The Great Chicken Sandwich Wars, Continued

It's time to judge some entrants, some exotic sandwiches, and the spicy ones.

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Last month, my husband Scott and I took readers on a culinary tour of Warrenton, Virginia, in search of America’s best chicken sandwich meal. It was a fun little piece to put together but none of us could have anticipated the response it would get. Turns out, lots of people—lots of Dispatch readers—have great interest in chicken sandwiches (and meals) and very, very strong opinions about the same. (Those impassioned responses included one from my own father in the comments, chastising me for betraying my chicken-related upbringing.) 

We knew before we were done that there was more work to do. And here we are. To recap our last dispatch from the front, I rated our chicken sandwich meals as follows:

  1. Wendy’s

  2. Popeyes

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  1. Avatar photo
    Peter A

    Finally had the Popeyes sandwich for the first time today. While I agree wholeheartedly on the pickles, Chik Fil-A has the best chicken sandwich, hands down.

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  2. Adam

    Arby’s seems to be missing from the list. I would put their classic crispy a notch above Wendy’s and when you consider the curly fries option, a clear winner. I also think highly of the chicken bacon Swiss sandwich. Excellent use of honey mustard! And there are some 2 for $5 coupons out there. That’s any two of their chicken sandwiches! The Buffalo version is serious. I hope Arby’s makes it into the next round.

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    Julie from Texas

    I love that you're doing this. Great rankings! But it's true—the list will not be complete until you come back home to the Lone Star State and have a chicken sandwich from Whataburger. (And get the meal. Even add a milkshake while you're at it!)

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    Timothy Giblette

    Smashburger makes a good Smashchicken sandwich if you're ever near one. Probably my favorite fast food chicken sandwich.

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    John D. Wright

    I liked the article because it was fun but whoa we don't agree on what priorities a sandwich should focus on. Pickles, I don't care. Scott is right. Mayonnaise is really important and it should be good. I did try Wendy's on your suggestion and it was pretty good. I think Chick Fil A is hard to beat but I consider their friends and lemonade a bonus not a negative. Meaning the meal is better than most.

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    Brandon L Sipple

    That Wendy’s Classic Spicy is indeed sublime, at least on the entrance. On exit, though.... bad, very very bad.... in the sage words of Cheech Marin, “Come on ice cream!!” But minimal regrets on balance.

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  7. Mike Darnell

    Belch

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  8. Scott Watson

    Can I include consistent efficiency in delivery as a criteria? A minor reason, but one of the reasons I like Chickfila - most efficient drive throughs I have seen. Second reason - it needs no gloppy sauce or additional condiments.

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    d.a. douglas

    The Popeye's spicy is more than just than mayo! It's the same spice and coating they use on the Spicy fried chicken. The Spicy Chicken sandwich utterly destroys the offering at Chik Fil A. and should be at the top of your Spicy Ranking.

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    hajaXavier

    I have an urban no car lifestyle with no kids. As such i haven’t stepped into a fast food place in about 20 years. Here’s a question: are any of these worth seeking out if they aren’t already in your rotation? I’m not against it, its just not convenient (ha!) for me. My neighborhood in SF (Rincon HIll, nearly 100% highrises just off the embarcadero) could use more cheap options. Gotts Roadside (not) fast food at the ferry terminal is as close as it gets and it’s nearly $20/person for the california chicken sandwich.

    Which of these are you willing to ride a bike for 30 minutes or pay $20-$40 cab/uber/Lyft? A much better way to ask, are Sarah’s picks worth this extra effort?

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    1. Colleen

      These are definitely convenience options. If the bike ride would be pleasant, ChikFilA is decent chicken, even for someone like me who tends to audit out large portions of chicken in mid-level restaurants. If you're not picky about chicken texture and want closer to actual fried chicken and your bike path goes past a Popeyes or Caines, give them a try. None of these are destination meals.

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        hajaXavier

        Thanks for the input. Unfortunately Chick-fil-A is not biking distance, the nearest ones are south of the airport or across two bridges. I’ll have to live vicariously through what I’m guessing will be an annual event for the Sarah, Scott and Brisket household. 🤣

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