Johnny's Chicken Tenders again

I wrote a review earlier about Johnny's Chicken Tenders. I wish to review them again as the previous trip was carry-out and this was a dine-in visit. They continued to be above average. The chicken was pretty juicy, the coating was fairly standard (which is a good thing - I hold my tenders to a high standard), and they were all-around satisfying. I also had some mozzarella sticks - they were actually a bit below average for most restaurants. I'd rather have Applebee's or even Arby's mozzarella sticks. However, this is not a mozzarella stick review blog, so I will refrain from further public judgement.

NONSTANDARD POST - Taco Bell Naked Chicken Chips

Hi

So, this is straying just a bit from my normal reviews, but I am very excited the Taco Bell has brought back their Naked Chicken Chips and I decided to write a bit about them. They are significantly better than, say, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and they really hold their own against other fast food chicken offerings. The best aspect by far is the spiciness. This may actually turn some people off to them, but I think it's a great addition. The chicken is cut fairly thin and there honestly isn't much in there, but the spice carries you through to the end.

In many ways, these are the inverse of McDonald's buttermilk chicken tenders. If they could be somehow combined, we might have something magical...

McDonald's Chicken Tenders? Yes

So, I just found out McDonald's officially began offering Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, as long promised. I tried them today. They come in a substantial treasure chest-looking box, designed to hold dipping sauces or whatever. I, obviously, did not utilize this feature.

As for the chicken tenders, they were very surprising in a number of ways. The breading is kind of dull and doesn't really add much. However, the chicken itself is very juicy and...voluminous? These chicken tenders have more...girth...than almost any I have tried. about equal in width and depth giving them a circular cross-section. However, it is tender all the way through. I expected the buttermilk breading to be the main focus with only lackluster meat inside and I encountered the opposite.

Overall, they were enjoyable, inexpensive, and I would recommend them. They aren't the best, but they are several steps above the ubiquitous Chicken McNugget, and as good or better than most other fast food offerings.

What Drinks Pairs with what Chicken Tenders?

One topic that I have yet to really drill in to on this blog is what kinds of drinks pair best with what kinds of chicken tenders. It's an important choice, to be sure, unless you plan on plowing on through the meal and only refreshing yourself after the chicken is gone. I'm going to provide some advice based on some of the places I've gone to so far.

Arby's - Regular Mountain Dew
Slim Chicken's - Cherry Coke
Popeye's - Regular Mountain Dew
Price Chopper - Raspberry Coke
Applebees - Regular Mountain Dew
Zaxby's - Two Regular Mountain Dews
Johnny's Tavern - Mountain Dew Live Wire
Raising Cane's - Mountain Dew Voltage
Sarpino's - Bleach

Zaxby's Review

It seems the restaurants specializing in chicken strips are experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately. One of the relative newcomers is Zaxby's. They promise "Full of Flavor & Made to Order". Somewhat distressingly, they publish the calorie count of their meals right on the menu, which can be a bit of an eye-opener. I ordered the 4-piece combo, which clocks in at 1240-1570 calories. Given that I bypassed the coleslaw, dipping sauce, and most of the fries and toast I imagine my meal was a bit less than that. Probably extremely healthy, right!?

The tenders are a bit different from most. The breading is somewhat heavy and dark and the chicken has more of a smoky flavor compared to most. The chicken is fairly juicy and has a favorable consistency, but I cannot help but be haunted by the continued smokiness. It is overpowering and, I believe, is a detriment to the strip. The strips are better than typical fast-food fare, for sure (Arby's, Sonic, etc...), but I prefer other competitors such as Slim Chickens, Freddy's, and Applebees. The toast was pretty nasty for some reason and the crinkle-cut fries are a bit too under-fried and potato-y. As a result, I felt like I was throwing away half the meal by mass.

Overall, I am glad they tried something new, but they just didn't work for me. I will probably go to Zaxby's at least once more given that I have some remaining balance on a gift card. However, after this I will likely be finished with them; there are too many other options out there that can beat Zaxby's on taste and price.

Red Robin Review - "Yum" or "Dumb"?

I went to Red Robin today and ordered what they call "Clucks and Fries". I can never bring myself to order them by name, so I referred to them as "chicken tenders" (which they rightfully are) and pointed to the entry on their menu. The waitress understood what I meant and thus no one had to degrade themselves by speaking the word "Clucks".

If I had to choose a word to describe Red Robin's offering I would say...substantial? Which is to say, these are chicken tenders of substance. The breading is fairly heavy and very crunchy and the chicken itself is plentiful. That is not to say there are drawbacks, however. Mainly, the chicken itself is somewhat dry. Not painfully so like my recent forays to Hy Vee or Sarpinos, but certainly noticeable. The seasoning it also a bit lacking - however this factor was somewhat mitigated by some of the excellent french fry seasoning finding its way to the chicken. My overall impression was that these tenders were about average. Less crunch and more juice would have elevated these about standard sit-down restaurant fare. When I inevitably try Red Robin again, I hope for some improvement.

Hy-Vee Chicken Tenders Review

It is fairly rare and equally sad that I think to myself "Ugh, I really should have ordered something besides the chicken tenders". Tonight was one such night. Historically, I have experienced quite a bit of variability in the qualify of the chicken tenders form Hy-Vee's deli. Today's offering was substantially sub-par. I believe they had been made several hours ago and simply and kept warm. They were rubbery on the outside and dry on the inside. The mix of spices was not bad, but that is about all I can say positive. I would likely have been better off getting a slice of pizza or some other offering from the deli.

I did not finish them, which given how hungry I was speaks more about the qualify than anything I can write. I will try Hy-Vee again, but they won't get too many more chances.