Cluck Cluck to yummy 

Where is the best place to get chicken tenders 

By: Koen Johnson 

From Raising Canes to Freddys and Popey’s to Dairy Queen, chicken tenders reign supreme. You can get chicken tenders almost everywhere, but every tender is different in taste and price. Have you ever wondered what chicken tender place you can get the most bang for your buck? Or where you can get the best tenders from? I’ve done extensive research on this very topic. 

There’s a dispute about who first made chicken tenders. A restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire, known as The Puritan Backroom said they invented the chicken finger back in 1974. While owner Ansley Williams of Spanky's in Savannah, Georgia, also claims to have developed this finger-licking treat in 1974. Regardless of who invented the chicken finger, they are delicious. 

One popular place to get chicken fingers is Dairy Queen, which originally opened on June 22, 1940, and is still in operation today with over 5,700 locations. While this franchise is known for its cool treats, their chicken tenders are also a big hit. When you get some chicken tenders from Dairy Queen you can expect to get your tenders, bread, fries, and sauce in a small box. You can get a 4 or 6 piece meal from there with buttered toast and french fries and a sauce of your choice; you can choose from gravy, BBQ, or ranch. The 4 piece is $5.49 and the 6 pieces are $6.89, putting them at the low end of the price spectrum. Dairy Queen has tried very hard to perfect their chicken tenders, but they still haven’t quite done it. They have so many different options to order that they don’t focus on the regular chicken tenders, which lack flavor and crunch. 

The next stop on the tender tour is Raising Canes, which originally opened on August 26, 1996, and has 559 locations. Raising Canes only sells chicken tenders, so you know they’re good. They offer 3 different ways to order a chicken tender: in a sandwich, salad or just tenders. When you order chicken from Raising Canes, you can expect them to come in a styrofoam to-go box. When you open it there will be a build-up of steam in the box, so they will most likely be a little wet. Their 4pc chicken tenders are $6.98 and the Caniac Combo is $9.98 with 6 tenders and 2 toast and fries. If you ever go to Raising Canes I would recommend going inside to eat. If you go through the drive-threw you will expect wet chicken, but if you go inside you will get the real chicken tenders that have perfect flavor and perfect dipping sauce. Canes tenders have a true chicken tender flavor, and that flavor is expanded when you dip the tenders in the franchise’s famous sauce. As long as you get them in-house and not to-go, these are the tenders to beat.   

One place you wouldn’t guess they have chicken tenders is Freddy’s. They’re known for their burgers, but they do offer delicious chicken tenders. They have been open since 2002 and are still going with 380 plus locations around the US. When you order a combo from Freddy’s, you can expect them in a nice basket with a ton of fries. You can get 3 pieces for $4.49 or 5 pieces for $5.49. When you bite into the tenders that Freddy’s you can expect to get a pretty decent tender. The batter is light and crunchy, but you can tell that the focus at Freddy’s is the burgers. These tenders are okay, but they aren’t at the top of the list.  

Another popular place to get Chicken Tenders from is Popeyes. They have been in business since June 12, 1972, and boast 3,451 locations around the US. At Popeyes, when you get your order you will get it in a box with fries and sauce. They offer 3, 5, 8,12, and 16 tender meals that vary in price and the side you get with it. When looking at prices you notice that getting more tenders is cheaper per tender. When you bite into the Chicken you will get a lot of flavors, for me there are almost too many flavors in the chicken. Popeyes tenders are crispy and crunchy, but the seasoning is a bit too much for me, dropping these tenders down on the list.  

If you’re looking for the best chicken tenders, look no further than Raising Canes. The combination of sweet buttery toast and Canes sauce just makes your mouth water. Cane’s offers competitive prices with more food in the meal then most places, and their famous sauce puts it over the top, just be sure not to drive-through.