Spicy Chick-Fil-A... finally

[Jmolinari]

Seriously dudes, we're talking fast food here...what is everyone expecting? I'm assuming that the soggy is also due to the fact that they have about 1500 freebies to hand out every 2 hours so they have to have them ready.

i'm just grateful that when i have to eat fast food, there is somewhere that has what i can something that i recognize as a real product, unlike mcdonalds.

[Foodgeek]

I tried the new sandwich. It was alright. It was a little spicier than I expected it to be, but otherwise not very notable. I didn't taste any cumin, if it's there.

I'm in jpellett's camp. I don't see the attraction of CFA, and now that McDonald's has a natural chicken breast sandwich as well, I don't see that as something that makes them stand out. The peach milkshake is good, though. Really good.

[Lorenzo]

. . .
i'm just grateful that when i have to eat fast food, there is somewhere that has what i can something that i recognize as a real product, unlike mcdonalds.

By "real product" do you mean because Chick-Fil-A is made with a solid piece of chicken rather than a patty?  I don't generally eat at either Chick-Fil-A or McD's--just askin'.

[Jmolinari]

. . .
i'm just grateful that when i have to eat fast food, there is somewhere that has what i can something that i recognize as a real product, unlike mcdonalds.

By "real product" do you mean because Chick-Fil-A is made with a solid piece of chicken rather than a patty?  I don't generally eat at either Chick-Fil-A or McD's--just askin'.

yup. I can tell it's a hunk of breast, instead of some paste reformed into a patty.
Of course they're both "processed", but at least the CFA one is almost completely chicken.

Plus i think they taste pretty good, if salty.

[Jmolinari]

Just ate my spicy chick sammich. Prefacing my statement that it takes into consideration it's FAST FOOD ,i thought it was pretty tasty.
It wasn't as spicy as i thought it would be, but still had some heat.
I'm not going to try ti dissect the flavor profile since it's a fuggin fast food sammich dudes...but for what it is, i thought it was good.

No, i wouldn't drive for it, but if i had a choice between this and other fast foods, i would choose this.
 

[jpellett251]

I got the impression from all the attention given to CFA here, at Kessler's blog and elsewhere that people thought it rose significantly above fast food quality, but maybe not.  Though I can't ever seem to get one that's not soggy I'll give them credit for the meat tasting better than other fast food.  Not really tempted to go back, though a good peach milkshake is enticing.

[Jmolinari]

I thought the peach milk shake was revolting. I drank maybe 1/4 and threw away the rest. It tasted like pure sugar.

[totm]

My one or two previous regular CFA sandwiches were always soggy.  One of the reasons I never considered them to be worth getting again even it is a discernable (sp?) hunk-o-breast.  My spicy CFA was NOT soggy but then one of the register jockeys said they were made to order, turn, reach, "here's yours!"

[HaagenDazs]

...if i had a choice between this and other fast foods, i would choose this.

I think that's the point that makes me go back.  If I'm out on the road in the middle-of-no-where-Alabama and the only food around is Walmart, McDonald's, and some "Chinese" buffet, I'll choose Chick Fil A.

[Foodgeek]

No, i wouldn't drive for it, but if i had a choice between this and other fast foods, i would choose this.

And that's where we disagree. I wouldn't choose this over other fast foods. It's not a really big deal or anything, but I'm just saying I don't understand what makes CFA stand out. Now that most of the other fast food places have natural fried breast sandwiches, in addition to or instead of compressed chicken patties, I find it even more bewildering.

Maybe I was just in the mood for something sweet when I had the peach milkshake, but I thought the bits of peaches in it were tasty.

[KoPP]

Personally, I'd rather have a chick-fil-a over a mcDonalds anything. Yeah, I've had a few stinky sammiches, but I don't think I've ever had ANY fast food that was always spot on - that's why they call it fast food. Jeez, what do folks want for under $2.50 anyway?

[Foodgeek]

Personally, I'd rather have a chick-fil-a over a mcDonalds anything. Yeah, I've had a few stinky sammiches, but I don't think I've ever had ANY fast food that was always spot on - that's why they call it fast food. Jeez, what do folks want for under $2.50 anyway?

Sorry to belabor the point here, but this is where I still can't connect. I've had some fast food sandwiches here and there, and I even worked at a couple of fast food restaurants. I've had fast food sandwiches that were executed correctly, at a wide variety of places, and sandwiches that weren't executed correctly, but I see no higher incidence of correctly-executed sandwiches at CFA over McD, Burger King, Wendy's or anyone else who falls in that category, and all of these have natural fried chicken breast sandwiches, mostly for about the same price, but with CFA usually being a little higher.

I hate for us to even be discussing this at all, but it does seem that branding is an extremely strong factor in CFA's favor, so much so that foodies are willing to even discuss this sort of thing on a food board. I have tasted the product and I honestly don't get the loyalty to this brand.

But hey, I don't get The Varsity either, and it seems to me that Varsity products are clearly the stuff of nostalgia, because I find it absolutely revolting. People say that since I didn't grow up on it, I don't have the proper appreciation. Maybe it's a subtle flavor that I'm failing to detect.

[danuv]

I think the peach milkshake is pretty nasty too. I keep trying it because I love the idea of a peach milkshake but it's way way way too sweet and tastes fake.

That said, I worked at a Dwarf House the year after I graduated high school for about 6 months and at least back then (far too long ago) a great deal of the food was made in house. The lemonade was made from lemons squeezed every morning (something I ended up loathing), mixed with sugar and water. That's it. The chicken for the sandwiches were normal raw chicken breasts. Someone popped a tendon on each one to make them lie flatter, they were coated in an egg wash I think, then a flour/seasoning mix and fried in a pressure cooker. The chicken for the grilled sandwiches was brined in a mix made there from pickle juice and other stuff I can't remember now. Cole slaw was made every couple of days from actual veggies. Biscuits as sad as they are were made there too. Not much was brought in prepmade and frozen. Like I said, things may have changed now but for fast food a lot of it was awfully close to what I'd make at home. Sorry if I babbled on too long there.

Yeah, I think the Varsity is very much a nostalgia thing. My grandfather ate there in college and took us there as kids so I have to go and have a couple chili slaw dogs once a year or so. The onion rings can be excellent. 

[Chocoholic]

Maybe it's a subtle flavor that I'm failing to detect.

I think it's a subtle memory that we're failing to detect.

The Varsity is revolting subpar "food" that has literally made my stomach hurt multiple times.

But I do like me some CFA!

[totm]

...if i had a choice between this and other fast foods, i would choose this.

I think that's the point that makes me go back.  If I'm out on the road in the middle-of-no-where-Alabama and the only food around is Walmart, McDonald's, and some "Chinese" buffet, I'll choose Chick Fil A.

It is not just "foodies" that apparently hold CFA to a higher pedestal than other fast food operations.  As V and I were having lunch a friend/former client of hers sat down at the table next to us.  We got on the subject of spicy foods and V asked him if he's had the Spicy CFA.  He had not but said CFA is the only fast food joint he will frequent.

Personally I don't get it.

Does Hwy 231 between Dothan and Phenix City qualify for the stretch of road in the middle-of-no-where-Alabama?  I've been on that stretch of road more times than I can count.  Sometimes hungry.  And usually stayed hungry until I either got to Columbus or PCB.  One of these days I'll get some of Phil's Butts.