Review: You Probably Shouldn’t Eat at Chick-fil-A

eater.com ^ | 6/9/17 | Ryan Sutton

[SoFloFreeper]

People love Chick-fil-A, the poultry-centric fast-food chain whose corporate purpose is to “glorify God,” and whose strict Sunday closure means that every employee gets at least one day of rest.

People love the carnival-like waffle fries, the neonatal ward-like hospitality, the cleanliness on par with a Silicon Valley chip manufacturer, the fresh-squeezed lemonade spiked with soft-serve ice cream, the aromatic peach shakes, the admirably bare-bones fried-chicken sandwich, the viral fan song set to the tune of the Beatles’s “Yesterday,” and the famous Polynesian sauce, an agrodolce condiment that looks like what would happen if a stop sign were melted down in a magical volcano made of pineapple, ginger, and corn syrup.

People don’t love Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based, family-owned chain that’s heavily rooted in the South but that’s expanding aggressively into new markets like New York and Washington, fueling long lines and, occasionally, opposition. Millions of dollars of the chain’s past profits funded groups that opposed same-sex marriage during an era when millions of Americans were fighting for their civil rights; smaller donations went to a group that practiced conversion therapy, a practice that stems from the discredited belief that homosexuality is a mental illness.

About a year before the Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013, chief executive Dan Cathy said that “we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.” Following an uproar over those comments, Chick-fil-A pledged, on Facebook, to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena, and “to treat everyone “with honor, dignity and respect,” regardless of sexual orientation.

This is all to say, reckoning with Chick-fil-A is complicated. There’s the social question, which is how a Biblically grounded institution — whose $8 billion in sales dwarf KFC’s domestic operations — will fare as it expands outside of regions where it’s perceived as a beloved community cornerstone, rather than a venue whose mere presence evokes the type of anger normally directed at unqualified politicians.

And there’s the culinary question, which is whether you should brave the (fast-moving) lines at the home of the “original” pressure-fried chicken sandwich, or whether you should patronize more ambitious (and progressive) poultry-purveying peers like Fuku (only in New York) or Shake Shack.

I used to visit the Chick-fil-A during my D.C. college days, circa 2000, as a cheap and reasonably tasty source of protein after a workout. Nearly two decades later, in my capacity as a restaurant critic, I’m here to report that the increasingly ubiquitous chain serves a pretty good fast-food breakfast, a pretty great frozen coffee, and a pretty average chicken sandwich.

I’m also here to report that it’s the only top 10 quick-service restaurant that doesn’t mention sexual orientation in its online equal opportunity statement, and that it holds a zero rating on LGBT benefits and worker protections from a prominent advocacy group. McDonald’s scored 100. (When I asked Chick-fil-A about this, a rep responded with a general statement reaffirming its commitment to equal opportunity and said that it’s up to local franchisees to determine benefits.)

New York City's first standalone location of Chick-fil-A opened nearly two years ago to small protests and heavy lines. The chain plans on opening about a dozen restaurants across the five boroughs in the next three years, and it’s hard to blame it; the three locations I visited for this review continue to attract the type of fervent lunchtime crowds one might’ve expected during the early days at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Chick-fil-A’s draw is simplicity: It’s all about the chicken. There are no burgers, hot dogs, tacos, cakes, hand pies, or lunchtime burritos — unless you count the 1990s-style wrap sandwich. There isn’t any beef, and the only pork is relegated to a bit of breakfast sausage or bacon.

That simplicity extends to the chicken sandwich, which is largely free from adulterants. The larger fast-food industry, which has no problem selling Froot Loop shakes and other things that will turn our livers into foie gras, generally abides by the false assumption that America wants a crummy house salad — watery lettuce, out-of-season tomatoes, and a chokehold of mayo — on its chicken sandwiches. Chick-fil-A knows better: The classic sandwich is nothing more than chicken, pickles (always on the bottom, so your tongue is instantly zapped with acidity), a white bun that gets out of the way of the chicken, butter, sugar, and enough salt — 1,350 milligrams — to turn your duodenum into charcuterie.

