I know that they have gotten a lot of bad press over their owner’s strong Southern Baptist beliefs.  Those beliefs cause him to close all his stores on Sundays, and cause him to support traditional bible-centric marriage between 1 man and 1 woman.  These actions have caused an internet sensation of people (mostly supporters of same-sex marriage) ripping on the restaurant chain and boycotting their food.  So is this what’s causing the amazing business success and public hysteria?

Whether you agree or disagree with Chick-fil-A’s owner, Mr. S. Truett Cathy’s, principles of faith, his strict adherence to them has probably led to his success as a business owner.  I have no doubt that it has also helped define his character as a man.  That character can be seen in all the different charitable donations Chick-fil-A has provided, as well as all the scholarships they have issued.  Personally, I respect Mr. Cathy for standing up for what he believes in, regardless of the consequences on his business.

From what I have researched, it seems that Mr. Cathy, and his family, run their business unselfishly, and don’t ask their employees to do anything they are not willing to do themselves (like working on Sundays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving for example).  Their business has exploded over the years, becoming the 2nd largest chicken retailer in the country, 2nd only to KFC, as well as surpassing even McDonald’s in the average sales per restaurant ($2.7 million per restaurant as compared to $2.4 million at each McDonald’s).  Despite the negative press and food bans, Chick-fil-A’s sales continue to soar.  But I find it hard to believe that the opposing sociological and political views surrounding Chick-fil-A are what are creating the mass “eat more chicken” madness.

So it must stem from their food.  I’ve noticed that people go crazy for this shit.  Their restaurants are packed with chicken lovers.  What exactly is going on?

A new Chick-fil-A recently opened in Meridian, Idaho.  They have 2 drive through lines, and every day those lines are backed up clear out into the parking lots of the surrounding businesses.  I was going to pull in and give their food a try, but quickly decided to go inside instead because of that line.  But the place was packed inside as well!  It was standing room only.  What the freak?  So I gave it a couple months to slow down before I tried it again.  Nope, still just as packed.  I thought to myself, “that must be some damn good chicken!  I’d better get my hands on some fast!”  I’m ashamed of myself for falling prey to this mass hysteria.  Is this the same thing that happened years ago with Krispy Kreme donuts?  Just mass hysteria around a food without much substance?  I had to find out, so I braved the crowd and went in.

As I stood in line to order, I stared at the remarkably undesirable menu board.  Chicken sandwiches and fries.  Do they have anything else?  Oh, there’s a salad with the same chicken on it I could choose.  And there’s the same salad wrapped up in a tortilla. Or wait, there are some chicken nuggets.  Oooo, what’s that?  A chicken soup!  Oh, nope, there’s the mother load that’s making everyone go crazy….. a chicken salad sandwich. Nice!  What the hell is going on?  I ordered a plain original chicken sandwich, and its spicy version right next to it.  I kindly paid my $7, took my receipt, and found a stool to sit on.  Their staff brought me my food somehow knowing exactly who I was, what I ordered, and where I took my seat.  Alas, the moment of truth had arrived.

Chick-fil-A Original Chicken Sandwich Good or Bad?

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich

So, honestly, what goes through your mind when you look at this picture?  Do you think to yourself, “Oh my gosh, this is going to be the most amazing chicken creation I’ve ever put in my mouth?”  Do you think, “this is so beautiful I’m about to cry?”  Or are you like me and think, “this thing is what everyone’s going so ape-shit about?”  I wasn’t sure what was happening.  This is a breaded and deep-fried chicken breast with some pickle slices on a plain, ugly hamburger bun.  There is no sauce, no lettuce, no special components, no anything.  I could have splurged for lettuce, tomato, and a slice of American cheese for $.60 more I guess, but would it have made any difference?  I was mesmerized with the fact that this sandwich built a $4.6 billion dollar company.

“Well, the chicken breast must be really really good,” I thought.  So I took a bite.  Here’s what it looked like:

Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich Inside

Hmm.  See the pickles?  They had a nice crunch and tasted like….pickles.  The bun was the typical flattened, sweet fast-food burger bun (but at least it was toasted), and the chicken was a whole chicken breast.  I appreciate that is was a whole chicken breast.  That’s better than most fast food press-formed chicken patties for sure.  The seasoning in the breading was good, but nothing magical by any means.  It had a nice black pepper flavor, some onion powder, some herbs, and other things like sugar I imagine, and it was nice and crunchy.  The chicken itself was very moist and tender; a result of the pressure-fryer it was cooked in.  And that’s where I get really confused.

