Spicy Chicken Thursday wins #ChickenSandwichWars

Chicken sandwiches have been all the rage these last couple of weeks, beginning when Popeyes introduced their newest chicken sandwich via Twitter. Soon after that, a chicken sandwich war soon broke out as Chick-fil-A questioned the legitimacy of a chicken sandwich from the Louisiana fast food company – and a chicken sandwich mirroring the chain’s signature item, no less. Soon other food chains such as Wendy’s and KFC joined in on this Twitter feud arguing that their sandwiches are the best.

Unfortunately this caused a run on the chicken, and within 15 days of the announcement the Popeyes chicken sandwich was sold out nationwide. As a result, the Asbury Collegian was unable to see whose chicken sandwiches actually are the best. Some people reacted to this inability to get a Popeyes chicken sandwich in anger, with one man even going as far as trying to sue Popeyes for false advertising and deceptive business practices, according to NBC. Instead, the Collegian sent our reporters to try other popular chicken sandwiches in the area. Here’s how they stack up:

4. Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich – Burger King ($4.99)

Do yourself a favor and never order this! Of the chicken we tried, this was the most expensive sandwich and had the least flavor out of all of them. The crispy chicken fillet was not only flavorless but extremely overcooked. The chicken was dry, tough and brittle. For a total cost of $4.99, you will receive a hockey puck between a dense, hard bun.

3. Southern TLC Fillet Sandwich – Zaxby’s ($4.49)

This chicken sandwich was not bad, but it wasn’t great. The chicken was mediocre, and the bun was not soft and proportionately overwhelmed the chicken. Nevertheless, this is just a standard chicken sandwich that won’t do much for your taste buds but will fill your stomach.

2. Spicy Chicken Sandwich – Chick-fil-A ($3.89)

Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich is good, excellent even. The chicken was decently seasoned, tender and the bun to chicken ratio was perfect. However, you have to travel the farthest to obtain this chicken sandwich when coming from campus. Commuters, this one might favor you. 

1. Spicy Chicken Thursday – Asbury University (unlimited sandwiches for one meal swipe) This wouldn’t be an accurate chicken sandwich review if it didn’t include Asbury University’s very own chicken sandwiches. You will find these spicy chicken sandwiches in the Caf every Thursday for lunch. And honestly, this sandwich is the winner of the chicken sandwich wars. Not only is it the most cost-effective option, but each chicken patty is seasoned reasonably well. Furthermore, each person can fully customize their sandwich by taking it to the sandwich bar. While this chicken may not always be consistently cooked, the ease of obtaining this sandwich, the price and the ability for customization makes this sandwich a definite winner.

Maybe if Popeyes had been prepared and adequately stocked their chicken sandwiches, they may have won first place; however, we may never know for sure. Instead, Asbury University’s spicy chicken sandwiches reign supreme.  

The Asbury Collegian is an Asbury University publication. The paper is staffed entirely by Asbury students who seek to write on topics of interest to the University and the surrounding community.