For the second Friday in a row, Restaurant Business editors and our colleagues at Technomic and FoodService Director gathered at lunchtime to test another fried chicken sandwich on an ever-expanding list. The last 18 months have seen an influx of these sandwiches on chain menus, and Wendy’s version was next up.
Wendy’s entry, which debuted back in October, is an upgraded version of its Classic Chicken Sandwich. At its launch, Wendy’s described it as “crispier, juicier and so packed with flavor that, upon first taste, it’ll be an instant classic.”
It was up to our panel of fussy tasters to determine if this was true.
The build is pretty straightforward: A breaded chicken fillet served on a bun with mayo, tomato, lettuce and pickles. Priced at $4.99, it doesn’t put a big dent in a customer’s wallet. But most of the tasters ordered it as part of a combo meal, opting for takeout or delivery. So we also had to judge how well it traveled and how it compared to Popeyes sandwich—the gold standard and first out of the gate.
Also included in the judging criteria: taste, texture and how the different components complement each other.
Here’s how Wendy’s new and improved Classic Chicken Sandwich stacked up in the eyes (and palates) of our tasting panel.
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