Fast Food Fight: Chicken Sandwich
As evidenced by the recent election, the economy is in the s***ter. Inflation has pinched our collective purses and caused us to reevaluate how we spend our hard earned dollars.
So we have ventured into the world of fast food restaurants to see what you can get for under $10. The last time some of us ate fast food was under the last Trump presidency, shortly after the launch of the now-famous Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich. How would it hold up against the other national brands and some of our best local fast food fried chicken options? Let's take a look and see.
Showbird
930 Poydras St.
showbirdnola.com
This little chicken shop on Poydras, brought to you by the folks at Johnny Sanchez, has "future chain" written all over it with its sleek, modern interior and affordable menu options. Showbird specializes in breakfast and lunch with five different chicken sandwiches to choose from. Our goal was to sample apples to apples—or in this case, spicy to spicy—with a side of signature fries. Showbird's spicy chicken sandwich comes loaded with slaw, seasoned with Creole spices, garnished with dill pickles, and served on a brioche bun. The quality of the chicken stood out with its melt-in-your-mouth texture and well-seasoned crunchy exterior. The waffle fries were cooked perfectly and had the same spicy seasoning, making it the perfect complement to the delicious chicken sandwich. The creamy coleslaw really elevated the sandwich into something wonderful.
Spicy Showbird: $9.50; Waffle Fries: $4.00; Soda: $2.50, $3.50, $4.50
Popeyes
3100 S. Carrollton Ave.
popeyes.com
What can you say about the Popeyes chicken sandwich that hasn't already been said? It's top-notch and a great deal at only $4.99. The spicy chicken sandwich comes marinated in Popeyes' signature seasoning with a hand-battered buttermilk exterior sandwiched between toasted brioche buns and topped with thick barrel-cured pickle slices and spicy mayo. Popeyes' signature battered fries come crispy and seasoned with spicy Cajun seasoning. What was most impressive about this location was the service and the new ordering system. Rebuilt last year after a major fire, Popeyes' Carrollton location boasts kiosks on the wall for ordering before you visit the counter. The interior has a modern design with vinyl wood flooring and comfortable booths, and the food was served with a smile after a worker came out to help walk us through the ordering system.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich: $4.99; Cajun Fries: $3.09; Soda: $2.69, $2.99, $3.09; Combo Meal: $8.59
Southerns
4620 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie
southernsfood.com
Southerns became well-known for its pop-ups that started in 2019, as well as its red food trucks that garnered plenty of attention at local festivals and events. Owners Anthony Cruz and Gene Colley have opened their first brick-and-mortar in a high-traffic location near the corner of Veterans and Clearview. It's designed as a typical fast food joint, but the first thing you notice is the atypical service with the owners and family members at the counter greeting you with Southern charm. The Nashville-style signature chicken sandwich is the cornerstone of the menu, and it doesn't disappoint with its red-hot wet marinade dipped in batter and deep fried to perfection. The huge piece of boneless chicken thigh is busting out of the bun and topped with yuzu aioli, slaw, and housemade pickles. A white meat tender version is also available. Seasoned crinkle cut fries can be ordered with queso or one of their signature sauces: burger sauce, creamy Crystal, Evan's honey mustard, Phuket sauce, or roasted tomato aioli.
Chicken Sandwich: $10.99; Seasoned Fries: $4.99; Soda: $2.95
Wonderland + Sea
4842 Tchoupitoulas St.
eatatwonderland.com
Blink and you'll miss this fast food joint on Tchoupitoulas between Napoleon and Jefferson. Inside, you'll find a warm and inviting space where you order at the counter, take a number, and choose a seat in the dining room or extensive side patio. The menu features fried chicken, fish, and award-winning chickpea sandwiches, plus salads, unique sides, and a bar menu that includes frozen drinks. The fried chicken was a little smaller than some of the others that were tried, but what separates this sandwich from its contemporaries is the restaurant's commitment to using humanely raised chicken and wild caught Gulf fish, which they call "food served with intention." The lightly-battered chicken thigh tasted perfect, accompanied with a colorful slaw and housemade pickles. Get the Heat Level Three for a nice spicy finish. The huge portion of perfectly-fried hand cut fries was tossed in parsley flakes, which needed a little salt or Cajun seasoning. The price point was a little high, but the quality was there to support it.
Chicken Sandwich: $12.00; Fries: $5.00; Drink: $3.00
Chick-Fil-A
1200 Poydras St.
chick-fil-a.com
Just down the block from Showbird is a Downtown location of this popular chicken chain. Bustling with activity on a quiet Saturday afternoon, the food took much longer than expected, the trash can was overflowing, and the counter service came without the usual smile you get from an owner-operated Chick-Fil-A. What we were served could only be described as careless and fell far short of the other sandwiches on this list. Opening the bun, we found one pickle and a tiny spread of spicy mayonnaise on top of a bland fried chicken breast. The waffle fries were underwhelming, as well. We know Chick-Fil-A has millions of fans, but, down here in Louisiana, you'd be crazy to choose this over a Popeyes chicken sandwich and Cajun fries.
Chicken Sandwich: $5.25; Medium Fries: $2.59; Medium Coke: $2.39; Combo Meal: $9.65
Chicken & Watermelon
3400 Claiborne Ave.
facebook.com/ChickenandWatermelon
With 16,000 Instagram followers and a line out the door, we expected this no-frills counter-service joint to be off-the-charts. However, it left us underwhelmed. Similar to the Chick-Fil-A sandwich, it's a fried boneless breast, fileted, and seasoned with a generous amount of Cajun seasoning, two pickles, topped with the recommended ranch dressing on a plain white bun. The accompanying thick-cut fries were over-seasoned and way too salty. The problem here was the chicken was chewy and tasted like it was originally frozen, not fresh. Maybe Chicken & Watermelon is better known for its wings, as they have over 30 different sauces to choose from. Or maybe it's the ridiculously cheap price points that keep fans coming back for take-out.
Chicken Sandwich Combo: $6.95
Wendy's
3138 S. Carrollton Ave.
wendys.com
During the beginning of COVID, Wendy's made a big deal about reinventing their chicken sandwich to compete with the wildly-popular Popeyes chicken sandwich. With a location next door to the Popeyes on Carrollton, we figured we'd give it a shot. It doesn't seem like much creativity went into developing this updated menu item. It's basically just a lightly-battered fried chicken breast replacing a burger on a toasted white bun, topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and thinly sliced pickles. The problem here was the overabundance of mayo slathered on the bun that overpowered the entire sandwich and left us with a soggy mess at the end. Also, of note, the chicken breast is only 56% chicken, pumped with water, wheat flour, starch, palm oil, and other nasty fillers. And, the combo meal checked in at nearly $2 more than the aforementioned Popeyes. It's not something that we would ever return for.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich: $5.99; Fries: $1.59-$3.49; Soda: $1; Combo Meal: $9.89
