Preston Eats: The quest to find the best chicken sandwich in Augusta

By Preston Hall | Staff writer

Recently, I decided to take on the challenge of finding the best chicken sandwich in Augusta, and I am proud to say that the mission is complete.

Now, this was not a job for the faint of heart or, may I say, the weak of stomach. I drove around the Augusta area, up and down Washington Road and even near Daniel Field airport. I wanted to see for myself which restaurant had the best chicken sandwich.

Seven different restaurants were tested in this battle for the best in Augusta. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Popeye’s, Zaxby’s, Slim Chickens and Chick-fil-A were all on the ballot to be taste-tested.

All the sandwiches were slightly different which made the taste test that much better.

Let’s start with the McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich. This sandwich was good, but you can tell it was made in a hurry and was not put together all that well. I did not let that tank the score, but what did tank it was the fact that the chicken was dry and not that crispy either. Overall, it would be ranked a 4 out of 10 from me.

The next place I visited was Wendy’s for their take on the Classic Chicken Sandwich. At first glance, they wrap their sandwiches in the aluminum foil wrap rather than a bag like other places. This seems like a mistake because the sandwich came out soggy and greasy; it was not that crispy, which hurts their score. Overall, it receives a 3 out of 10 from me.

Next was Burger King, and this is where the food started to get better. Their ChKing was crispy and built right, but again, their chicken was dry which made it hard to receive the best score. Scoring gets better here but not by much. I gave the ChKing a 5 out of 10.

Now, the visits get better. The next place I went to was Zaxby’s, and I got the Signature Chicken Sandwich. This place specializes in chicken, and it shows. Their sandwich was crispy, flavorful and had a nice bun to tie it all together. I was getting used to dry chicken, but they changed that with their juicy fillet. The score for Zaxby’s was an 8 out of 10.

Next was Slim Chickens and their Chicken Sandwich. Here, the scores were still higher as this place, like Zaxby’s, prides itself on chicken and making each meal an enjoyable one. Their sandwich was juicy, crispy, flaky and full of flavor. Good sauce made this sandwich jump to another level. I give them a rating of 7 out of 10, not quite as high as Zaxby’s but still good.

The all-mighty Chick-fil-A was next, and it is hard to beat these sandwiches. The simplicity that comes with the chicken sandwiches is odd when you think of how good they really are. The hot pouch they come in combined with the soft buttery buns and two pickles make the Chick-fil-A sandwich legendary. No sauce or anything else; just the perfectly cooked and flavorful chicken boosts the score to a 9 out of 10.

Last to be tested was that of Popeye’s. On August 12, 2019, Popeye’s set the world on fire with their new Crispy Chicken Sandwich making every restaurant scramble to match the product. For over two years now, the sandwich from Popeye’s has been a must-have and for good reason. The flavorful chicken matched with the juiciness, and the buttered buns is top notch. They, by far, have my favorite sandwich, and even though the scale only goes to 10, they are much better than the competition.

Popeye’s has the best chicken sandwich here in Augusta, and frankly, it is not even close. Stop on in, and try it for yourself.

So, it’s settled, Popeye’s reigns supreme in this category. Hopefully, the competition will continue to get better and rise to the challenge so we all have better and better experiences.

At the end of the day, each diner could value some traits more than others. So, I would highly encourage everyone to try the chicken sandwich challenge for themselves.

Until next time, stay hungry, Augusta.

At top of page, food critic Preston Hall tested chicken sandwiches from a variety of local restaurants and determined a winner. (photo by Preston Hall)

Contact Preston Hall at prhall@augusta.edu.

This story is published in the Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 print edition of The Bell Ringer.