By Joseph Hammann, Staff Writer
What could be better than food debates? People like to debate which restaurants they prefer when they crave specific foods. They share very strong opinions about such matters, and I am, without a doubt, no exception. I have always been the type of person to keep such opinions about restaurants to myself, but on the topic of fast food chicken, I say otherwise.
Two particular places came to my mind: Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s. Both are places I have strong takes about that are hotter than the oil the chicken is fried in. I’ve always been a fan of chicken sandwiches and the occasional nugget, and I am usually not too particular when it comes to chicken dishes, but this is the debate where I think otherwise. So, the question remains.
Which one do I think is better? Honestly, I don’t think that one place is “better” than the other. Does that mean I like them both equally? Basically. Does that mean I like both of them and think they both have great-tasting chicken? Nope! I do not think either place’s chicken is that great.
Now, before you pull out your pitchforks, let me explain. In my eyes, both of them have some of the most bland and tasteless chicken I have ever tasted. Both places fall into the trap of having too much breading, which takes all of the taste away from the meat. I like meat with more flavoring, and when the breading takes all of the taste away and it’s all I can taste, that’s just…. wrong.
Chicken tastes worse when the company is prejudiced.
Unfortunately, the side dishes don’t add substance, either. At Chick-fil-A, the fries are very run-of-the-mill and are just as bland as the chicken, even though I like the waffle design. It says quite a bit when I think the most pleasing side dish is the fruit, which is by far the healthiest side dish offered.
Additionally, another problem I have with Chick-fil-A comes from a past experience of being forced to eat it in my high school theater days for three to four straight days, in which I grew sick of it very fast. So, the relationship between me and Chick-fil-A is still rather shaky.
Staff Writer Joseph Hammann criticizes the chicken baskets Raising Canes has to offer.
As for Cane’s, like I mentioned before, the breading takes over the meat just enough to make the meat not taste as flavorful as it should. I am honestly very particular regarding how I like my fries, and the Cane’s fries are more the style I want, but I don’t think the semi-better tasting fries really save the opinion. The Texas toast is also something that I want to like more because I love bread, but it almost has as little taste as the chicken breading, which makes me annoyed.
However, it is pretty clear that other people don’t have the same opinion as I do, and that isn’t a problem. It’s just my opinion, after all. Other people are willing to say something else, but I don’t see that as an issue.
We live in a society where people can easily get fired up over someone’s opposing opinion, and those types of people irritate me to no end. I’m just not the right target audience for either place, but if you enjoy it, good for you! Good for you for finding great taste in something where I can’t find it. This doesn’t need to be a heated debate that leaves people baked; it can be a sharing of ideas and eating styles.
So, at the end of the day, it’s not about whether Chick-fil-A or Raising Cane’s is better; it’s about finding out if either place is appealing to you without any needed debate. As for me, my answer is neither.
Joseph Hammann is a senior graphic design major from Columbia, Maryland. They are also a writer for Xavier Newswire and a digital artist.