitable midpoint between "good" and "bad" chicken tenders. I would not recommend them based on the price, but they are just fine.