Structurally, it’s tempting to call it the platonic ideal of the chicken sandwich. It doesn’t exist to highlight infinite trendy toppings or revel in assembly-line customization, a la Chipotle. It exists to show off chicken. Until you start eating it. And you realize it’s not showing off much at all.

The only chicken at Chick-fil-A is boneless, skinless breast meat. While some parts of the culinary world explore how to extract more nose-to-tail goodness from poultry, or at least find a way to make sure your white meat doesn’t taste like seitan, the country’s most prominent chicken chain is focusing on the part of the chicken that bores, and that, in the hands of the corporate chefs here, really doesn’t taste like a whole lot.

To be fair, not a lot of folks turn to fast-food chicken expecting an epicurean inquiry into poultry funk or arcane breeding. People eat fast-food chicken for salt, fat, and perhaps most importantly, crunch. Problem is, Chick-fil-A’s chicken has too much salt, not enough fat, and very little crunch. The chief flavors of the sandwich are industrial neon pickle, sugar, and peanut oil.

If we lived in a post-apocalyptic world where Chick-fil-A was the only restaurant chain and all the remaining medical centers still had world-class dialysis machines, maybe this would suffice. But walk into any Shake Shack and your chicken sandwich will shatter with eons more crunch. It’s enough to make you want to forgive the mayo. Swing by a Fuku, whose lean butter- and pickle-topped sandwich is heavily influenced by Chick-fil-A, and you’ll experience an incendiary thigh meat with tons more flavor and texture. Heck, even drop by McDonald’s, order the buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich, hold the tomato, and you’ll still have a chicken sandwich with more texture and less sodium shock. The state of fast-food chicken sandwiches is strong, and The Chick just isn’t at the top of the list anymore.

Chick-fil-A, alas, doesn’t have much to worry about financially; it’s currently America’s favorite fast-food restaurant, according to one consumer satisfaction index. Sales actually soared the year Cathy made his controversial remarks. That means we can all expect more mayo-free chicken sandwiches across our fruited plain. So when you find yourself at Chick-fil-A, by choice or by chance, here’s a rundown of what’s great, what’s good, and what other prominent chains do better.

Chick-n-Minis (aka mini chicken sandwiches, breakfast only): These nuggets stuffed into mini yeast rolls aren’t a pretty dish; the craggy bits of breaded chicken are halfway falling out of the undersized rolls, some of which are nearly broken by the time you pick them up. If you saw these at a hot buffet you’d hop into your car and find another hot buffet. So be it; the rolls, brushed with honey butter, are chain’s best foil for its salt-lick chicken. This is a dish that doesn’t try to be something better than it is; it basks in the baseness of its own junk-food turpitude. Rating: 9/10. Calories: 350. Fat: 14g. Sodium: 880mg.

[colorado tanker]

My only complaint is the Sunday closing. It’s an anachronism and they lose a lot of sales.

[Moonman62]

the viral fan song set to the tune of the Beatles’s “Yesterday,”

...

If they were around 50 years ago, McCartney could have used Chick-fil-A as a placeholder instead of scrambled eggs.

[dfwgator]

Did it ever occur to you that one of the reasons so many Christians support CFA is because they do close on Sunday?

[Diogenesis]

Chick-fil-A is terrific.

Best fries anywhere with a fantastic range of sauces.

They need a ‘warning label’.
Addiction is a real possibility.

[Liz]

Gotta have a deluxe Chick-Fil-a sandwich: w/ frilly lettuce leaf, vine-
ripened tomato slices, cheese slice. Add a side of hot, crisp waffle fries,
large iced real lemonade, couple containers of CFA's luscious "special
sauce....." and you got lunch.

======================================

No less a sophisticate than Esquire Mag named Chick-fil-a one of the nation's best sandwiches.

ESQUIRE REVIEW You can get a chicken sandwich anywhere, which may explain your low expectations. Boneless breast. Bun. Blah. But down south, there lives an eye-opener.