People have been fading in their KFC eating because of the exact same pressure-frying cooking method.  Pressure frying forces hot oil into the chicken meat, and drastically reduces the overall cooking time required.  This “oil injection” is what helps make KFC’s chicken, and Chick-fil-A’s as well, so moist and tender.  It is also what makes it so high in calories.  So if KFC chicken is so bad for us, why isn’t Chick-fil-A’s when it’s cooked in the exact same fashion? (hint:  they are equally as bad for you)  And why have people stopped eating lunch at KFC?  KFC’s seasoning is far tastier, they make their chicken sandwiches out of whole chicken breasts too, and their sandwiches come with bacon, cheese, and sauce.  Maybe it’s because Chick-fil-A offers 10 different sauce packets to squeeze onto your sandwich.  Most of those sauces are calorie nightmares, and are full of corn syrup and/or sugar.  Seems a bit silly.

The Chicken Sandwich tasted good, and so did the Spicy Chicken Sandwich (exact same chicken and seasoning as far as I could tell, except with a hot cayenne pepper addition that made it actually very spicy), but neither where anywhere near the worth of hysteria our society is giving Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich Review

After my first experience, I decided that maybe I should give their grilled chicken a try.  So I went back another day and ordered their Chargrilled Club.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich

The presentation of this sandwich was much better.  Nice beautiful leaf lettuce, crisp red bacon, melted provolone cheese, pickles, tomato, and a marinated grilled whole chicken breast all on a pretty wheat bun.  “This is more like it,” I thought.  I figured this was what the hysteria must be stemming from.  So I eagerly dived in.

Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich Inside

Just look at that beautiful chicken breast!  It was so tender, and so moist, and it was grilled!  Finally, a great tasting and healthy sandwich at a fast food chain!  Well, maybe not.  This guy still brought in 400 calories, 36 carbs, and 1110mg of sodium, all before I added any sauce to make it taste better.  And a quick check of the ingredients show:  butter flavored vegetable oil (think butter flavored Pam), added flavors, preservatives (TBHQ) salts, sugars, and a cute little workaround to MSG – yeast extracts and disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.  The yeast and the disodiums have the two main building blocks of MSG, so when combined, you get practically the same thing as MSG but don’t have to label it as such.  Like I said, cute workaround.

That being said, it was fairly tasty, though I didn’t love the processed fake tasting marinade.  And 400 calories isn’t too bad when compared to other fast food options.  It didn’t fill me up though, so I found myself ordering another item off the menu to leave satisfied.  But if you want a lower calorie option, and a decent tasting chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s Chargrilled Club might be worth ordering, especially if you pour some of their low-calorie Buffalo Sauce (only 10 calories per pack) on it.

Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich, What a Joke

Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit

I don’t even know what to say about this thing.  What a stupid and pathetic creation.  I’m embarrassed that I ate it.  I’m just glad I got it for free with a coupon to lesson my shame.  It’s their deep fried chicken breast, and hallmark pickles, put on a buttermilk biscuit.  How stupid.

The chicken was as good/bad as the rest (because it’s the same bloody chicken!), and the biscuit was fluffy and good.  But this thing brings in 440 calories, 20g of fat, 48 g of carbs, and 1210mg of sodium.  Plus you have to eat it with one of their dipping sauces if you want any flavor at all.  I paired mine with 2 packs of BBQ sauce, which brought in another 90 calories, 11g of carbs, and 180mg of sodium.  So this one little breakfast sandwich started my day with 530 calories and close to an entire day’s allotment of sodium!  Compare that to a better tasting McDonald’s Egg McMuffin at 300 calories, 30g of carbs, and 780mg of sodium, and you start to see just how ridiculous this breakfast beast is.  No thanks Chick-fil-A.  I have better things to get fat off of.

Ethics and Morals Behind Chick-fil-A Review

So I still have no idea what the hysteria is all about, and I find myself completely torn on this place.  The menu really isn’t anything special; most of their sandwiches are OK at best.  But I really admire their Christian business ethics of being closed on Sundays, and also their ownership’s moral standing on doing what they feel is right without fear of what it may do to their business success.  I think the social hysteria surrounding them right now is ridiculous, but find myself being willing to eat there despite it.  I doubt I will add Chick-fil-A to my lunch routine, but I will likely choose them over the others at airports and such when traveling.

