In Search of Spicy Chicken

This article took so long to write that half of these fast-food items aren’t even being offered anymore. But I think it all began with Wendy’s Spicy Chicken sandwich, which turned out to be so good and popular they made it part of their permanent menu. Arby’s soon followed, with their Truly Spicy chicken sandwich, made with lettuce and mayonnaise but not much in the way of a discernable spicy burn.
    McDonald’s tried their hand at it, offering their Cajun chicken sandwich; but McDonald’s is doomed to poultry obscurity unless they can get their chicken sandwiches to stop tasting like hamburgers. Hey, guys, try a different part of the fry table! They truly did a disservice to the “Cajun” name with that attempt, and I can almost imagine the sandwich’s quick demise was less due to its blandness then to claims of false advertising from the Creole PAC.
    Burger King came late to the game with their “Spicy Chick’n” sandwich. I can only assume the deliberate misspelling is because no chicken was involved in the making of their sandwich. We grudgingly give them points for at least making the sandwich spicy, but the pressed chicken patty is not terribly appetizing.
    Still the champ though is Wendy’s Spicy Chicken. A real breast filet and delightfully spicy breading keep this one a winner. We’ve noticed some franchises have a tendency to make the sandwich more peppery than spicy, but it still beats the others hands down. And, if you’re careful about the tomato, it can be a great car-food too.
    A tasty alternative is KFC’s Zinger sandwich. The chicken itself is the same as KFC’s Crispy Strips, but the sauce they add is quite spicy and quite tasty. The shredded lettuce and the sauce make it a dangerous car-food, but it’s a great taste for dining-in. The restaurants around me have a tendency toward rather dry crispy strips, so this might be a problem. However, one benefit of the sandwich is that KFC packs it so full of crispy strips that you can usually put one or two aside, have a tasty sandwich, and then have some “found” food to snack on afterward.
    Verdict:
    McDonalds & Arby’s = one star (for effort)
    Burger King = two stars (for spiciness)
    Wendy’s = four stars
    KFC = four stars

    August 4 2000: Reader Amjad Ashkar adds, “You missed Hardee’s spicy chicken, which for $0.99 is the best bargain around, making my all-time best spicy chx.”
    Well, I’m not sure Hardee’s is even still around in the southeast Michigan area, but thanks for the info, Ahmad.