A come-to-Jesus sandwich. The Chick-fil-A. Seasoned, breaded breast served on a toasted buttered bun with dill- pickle slices. No mayo. No sauce at all. Deceptively simple, yet transcendent. The hook is the breading: spicy, with an intoxicating crunch.

The meat is always juicy, never chewy. The bun is like lingerie -- there, but not, providing delicious support without obscuring the main flavor. The first bite changes everything you think you know about chicken. And about the need for condiments. -- Allison Glock

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/sandwiches#ixzz211NacUiU

[Mr. Douglas]

I don’t really do fast food. That being said, that big “boycott’ against CFA a few years ago because of the “anti-sodomist” position they took caused me to give them a try.

The first thing I noticed was massive lines. Apparently i was not alone. The second thing I noticed was that their food was really good. Frankly, that was a huge surprise.

I ate there probably about 20 times before I went back to my “no fast food” lifestyle. However, I’ll support ‘em again if necessary.

[Liz]

[Lou L]

This is not a restaurant review. It's a political hit piece pretentiously using unproven dietary theories to support sexual perversion by denigrating a company's legitimate moral philosophy.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner.

[colorado tanker]

No.

People eat there because its good food.

[beebuster2000]

$8 billion a year in non love. thats a lot of non love.....

[chulaivn66]

Pardon the pun but there were two “nuggets” of worthwhile information in what was otherwise a purely political opinion piece. They use peanut oil for frying and as my grandson is severely allergic to peanuts this chain is off the list of places to visit. Secondly, the salt content is too high. Foods prepared without the addition of salt allow the consumer to decide the dosage, based upon best health directives or individual taste, after preparation. Junk foods are heavily laden with salt meant to increase the desire for more. “Bet you can’t eat just one.” being a line from a junk food commercial from years past, junk food which was heavily laden with salt. Otherwise I wish the company the best of luck and as always it pays to read.

[safeasthebanks]

“...the Sunday closing.....and they lose a lot of sales.”

And you have a “complaint” about this because it impacts you negatively....how?

[RegulatorCountry]

My only complaint is the Sunday closing. It’s an anachronism and they lose a lot of sales.

Lose sales? Have you seen that place from opening to closing, six days a week? It's a machine, packed double lane drive through and a line inside. They deserve at least one day off, for worship or just rest. They certainly earn it.

[Clutch Martin]

I ate a chicken filet sammich there once and wasn’t impressed at all. I’ll have to try the soup someday. I’ve had a shake, okay... I guess I’m just not into fast food. I would rather eat my own cooking.

[Aunt Polgara]

Don’t forget about the jerk who lost his high paying job and ended up on welfare after he verbally abused the lovely and gracious Rachel at a Chick-fil-A and posted the exchange on youtube.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/ex-cfo-who-berated-chick-fil-a-worker-in-video-now-lives-on-food-stamps/

[deport]

http://hackthemenu.com/chick-fil-a/menu-prices/breakfast-menu/

[safeasthebanks]

“Secondly, the salt content is too high”

“Too high” according to who, exactly??

[zeugma]

I was in Chik-fil-a the other day and I noticed something interesting. They seem to be have the largest staff of just about any fast food resturaunt out there. Not only that, but every single one of them is pleasant and helpful. Obviously the crew size doesn't seem to be cutting into their profits much, as I have heard a CFA franchise is pretty much a license to print money. In a world where everyone else is downsizing, it's nice to find a place that knows how to take care of both its customers and its workers.

This particular article reads like it's written by a one of those mental case "LGBTQ" whackjobs, who nonetheless can't argue that CFA does what it does well.

[elcid1970]

So...faggie food nazi disses on Chick Fil-A. Whoop-te-doo.

[deport]

Seven Locations in MA.

Barnstable Chick-fil-A
Burlington Chick-fil-A
Chicopee Chick-fil-A
Framingham Chick-fil-A
Peabody Chick-fil-A
Seekonk Chick-fil-A
Westborough Chick-fil-A

https://www.menuism.com/restaurant-locations/chick-fil-a-79574/us/ma