The Bald Gourmet can’t give Chick-fil-A a recommending food review, but admires their business practices and wants to support them because of it.

Killer Burger in Bingen Washington

Killer Burger Kitchen

Killer Burger, Bingen, Washington Menu

Killer Burger Menu

OK, let me first say that any burger joint that includes BACON with all of their burgers can’t be bad. Just saying. But Killer Burger actually put some thought into offering an assortment of fantastic classics, as well as a couple unique show stoppers, like their Peanut Butter Pickle and their Marine.

The Marine is covered with Ghost Peppers, so there’s probably a lot of wisdom in the menu sign saying “Don’t order this!” as I’m sure it will lead to massive heartburn and bad restroom experiences.

It should also be noted that all of their burgers come with unlimited fries. Sometimes this restaurant gimmick results in bad fries, but Killer Burger’s fries are actually really good. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfectly salted, beautifully colored, all around great fry. Frozen, not fresh, but tasty all the same.

Killer Burger is open for lunch and dinner. But they also have a later afternoon happy hour featuring their Classic Burger and their Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger for $2 off. Great deal if you can wait until after 2:00. We could, so we ordered one of each.

The Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger at Killer Burger

Killer Burger Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger

Good heavens! What the hell was this thing? It looked like a burger, smelled like a burger, and ate like a burger, but tasted like something that is hard to describe. Don’t get me wrong, it was freaking delicious! But a good ol’ American burger? No. More like a peanut butter and pickle sandwich (which I love by the way) crossed with a cheeseburger with a little added sweet dessert thrown in. Let’s discuss the burger component first:

• Killer Burger really does an exceptional job with their patties. They have a fantastic rich beef flavor, and grill them to a caramelized perfection. They are extremely moist, and are seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper.
• Their buns are pretty good too, though they could be better with a denser dough, but they also grill these to get them nice and toasty. Don’t mind the occasional over-toasting; the extra caramelized crunch just adds to the rest of the burger.
• Killer Burger’s house spread is good too. It looks like it’s going to be a very heavy mayo spread, but it is actually very lite and mild. I’m guessing it is a mixture of mayo and sour cream. Good stuff.
• And then there’s the bacon. That sweet sweet bacon (sweet as in great, not sugary). I’m sorry, but bacon is of the Gods and should be on every burger no matter what. Thank you Killer Burger for understanding this! And thank you for cooking it perfectly crispy yet soft.

Now let’s talk about the Peanut Butter Pickle aspect:

• I’ve heard of peanut butter burgers before, but haven’t had one like this. The concept is rather genius, the execution pretty good. The peanut butter sauce was very thick, and I’m sure added an extra 400 calories I didn’t need, but well worth the adventure.
• Killer Burger’s secret peanut butter sauce is something they hold sacred. I asked the staff if my suspicions about its ingredients were true, but they said they could never tell me. Though the surprised look on their faces led me to believe I was hitting pretty close to home. I’m pretty sure it is made with crunchy peanut butter, honey, a touch of salt, and chipotle peppers. I’ll play around with this in my kitchen and do a post once I have it perfected. The sauce was good, but was a bit too sweet and rich. So much so that I had a hard time finishing the burger. It was this sweetness that turned the burger into, well, not a burger. I left feeling uncertain of what I just ate, but glad I ate it. What an odd conundrum.
• The pickles were nice and crunchy, and blended well with the peanut butter. If you haven’t had peanut butter and dill pickles together before, you really should give it a try. There is this cool salt, vinegar, sweet crunch thing that happens when they combine, which is truly unique. I really enjoyed it on this burger.

Killer Burger Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger Close Up

Killer Burger Classic Burger

So having a crazy over-the-top burger may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but never fear, Killer Burger has plenty of standard burger options for you. My buddy ordered the Classic Burger and gave me a taste. Seriously, this is a perfect burger. They really do do a fantastic job on their patties, buns, sauce, and the rest. Classic bacon cheeseburger at its finest.

My buddy Justin knew what he was doing and I’m grateful he introduced me to Killer Burger. Look how proud he is to be sharing it with me:

Killer Burger Patron Justin Black

Concluding Review of Killer Burger in Bingen, Washington

They named the joint correct…..killer burgers. More please.

The Bald Gourmet explores unique burger offerings at Killer Burger in Bingen, Washington.