7 Chicken Sandwich Chains In America, Ranked Worst To Best

The online debate over which chicken sandwich truly reigns supreme is always ongoing. Since the infamous Chick-fil-A versus Popeyes chicken sandwich war of 2019, customers have expressed their strong — and at times harsh — opinions on the fried chicken sandwich chains that delight fans and the ones that fall short. While it's difficult to crown one single winner, we got to work doing the research online to see what customers have to say about seven of the most popular chicken sandwich chains in America.

We gathered ratings, reviews, taste tests, and debates from forums, social media, Yelp, and Consumer Affairs to get a well-rounded picture of customer's opinions on these chains and their chicken sandwiches. Some are celebrated for their juicy chicken with crispy, crunchy breading, while others fall short for being greasy and bland. These are the seven top chicken sandwich chains, ranked from worst to best based on consistency, overall quality, and taste.

Despite being known for its secret fried chicken recipe, KFC's chicken sandwich is anything but finger-lickin' good. The chain may have once been the reigning champ of fried chicken in America, but it appears Colonel Sanders has lost his touch. In a map of the worst chicken chains in America shared on social media, KFC was ranked lowest in 12 states. The main complaints that customers have with the chicken here are that it is overly greasy and bland, and many feel that it has decreased in quality over the years. One dissatisfied customer even claims you're better off getting grocery store fried chicken than KFC.

The other problem that customers have with the chain is that it is wildly inconsistent. The quality and taste of the chicken are so dependent on the restaurant location, which defeats the whole purpose of eating at a chain. Customers want to know what they're getting when they order from a familiar chain — that reliability makes a difference in where they choose to eat. One customer on Reddit explains, "KFC probably has the least consistency in franchisee management across the whole U.S. fast food industry." With so many fried chicken sandwich options on the market now, KFC just can't compete.

Customers rave about the honey butter biscuits from Church's Chicken, but it looks like that's about the only thing the chain does right. It may be a step above KFC, but it's a far cry from a quality chicken sandwich, according to sentiment online. In a review on Reddit, a customer ranked nine chicken sandwiches and gave Church's the lowest score of three out of 10. They state, "This sandwich was soggy, weirdly sweet, had nonexistent spice, and had sauce gushing out of it like a gusher. Pickles were hardly noticeable drowned in sauce." While we can all agree that gushers are delicious, it's certainly not what you want to hear when describing a chicken sandwich.

There is a lot going wrong with this chicken sandwich, as customer complaints range from bland flavor to unnerving texture and poor-quality oil. One customer on TikTok finds the chicken to have a rubbery consistency, and others claim the oil tastes old, making the meal have an overall low quality texture and taste. If the biscuits are the best thing on the menu at a chicken chain, it's probably not a good sign.

Customers have high expectations for this rapidly expanding fried chicken chain because chicken fingers are basically the only thing on the menu. The chicken sandwich features three tenders, lettuce, and Cane's sauce on a toasted bun, and the most common complaint about the chicken is that it is simply underwhelming. One customer on Reddit alleges that the chicken is dry, underseasoned, and the fries aren't doing anything to level the meal up. A food reviewer on TikTok praises the sauce and bread on the sandwich but laments the flavorless chicken experience from Cane's, exclaiming, "There's no garlic. There's no paprika. There's no soul."

What the restaurant has gained notoriety for is its mouthwatering Cane's sauce, not its chicken. Most customers agree that the tangy, creamy sauce is the only thing that makes the meal stand out. In fact, one TikToker called it "the saving grace of the franchise." Some sauce fans will order an entire drink cup full of the stuff to smother their chicken sandwiches. Another common complaint with Raising Cane's is the inconsistency in the size of the chicken tenders, making some customers feel like they're getting ripped off.

Zaxby's chicken is often compared to Raising Cane's and receives some of the same complaints as its competitor regarding underwhelming flavor in its chicken. However, it earns some brownie points with customers for having more menu variety. In a review of Zaxby's spicy chicken on Facebook, a customer claims there is almost no spice in the chicken at all. If you want to add heat with spicy Zax sauce, you're out of luck — another Zaxby customer says the so-called "spicy" sauce lacks heat.

