Aditi Eats is back and doing some quick n’ dirty fast food reviews! I’m not the biggest meat eater, but sometimes I have one of those days where I could really go for a giant meal. Wednesday was one of those days. Thankfully, I was with a coupla’ Caniacs who could share my first ever visit to Raising Cane’s with me!

Raising Cane’s is a fast food restaurant that specializes in chicken fingers and fries. It was started in the 1990s by students at Louisiana State University. The chain stayed in the Louisiana area until the late 2000s, when they expanded to locations across the United States and established their first international stores in the Bahrain and Kuwait. Also, the name of the restaurant was fashioned after the founder’s dog. So many fun facts!

The menu at Cane’s is relatively simple. They offer four combination meals, each with a variation of chicken, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, cane’s sauce, and a drink. Its so simple! You can get extra  quantities of any of these components for another price. I like the simplicity of the model, it allows for a very easy decision-making process, and definitely cuts costs on their end in the long run.

I chose the 3 Finger Combo, which included 3 chicken fingers, a piece of Texas toast, crinkle-cut fries, one serving of cane’s sauce, and a regular drink, which I opted out of. First, the chicken is really good. I am really quite afraid of chicken, its more often dry than not, and when its dry, it tastes like chewy cardboard. This chicken was crispy on the outside and really juicy and moist on the inside. Of course, I consumed this with the signature Cane’s sauce, a secret blend of condiments and spices. I am a sauce girl through and through, and this really enhances the experience. Its really peppery and tangy, and tastes pretty good with everything.

In addition, I am very particular about my potatoes. I like my fries thin and crispy, anything thick reminds me of mashed potatoes, which is possible the blandest food on Earth. Anyways, while crinkle-cut isn’t my go-to, I did appreciate that these fries weren’t thick. While I was advised to dip them in Cane’s sauce, ketchup was better.

I also have mixed feelings about the Texas Toast. I was not aware of this option, but I should have ordered it to be buttered on both sides, which could have made it better. Instead, I felt like I was eating 3 slices of white Wonderbread smushed together and fried on one side. It didn’t have a flavor really, just toasted starch. This was definitely the weakest component, but clearly it is influenced by my strong dislike of plain white bread. I’m biased I know! Its my blog!!

I did finish my entire basket, no crumbs were left on my plate. The meal overall satisfied my hunger, and was definitely juicy and good quality meat. Overall, I wish it had more spice and flavor. The batter in the chicken could have used a little chili powder, they should have hot sauce available, and the Texas toast just needs to be..better. A very wise friend, Gunnar, proffered the idea of adding different spice rubs that could either be added in the kitchen or by the consumer. Or, they should offer a general “spicy” version of the wings, that could come with that dry spice blend on top. Yes, these innovations could cost money, but hey! More customers!

The battle of the chicken fingers is quite contentious. My fellow meat-eaters have very strong feelings for or against Cane’s and for or against its apparent rival, Chik-fil-A. My fellow companions for this Cane’s meal, Olivia and Marissa (the Caniacs), also appreciate that Raising Cane’s fits better with our political agendas, aka, they aren’t homophobic!! Always a plus! They also love Cane’s sauce, which clearly, is a huge asset. No wonder the formula is so secret! However, the competition is tight amongst my friends – i recently created a Twitter poll for all my followers. This completely un-scientific and not statistically significant data indicates a stronger preference for Chik-fil-A. The battle continues!

I enjoyed my Cane’s experience, and its very telling that they have fostered a strong fan base. If you are hungry and in need of a cheap fast food meal, this is definitely better than some other options.

The Bottom Line

Good quality meat for a fast food joint! Satisfying, but could be improved.

Cone Rating: 3.5 Cones 

Locations: Many, including 72nd and Dodge. Check their site!

Price: $ (Under 10$ for a meal)

On the Internet: Raising Cane’s Website and Yelp Page