The chain tends to rank in the middle of the pack. While customers used to have positive things to say about its value and portions, the quality has declined in recent years. One customer on Reddit ordered the Kickin' Chicken sandwich from Zaxby's for the first time in several years and claimed the buttery, toasty, saucy sandwich he remembers is a thing of the past. Customers mention a noticeable difference in the size of the chicken tenders as well as the decline in oil quality. They note that the chicken often tastes like it was burnt in old oil, which tells you everything you need to know about Zaxby's fried chicken.

In the general fried chicken sandwich rankings, Bojangles earns a spot towards the middle of the pack. But as a Southern chicken chain, customers have high expectations that the chain doesn't always meet. One of the biggest issues that customers have with Bojangles is the inconsistency. In fact, some customers claim that the chain isn't even worth ordering from unless you're going to a location in its home state of North Carolina.

It receives mixed reviews for its fried chicken sandwich, and is mainly praised for its legendary Bo-Berry Biscuits, which are actually a rare from-scratch fast food item. One reviewer on TikTok rates the sandwich a seven out of 10, explaining that it reminds him of Wendy's iconic chicken nuggets, but in sandwich form. He notes that the breading is flavorful and crispy, but the chicken is slightly dry, requiring some honey mustard to improve it. Another reviewer on YouTube agrees that, while the sandwich is serviceable, it just doesn't hold a candle to some of its competitors.

In the sandwich wars of 2019, it was Chick-fil-A and Popeyes that went head to head to be crowned king of the fried chicken sandwich, but the debate over which of the two reigns supreme continues to wage online. One of the things that Chick-fil-A receives praise for is its consistency, which is a welcome change from many of the other chains on this list. Customers appreciate its reliability and simplicity, which is largely why the chicken sandwich is the best-selling item at Chick-fil-A.

Plus, the chicken is high-quality to match. A reviewer on TikTok describes his first bite into the iconic chicken sandwich: "The bun appears to be soft, fresh, and well-toasted... The breading is crispy, crunchy, and well-seasoned, and the chicken breast is meaty, juicy, buttery, and savory." The one note that customers tend to have for Chick-fil-A is that the spicy chicken sandwich is not as hot as they'd like it to be, which is why it didn't make it to the number one spot.

Popeye's earns the honorable number-one spot in the chicken sandwich rankings for its flavorful, juicy, tender chicken. But what makes Popeye's fried chicken so delicious? The sandwich has the standard ingredients, but the main differentiator from Chick–fil-A is that the Popeye's sandwich comes with mayo or spicy mayo. Customers claim the Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich beats out its Chick-fil-A competition with more spice and flavor, likely due to the spicy sauce that comes on the sandwich. It perfectly blends a soft and buttery bun with crunchy breading enveloping large, juicy chicken breast patties and acidic pickles to top it off.

Like with most fast food chains, customer opinions vary based on location. The consensus from a comprehensive Reddit thread debating the best chicken sandwich is that when Popeye's is on its game, no other chicken sandwich competes. Chick-fil-A might beat them on consistency, but a well-made Popeye's spicy chicken sandwich is the best of the best, even if it is one of the unhealthiest fast food items.

When it comes to chicken sandwich chains, customers often have strong and passionate opinions. To identify a clear consensus, we analyzed customer taste tests, social media discussions, and online forum debates where fans regularly argue over which chains reign supreme. We also reviewed feedback from platforms like Yelp and Consumer Affairs to ensure a broad and balanced perspective. Gathering information from all of these platforms helped create a well-informed list of chicken chains ranked from worst to best.

Our rankings are based on three core factors: consistency, quality, and taste. When it comes to chains, customers expect reliability, so consistency was an important factor in these rankings. But above all, these chains were measured by what customers consistently say about flavor, texture, freshness, and overall sandwich quality. By prioritizing real customer experiences across multiple platforms and listening to what those who eat there the most have to say, we established this comprehensive ranking.